Dendermonde (The Brussels Morning Newspaper): The Saint-Gilles Flower Parade faced a shortage of nearly half a million dahlias due to bad weather, but organizers adapted by using alternative materials and the community still celebrated the cherished tradition.
The flower parade in Saint-Gilles usually needs about 850,000 dahlias to create beautiful floats and displays. This year, bad weather caused only half of the shortage of nearly half a million flowers, which is a big problem for the organizers who depend on these flowers to keep the parade colorful and traditional.
What creative solutions did Dendermonde’s flower parade organizers use to overcome the dahlia shortage?
It has been said that to deal with the flower shortage, the organizers tried to bring in more dahlias from nearby countries like Spain, France, and Germany, but they couldn’t get enough. This meant there were a lot fewer dahlias than usual, which changed how the floats looked. This shows how tricky big events can be since they rely on good weather and enough flowers, so organizers had to think creatively to make sure the parade still happened. Even with the shortage, all the floats were part of the parade. Some floats used other natural materials like tree bark and seeds instead of dahlias. Visitors saw there were fewer flowers, but it didn’t seem to bother them. Eddy said, “I noticed there were a lot fewer dahlias than before, and you could see it. But I think they did a great job with other flowers and plants. I thought it was a beautiful parade.”
Even with the shortage of dahlias at this year’s Saint-Gilles Flower Parade, Tiffany, who loves attending, still found it very special. She wasn’t upset about having fewer flowers because, for her, the parade is more than just about how it looks. For Tiffany and her family, the Flower Parade is a cherished tradition that they look forward to every year. It’s a time for them to come together, enjoy the creativity of the floats, and celebrate, no matter what challenges the event faces.
Tiffany believes that the best part of the parade is the joy of being together with others. While the colorful flowers are important, it’s the feeling of community that makes the day special. Even with fewer flowers, the parade still brought people together, creating great memories and showing the spirit of this loved event. For Tiffany, the magic of the Flower Parade comes from celebrating with family and friends, proving that it’s not just the flowers that matter, but the people and the moments they share.
