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| Swans floating by in the annual Dutch Flower Parade |
Saturday, April 23, 2022
Michael and I waited about an hour and a half along the parade barriers for the Bloemencorso Bollenstreek annual flower parade to reach our location in Lisse. This is the 75th year of the flower parade, which starts at 9 AM in Noordwijk and ends 12 hours later in Haarlem, having traveled through Holland's countrysides and cities.
The parade has about 50 elements, including 16 large flower covered floats, a number of marching bands, and luxury cars and tractors covered with flower arrangements. More than 1 million people from all over the world will watch the parade along it's 45 km route.
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| The "Friends Parade" kicks off the event, with a flower covered coach as the first vehicle |
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| Are these the parade marshals? Not exactly following the Rose Bowl USA format... |
Each year the parade has a theme - this year's is "Celebrating Memories." The first of 16 large floats is sponsored by WM Warmenhoven of Hillegom and represents a whale.
This float is a nostalgic favorite, because this same organization sponsored a whale float in the original parade, 75 years ago. This float is in 2 parts, with a large blue whale on the first car, followed by it's tail and two smaller pink baby whales in the second car.
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| First up for the large floats - a beautiful blue whale |
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| The whale is spouting feathery spray, and swimming in swirls of white curling waves |
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| Pink baby whales accompany the tail of "Big Blue" |
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| The whale's tail waves goodbye as it heads down the streets of Lisse |
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| From the town of Noordwijk, representing freedom and gender equality |
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| Noordwijk's twist on traditional Dutch kissing couples |
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| "With Your Head in the Clouds" - a balloon journey over the tulip fields |
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| This float is sponsored by Lisse and received 1st place |
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| "The Myth of the Swan" - swans have traditionally been featured in Lisse's flower floats |
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| "Battle for Freedom" - featuring an American Indian and scenes from the US West |
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| The float sponsors say that the fight for freedom is more topical than ever |
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| This colorful float received 2nd place |
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| "Beeing Close" - honoring the importance of the pollinators |
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| "Like a Fish Takes to Water" - an undersea tableau |
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| Hiking shoes representing the Dutch National Dune Parks |
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| "Spread Your Wings" - a dunes landscape in flowers |
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