A parade for vegetables?
Yes, a parade for vegetables! The March of the Vegetables parade celebrates all that is wonderful about the Snoqualmie Valley – its art, agriculture, beauty, and vibrant small-town communities. The first March of the Vegetables parade was held in the streets of Downtown Duvall on Saturday, March 25th, 2017 and was followed by an after-party with music, kids activities, and a beer garden at Depot Park.
The parade is a pedestrian-only event, populated with people-powered floats, handmade costumes, local musicians, and marching bands all coming together to welcome the vegetables back for another growing season. March of the Vegetables celebrates beauty and whimsy, creativity and community integrity. It's not just about dressing up as vegetables (although that part is pretty fun too!)
Ok, but why a parade?
1. To honor the work that our local farmers do to keep our community alive and healthy. Did you know that King County's agricultural areas, which include the beautiful Snoqualmie Valley,
have the capacity to produce over 50% of the daily caloric needs for all county residents?
2. To contribute a unique event to an already vibrant Snoqualmie Valley culture, rich with beauty, connection, and culture.
3. To provide a forum for established and emerging artists living in the area.
4. To bring the community together, during the dark winter months, through the creation of art.
Why March? Isn't it rainy in March?
March is the perfect time to symbolically welcome the vegetables back, similar to the manner that fisherman ceremonially bless their fleet.
And surprisingly, the weather isn’t as bad as one might expect. Reviewing ten years of weather data reveals an average temperature of 45 degrees, with daytime highs warmer than that, and several days in late March have no rain, or very light rain. A parade in March allows us to create art all winter, and then emerge to celebrate spring!
Where will the floats come from?
We work with local artists, art teachers, businesses, and neighborhood groups to encourage them to build floats and costumes for the parade through our Art in the Barns classes.
How will this affect
local businesses?
The event will bring people to the downtown core and benefit local businesses. In addition to consumer traffic on the day of the event, we hope business owners will experience a longer-term benefit by getting exposure that may lead to future business.
What if I don't want to be a vegetable?
The parade welcomes representations of all aspects of a healthy Snoqualmie Valley! But we ask you to adhere to these three rules, adapted from our mentors (and March of the Vegetables inspiration) at the Procession of the Species Celebration;
- No written words or symbols. We are constantly bombarded with words and symbols, and this parade will be a chance to take a visual break and simply enjoy the art.
- No pets or live animals, with the exception of Service Animals.
- No motorized vehicles or musical amplification. Of course, a motorized wheelchair is certainly permitted
How can YOU get involved?
Excited to volunteer now? Please send us your information via the Volunteer page.
Are you interested in teaching an art class? Teachers, scout leaders, community organizers, parade enthusiasts (yes, parade enthusiast is a thing), we’d love to hear from you! Send us an email at marchofthevegetables@gmail.com.
Or, if you'd just like to march in the parade adorned as a vegetable, join us! More details will be shared here and on our Facebook page as the event date approaches.
Thank you to our sponsors:
