Each year the “Bloemencorso Zundert” parade celebrates its status as a global supplier of dahlia flowers. This past Sunday, this renowned parade made its way through the streets of Zundert, Netherlands.

Giant floats adorned with hundreds of thousands of dahlia flowers were welcomed by an eager crowd, who witnessed the incredible work of 19 design teams. The iconic painter Vincent van Gogh was the inspiration and theme for their mobile sculptures, as he was born in the city 162 years ago. The towering floats borrow colors, motifs, and imagery from van Gogh’s painting including several interpretations of the artist’s self-portraits.

“In Zundert, in the South of the Netherlands, we are crazy about our flower parade”

“Our grannies and granddads started it in 1936 and we still can’t have enough of it”

This year’s theme is Vincent Van Gogh

Every float is made of thousands of dahlia flowers

“By the First Sunday of September the fever burns within us”

Corso Zundert was started in 1936

It is the largest flower parade in the world entirely made by volunteers

It celebrates the region’s reputation as a global supplier of dahlia flowers—an industry that currently occupies 81 acres with 600,000 dahlia bulbs

“Will the moving floats be finished in time?”

“Are there enough dahlias?”

“And who is going to win this time?”