(2012 West Seattle Hi-Yu royalty, photographed by WSB in December – Senior Court Queen Kayli, Junior Court Queen Thea and Princesses Elena and Amanda)
New West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival president James Kline has been visiting community groups around West Seattle to get out the word that Hi-Yu is hoping more people than ever will support their work this year, and beyond. Hi-Yu isn’t just a collection of summertime events – it’s also a traveling ambassadorship of sorts that lets the rest of the region know about West Seattle, the last community in the city to have its own traveling float appearing in parades around Western Washington. Here’s one way to support Hi-Yu this year: Buy tickets and/or serve as a table captain for this year’s West Seattle Hi-Yu Spring Tea – which also will include a coronation, since Hi-Yu has made some calendar changes. Here’s the official announcement

This year’s Spring Tea and Auction will be held on Sunday, March 18th, 2:00-4:30. A rare event this year, the Spring Tea will also feature the official coronation of the West Seattle Hi-Yu Senior Queen Kayli Schulz, accompanied by her junior court, Queen Thea Pulido, Princess Amanda Elder, and Princess Elena Kline. We are planning a great event at The Hall at Fauntleroy, catered by Tuxedos and Tennis Shoes. Many wonderful auction items have already been procured that are sure to spark your interest. It will be the perfect opportunity for you and your friends and daughters to enjoy the spectacle of a royal event.

Tickets are now available for purchase. You can buy tickets individually or become a Table Captain and buy a table for 10 to share with your closest friends. For those who have filled tables in the past, thanks so much. Hopefully, you and your friends would love to come again. For those who are new to Hi-Yu, seriously consider becoming a Table Captain and purchasing a table to enjoy as a group. This is an event your friends/daughters will remember for years.

All purchases will be helping support the West Seattle community with family events to include Seattle’s last remaining community float and our scholarship program for women. This year’s theme is “Secret Garden.” You can read more about coming events at www.westseattlehiyu.com or view us on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/WSHiYu. You will also find a link to buy tickets for the Spring Tea which you can share with your friends.

You have two options for purchasing your Spring Tea tickets, by mail or online. To purchase by mail, send a check for $25 each to West Seattle Hi-Yu, PO Box 16130, Seattle, WA 98116-0130. To purchase online, simply click one of the links below and you will be forwarded to our PayPal account, where you may use a major credit card or your own PayPal account. Online ticket purchases are $26, which covers all credit card transaction fees.

Click here to Purchase Individual Tickets

If you have any questions: (206) 388-8778 or lynaiapulido@gmail.com

For the second consecutive year, Riley Fredericks has the winning idea for the next West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival traveling parade float. Last year, while she was still a reigning Junior Court Princess, Riley’s “Sparkling Seattle” idea won the vote at the December Hi-Yu meeting – and last night, her proposal for the theme “Secret Garden” did the same. That’s Riley above with the concept model she brought to the Hi-Yu meeting/holiday potluck at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church Hall; here’s a closer look at the model:

Other suggestions included “Sunlight Seattle” from current Junior Court Queen Thea, “The West Seattle Beach Party,” “Picnic in the Park,” and “Through the Emerald Looking Glass.” Next step: Riley’s concept will be turned into the official float design, and there’ll be a community-wide button-design contest too. Meantime, Hi-Yu’s new Senior Court royalty joined her Junior Court counterparts (Queen Thea, Princess Elena, Princess Amanda) at the meeting:

Kayli Schulz is a Holy Names student, looking ahead to studying biology in college, and takes lessons at Kathy’s School of Dance in The Junction. Hi-Yu, which has a new president – James Kline – plans more extensive outreach this year to businesses and the rest of the West Seattle community; WS is the last community in the city to have a traveling float, which represents our area all around the region, including the big Seafair Torchlight Parade every summer (by the way, the West Seattle Grand Parade date is set for next year – you’ll see Hi-Yu there too – mark your calendar for July 21, 2012). Hi-Yu’s online presence has changed, too; for now, find them at facebook.com/WSHiYu.

