Annual Prairie Days parade and activities return to Yelm from June 25 through June 28

One of the biggest annual traditions in Yelm and the Nisqually Valley region is set to return at the end of June with four jam-packed days of family-friendly activities for local community members to enjoy.

These activities include Prairie Days Bingo, sponsored by Yelm Lions Club; the third annual Party on the Prairie, hosted by the City of Yelm; the annual Prairie Days Parade, hosted by Yelm Chamber of Commerce; the Prairie Days pie baking contest, hosted by Yelm Rotary Club and Castle Realty; the Prairie Days photography exhibition and contest, sponsored by Graham Auto Repair; Prairie Days Touch-a-Truck, hosted by the City of Yelm’s Parks and Recreation Department; the Prairie Days chalk art contest, presented by the Yelm Arts Commission; the Prairie Days ‘Crazy Fun Foam Party,’ hosted by Yelm Prairie Days; and the annual charity mushball tournament, presented by Dancing Needles Tattoos.

“Like we have the past couple of years, we’ve expanded Prairie Days into a four-day event. There’s something for families every single day,” Line Roy, Yelm communications and recreation coordinator, told the Nisqually Valley News on Monday, June 15. “Every city has their heritage days. They have their special weekend that celebrates their city. Prairie Days is ours. What makes it so different is every element of it, every piece of it, nods back to the original Prairie Days of years past. It really celebrates the community spirit that Yelm has and has always had.”

According to Roy, Prairie Days will kick off in 2026 on Thursday, June 25, with Prairie Days Bingo at the Yelm Community Center. The event will begin at 5 p.m.

She noted the annual bingo games are a nod to the old Prairie Days tradition of bingo, which began in the 1980s when attendees played the game at the city park.

“It’s super cool that we get to bring that back and let that be a highlight for the people who remember it and have that nostalgic feel towards Prairie Days Bingo, especially,” Roy said.

The action will continue at 5 p.m. on Friday, June 26, when Dakota Poorman and the Olsen Brothers rock Yelm City Park’s Centennial Stage with the third annual Party on the Prairie entry.

“They’ll be on stage. We’ll have food trucks and a beer garden. Of course, the park and the splash pad will be open and available for the kids,” Roy said. “That’s going to be a lot of fun, and will be in the evening at Yelm City Park.”

The weekend’s biggest hit will take place during the morning hours of Saturday, June 27, down Yelm Avenue as the annual Prairie Days Parade is set to begin at 9 a.m.

Once the parade concludes, attendees are asked to walk to Yelm City Park to enjoy a full day of fun, free and family-friendly activities, like the photography contest, chalk art contest, carnival rides, a pie baking contest, touch-a-truck, activity booths, food trucks and the Yelm Farmers Market nearby.

She noted awards will be presented at 1:30 p.m. for winners of the photography contest, chalk art contest and pie baking contest.

“We’re going to close out the afternoon with a crazy fun foam party,” Roy said. “We’re going to transform the park, right in front of the stage, into a bubble zone and we’re going to get all covered in bubbles. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

New to the Prairie Days tradition in 2026 will be Yelm Lions Club kicking off its annual Movies in the Park series during the weekend of activities. The local non-profit group will show “Encanto” at Longmire Park at dusk.

Prairie Days weekend will round out on Sunday, June 28, when the annual charity mushball tournament — hosted by One Net Yelm and Dancing Needles Tattoo — returns to Longmire Park.

“That’s a super fun event and it’s been many years in the making,” Roy said. “The winning team will decide which charity all of the registration fees go to. The first pitch is at 9 a.m. and there will be lots of cool stuff going on all day. The last game should be around 2 p.m.”

For Roy, all of the countless hours of preparing for and organizing Prairie Days weekend is paid off the second the activities begin to get rolling.

“I love Prairie Days,” Roy said.” I love at the end of every year kind of getting to go in and see ‘how are we going to make this better next year?’ We can’t go much bigger because the space just doesn’t allow for it. How can we cram even more fun into a couple days? It’s neat to hear everybody’s ideas to keep expanding and growing.”