If you love flowers, even just a little bit, if you love beautiful things, even just a little bit, if you love colour and dancing and spectacular displays, even just a little bit, then you absolutely want to be in Parys on 7 & 8 December for the annual Free State Madeira Flower Festival.
Ever since the Free State Madeira Flower Festival launched in 2016, thousands and thousands of flower lovers have streamed into the already picturesque town of Parys for one of South Africa’s most visually stunning events of the year.
Now in its third year, this delightful explosion of everything floral is bigger and more beautiful than ever before. A joint venture between the Free State government and the Autonomous State of Madeira and hosted by The Free State Gambling, Liquor and Tourism Authority, the festival is all set to charm visitors into wondering if they’ve suddenly woken up in a fairy-tale.
Bursting with hundreds of thousands of flowers, exquisite floral floats, hundreds of choreographed performers and giant flower puppets performing around a spectacular flower precinct in a Disney-like flower story, even the most jaded are bound to feel their edges soften and their hearts lift.
The 1km floral procession with its Big 5 Route-inspired floral floats created with over 200,000 flowers from local flower farmers and its 500 performers adorned with even more flowers will be only the second time South Africa has ever seen a fully-fledged, massive flower parade take to the streets.
And if that’s not enough, this year, in centenary celebration of the lives of Tata Nelson Mandela and Mama Albertina Sisulu, Madeiran flower artists are creating breath-taking flower carpets portraying the two beloved icons.
As a creative endeavour in stimulating the local flower industry and raising its international profile, the festival’s two-day programme is packed with plenty of other activities like the flower trade forum, a charity golf day, and the lifestyle exhibition show.
Free State Madeira Flower Festival:
7 & 8 December 2018
Entry is free
Event features
Golf day:
§ The CIS platform for the event.
Forum:
§ The platform to share ideas on flower farming;
§ Platform to encourage flower trading.
Precinct:
§ Lifestyle exhibition platform;
§ Flower carpets exhibition
§ Entertainment arena;
§ VIP arena;
§ Media centre.
Parade:
§ Official opening ceremony;
§ 1km of floral procession/ carnival;
§ 5 floral floats representing Big 5 Routes;
§ 500 participants.