(WSB photo from July 2011 West Seattle Hi-Yu Community Breakfast)
Who will succeed Queen Kelsey and Princesses Victoria and Rosemarie? The first milepost on the newly rescheduled road to the West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival Senior Court selection is here: It’s application time. Hi-Yu members decided back in May (as reported here) to reboot the calendar and reschedule the process, with applications in the fall and coronation in spring. Now the application is ready to go, and most of the process is online – it starts here. Candidates must be high-school seniors or college students who live, work, and/or attend school in West Seattle. New this year: Hi-Yu has two informational sessions planned during the application process, so that prospective candidates can talk with board members and past royalty. Both have Facebook event pages: 2 pm October 2nd at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, and 6:30 pm October 6th at Prudential Northwest Realty. Applications have to be in by November 1st.

First West Seattle update from Seafair Torchlight Parade night: WS Hi-Yu Festival rep Veronica Pupava has just been chosen Second Princess – one of the two princesses who join the new Miss Seafair in reigning over the festival. Veronica gets a $1,000 scholarship from the Seafair Commodores. (WSB photo at right is from Veronica’s appearance at the Junior Court coronation two weeks ago.) The new Miss Seafair is Veronica Quintero, entered in the competition as Miss Hispanic Seafair.) Here’s a coronation photo tweeted by KIRO, which is broadcasting the parade live.

(WSB photo of the West Seattle Big Band during the 2010 Hi-Yu Concert in the Park)
Might be some clouds, but no rain forecast for tomorrow (Tuesday) night – which is good news for the next big summer event, the West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival Concert in the Park. You’re invited to the east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center, 7-8:30 pm tomorrow – bring your own blanket/chair, picnic dinner if you feel like it, and enjoy the West Seattle Big Band (celebrating its 15th anniversary). If you haven’t been there before – Hiawatha’s address is 2700 California SW, just north of West Seattle High School, but the concert area is on the east side, which is bordered by Walnut. (Parking is generally plentiful in the high-school lot, entering from California SW, however.)

They’ve had their crowns and sashes for less than 24 hours (here’s our coverage of Friday’s coronation), and it’s already time to get busy being royal and selling fundraising buttons for newly crowned West Seattle Hi-Yu Junior Court members Princess Elena, Queen Thea, and Princess Amanda. They don’t officially start their reign till fall, but you’ll find them joining all the Hi-Yu fun, along with the current courts:

From left, back row, the current Hi-Yu Junior Court – Queen Taylor, Princess Riley, Princess Kaitlin – front row, Queen Kelsey, Princess Victoria, and Princess Rosemarie. You can join them and other members of the Hi-Yu team for breakfast till noon (fundraiser, $6 adults/$3 kids) at Admiral Congregational Church Hall (California/Hill) – next event, Hi-Yu Concert in the Park at Hiawatha, Tuesday night at 7 with the West Seattle Big Band (free!), and you’ll see the Hi-Yu float in the West Seattle Grand Parade next Saturday, 11 am, California SW from Lander to Edmunds.

(Coronation video, added 3:56 pm)
Hiawatha Kids’ Fun Fest continues till 3 pm – but a big event that’s always part of it wrapped up about an hour ago: The West Seattle Hi-Yu Summer Festival Junior Court Coronation. Congratulations to Queen Thea Pulido, Princess Amanda Elder, and Princess Elena Kline. Click ahead for photos!Read More

Prime time for West Seattle Hi-Yu Summer Festival activities is just about here. First – today’s the deadline for girls to apply for the Hi-Yu Junior Court, whose new queen and princesses will be chosen this Friday, and coronated as part of Friday’s Hiawatha Fun Fest activities. Here’s the form (which explains the requirements and expectations, too). The Fun Fest, by the way, is noon-3 pm this Friday at Hiawatha Community Center (usually out on the east lawn), with lots of activities.

