Preparations are under way as The Daffodil Festival partners with the City of Tacoma to pay tribute to Pierce County’s sizable active duty and retired military population. Together, they will host the Second Annual Celebrating Military Service Parade in downtown Tacoma on the evening of Sat., Aug. 16.

“Last year’s military appreciation parade was a great success,” said Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland. “We look forward to honoring our service members and their families again in downtown Tacoma.”

The parade will spotlight notable active duty and retired military personnel, and feature marching units, community floats, bands, Reserve Officers’ Training Corps and Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps units, veterans organizations, motorcycle units, and veterans groups. Last year, the parade featured over 60 military units.

The parade will begin at South 17th Street and Pacific Avenue near Tollefson Plaza at 6 p.m. The route will travel north to South 10th Avenue. Immediately following the parade, parade vehicles, community floats, and military personnel will be on Pacific Avenue from South 7th Street to South 9th Street. Pacific Avenue will be closed to showcase specific parade entries, and parade-goers are encouraged to support their local area restaurants for related festivities.

Also on that day, the Washington State History Museum will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I by opening Seeds of Victory: Posters of the Great War, a comprehensive collection of wartime propaganda posters owned by private collectors Jim and Sheron Givan. The exhibit will be open between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Sat., Aug. 16. The Washington State History Museum is located in downtown Tacoma at 1911 Pacific Ave. More information is available online here.

In October, the Tacoma Historical Society and the Lakewood Historical Society will host Salute Pierce County, a fund-raiser that aims to celebrate local military heritage and commemorate the centennial of World War I while also helping to fund both Societies’ efforts to protect, preserve, and promote local history. More information is available online here.

The Emerald Queen Hotel & Casino and Heritage Bank are the headlining sponsors of the Second Annual Celebrating Military Service Parade. More information is available online at tacomamilitaryparade.com.

The Second Annual Celebrating Military Service Parade will be held next month in downtown Tacoma. The parade will spotlight notable active duty and retired military personnel, and feature marching units, community floats, bands, Reserve Officers’ Training Corps and Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps units, veterans organizations, motorcycle units, and veterans groups. Last year, the parade featured over 60 military units. (PHOTO COURTESY THE DAFFODIL FESTIVAL)

The Second Annual Celebrating Military Service Parade will be held next month in downtown Tacoma. The parade will spotlight notable active duty and retired military personnel, and feature marching units, community floats, bands, Reserve Officers’ Training Corps and Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps units, veterans organizations, motorcycle units, and veterans groups. Last year, the parade featured over 60 military units. (PHOTO COURTESY THE DAFFODIL FESTIVAL)

The Second Annual Celebrating Military Service Parade will be held next month in downtown Tacoma. The parade will spotlight notable active duty and retired military personnel, and feature marching units, community floats, bands, Reserve Officers’ Training Corps and Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps units, veterans organizations, motorcycle units, and veterans groups. Last year, the parade featured over 60 military units. (PHOTO COURTESY THE DAFFODIL FESTIVAL)