With summer roaring toward us – really! – West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival leaders and members met last night at St. John the Baptist, and we have updates including one big change.

SENIOR COURT SELECTION CALENDAR CHANGE: Coinciding with a change in leadership for the committee that oversees the Scholarship Program – including the summertime coronation of the Senior Court and Queen – Hi-Yu evaluated other festivals’ schedules and has decided to move the Senior Court selection to a fall/spring schedule. Currently, the court that’s selected in summer doesn’t preside over the festival season till the FOLLOWING summer, and then represents Hi-Yu in the Seafair Scholarship Program the year after that, and this among other things will consolidate all that. No exact dates are set yet; new committee members will meet starting May 10th to decide on a timetable – most likely they will start accepting applications in fall, and will coronate royalty in spring. Again, that means NO Senior Court coronation this summer.

JUNIOR COURT TIMETABLE STAYS THE SAME: That said, Hi-Yu has decided to keep the Junior Court timetable the same – chosen during the Hiawatha Fun Festival that’s part of the summertime celebration.

(Float sketch, first published on WSB in February)
FLOAT’S FIRST APPEARANCE: Hi-Yu is continuing to work frenetically on the Sparkling Seattle-themed float, aiming for a debut in the Sequim parade on May 14th. They are still looking for someplace to store it – if you have a suggestion or offer, please contact Hi-Yu.

BUTTONS, SOUVENIR BOOK: They’re planning to make 3,500 buttons this year, since that’s how many they sold last year (see the winning design here). Hi-Yu is also still seeking sponsors before finalizing the souvenir book (which has its prototype cover ready, designed by Elaine Durham).

HI-YU FISHING DERBY DATE: The West Seattle Sportsmen’s Club-sponsored event at Seacrest Pier is the first Hi-Yu event on the calendar, and it’s set for May 21st this year.

(SIDE NOTE P.S. Remember, it’s not the Hi-Yu Parade, it’s the West Seattle American Legion Post 160 Grand Parade, but since so many think of it as the “Hi-Yu Parade,” these updates might leave you wondering about the date – it’s July 23rd. We expect an update soon on Post 160’s fundraising efforts to cover the street-closure cost.)