Painful decision for parade district Hooiweg-Zuid: no car, but dahlias

Corsowijk Hooiweg-Zuid is not building a car for the Flower Parade in Eelde this year. The construction crew lacks a permanent place and they do not like the option of moving to the rubbish dump in Eelde for one year.

The construction team prefers to be allocated a structural location. “We partially store construction materials in a large sea container and we have some in a shed at the airport,” says Wouter ter Veld on behalf of the construction team. “If we have to move every year, we also have to move everything again. We are only a small group of volunteers and if you spend more time moving than building, then the fun is gone.”

Corsowijk Hooiweg-Zuid built for several years at the airport in Eelde, but was told this year that they can no longer go there. “We knew it was temporary, but the timing (a few weeks before construction was to start, ed.) was very bad,” says Ter Veld.

Last weekend, the construction crew called an emergency meeting. “We presented the volunteers with three options,” says Ter Veld. “Stop completely immediately, don’t build a car this year but put dahlias in the ground or still participate at the location of the rubbish dump. We opted for the second option.”

This means that Hooiweg-Zuid will not participate in the parade for the first time since 1974 (corso not taken into account). “Yes, that is a very painful decision. But it is now the best option. We will provide very beautiful dahlias that we will sell to other parades and participating parade districts.”

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