Jacob Dimond / jake@yelmonline.com
Yelm community members took to the sidewalks and shoulders of Yelm Avenue in full force during the morning hours of Saturday, June 14, to celebrate one of the community’s most beloved events: the Prairie Days Parade.
Yelm Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Tina Richardson told the Nisqually Valley News at the conclusion of the event that since COVID-19 swept the globe in 2020, the organization has focused on rebuilding the traditional Prairie Days Parade. She noted this year’s event featured the highest registration numbers in five years, leading the chamber one step closer to its goal of rebuilding the event to its previous strength and size.
Forty-five total businesses, organizations and community members participated in this year’s event with floats, according to the executive director.
“I feel like there was a fun energy. I saw a lot of people excited, and kids were running around. Just seeing the smiles on the little kids’ faces — just excited about what they saw and the overall experience. We did it. We accomplished the goal of bringing the town together and seeing children happy and smiling. I felt like there was a great community feel and energy in the air,” Richardson said. “For us, we’re growing as a result of COVID.
Everything had to reset, and we had to start to build back up. Forty-five entries is a great number for us as we’re going. Maybe next year we can shoot for at least five more to reach 50. We’re trying to grow ourselves back up.”
For the first time in parade history, Richardson said Thurston County TV (TCTV) filmed the event and interviewed several participants in attendance. She noted that a video from TCTV was uploaded on YouTube as of Saturday night. She added TCTV was one of many collaborations that helped make 2025’s Prairie Days Parade a success.
“It was a fun collaboration with a lot of different people. The fun of the crowd and the participants played into it, too. Everyone was really excited,” Richardson said. “Relationships are key. We had so many different people show up to help today … Everyone came together and tried to make sure the parade ran smoothly. Relationships are always going to be big for me. You can’t have community if you don’t build relationships. I think, fundamentally, relationships are the cornerstone of how we’re going to keep an event like this going.”
Upon arriving at Yelm Avenue prior to the parade beginning, Richardson said she was moved and inspired to see how many residents were packing the streets and claiming their spots on the street for the Prairie Days Parade.
“It’s a testament to Yelm. It’s a testament to our community, the families that are coming in, and to our business owners. It’s a testament of who we are as a city, and we value that. I think people are starting to see more and more that this is the heartbeat of Yelm: to come together and do things. I think people take ownership, and they’re proud to live in a city that cares,” Richardson said. “The success is the people. The energy they bring and the excitement that they bring. The people who worked so hard on decorating a float. We also had the largest amount of parade sponsors this year than we’ve had before. People are supporting and showing up. We’re super grateful for all of the participants in the parade, and we’re thankful for all of the attendees who showed up. You can’t have one without the other.”
