Zillah is a small town, but the fun is big time when the people get together for the annual Community Days. It is held on the second weekend of May every year, and it attracts thousands from all over the Valley.
Zillah: Community Days May 12 with breakfast, parade, and more
Zillah is a small town, but the fun is big time when the people get together for the annual Community Days. It is held on the second weekend of May every year, and it attracts thousands from all over the Valley.
This year’s big day is Saturday, May 12, always the second Saturday in May.
A pageant is held earlier in the week when young women from Zillah seek the Miss Zillah crown. A court is chosen to represent the community on the community float and at events throughout the year.
The fun starts the day before, with the traditional Friday afternoon fishing derby at the winery pond by the freeway at Vintage Valley, with competition in several age divisions.
Saturday morning starts off with a hearty breakfast served by the Zillah Lions Club in Stewart Park, next to the Zillah Civic Center. The breakfast is famous for its good food and inexpensive price. And everybody in town shows up, in addition to people from neighboring towns.
Folks who left the community to follow their dreams elsewhere also return for the day’s events, and at the breakfast you’ll see lots of reunions of people who haven’t seen each other for years. The evening alumni association dinner is an event where the reunions are continued.
While some people are still eating breakfast, the 5K and 10K competitors run their footraces, beginning at about 8 a.m.
At 11 a.m., the centerpiece of the festival, the Community Day Parade, gets underway, with floats from around the Valley and beyond, marching bands, antique cars, and more.
In the afternoon at the park near the Zillah Civic Center, there are games and contests for children and family activities. A stage spotlights musical groups and entertainment in the afternoon.