TCCA employees and their families get ready to walk along the parade route

“From Wagon Wheels to Ferris Wheels” and even cheese on wheels! That was the fun that could be had on August 4 at the Umatilla County Fair Parade in Hermiston, Ore.

In Eastern Oregon, where our second cheesemaking plant is located, many of our local employees like to get involved in community activities. The Umatilla County Fair Parade is one event where they can let their creativity shine while having loads of fun. To prepare for the parade, a group of employees volunteered their time and decorated a float showcasing a miniature version of our cheesemaking plant pumping out Tillamook cheeses and being loaded onto a pallet ready to be shipped to Tillamook fans near and wide. A walking brigade of employees and their families handed out cheese along the parade route to the cheers of “I love Tillamook Cheese,” “Tillamook Cheese is awesome,” and, of course, “Give me cheese, give me cheese, give me cheese!” And the perfect way to transport the cheese along the parade route… why, a Tillamook cheese truck, of course, just miniaturized!

It may have been hot, hot, hot, but the group had fun, fun, fun at the evening parade. The Tillamook float and walking brigade was certainly one of the crowd’s favorites.

By Chandra

With lots of coffee in our bellies, the smell of cows in the air, and excitement all around, the Loaf Love Tour pulled into Tillamook bright and early for a fun-filled day! On the agenda for the day were two store events, a booth at the farmer’s market, and most importantly the opportunity to drive one of our Yums in the June Dairy Parade!

The theme of this year’s parade was “Just Milk It.” The Tillamook float took the theme to the extreme and had a literal representation of milk coming from Tilly into the Tillamook Cheese Factory and all of the delicious products then coming out of the factory! The float was so creative that it actually won the first place award!

Clouds didn't prevent us from celebrating

Jammin’ Jason and I got the honor of leading the float in the Yum with giant smiles on our faces and lots of waving to the fans who came out! Although it started raining, that certainly didn’t scare away the parade-goers or our dedicated volunteers who followed behind us handing out buttons and Tilla-Moos to the crowd!

We had so much fun in the parade this year; it was great seeing everyone who came out to enjoy the festivities! We’re looking forward to the Hillsboro 4th of July Parade to celebrate our Independence and thank all of those who serve our country. We can’t wait to show off our Baby Loaf to all of our fans there as well!

-April FoCheezy
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By April

Volunteers wave to the crowd

The liquid sunshine didn’t wash away the fun we had celebrating June Dairy Month during the Tillamook County June Dairy Parade on Saturday, June 23. The decorated cars still rolled down the road, the marching bands still marched, and the dancers still danced. And among all of the cleverly decorated floats was our own float, accompanied by a Loaf Love mini bus and walking brigade made up of TCCA employees and farmer-owners and their families.

Our mission: Use the parade’s theme, “Just Milk It,” to create a float for the Oregon Dairy Princess-Ambassador and her court to ride on in the parade. The result: One very cool looking float that not only took first place in the agricultural floats division, but was awarded Grand Sweepstakes for being the best entry overall.

Planning began in April. And several weeks and several build nights later, our float was ready for the parade. A group of TCCA employees, who volunteer their time and energy each year, conceptualized a miniature Tillamook Cheese Factory, complete with silver silos and a conveyor that delivered over-sized Tillamook products into a shopping bag. A little engineering, construction, painting, and attaching of silver fringe and sparkly bits, and our float was ready for the parade.

The crowds loved it! Or maybe they were cheering because we were handing out free cheese and loaf-ism buttons. Regardless, the float was impressive and we all had a wonderful time.

Mark your calendars now! The Tillamook County June Dairy Parade, sponsored by TCCA, is always the fourth Saturday in June. See you next year!

By Chandra

The Loaf Love Tour at Peach Days in Brigham City, Utah

The highlight of Brigham City’s Peach Days… Was it the rides? The food booths? The vendor tables? We think it was Tillamook Cheese! Whether it was at the parades or at the booth, there was a certain kind of energy and excitement that surrounded us. The Yums, as always, were a huge draw, and the Loafster in particular created a lot of buzz that echoed throughout all of Peach Days. Stories of cross country drives, struggles when climbing hills, and even stories of an occasional car fire were told by fellow VW owners. The Tillamook bean bag toss was fun for all ages, the buttons and the coupons were a huge hit; and the cheese, ahhhh, the cheese! Not only did each and every person that sampled our cheese leave with a smile, but the taste of the world’s best medium cheddar inspired hundreds to tell us their stories of how much fun they had when they visited our Cheese Factory. Some visit our factory on an annual basis and some haven’t been there for 30 years. But regardless of the time since their last visit, everyone recalls the experience with a smile.

