History of Carnival’s Events

During Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers’ first decade, entertainment was an interactive affair with Australian Army and Air Force displays, stock car events, a tug of war and even a water ballet display. As the years passed, Carnival’s appeal widened to attract tourists from across Queensland and interstate.

By 1961, Carnival was trotting out a program with rather devilish appeal. Festivities included pony and trotting events, fire-fighting, ladies rugby league and “Dare-Devil Car Driving with hair raising stunts” (Carnival of Flowers Program, 1961). A cross country foot race from Picnic Point to Table Top Mountain was a regular part of the program and in 1968 an Aquatic Carnival was held at the newly built Perseverance Dam where 6,000 people watched water-skiing and power boat displays. Window display competitions also added colour and interest to the shop windows of Toowoomba.

The 70s saw Carnival’s popularity continue to grow with a string of celebrity guests and an evening street carnival held every night across the full week of festivities. This included open-air concerts, street dancing and physical fitness displays. The 1970 Carnival finished with a Mardi Gras held at Picnic Point. Yogi Bear wowed audiences in 1973, Normie Rowe wooed the crowd when he participated in the 1974 Floral Parade and Princess Alexandra added a royal flavour to the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers in 1978.

The 1980s were equally as successful for the event. It outgrew its original location at the Village Green beside the present Regional Art Gallery and moved to its current home in Queens Park.  Unique events included a Bar Attendants’ Quest that acted as a successful fundraiser for Carnival and a Beard Growing competition, while a Wine and International Foods Fiesta was the first taste of the future food festivals.

In the late 1990s and 2000s Carnival creatively diversified, adopting an innovative and water wise approach to all aspects of the event program. It was in this period that new event highlights were added such as the Food and Wine Festival (now known as the Heritage Bank Festival of Food and Wine) and a host of other regional floral, horticultural, food and wine based experiences alongside the more enduring events such as the annual Floral Design Competition, the Floral Street Parade (now known as the Grand Central Floral Parade) and The Chronicle Garden Competition.