Lichtenvoorde is a small town located in the Dutch municipality of Oost Gelre. It is known for its bloemencorso that takes place on the second Sunday of September each year. Founded in 1929, it was included in the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2013. According to the organizers, Bloemencorso Lichtenvoorde is the second largest corso in the world.
Like the rest of flower parades, Bloemencorso Lichtenvoorde features large platforms fully covered with thousands of flowers, mostly dahlias. The platforms can be up to 4 meters wide and up to 8 meters high, with no length restrictions. About a thousand volunteers start constructing the platforms several months before the parade. Bloemencorso Lichtenvoorde doesn’t have an annual theme, so platform designers are free to choose any subject, from fairy tales to contemporary art.
As of 2017, there are 18 groups that participate in the corso. Some of them have been doing it for decades. The oldest ones have been building platforms and participating in the event since the late 1950s. The parade itself is a competition of floral platforms. The winners are chosen by a jury and announced on Monday morning. In addition to prizes presented by the jury, there is an audience award. Spectators can vote for the platforms they like by filling out special forms or by text.
The parade starts on Sunday afternoon and proceeds along a 2.5 km route through Lichtenvoorde. After the parade, the floats are lined up at the exhibition site that is open until approximately 11 pm. Admission to the exhibition area is paid. After the award ceremony on Monday morning, the parade proceeds along the same route in the opposite direction.
Photo: Hans Leony Geijtenbeek
