For a colorful start to autumn you have to be in Winkel. Today the village is completely dominated by the flower parade. Dozens of wagons, decorated with millions of dahlias, pass through the village in a procession. Finally again, says Bas Hageman from Corso Shop: “The parade fever that has sometimes been with everyone for months is now starting to come out. That is what we missed. We are going to put on a great event.”
It is Thursday evening when the first flowers from Brabant arrive in the village. It is urgent for the orders. “Two boxes of Cornel Bronze”, a girl asks politely. She and her group are going to make a casino for the parade. What comes next should remain a surprise. “It means that we will have a nice parade through the village again,” says Bas Hageman of the parade board. “Especially because of the solidarity of the village.”
More expensive
Due to the rising energy prices, the parade turns out to be considerably more expensive. Hageman: “I heard something like that the price for the flowers has risen by about 20 percent. But so do the costs of the building materials. The participants pay these themselves. We at the parade are also affected by the price increases.” The visitor does not notice much of this, Hageman says, because the entrance fee is only one euro more expensive than usual.
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The main concern is the continuation of the tradition and the transfer of the parade fever to the youth. That’s fine, says Naomi Wegmanvan of the KinderCorso group. In a large shed, small structures are ready to be decorated. Wegman: “This is where it all starts, with the children taking over the parade fever from their parents. They start with a bicycle and a cart until they get bigger and bigger. The fun of the children is the greatest happiness.”
The flower parade in Winkel starts at 1:00 PM with the parade that lasts until 4:00 PM. Along the way, five show bands and mop orchestras play. There is a market and a fair in the village. After the parade, the floats will be set up for the evening display, which can be viewed until midnight. The party is expected to last well into the night.