Jacob Dimond / jake@yelmonline.com
Prairie Days, Yelm’s most exciting week of the year, is closing in.
Thanks to the efforts of the City of Yelm’s Parks and Recreation Department, the Yelm Lions Club and the Yelm Chamber of Commerce, there will be activities for residents of all ages to enjoy beginning on Thursday, June 12, and concluding on Sunday, June 15.
“Our excitement level is at a 10,” Line Roy, Yelm’s communications and recreations coordinator, told the Nisqually Valley News. “We’re so excited to get to bring the community together for another year of family fun. Prairie Days this year will be four days of celebration, tailored to different groups.”
Yelm’s Lions Club will help kick off Prairie Days week, with bingo night from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, June 12, at the Yelm Community Center, located 310 Second St. SE. The local organization is bringing back the traditional community bingo games for free and will give away “fantastic prizes” throughout the evening. All ages are welcome to the event.
On Friday, June 13, the second annual Party on the Prairie: Summer Concert, hosted by the City of Yelm’s Parks and Recreation Department, will return. It boasts a lineup of talented and local artists Dakota Poorman, the Olson Brothers and Adam Craig. The event kicks off at 5 p.m. at Yelm City Park. An array of vendors will be present at the event, along with a 21-and-over beer garden, and food trucks.
One of Yelm’s richest traditions, the Prairie Days Parade, will return to East Yelm Avenue at 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 14, with a theme of “Rock Through the Ages,” according to Yelm Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Tina Richardson. She invites parade participants and onlookers to wear clothing inspired by their favorite bands throughout the years.
“Fundamentally, what Prairie Days means to me, is the idea of families getting out and celebrating the change of the season, and being outside and with each other,” Richardson said. “This parade isn’t just about the people in the parade – it’s just as much about the people showing up for the parade, too. It’s not just a spectator event. We’re collectively celebrating and participating together because we’re one big community.”
Whether you come dressed as KISS’s Alice Cooper, The Beatles’ John Lennon, Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain or Motley Crue’s Vince Neil – the Chamber of Commerce hopes to see parade attendees “Rock Through the Ages.” Richardson noted that several awards will be handed out on Saturday, June 14, including for best decorated parade float and best dressed audience member.
“What Prairie Days means to me is a space and place where we can come out and come together to celebrate the summer and a big season change for us. Families get to be out more, get to the park and be with the community,” Richardson said. “Let’s do things. Let’s be together. That’s the idea of community.”
Following the conclusion of the annual Prairie Days Parade, participants and attendees can head over to Yelm City Park for a fun day of activities from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. According to Roy, the annual “Touch-a-Truck” event will return. In previous years, it has included various police vehicles, heavy equipment, big trucks and more. Local organizations and businesses will also host activities for families to enjoy at the park.
The activities at the park will also include a chalk art contest, with check-ins beginning at 10 a.m. Walk-up registration is also welcome as space permits. Those who are not checked in by 11 a.m. will be considered “no-shows.” Artists may work on their pieces between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and judging will begin at the conclusion of participants’ time. Register at https://lf.yelmwa.gov/Forms/ChalkArtContest.
At 1 p.m. at Yelm City Park, magician Jeff Evans will perform a magic show for the community at the park’s Centennial Stage. This event is sponsored by Yelm Timberland Library, and will be free for community members to enjoy.
Other new activities at the park this year, according to Roy, include a photo contest and exhibition sponsored by Graham Auto Repair, and a “teen zone” with inflatables sized for teenagers sponsored by Hwy 95 Events.
Longtime Prairie Days participants will be thrilled to learn about the return of two carnival rides at the park. According to Mayor Joe DePinto, the rides will be free to ride and can be found near the splash pad in the park’s parking lot. DePinto said though the rides will be limited in 2025, the city will work to bring in more each year.
Prairie Days weekend will conclude with the annual Charity Mushball Tournament, which begins at 9 a.m. on Sunday, June 15, at Longmire Park, located 16820 Canal Road SE. The tournament will raise money to donate to a charity of the winning team’s choice. In the first three years of the tournament, nearly $2,500 has been raised. Last year, over $1,000 was donated to the Parkinson’s Foundation after the Jager Bombers took home first place.
“For me, Prairie Days is really special. Seeing the community come together is such a beautiful experience, and I love that the City of Yelm gets to be the convener of that family friendly fun,” Roy said. “We try to build it so there’s something for everyone to enjoy, from the youngest Yelmites, to the ones who remember what it was like in the 80s, families, athletes, music lovers, line-dancers, creatives, and everyone in between.”
Roy also wanted to thank local businesses and organizations Hwy 95 Events, Graham Auto Repair, City of Yelm Art Commission, Ken McCulloch Insurance, H2O Away, Yelm Timberland Library, Living Water, Standing Room Only Theater and many others for their contributions to Prairie Days week.
