The seed of the Associated Garden Clubs of Spokane was planted in 1896, with the founding of the Spokane Floral Association (SFA), the first garden club in Washington State. In 1933, six other garden clubs combined forces with SFA to secure Spokane’s official recognition as the Lilac City. This affiliation of garden clubs continued to collaborate on larger civic projects as the Associated Garden Clubs of Spokane (AGC) while maintaining their own autonomy. In 1938, inspired by the Portland Rose Festival, the AGC held the first Lilac Festival Flower Show, which included a small parade. In 1940, the Lilac Queen was added and the parade continued to evolve into our current annual Armed Forces Parade, now supported by an independent Lilac Festival Society. Today, AGC is comprised of a growing list of Members and Garden Clubs from the original 1933 membership.
