BECU Supports Spokane Lilac Festival

Takeaways: Lilac Festival and Torchlight Parade Draw Thousands

• Spokane's Armed Forces Torchlight Parade anchors the Lilac Festival, drawing tens of thousands each spring.
• BECU has supported the festival as a signature sponsor since 2018, strengthening long-standing community ties.
• The parade is a free, apolitical and community focused event that honors service members.
• The Lilac Festival's Royalty Scholarship and Development Program invests in young leaders through scholarships and skill-building.
• BECU's Spokane support extends beyond the festival through volunteerism and local nonprofit investment.

On the third Saturday evening in May, Spokane sidewalks fill with tens of thousands of people watching the Armed Forces Torchlight Parade roll by under a twilight sky. School bands, drill teams, horses and military units from across the Inland Northwest march and make music — and you might even spot royalty and a hometown celebrity.

The parade traditionally kicks off near dusk — how it got the "Torchlight" name — with illuminated floats and displays. On May 16, 2026, sunset falls at 8:18 p.m., and the parade kicks off at 7:45 to take advantage of the diffused evening glow.

This year's parade marks the 88th Spokane Lilac Festival, making it one of the city's longest-running events. BECU has helped fund festivities since 2018 as a signature sponsor, and that partnership runs deep.

"BECU's partnership with the Spokane Lilac Festival feels especially meaningful because of how deeply the festival is woven into the community," said Jake Patterson, BECU senior affinity partnerships manager. "As a BECU employee and longtime Spokanite, I see it as a shared tradition that brings together families, local businesses and volunteers around a strong sense of pride and connection."

A Festival For and By Community

In 1938, Spokane began celebrating the iconic pink, purple and white blooms with a May festival for the Inland Northwest.

Fragrant lilacs aren't native to the Pacific Northwest. The shrub originated in East Asia and Southeastern Europe. But they took to Spokane's dry, sunny climate. Today, visitors can follow their noses in Manito Park to find the Lilac Garden's 100 named cultivars from 23 species.

Lilacs aren't the only Manito Park flower to get attention as part of the festival: Roses are planted annually in the park's Rose Hill in honor of the current year's Spokane Lilac Festival Association president.

The nonprofit Spokane Lilac Festival Association produces the festival's events, which include various luncheons and a gala, and a golf tournament to benefit nearby service members and their families.

The festival also features a car show that draws vintage and customized vehicles and their many fans, while a brew fest offers live music and local craft beers. At the Lilac Marketplace, families browse an outdoor market filled with local artisan goods, food vendors and community organizations.

And of course, everyone eagerly awaits the festival's centerpiece, the Armed Forces Torchlight Parade.

A Parade for Everyone

The parade typically draws more than 50,000 spectators and nearly 20,000 participants. Military honors began after World War II, when festival representatives met returning service members with sprays of lilacs.

These military ties are meaningful in a region with Fairchild Air Force Base just 12 miles southwest of Spokane and the Navy Operational Support Center in Spokane city limits.

Today, the volunteer-led parade features school marching bands, drill teams and military units from across the Inland Northwest. Because it's officially a military parade, it follows specific guidelines. It's kept free of political messaging and focused entirely on gratitude, pride and community.

Cherie Morrissey, senior learning and development consultant for BECU's mortgage strategy and delivery division is also one of BECU's veterans employee resource group co-chairs. She volunteered and helped represent BECU by marching in the parade last year.

"The most touching part was being able to pause and shake veterans' hands and thank them for their service," Morrissey said. "My dad is a Vietnam Veteran and has a Purple Heart. He is my 'why' for showing up and supporting other veterans and their families."

In 2026, hometown comedian Julia Sweeney (Saturday Night Live) will serve as the parade's grand marshal, alongside honorary grand marshal Col. Angela M. O'Connell, deputy commander of the 141st Air Refueling Wing at Fairchild Air Force Base. O'Connell helps lead policy, operations and readiness for more than 1,000 Air National Guardsmen.

The Spokane Lilac Festival Association Armed Forces Torchlight Parade runs entirely on private donations and community fundraising (PDF), and costs roughly $80,000 in combined cash and in-kind support each year, according to the Spokane Lilac Festival Association. This estimate doesn't include the costs for Brewfest or the Marketplace.

Royal Court of Young Leaders

Among the parade's floats, visitors will spot the festival's Royal Court, a group of seven young women in lilac-hued dresses and sparkling crowns, waving at the crowd.

Earning a place on that float starts months in advance. Each Spokane County high school nominates one senior to participate in the eight-week Royalty Scholarship and Development Program. Participants build skills in time management, resume writing, interview techniques, self-care, military fundamentals, financial literacy and leadership identity, according to the association. About 18 students go through the program each year.

Developing Financial Skills

Since 2018, BECU's sponsorship has put 135 young women through the program. This past February, BECU took the partnership a step further. The 17-person Royalty Ambassador group attended a 1.5-hour hybrid-format personal finance class at the BECU Home Loan Center in Spokane Valley, with Patterson on-site in Spokane and educator Stacey Black joining remotely from the Seattle area.

Students used an interactive stock-market simulation to track pretend companies over a mock year, watching how broader market events affected their portfolios. They learned the basics of investing — weighing risk, diversification and time horizons — which can be complicated topics whether you're 18 or 81.

"The festival's focus on youth leadership and scholarships resonates deeply with me, as it aligns with our mission to empower people financially and personally at pivotal moments in their lives," Patterson said.

Amplifying Impact

Almost a dozen BECU employees volunteer their time directly to the Lilac Festival each year. BECU is dedicated to this vibrant Inland Washington community where members work, live and attend school.

In the past several years, BECU's commitment to Spokane has included supporting the new Scale House Market in South Spokane and the opening of a fifth Neighborhood Financial Center in the South Hill neighborhood. BECU has contributed more than $1 million to more than 30 local nonprofits working in entrepreneurship, financial literacy, educational access, emergency assistance and more. The credit union also helps fund Spokane-based community college scholarships and sponsors Gonzaga Athletics and Northern Quest concerts.

See It for Yourself

The parade is free and open to everyone, as is the Junior Lilac Parade on the second Saturday in May, where elementary and middle school bands, drill units, youth organizations and other clubs march.

If you're in Spokane this May, find a spot along the parade route (tip: Get there early), look for the floats and festivities rolling past in the cool evening air, and know that what you're watching has been a part of this city for 88 years.

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