FAIR DAYS PARADE

live with colors, sights and sounds, the Monroe Fair Days Parade is a timehonored tradition that celebrates Monroe’s vibrant past, while showcasing everything the community has to offer today. A

Meant to help usher in the Evergreen State Fair, the annual event is the perfect way to preface a day filled with carnival rides, games, fanciful fair food and family-friendly fun. Each year, Monroe’s West Main Street is lined with hundreds of excited guests and community members, who gather eagerly to watch the vivid one-mile procession as it travels through Monroe in a sensational whirlwind of lively music and dynamic performances.

The parade truly captures the essence of Monroe, reflecting a strong reverence for military veterans and first responders, and a powerful sense of community pride. You can’t help but cheer as the awardwinning Monroe High School marching band forges its way along the parade route, accompanied by the Monroe High School Bearcats cheerleaders, dance and sports teams.

Equestrian lovers are never disappointed, as the Ixtapa Dancing Horses take to the streets in a flurry of pounding hooves, dazzling costumes and traditional music, performed by a live mariachi group. The excitement of the dancing horses is carefully balanced with the gentleness of Colors of Hawaii, another parade favorite

Everyone lovesMonroe’s

PARADE

BY CHRIS HENDRICKSON

Photo by Joshua Scheffer

Vintage MARKET

The Monroe Fair Days Parade Parade: 11 a.m. Saturday, August 25, 2018 Street Fair: 9 a.m. at the Wagner Performing Arts Center, located at 639 West Main S. Parade Route: West Main Street, starting at 178th and traveling east to North Blakeley Street Event Hours: 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Parking: parking is available in and around Monroe’s downtown core

Photo by Chris Hendrickson

known for a spectacular array of colors adorning both horse and rider.

Catching a spot near the judging booth—located in Monroe’s historic downtown core—is always a great way to experience the action! Each year different parade participants pause there to impress the judges with spirited performances. There is no better place to enjoy the high-energy, synchronized movements and breathtaking acrobatics performed by the West Coast Country Heat dance team, or to catch a heart-filled rendition of the National Anthem, performed by a Monroe community member.

The parade is deeply rooted in Monroe history, its origins dating back as far as 1937. Back then, the parade was part of a community fair, and took place just north of where the Monroe Fair Days Parade is held today. The inaugural event included a pet parade and a general parade, and featured music by the Washington State Reformatory Band. In 1941, the parade was held in conjunction with a carnival and agricultural fair called the “Cavalcade of the Valleys.”

The Cavalcade of the Valleys morphed into the Snohomish County Fair in the late 1940s, by 1949 becoming known as the Evergreen State Fair. It was in that timeframe that the Monroe Fair Days Parade became its official companion, ushering in the festivities each year with great fanfare and panache.

Over the years, the parade has been sustained by local community organizations including the Monroe Kiwanis and the Monroe Jaycees. Today, the event is organized by the Monroe Chamber of Commerce and the Monroe Fair Days Parade Committee.

This year, parade attendees are invited to come early to peruse local craftsman and vendors at the Monroe Fair Days Market, located midway on the parade route near the Wagner Performing Arts Center. Make a day of it by combining experiences! Enjoy the Evergreen State Fair and experience a taste of Monroe’s historic vibrancy while you’re in town. “The Monroe Fair Days Parade is one of my all-time favorite Sky Valley events,” said Sky Valley resident, Elizabeth Emmons. “We always get there early to enjoy the bouncy houses and street fair, and to visit with friends along the route before the parade kicks off. The entries range from hilarious to humbling—it’s the absolute best!”

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