Superb Floral Celebration: Giant Flower Parade Festival in the Netherlands to Kick Off in September

By MOOK Travel Life Network, Reported by Chen Guanxin

 

When it comes to the Netherlands and flowers, Keukenhof Gardens is likely the first thing that comes to mind for many, drawing countless tourists eager to join flower-related events during springtime when nature is painted in vibrant colors. However, in a small town in the southern Netherlands—Zundert, the birthplace of the renowned painter Vincent van Gogh—the first weekend of September every year sees a massive parade of floats made from locally abundant dahlias. These floats, not only featuring uniquely eye-catching designs but also reaching sizes as large as 19 meters long, 4.5 meters wide, and 3 meters high (about the height of a three-story building), attract tens of thousands of flower float enthusiasts each year. This year’s event will take place on September 1 and 2. Those who wish to witness the grandeur of these giant floats should start planning their trip early.

Zundert is famous for its vibrant and colorful dahlias. Each year, its annual giant flower float parade features around 20 massive floats, each taking thousands of hours to create and assembled using millions of dahlias. From off-road motorbike races and cheetahs chasing antelopes on the grasslands to dragon riders brandishing halberds on the battlefield and urban night scenes full of timeless charm, these 20 floats showcase a wide range of creativity and styles.

Originating in 1936, the flower float parade was initially organized to celebrate the birthday of Queen Wilhelmina. Back then, the floats were decorated on bicycles and farmers’ carts, nowhere near as large as they are today. But as the event became an annual tradition, participating community teams strove to capture attention not just through imaginative designs and storytelling, but also by engaging in what seemed like an arms race to make their floats increasingly larger. By the 1980s, the organizers had to set official size limits for the floats, capping them at a maximum of 19 meters long, 4.5 meters wide, and 9 meters high.

Today, the flower float parade is not only a major annual event for the locals but has also become deeply embedded in their daily lives. To shine brightly during the short two-day event, community members across the region get involved voluntarily, starting the design process for the next year’s float theme and concept as early as winter. They then plant the various dahlias required for the floats in spring, followed by the actual construction of the floats in summer, all in preparation to compete for the best float title in September.

 

 

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