Every year in the sleepy agricultural town of Zundert, the Netherlands, huge crowds assemble. They come from far and wide to watch a colourful parade known as Bloemencorso Zundert (“Corso Zundert” for short). Held on the first Sunday in September, the festival has been running since 1936. Talented artists decorate the bright and colourful floats in thousands of Dahlia flowers grown in the region.
Where is Zundert?
Zundert itself is located 15 kilometres south-west of city of Breda and 35 km north-east of Antwerp, Belgium. It is one of the most agricultural cities in the Netherlands. 10% of all nursery production in the Netherlands is from the region.
When did the Festival start?
The festival had more modest origins. In the early days floats were pulled by horse-drawn carts or bicycles. Now the floats have grown to immense proportions. In fact, they began growing so fast in the 1980s that rules had to be applied to limit their size. Nowadays each float must be no more than 19 meters long, 4.5 meters wide and 9 meters high.
About the Festival
Designers are free to build whatever inspires them. There has been a theme parade only three times in history: 1990, 2003 and 2015 when the parade theme was Vincent Van Goh. Zundert is the birthplace and childhood home of Vincent Van Gogh, who was born in the city on 30 March 1853.
The parade follow a 5.1km route around the town and the floats twice pass the large grandstands. During the first pass they are assessed by a jury, and on the second pass, they’re told who the winner is (the winning float is the only one to stop).
If you’re interested in travelling to the event, you can find more information on the Bloemencorso Zundert website.
Via Colossal
