Credit / MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel 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 visitors eager to join floral events during spring’s colorful bloom. However, in a small southern Dutch town—Zundert, the birthplace of the renowned painter Vincent van Gogh—a massive flower parade is held on the first weekend of every September. Using locally grown dahlias as the main material, this event is said to be the largest of its kind in the world. Not only do the floats feature uniquely eye-catching designs, but they can also reach sizes as large as 19 meters in length, 4.5 meters in width, and 3 meters in height—equivalent to a three-story building. Each year, tens of thousands of flower parade enthusiasts flock here for a pilgrimage. This year’s event will take place on September 1st and 2nd. If you want to witness these giant floats up close, it’s best to plan your trip early.
Located in southern Netherlands, Zundert hosts a massive flower parade every first weekend of September. With their enormous size and creative themes, the floats attract tens of thousands of visitors. (Photo provided by Corso Zundert)
Zundert is famous for its vibrant and colorful dahlias. Each year, around 20 giant floats, crafted with millions of dahlias and taking thousands of hours to create, compete vibrantly along the streets. From off-road motorcycle races and cheetahs chasing antelopes on the grasslands, to dragon riders wielding halberds on a quest, or even urban night scenes full of timeless charm—these 20 floats showcase entirely different creativity and styles.
In order to outshine other communities, each team pours creativity into their themes and designs, competing for the title of Best Float. (Photo provided by Corso Zundert)
The flower parade began in 1936, originally held to celebrate the birthday of Queen Wilhelmina at the time. The floats back then were decorated using bicycles and farmers’ freight wagons, and were nowhere near as large as those today. But as the flower parade became an annual tradition, participating community teams began to go all out in both design and storytelling to capture the spotlight. The size of the floats grew year after year like an arms race, until around the 1980s when organizers had to set size regulations—limiting them to a maximum of 19 meters in length, 4.5 meters in width, and 9 meters in height.
Through clever design and creativity, dragon riders from the stories vividly come to life, galloping through the parade. (Photo provided by Corso Zundert)
Today, the flower parade is not just a local annual highlight, but has also become deeply embedded in the daily lives of residents. To shine brightly during the short two-day event, community members begin preparations spontaneously—from designing next year’s float themes and shapes as early as winter, to planting the dahlias needed for the floats in spring, and then constructing the floats throughout summer—all to compete for the Best Float title in September.
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City nightscapes resembling miniature Earths also become part of the float themes. (Photo provided by Corso Zundert)