Monroe Fair Days Parade to line Main Street

-á -á -áA Monroe tradition for more than 75 years, the annual Monroe Fair Days Parade ushers in the Evergreen State Fair with bright colors, dazzling costumes and lively performances ' all sprinkled with a bit of history.

-á-á -á This year's parade will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, and will be followed by a post-parade street fair in the new Main Street Plaza. Parade applications are to be turned in to the Monroe Chamber of Commerce by Sunday, Aug. 16, and all are welcome to apply. The chamber is currently seeking additional participants, including floats, muscle cars, beauty queens, dancers and musicians.

-á-á -á "All parade participants receive buy-one-get-one access to the Evergreen State Fair,GÇ¥ said Monroe Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Una Wirkebau. "You also receive a swag bag, meet new people and have a fabulous community connection.GÇ¥-á

-á -á -áEntry fees are $50 for nonprofits, $150 for commercial entities and $200 for political campaigns.

-á -á The parade, which typically takes place during the opening weekend of the Evergreen State Fair, proceeds east down Main Street in a flurry of music, dancing and vibrantly decorated parade floats.

-á -á Numerous organizations take part in the event, including the Monroe Chamber of Commerce, the Monroe Police Department, the Monroe Correctional Complex, the Monroe Fire Department, the Monroe Historical Society and the Monroe School District.

-á -á Each year, the nearly one-mile parade route along Main Street is lined with chairs, as thousands of citizens pack the sidelines to watch the procession go by.

-á -á The very first parade was held in 1937 as part of a community fair. The event, which took place on East Main and Ferry Street in downtown Monroe, included a pet parade and a general parade, with music by the Washington State Reformatory Band.

-á -á During the 1940s, the parade was held in conjunction with a carnival and agricultural fair called the "Cavalcade of the Valleys.GÇ¥

-á -á The parade had a few starts and stops during the 1960s, but was kept running by local groups that included the Monroe Kiwanis and the Monroe Jaycees.

-á -á In recent years, the parade has been collaboratively organized by the Monroe Chamber of Commerce and the Monroe Fair Days Parade Committee, which includes representatives from the city of Monroe, the Monroe School District and the Evergreen State Fairgrounds.

-á -á For more information about the Monroe Fair Days parade, contact the Monroe Chamber of Commerce at office@monroewachamber.org or call 360-794-5488.