SPOKANE, WA — This year’s Torchlight Parade during the Lilac Festival will be led by a Grand Marshal who knows outer space almost as well as she knows Spokane.
NASA astronaut and Spokane native, U.S. Army Colonel Anne McClain will lead the annual parade on Saturday, May 18.
A Master Army Aviator with over 2,000 flights in 20 different aircrafts, McClain served as a Flight Engineer on the International Space Station for two expeditions.
This year’s Torchlight Parade theme is “Dare to Dream.”
“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,” said Spokane Lilac Festival Association co-presidents Elisabeth Hooker and Carly Cortright.
Each year, the Torchlight Parade is held on Armed Forces Day and is the largest parade in the country dedicated to honoring active and retired service members.
The parade will follow the week-long Spokane Lilac Festival and begins downtown on May 18 at 7:30 p.m.