Churn up in person
for the Tillamook June Dairy Parade
By Emily Lindblom
For the TODAY
With dancers, horses, decorated floats and more, the 64th Annual June Dairy Parade will return to Tillamook this year to celebrate the importance of dairy and community.
For many area residents, the parade in downtown Tillamook, happening this year on Saturday, June 26, signifies the start of the summer season.
Last year’s event took on an “inside-out” model, where the participants stayed on their stationary floats or danced in place while the spectators drove by them.
However, as outdoor gathering guidelines are lifted, this year’s event, with the theme “As the world churns,” will go back to its usual form with spectators watching from the sidelines as the floats and performers move along the route.
Longtime participant Brett Hurliman said people are really hungry to be able to do things safely with the community again.
“Last year they did a great job with the inside-out parade,” Hurliman said. “That worked for last year but I think people are really excited about getting back to a sense of normalcy again.”
Mallory Gruben, the communications manager for the Tillamook Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber originally had planned to follow the inside-out method again. But after hearing about the updates to the guidelines, the chamber quickly pivoted to the usual model.
“The community’s hoping for something more normal than the last year and a half that we’ve experienced,” Gruben said.
She added the parade is a longstanding and beloved tradition, held in conjunction with National Dairy Month, celebrating the heritage and culture of the area’s dairy farmers.
Participants include marching bands from local high schools, fire trucks, horseback riders and a variety of community groups. Because the inside-out model made it tough for marching bands and horses to be involved, the chamber expects there will be more entries this year than last year.
As the Tillamook area has a large group of people with Swiss heritage, the Tillamook Swiss Society often has a presence in the parade, with a float and dancers wearing traditional Swiss garb.
Hurliman, aged 52, has been involved with the event nearly all his life and said it’s still important to him.
His first memory of participation was in the 1970s when he was about five years old, dressed as a pioneer and walking with his dog alongside the Kimmel True Value Hardware & Appliance covered wagon float.
“I remember being so excited and so proud that we’d won a trophy at it,” Hurliman said, adding that in the past, the organizers would give out a grand sweepstakes and several trophies each year.
This year, however, there will be no judging or trophies given out, and there will be no grand or honorary grand marshal. Since the organizers only had about a month to change their plans from the inside-out model to the normal one, they decided to forgo those traditions this year.
As Hurliman’s family is Swiss, he also walked with the Tillamook Swiss Society float as a kid, taking part in the traditional folk dances. He called it a family tradition, as one of his daughters will be dancing in this year’s parade.
To him, the June Dairy Parade celebrates the time when farmers in Switzerland would bring their cows out to the lowlands for the warmer season. The Swiss Society float includes people walking with big animals and ringing cowbells.
“For me that’s the huge thing; when the Swiss float comes by, it kicks off summer to me,” Hurliman said. “They’re taking the cows to pasture, that’s what’s going on.”
Hurliman’s office, Edward Jones Financial Advisor, is along the route so he plans to open it up so people can stop by to get water or use the restroom.
Hurliman was born and raised in Tillamook and after moving to Seattle after college, he found he missed the sense of community he had growing up on the Oregon Coast.
“I just didn't get the same sense of community up there and I really missed that, so I came back,” Hurliman said, adding the parade is one of the things that brings that feeling to Tillamook. “I loved seeing people lining the streets, and the Rotary club lined the streets with American flags. I love that tradition and the sense we’re all together.”
Lisa Greiner has also participated in the parade since she was a kid. She danced as a student with the Patricia School of Dance, starting when she was about eight years old. She said she still sees founder of the dance studio Pat Hawkins when she comes to town.
Now, as the owner and operator of the dance studio, which is now called Oregon Coast Dance Center, Greiner has been preparing her own students for the event. She said the dance center usually has 10 to 20 older kids dancing on the route while the younger kids ride on a float and throw candy.
Memorable moments over the years have been when it was either 100 degrees or a torrential downpour, but no matter the weather, the parade always marks the start of summer for her.
Last year, Greiner said, so many events that mark certain parts of the year didn’t happen, but the parade still marked summertime. She said she won’t forget last year.
“For me as someone who choreographs the routine, I keep in mind we always have to be moving, dancing and traveling forward,” Greiner said. “Last year was interesting because we didn't get to move, we were just in our spot.”
Typically, Greiner said the dancers would perform for about 30 to 45 minutes, but last year they danced for three hours straight.
“Now you can be outside without a mask so everyone’s excited to go back to the regular parade,” Greiner said. She said she recommends bringing water and sunscreen, and to be understanding about traffic.
“Be patient if you’re driving through town and you’re not part of the parade,” Greiner said. “Or go out, have a good time and enjoy and watch the parade.”
The event has been important to Joanna Stelzig for about 25 years, since she moved to Tillamook at age 10. She would go with the 4-H and Future Farmers of America groups, marching with animals or riding horses.
When she was older, she stayed involved through her work, decorating the stand and holding a banner. She’s the public relations manager for Tillamook People’s Utility District, so she marches with her colleagues.
“I don't think I've missed a parade for 25 years,” Stelzig said. One year, her brother got married out of town and she left early the next day to get back to Tillamook in time for the parade. “Now that I have kids it’s a tradition for them too, and I love seeing how much fun they have at the parade.”
Stelzig added that it’s amazing how big the June Dairy Parade is for a small community, and it takes a lot of effort from community members and volunteers.
The event will also include a children’s coloring contest, which will be available at the parade and online. The coloring contest will end on July 12 and the winning artists can expect to be awarded with prizes.
This year, the parade will follow a reverse route, heading down Main Avenue, around the Rodeo Steakhouse, down Pacific Avenue and along Third Street to finish at Goodspeed Park, beginning at 11 am and ending at 1 pm.
For more information, go to junedairyparade.com or call 503-842-7525.
This year’s parade again takes place on the same weekend as the Tillamook County Rodeo, starting at 7 pm on Friday and Saturday, June 25 and 26, at the Tillamook County Fairgrounds.