Parade highlights Strawberry Festival celebration

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News 

A Marysville/Tulalip community tradition since 1931, thousands of families filled the sidewalks of State Street on Father’s Day to enjoy the Strawberry Festival’s Grand Parade. Tulalip Resort Casino was recognized as the top-level, Orca sponsor for the 87th annual Strawberry Festival.

The festival took place over the weekend of June 15 to 17. During those days Marysville Middle School and Asbery Field were home to children’s activities, live entertainment, a talent show, craft making, a large outdoor market, and a fun for all ages carnival. Concluding the festival was the Grand Parade.

Tulalip was well-represented with a variety of themed displays throughout the parade, adding to the spectacle of stunning visuals and raucous sounds. Tulalip Bay Fire and the police department lent the sirens of their emergency services vehicles to signal the parade’s start. 

Board of Director Teri Gobin served as Grand Marshall.

Beginning at 7:45pm, the parade lasted approximately 90-minutes, ending shortly after sunset. Unlike years past, there was no dazzling firework show to mark the parade’s end because of Marysville’s city-wide ban on fireworks, even for display purposes. 

Williams to serve as Marysville Strawberry Festival Grand Marshal

Lauren SalcedoHerman Williams Sr. has been selected to be the Strawberry Festival Grand Marshal.
Lauren Salcedo
Herman Williams Sr. has been selected to be the Strawberry Festival Grand Marshal.

By Lauren Salcedo, The Marysville Globe

MARYSVILLE — Herman Williams Sr. is a former Tulalip Tribal Chair, Marysville School Board Director, Marysville High School ASB President and football quarterback. He is an artist, painter, musician, fisherman and storyteller. And now, he is adding one more title to his list of influence in the Marysville and Tulalip areas — Strawberry Festival Grand Marshal.

“Herman has been influential in Tulalip and Marysville for many years,” said Carol Kapua, of the Strawberry Festival. “Being one of the leaders of the Tribes, he has been instrumental in getting the Tribes to where they are today, especially in the business world.”

Since retiring in 1980, Williams has continued to focus on art, and uses paintings, stories and songs to honor the history of the Tribes.

“What I’m doing is trying to go back and depict the life of my ancestors,” said Williams. “I want to really show the life they had, and how they went through the trauma of people telling them they couldn’t sing their songs or tell their stories.”

When Williams found out about the selection as Grand Marshal, he thought it was a joke. When Kapua told him that he really was going to be Grand Marshal he was surprised and touched.

“It’s really rather an honor,” he said.

Willams will be in the Strawberry Festival Grand Parade on Saturday, June 15, and jokes that he will have to perfect his waving skills.