Sumner, WA

Sumner, Washington

Sumner perfectly represents the nostalgic feeling of small towns in America. This close-knit town hosts multiple gatherings every year for the community to come together to celebrate their history and growth. The Sumner Link Trail provides an opportunity to experience the Sumner Valley along the White River which features wildlife and native vegetation. The trail extends over 5 miles of flat pavement for residents to hike, bike, or just take a casual stroll. Sumner is bordered by two main rivers, the White River and the Puyallup River, where you can fish for steelhead, salmon, trout, and more during fishing season.

The schools in Sumner fall under the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District which consists of 2 high schools, 3 middle schools, 9 elementary schools, and 1 preschool, as well as a daycare. The most common type of housing in Sumner is single family homes, making up over 50% of the city's houses. Other types of housing in this city include both large and small apartment complexes, duplexes, and homes that have been converted to apartments.

The Daffodil Festival & Parade

After the many hops crops that covered the Puyallup Valley had died out back in the early 1900’s, they were replaced with daffodil seeds. After nearly 100 years of nurturing the fields, about 200 varieties of daffodils grow in Washington today. In 1926, the residents of Sumner began hosting garden parties so their guests could appreciate the many assortments of daffodils in bloom. The gathering then became an annual event and has been going on for over 80 years.

Vehicles, bicycles, and horses are decorated with daffodils and paraded through the town of Sumner, as well as its neighboring cities of Tacoma, Puyallup, and Orting. The community comes together to build floats for local businesses and organizations, the marching bands from the local high schools get to participate in the parade, and community members in funny costumes march alongside the vehicles to entertain children and pass out candy and toys.

Rhubarb Pie Capital

Did you know that Sumner is the rhubarb pie capital of the world? This is because the rhubarb crops in the Sumner-Puyallup Valley represent nearly half of the rhubarb grown in America. Sumner has old-fashioned restaurants such as Dixie’s Home Cookin’ and Berryland Café, which offer the best pies in town! The Sumner Cafe, Hometown Charm Café, and Windmill Bistro serve their own versions of rhubarb pie as well.

Every July the city hosts an event called Sumner’s Rhubarb Days, where rhubarb pie bakeoffs and pie-eating contests are held. In addition to pie, there are also sidewalk sales, live concerts, kids events, games of bingo, vintage trailers and markets, and a food vendor that serves beer and brats!

The Old Cannery

One of the largest home furnishing stores on the west coast can be found right here in Sumner, Washington. This family-owned business is known for supporting and selling locally crafted and vintage furniture. The Old Cannery even has its own railroad system in the store which totals 1,400 feet of metal track that travels throughout the warehouse. There is also a Fudge Factory located within the store that was carved from a 103-year-old birch tree. The decadent fudge is made fresh every day in The Old Cannery, and they sell candy and sweets as well. Don’t forget to sneak a peek of the giant crab or the talking animals while you’re there!

Sumner Station

The convenience of the Sumner Station is important to many residents. Here you can park your car and hop on the Sounder, which is a commuter train that runs Monday through Friday. People use the train to commute to work in Tacoma, Puyallup, Auburn, Kent, Tukwila, and Seattle. It is also used quite often for football and baseball fans to travel to Seattle for big games held in the CenturyLink Field and T-Mobile Park.

Loyalty Park

Sumner’s oldest park at nearly 100 years old is a gorgeous green field populated with countless towering trees that cover the picnic tables in cool shade. There is a sports field for any game imaginable and a playground area that includes bridges, climbing walls, swings, sand digging toys, and a zipline! The park is also home to the tallest known Mugho Pine tree in Washington state.