FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 22, 2024
Contact: Executive Director, Adriana Berndt, ed@spokanelilacfestival.org
[Spokane, WA] Spokane Lilac Festival Association (SLFA) is over the moon to announce the 2024 ‘Dare to Dream’ Armed Forces Torchlight Parade Grand Marshal – NASA Astronaut, U.S. Army Colonel, and Spokane native Anne McClain.
Annually held on Armed Forces Day, the Torchlight Parade is the largest in the nation dedicated to honoring active and retired service members. Held in 2024 on Saturday, May 18, the parade will step-off in downtown Spokane at 7:30pm, broadcast by the SLFA’s official media sponsor, Nonstop Local KHQ..
“We are thrilled to announce that distinguished astronaut and hometown hero, Colonel Anne McClain, will be joining us as the Grand Marshal for the 2024 Armed Forces Torchlight Parade,” says 2024 SLFA co-presidents Elisabeth Hooker and Carly Cortright. “This year’s festival, themed ‘Dare to Dream,’ pays tribute to the visionary individuals who brought the World’s Fair to Spokane in 1974. As the smallest city ever to host the world, this call to action celebrates our community’s spirit of innovation and exploration. Colonel McClain, a Spokane native who dared to dream and reached the stars, embodies the courage and determination that inspire us all to pursue our aspirations fearlessly.”
Born and raised in Spokane, McClain graduated from Gonzaga Preparatory School in 1997. McClain earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical/aeronautical engineering from West Point in 2002, a Master of Science in aerospace engineering from the University of Bath in Bath, England as a Marshall Scholar in 2004, and a Master of Science in international relations from the University of Bristol in Bristol, England in 2005. In 2023, she received a Master of Science in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. McClain is a Master Army Aviator with more than 2,000 flight hours in 20 different aircrafts. She is an OH-58D Kiowa Warrior pilot and instructor pilot, and a rated pilot in the C-12 Huron (King Air), UH-60 Blackhawk, and UH-72 Lakota. McClain was selected by NASA in 2013 and most recently served as Flight Engineer on the International Space Station for Expedition 58 and 59, where she spent a total of 204 days in space contributing to hundreds of scientific investigations and maintaining the International Space Station. She was lead spacewalker on two spacewalks, working for 13 hours and 8 minutes outside the station during her long-duration mission. She is currently a colonel in the United States Army. See her full official bio, plus photos in our Parade Grand Marshall Google Folder.
In celebration of the legacy of Expo `74, Honorary Grand Marshals will include the eight children of King Cole, the dynamic figure who led the initiative to bring the World’s Fair to our Lilac City. During the parade, McClain and the Cole children will appear along with local community organizations, military units, regional festivals, high school bands, dance, cheer and drill teams, and more.
The SLFA is currently accepting 2024 parade applications. Apply, and learn details of all Festival Week events, at spokanelilacfestival.org/festivalweek.
The Spokane Lilac Festival Association (SLFA) is a 501c3 nonprofit community organization established in 1938 by the Associated Garden Club of Spokane. Following the end of World War Two, what had been a loosely organized group of enthusiasts gathered to officially form the Spokane Lilac Festival Association, launching in 1946 and continuing to this day. Each May the SLFA hosts communities from across the Pacific Northwest for the annual Lilac Festival culminating in the nation’s largest Armed Forces Torchlight Parade on Armed Forces Day. SLFA Directors and the Royal Court of seven high school seniors selected from among Spokane County’s 31 area high schools travel across the northwest each summer with the festival float, serving as ambassadors of Spokane to the region and beyond. To learn more about the SLFA visit www.spokanelilacfestival.org.
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