250 carnival parades will travel through the province again next weekend with the most beautiful running groups, small and large floats. Spectators often stand along the sidelines with a beer in their hand, but what about the alcohol consumption of the parade participants? In some villages the so-called ‘drinking floats’ with loud music and lots of beer are indispensable, in other places parade organizations actively ban such floats.
Alcohol is almost inextricably linked to carnival. But during a carnival parade, too much alcohol can cause dangerous situations. Omroep Brabant asked the more than 250 parade organizations in our province how they deal with alcohol consumption during the parades. Is it allowed? Are they checked? And how do they view the drinking wagons?
More than 130 parade organizations completed the questionnaire. During the majority of the parades, drinking alcohol by parade participants is not permitted, but in 33 parades it is. When it is permitted, the regulations often state that drinking is allowed ‘in moderation’ and that drivers must be sober.
Not always strict
Most parade organizations take all kinds of measures to prevent dangerous situations involving alcohol. For example, drivers and float attendants, people who are required to walk next to the float for safety reasons, must take a breath test at the start of many parades. Parade organizations also check before the parade whether there is alcohol on the floats and it is confiscated.
But this control is not equally strict at all parades. Most parade organizations say that they keep an eye on things, but that there is no strict control. “We will certainly keep an eye on it, but we are not playing police officers,” a parade organization said. Other organizations indicate that it is allowed, as long as it is not visible.
If there is excessive alcohol consumption, parade organizations can intervene and remove floats or running groups from the parade. It often does not get to that point, because participants in many parades are disqualified if they drink beer during the parade. “Most of the floats are beautiful floats, they leave out the alcohol because they know that otherwise they would not participate for the prizes,” Oijen’s parade organization said.
Not drinking cars, but party cars are
In some villages, drinking carts, on which young people stand with loud music and beer, have now become a tradition during the parade. Seven parade organizations indicate that drinking carts are not a problem.
Drink carts are not allowed in Elshout, but ‘party cars’ are. “Our definition of drinking carts: closed box with loud music. We do not allow these. On the other hand, we do support the ‘party floats’, open carnival floats with participants in unique costumes and pleasant music.”
The reason behind this is clear. “In this way we try to encourage young people to participate in the parade. Otherwise we are convinced that little will be left of our parade in the future.” The organization also sees in Bakel that drink floats make a positive contribution to the parade, provided they adhere to a maximum volume for the music, which is maintained by the parade organization.
Keep out suckers
But many other villages prefer not to see drinking wagons. In Alphen they even actively ban the drinking wagons. “We let them drive behind the parade at a distance. They are absolutely not part of the parade.” They are also trying to keep out drinking cars in Handel, Lith and Wagenberg. Since this year, noise barriers on the backs of cars have been banned in Wanroij, where hundreds of young people previously walked behind them drunk. In Soerendonk, all registrations of drinking cars have been rejected.
Drinking cars have not been welcome in Zijtaart since last year and, according to the organization, this has paid off. “We were very clear last year in not allowing so-called ‘party cars’. This year there have been no more requests for them,” says Gerard Hooijmans of CV de Reigers.