Flower parades are a tradition in the Netherlands. Year after year, the processions with floats decorated with flowers. It attracts thousands of visitors.
There are many things to know about this unique tradition of the Netherlands, without any doubt. This ceremony not only attracts the Dutch traveler.
1st Bloemenkorso Bollenstreek Noordwijk-Haarlem
Bollenstreek means something like a flower bulb area. In the heart of the region of the same name in the west of the Netherlands, the Bloemenkorso Bollenstreek.
It takes place every April from Wednesday to Sunday, April 19th to 23rd. The starting point is the coastal town of Noordwijk.
It is also famous as Europe’s flower bathing resort. It is due to the many flower fields in the area. It is where the 42-kilometer route begins.
The decorated flower wagons drive along Koningin Wilhelmina Boulevard. It first leads from Noordwijk past large flower fields.
And it has small neighboring villages to the provincial capital of Haarlem. Interested parties can examine the designed vehicles here all day on Sunday.
Varend Corso Westland: Moving by ship
Not only flowers but also vegetables serve as decoration for a special parade. More than 500,000 visitors want to see this parade every year.
They are the people of the municipality of Westland southwest of The Hague. It does not travel through the region on the roads but on the water.
The Varend Corso Westland is a procession of ships and boats. This year it is on the calendar from June 23rd to 25th.
Dozens of decorated boats set sail during the parade – each day, they travel a different route. The routes pass places such as Naaldwijk, Honselersdijk, De Lier, and Maassluis.
It also passes Vlaardingen, Schipluiden, Delft, and The Hague, among others. If you want to follow the parade, it’s best to take a bike. Each year it has a different theme.
Flower Parade Rijnsburg: One of The Oldest Parades in Holland
The village of Rinjsburg is in the province of South Holland and the west of the country. It has fewer than 17,000 inhabitants, but more than 350,000 flock here.
They come here to admire one of the oldest flower parades in Holland. The Flower Parade Rijnsburg always takes place on the second Saturday in August.
It took place together with the music float and music corps. The parade drives through the streets of Rijnsburg, Katwijk, and Noordwijk.
More than 100 disguised performers go with the various themed floats. Anyone who would like to see the decorated floats in advance can do so on Friday evening.
The opening show will occur at the Bloemenveiling Royal Flora Holland premises.
The floral works of art can be visible on the Koningin Wilhelmina Boulevard in Noordwijk. It is at the end of the three-day festival weekend. Admission is free.
Corso Zundert: The Largest Parade in The World
Many know the Zundert in connection with the painter Vincent van Gogh. He was born here in 1853. Not quite as old, but at least part of the event yearly since 1936.
It is the largest flower parade in the world. It will take place on September 3rd and 4th. Thousands of volunteers from about 20 villages work on the floats for about a year.
If you want to see the parade, you should buy a ticket. You must reserve tickets for two hours and buy in advance. Advance sales usually start in May.
Lichtenvoorde Flower Parades: A Sea of Dahlias
For many months several hundred volunteers have been busy decorating the ornate floats. Some of which are as tall as a house at the Lichtenvoorde Flower Parade in the province of Gelderland.
The volunteers put four million dahlias together to form artistic figures. And scenes before it starts on the second Sunday in September – 2023 on September 10th.
From 2 p.m., the cars will set off on the 2.5-kilometer route, which begins on the Gert Reindersstraat. Music corps and a samba band have also been part of the parade.
If you want a seat at the grandstand, you need to pay 10 euros. Children up to 16 years come for free to enjoy the flower parades.