(Editor’s note: This story is updated with new information from Hi-Yu President Tim Winston, in comments.)

“Dreams Do Come True,” as the 2010 West Seattle Hi-Yu Summer Festival theme promises, and floats do get built … with a lot of hard work by volunteers, usually toiling up to the last moment. Five months after our first report of the winning theme, the float is in the final stages of assembly – scheduled to appear in its first parade tomorrow next week; we got a sneak peek last night:

The Sequim Irrigation Festival is was scheduled to be the first stop on this year’s tour of parades … it takes water for flowers to grownow they’re looking to next week’s Port Townsend Rhododendron Festival, so flowery Hi-Yu float decorations will be right in place:

Those flowers will be arranged on the float by the time the Hi-Yu delegation heads north. (You can see the official float-design sketch in this report from February.) If you don’t happen to see the float in another parade sooner, Saturday, July 24 is the day you will see it glide down California SW in West Seattle’s own American Legion Post 160-presented Grand Parade. As we are fond of pointing out, West Seattle is the ONLY community in the city that still has its own traveling parade float … powered by volunteers and donations … you’ll have a chance to chip in when you see Hi-Yu reps selling this year’s button at events; next one is the West Seattle Sportsmen’s Club-presented Kids’ Fishing Derby at Seacrest Pier, 8 am May 15th.)