Group of friends De Zimkus built its first carnival car in 1997. They were still in primary school then, but 26 years later, many builders are now fathers or mothers. This year they are enjoying all the construction evenings even more, because it is the last time that the group participates in the parade of Boemeldonck (Prinsenbeek) with a large car.
Corona and a heavy storm flattened many carnival parades for three years in a row. This is also the case in Prinsenbeek. But with a few days to go, the building shed of carnival association De Zimkus is now working hard to have the car ready on time. A bit with a mixed feeling, because it is the last big car they are still building.
The Zimkus drove for many years with the big trucks in Boemeldonck. After three years without a parade, De Zimkus want to pop one more time. Chairman Thijs Timmers: “We want to end our construction career on the move, as the last car in the parade. We’ll go full house one more time and see where the ship stands.”
“Our priorities are shifting, so to speak.”
Where they once started as students, the builders are now fathers and mothers. “Our phase of life has changed and all the little ones are added. Our priorities are shifting, so to speak.” And with that, De Zimkus are no exception with other construction clubs in Brabant that have too little influx of young builders.
Still, De Zimkus want to keep building, but no longer with the A-cars. “The plan is to make something for the little children. But in what form, we’ll see,” says Thijs.
As a relatively small village with a relatively large parade, Prinsenbeek has many similarities with Zundert, where the Flower Parade is world famous. Timmers: “I recently read in a book ‘carnival is a great play’, but that will be on the Brook taken very seriously. It is very alive and I think that is also the strength of a small community. You see that less in the big city.”
“All good things come to an end.”
Carnival association De Zimkus has had a close collaboration with the hamlet of Stuivezand in Zundert since the beginning. In the summer months, in the run-up to the Flower Parade, the builders from Prinsenbeek help with the parade floats. In the run-up to the carnival, the residents of Zunderten can be found in the building shed of carnival association De Zimkus.
So this year the last big car. “All good things come to an end, they sometimes say. But the great thing about a conscious choice is that we also consciously enjoy it. And luckily we still have the photos, so we can always look back,” laughs Timmers.