Then on Saturday, it’s the Hi-Yu Community Breakfast – 9 am to noon at Admiral Congregational Church Hall, California/Hill, $6 adults/$3 kids, proceeds benefit the Hi-Yu Scholarship Program. (Donations also will be accepted for WestSide Baby and West Seattle Food Bank.) And on Tuesday, July 19th, it’s the Hi-Yu Concert in the Park with West Seattle Big Band on the east lawn at Hiawatha, 7-8:30 pm. (Plus you’ll see the Hi-Yu float, royalty, and volunteers in the West Seattle Grand Parade at 11 am July 23rd, along California SW from Lander to Edmunds! Our photo, by WSB contributor Stephanie Chacharon, shows the Sparkling Seattle Hi-Yu float at West Seattle Summer Fest last weekend.)

(June 28th photo by Ellen Cedergreen for WSB)
Last week, the 2010-2011 West Seattle Hi-Yu Junior Court – from left, Princess Riley, Queen Taylor, and Princess Kaitlin – reigned royally at the White Rose Reception (WSB coverage here). Next week, they will crown their successors – and interested candidates need to apply *now*. The coronation will happen during the Hiawatha Fun Fest, 1 pm on Friday, July 15th, just nine days away. The deadline for applications to be received is next Tuesday, July 12th; the application packet is here, including a full explanation of the rules (including that girls must be no younger than 7 nor older than 11 as of this September 1st).

And be on the lookout for Hi-Yu royalty and volunteers during West Seattle Summer Fest in The Junction this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (with the Sparkling Seattle float), at Alki for the Seafair Pirates’ Landing on Saturday, as well as in the West Seattle American Legion Post 160 Grand Parade on July 23rd, and the Seafair Torchlight Parade a week later (among other parades during this busy summer season).

(Photos by Ellen Cedergreen for WSB)
A celebration of tradition and history last night at Fauntleroy Church, as West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival royalty present and past gathered for the White Rose Reception. The highlights included a candle-lighting ceremony; above, Danette Carufel from the 1984 court, with 2010 Senior Court Queen Georgia Mitchell. More of WSB contributor Ellen Cedergreen‘s photos ahead:Read More

Congratulations to the West Seattle Hi-Yu Summer Festival team, whose 2011 float “Sparkling Seattle” has won another award! The first one came last month during its season debut, in Sequim; here’s the latest:

West Seattle Hi-Yu traveled to Shelton for another community festival parade this past Saturday. The Mason County Forest Festival – Paul Bunyan parade was held Saturday at 11:00 am. Under gorgeous blue skies and wonderful warm weather the WS Hi-Yu float brought home their 2nd award for the season – Mayor’s Award. The photos show the parental and community members helping out, and the gorgeous Junior court (Queen Taylor, Princess Kaitlin, Princess Riley) and Senior court (Queen Kelsey, Princess Victoria, and standin Princess Veronica) practicing their waves for the community.

Remember to attend some wonderful upcoming Hi-Yu events: For the ladies – moms, aunts, grandmas, sisters, young ladies, interested Junior Court Candidates, past candidates and royalty — The White Rose Reception, 7 pm, WS Fauntleroy Church hall, Tuesday, June 28th, $5 donation. Past royalty are encouraged to wear their tiaras!

For everyone – Pirates Landing, Saturday, July 9th, Alki Beach; Concert in the Park, Tuesday, July 19th, 7 pm; American Legion Parade, Saturday, July 23rd, California Ave., 11 am.

Special emphasis on the Junior Court candidates mention – while the timeline for choosing a new Hi-Yu Senior Court has changed this year, as first reported here in early May, there WILL be a Junior Court Coronation this summer as always, and Hi-Yu leadership tells WSB that applications will be available soon (including at the White Rose Reception event mentioned above).

This year’s West Seattle Hi-Yu Summer Festival float, themed “Sparkling Seattle,” has now been to two parades (the last Seattle-neighborhood float on the parade circuit). Hi-Yu shares these photos from their trip to the 76th annual Port Townsend Rhododendron Festival parade. Hi-Yu president Tim Winston tells WSB, “The morning rain stopped in time for the parade. We didn’t win any awards this week, but the crowd loved the float.” Last week, “Sparkling Seattle” got the Mayor’s Award at the Sequim Irrigation Festival parade.

Tim says the float will make its next appearance at the Mason County Forest Festival parade in Shelton on June 4th. Its details include the Space Needle and Mount Rainier:

P.S. Hi-Yu just launched a new page on Facebook, where it just had a “group” previously. You can “like” the page here.

