The 10 floral parades to see at least once in a lifetime

Flowers are not only used in the world to decorate, to give gifts or perhaps by the cosmetics industry but, in many parts of the world, also for unique events, for peaceful battles or colorful parades that attract miles of tourists from all over the world. Sometimes they require months and months of planning and work which are then concentrated in a few hours or a few days of intense events but, in any case, the result is always and in any case sensational and unique. Here are some events that each of us should attend at least once in our life:

1. Battle of flowers in Nice – France

Here is a truly unique show in the world. In the town of the Côte d’Azur, on the famous Promenade des Anglais, the most famous battle of flowers in the world takes place. The concept of battle refers to the fact that flowers are thrown by models on the floats to the public and vice versa, in an atmosphere of joy and festivity. With almost 150 years of history, the event is designed as a showcase for the floriculture of the area, in fact almost all the flowers used are locally produced.

2. Parade of flowers in Sanremo – Italy

This event saw the light in 1904 in the coastal town and is also known as the Carnival of flowers or Corso fiorito. About a dozen municipalities such as Sanremo in the province of Imperia participate in the parade of floats, which is generally held on the second Sunday of March. The floats are obviously all floral themed and made exclusively with fresh flowers, so the final set-up (infioramento) of the floats, designed for months, takes place the night before the parade. The path along the seafront is seen on average by about 50,000 spectators every year.

3. Coirso Zundert – Holland

The CorsoZundert it is considered the largest floral parade in the world. Since 1936 the Dutch town has hosted this event in which 20 districts each participate with their own wagon. Only dahlias are used for the decorations. The preparation of the floats lasts a whole year and culminates with the parade held on the first Sunday of September in front of tens and tens of thousands of spectators and tourists arriving from all over the world.

4. Bloemencorso Noordwijk-Haarlem – Holland

On the evening of the second Friday in April, floats adorned with flowers gather in Noordwijk for the spectacular night parade. On Saturday in April, in Noordwijk, the floats participating in the parade leave at around 9 am for Haarlem, 42 km away. The parade winds through the fields of the bulb region, a real treasure of the territory, to arrive after about 12 hours at destination. The next day, Sunday, the floats remain on display throughout the day on the square in Haarlem to conclude what is considered one of the most beautiful floral displays in the world.

5. Maggiolata Lucignanese – Italy

It is the event with the parade of flower floats held in Lucignano, in the province of Arezzo, a characteristic town for its elliptical-shaped historic center. La Maggiolata, which celebrates the arrival of spring, takes the last two Sundays in May, and follows the Flower Festival, which is celebrated on the first Sunday in May. In the Maggiolata, four districts of the town challenge each other to prepare the most beautiful floral float. At the end of the event, the floats are ” stripped ” to give life to the colorful Battle of Flowers.

6. Flowers parade in Ebbs – Austria

In Austria, in Ebbs, in the Kufstein, Tyrolean region, the historic floral carnival takes place at the end of August. The main flower of this traditional event that has been taking place for over twenty years is the dahlia. The event ends in style with the Sunday float parade, after three days of celebrations in the streets of the town.

7. Silletes of Medellin – Colombia

Mainly dedicated to orchids this event held in the second Colombian city. The ” Siletteros ” parade, that is, characters carrying the ” silletes ” on their shoulders, compositions of orchids and other flowers weighing several tens of kilos, has been repeated here since 1957. The silletes exist in four main categories, but the traditional ones come to have, in a single composition, even over one hundred types of flowers.

8. Festival of flower of Madeira – Portugal

On the island of Madeira, the island of eternal spring, the traditional Flower Festival is held in May. Born in the late seventies, this event lasts several weeks and is full of attractions and events, including the inevitable parade of floats decorated with flowers. The party involves the whole island, but the most spectacular events are found in Funchal, the capital, such as the mural called ” Muro de Esperanca ” made with flowers by children on Saturday morning. Don’t miss the flower market.

9. Flower fest in Chiang Mai (Thailand)

In the old part of the city of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand, the spectacular Flower Festival takes place every year in early February, culminating in the parade of floats. In the park in the center of the city an exhibition is set up in which you can admire the wonderful floral compositions specially made.

10. The flowers battle of Valencia – Spain

On the last Sunday of July, in Spain and precisely in Valencia, the battle of flowers, especially carnations, intensively cultivated here, is celebrated along the Paseo de la Alanmeda, at the end of the week of the Valencia Fair (Gran Fira de Valencia). The tradition has been repeated since the end of the nineteenth century and is the Spanish floral event with the longest tradition. On sumptuously decorated floats, girls in traditional costumes throw flowers to the public until, in the evening, the entire path is covered with them.