La Conner High graduation activities start this week ahead of June 11 commencement
By Bill Reynolds
La Conner Community News
Graduation season in La Conner is here.
While La Conner High School seniors remain in class through Friday and the school’s annual Commencement Exercises remain a ways off — mark 5 p.m. June 11 at Whittaker Field on your calendars — several local graduation-related events are slated this week.
The celebrations begin at 2:45 p.m. June 4 with vehicle lineups at John K. Bob Ballpark for the annual Swinomish Senior Cruise. Immediately after, at about 4:30 p.m., the 2026 Swinomish Cedar Hat and Eagle Feather Ceremony takes place at Swedebs Park.
The Cedar Hat and Eagle Feather program is an important Indigenous rite of passage that honors this year’s graduates, celebrating their academic achievements while spiritually recognizing the transition of young people into community leaders.
A second senior class graduation car parade is set for 2:30 p.m. June 5, beginning on the La Conner High campus. Prior to setting off on the motorized serpentine, the state champion La Conner Braves girls’ track and field team will be recognized, head coach Peter Voorhees said Monday afternoon.
“This materialized in the last hour or so,” Voorhees said.
On June 6, the La Conner High seniors will be honored at a program that has been on the books for some time. It’s the 112th annual La Conner High Alumni Banquet, scheduled for 5 p.m. at the middle school gym, and featuring a dinner catered by the La Conner Seafood & Prime Rib House.
As part of the business session segment of the Saturday evening agenda, the 2026 La Conner Alumni Association scholarships will be awarded.
A few hours later, at 3:30 a.m. (that’s not a typo) on June 7, the seniors will return to campus to embark on their much-anticipated class trip to Disneyland.
“It’ll be a pretty quick turnaround,” said senior class adviser Theresa James. “We meet here at 3:30 (a.m.) on Sunday and get back around 5 p.m. on Monday.”
Commencement practice for senior class members is slated June 9 on campus at 10 a.m. Later that evening, starting at 6 p.m. and also on campus, will be Senior Awards & Scholarship Recognition Night.
For school staff, the final touches on this year’s commencement format will start taking shape June 8 — three days ahead of the big event — with final senior assignments having been collected the previous Friday afternoon.
Bill Reynolds is a general assignment reporter for La Conner Community News.