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.)

That’s one of our photos from last weekend, when West Seattle Hi-Yu Summer Festival packed The Hall at Fauntleroy for its annual spring tea (WSB coverage here). Hi-Yu’s Deena Mahn tells WSB that the life-size Justin Bieber cutout netted $135 as a live auction item! But that wasn’t the main point of Deena’s note – she wanted to publicly thank everyone who helped with the fundraiser. The acknowledgments, and total take, after the jump:Read More

Seafair Pirate Chuck Marcoullier and “Justin Bieber” (the cardboard version) were among the star attractions at this afternoon’s West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival Spring Tea and Auction at The Hall at Fauntleroy. Before the day was out, “Bieber” was to be bid on – but not before Hi-Yu royalty got to share the stage as well:

There were many other things for the crowd to bid on, too:

Hi-Yu’s theme this year is “Sparkling Seattle,” as decided at the Hi-Yu holiday-season meeting (WSB coverage here) – and we’re told they’re still looking for a home for this year’s float, with parade season fast approaching: Got an idea? An offer? Hi-Yu contact information is online.

Seems summer begins in February. In the past week, we’ve been looking ahead to all sorts of big West Seattle summer events – and tonight, we have three previews from the latest West Seattle Hi-Yu Summer Festival meeting. In the top photo, that’s the official design for this year’s Hi-Yu float, based on the “Sparkling Seattle” theme chosen from Junior Court Princess Riley Fredericks‘s idea in December (WSB coverage here). Once again this year, West Seattle Hi-Yu needs someplace to build the float – please contact the festival through their website if you have a site to suggest.

Next, tonight’s meeting resulted in the choice of a winning design for this year’s fundraising button:

The winning design was created by Marianne Unite, sister of Senior Court Princess Rosemarie Unite. You’ll see it on sale as Hi-Yu gets closer. Meantime, Princess Rosemarie and her court-mate Princess Victoria Ferrulli showed off this year’s princess gown:

Fashion expert Angela Nichols of Funky Jane’s Consignment – who’s also mom of reigning Junior Court Queen Taylor Nichols – calls the color “raspberry/salmon.” The queen’s gown will be the same design, but made in blue.

From West Seattle Hi-Yu tonight via Facebook: Two months after “Sparkling Seattle” was chosen as this year’s theme, it’s time for a button design to go along with the float design (the prototype above is from the December Hi-Yu meeting, when the theme was chosen):

Looking for an easy and creative way to show your community pride? West Seattle Hi-Yu is kicking off their annual button design contest. These buttons will be sold at events throughout Western Washington this summer!

This year’s theme is “Sparkling Seattle.” This year’s float design will depict all that makes Seattle sparkle! Think Ferry Boats, Seattle Skyline etc. The winning button will be chosen at the general membership meeting by popular vote on February 7th, 6:30 p.m. at St John the Baptist Church Hall.

All button designs should be in final size, which is 2 ½”. Hi-Yu welcomes entries from all ages! The winner receives a $25.00 check and will ride in the West Seattle American Legion Parade in July. Please send entries by email to wshiyu@yahoo.com or bring it to the meeting !THANK YOU for supporting your community festival.

You can see last year’s button design here.

Big competition tonight at the West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival‘s combined monthly membership meeting and holiday party. Main order of business: Pitches and voting for next year’s float theme. Junior Court Princess Riley Fredericks had the winning idea, and even made a model for her pitch: Sparkling Seattle, celebrating some of the best and brightest in our city.

That was one of six proposed themes, and the competition was so close, three rounds of voting were needed to come up with a winner (and even then, it was close). The others included a space concept, a flight theme, a space-aliens-signifying-everyone’s-welcome-in-WS theme, a circus motif, and the “wild, wild Northwest.” Next step: Sketches by float designer Steve Fisher, who was among the two dozen or so people at the meeting inside the St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church Hall. Also tonight, a Hi-Yu tradition: The plaques and trophies from the previous parade season are given to individual royalty members for caretaking; this year, the “Dreams Do Come True” float won five awards, at the