Peach Days was a fun filled two days that came to an end far too soon. Being able to share in the enjoyment with Tillamook fans at events like this is the best thing about being a Brand Ambassador; and boy did Peach Days deliver! Thank you Peach Days, and thank you Utah, for welcoming us with open arms. I truly can’t wait for a return trip next year!

Next stop for the Loaf Love Tour: Denver! Let’s see if you can fill the shoes left by your predecessors in Utah. Hope you’re up for the challenge!

Jammin Jason, Peach Days Brand Ambassador

By JasonLLT

The Tillamook Cheese Loaf Love Tour at the Danville 4th of July Parade!

There are so many opportunities to feel like a rock star while on the Loaf Love Tour, but the 4th of July Parade in Danville, CA had to be one of our highlights! We rose nice and early armed with 12,000 Tilla-Moos and gorgeous sunny skies. As soon as we arrived, we knew we were going to have a great time.
 
Our awesome VW Yum buses were in a staging area with helicopters, little league teams, local dignitaries, and, of course, lots of cheese-loving parade-goers decked out in their most patriotic gear. Once our buses got started on the route, there were seven of us toting portable coolers full of the World’s Best Medium Cheddar Cheese for the fans along the way. People were screaming for Tillamook Cheese and it energized me for our 2.5 mile trek. As I got started, I heard from a mom how great it was to get our all natural cheese as snacks rather than candy … as if I didn’t already feel great about being here – this made it even better!
 

Tillamook Cheese - made in the U.S.A.!

But the best moment of all was shortly after I refilled my cooler behind our Loafster convertible. The shoulder strap was tangled and I had to set it down to work it free. While I was stopped right in the middle of the parade route, both sides of the road started competing with screams of “cheese!” I cupped my hand to my ear and egged on the friendly competition. The screams went back and forth getting louder and louder.  I finally declared a winner by running over and handing out tons of Tilla-Moos. And because I’m a softie, I ran to the other side and brought them their own tasty cheese samples, too!
 

Loaf Love Tour Brand Ambassador Noelle with her cooler bag full of Tilla-Moos

Thank you Danville, CA for the awesome 4th of July memories!

By Susan N.

Historical photo: A float in the Tillamook June Dairy Parade

June is Dairy Month! And since Tillamook County is a proud dairy community, the county is gearing up for fun and festivities and celebrating with the June Dairy Parade on Saturday, June 25.

The national June Dairy Month promotion got started in 1937. But it appears that Tillamook was so proud of its dairy industry that the first local dairy celebration was held in the 1920s, so says an old-timer who watched the parade as a young lad. I don’t know what happened in all the years after that first parade, but the beginning of the annual celebration as we know it today kicked off in 1957.

Tillamook’s first June Dairy Month celebration had a number of activities, including a cow milking contest for the local mayors. Bob Ely, who was festival chairman and a TCCA employee, stated that “a good time was had by all,” even though the parade was delayed by rain. Nowadays the parade is held rain or shine. What’s a little rain?

By 1961 the event had turned into a festival. Four mayors competed in the cow milking contest; the Lions and Kiwanis groups held a tug-of-war contest; there were milk drinking and ice cream eating contests for fifth and sixth grade boys; two dances were held and, of course, the fourth annual June Dairy Parade, which concluded with the coronation of the Tillamook County Dairy Princess.

In 2003, TCCA began sponsoring the parade in an effort to keep the tradition active in the community. Today, Tillamook County’s June Dairy Parade is one of Oregon’s largest parades, averaging about 150 entries.

The 2011 parade will be Saturday, June 25, at 11 a.m. Come and join the fun!

By Chandra

Fourth grade students from East Elementary School in Tillamook, Oregon, marched in the Rose Festival Junior Parade (6/8/11).

Tillamook was proud to sponsor the Rose Festival Junior Parade yesterday in Portland, Oregon. Before the parade began, we passed out “Loafism” balloons that read “All You Need Is Loaf,” buttons, cow pens, and, of course, individual samples of Tillamook Medium Cheddar Cheese. Parade attendees were excited to get these items and to sport their “Loaf Love” for Tillamook!

Alongside two of our Loaf Love Tour buses, nearly 50 people represented Tillamook in the parade, including Jessica Budge (the Oregon Dairy Princess), Dennis and Nathan Lagler (Tillamook farmers), Loafy, and a group of special 4th graders from East Elementary School in Tillamook!

We want to send a huge thank you to all of the kids who made it, their awesome chaperones, their enthusiastic teacher Scott Rodman, and their gung-ho principle Greg English for working with us to make this all happen! From everyone at Tillamook Cheese: Thank You!

To see more photos of the parade, visit Tillamook Cheese on Facebook.

By Matt