Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers| 18 September – 27 September 2020
Each spring for 71 years, the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers, has delighted visitors from all over the globe with its glorious gardens, local produce, amazing displays and world-class entertainers.
For Kate Logan (24) of South Toowoomba and her sister Anna (26), the Carnival has been a part of their lives for as long as they can remember. “My sister and I were in Brownies and Girl Guides so each year, from when we were only seven or eight, we would march in the Grand Central Floral Parade. Even though I’m no longer part of the parade I still love to go along and watch the magnificent floats,” she said.
Kate and Anna are part of a family who has loved the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers since its inception. Their grandmother Elizabeth Cornford (79) of Kearneys Spring watched the very first Carnival Parade on October 28, 1950. That first Parade was a street procession that stretched three miles in length. Led by a bullock team and watched by a crowd estimated to be 50,000 strong, it was a resounding success!
Elizabeth recalls excitedly catching the bus from another part of town with her sisters and best friend to see the parade during the day and then returning during the evening to experience the Carnival’s night festivities. “Carnival was the social event of the year”, recalls Elizabeth.
Elizabeth passed her love of the Carnival to her daughter Leigh-Anne Logan (55) who also marched in the Grand Parade for many years with Brownies and Girl Guides and now continues to attend many of the events held throughout the annual event, particularly the many sewing and craft displays across town.
For Kate, Carnival is more than just flowers, it’s an opportunity for the Toowoomba community to show off the many wonderful features of their beloved city, ‘I love how bright and colourful the city becomes but even more so, I love that the community’s enthusiasm hasn’t waned over 7 decades. If anything, it’s gotten stronger. You walk down the street and all the businesses get into the spirit of the event with flowers and displays. It really makes me proud to be from Toowoomba’.
Last year, Kate brought her partner (from Brisbane) to the Carnival for the first time, “We took him up to Spring Bluff so see the band and the trains and he just loved it! I have such fond memories of my mum taking my sister and I on the train during Carnival when we were kids, and it was so lovely to be able to share that experience with someone else, looking at it through fresh eyes”
The Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers commenced in 1949 to celebrate the end of rationing introduced during World War II. It is now a 10-day annual event attracting over 255,000 visitors to Toowoomba, injecting more than $24 million into the local economy!
It has been inducted into the Australian Tourism Awards Hall of Fame after winning the award for Major Event or Festival in Australia for the past three years running.
The 70th Anniversary Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers will take place from Friday September 20 to Sunday September 29. The official Event Program will be launched on April 30 and promises to feature a line-up of events, tours, displays and performers that will dazzle even the most seasoned Carnival attendee!
Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers information
September 20 to 29, 2019
Program detail at www.tcof.com.au or on www.facebook.com.au/CarnivalFlowers
Tour detail at https://carnivalofflowers.com.au/touroperators/
Accommodation detail at https://carnivalofflowers.com.au/accommodation/
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