Prepare yourselves Petals, this year’s Grand Central Floral Parade at the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers will be a party for the ages on Saturday 21 September from 10am!
Entries are NOW OPEN for the 75th Grand Central Parade, the event that stops the Garden City, with the theme, It’s A Party!
“We are looking for 75 spectacularly themed floats to celebrate 75 floral-filled years,” Grand Central Centre Manager Tracey Ford said.
“Party is not just a word, it’s a feeling, and we are calling on workplaces, businesses, social and community groups, associations, clubs, local performers, artists, and musical groups from throughout the region to enter and celebrate with us,” she said. “We can’t wait to see our community unite in a giant parade party with floral-inspired streamers, bunting and flags, bright colours, giant cakes, party outfits, pom poms, mirror balls, bubbles, costumes and all the flowers; to hear the wonderful music that the parade generates and to witness the sea of smiles it creates. It’s such a special day in Toowoomba,” she said.
“We are thrilled to welcome back our Creative Advisors, Anna Battle and Mary-Kate Thomson, who will work very closely with all entrants this year, to ensure the parade is a spectacular procession to colour and joy, a petal party like no other!”
This year, there are two ways to participate:
- The main event – 75th Grand Central Floral Parade – street parade on 21 September at 10am
- Itty Bitty Grand Central Floral Parade – open to Education Facilities, Disability/Inclusion Support Organisations, Not-For-Profit Organisations and Aged Care Facilities/Homes which will be displayed in Grand Central from 14 September to 30 September
All entry information is at www.tcof.com.au
Entries close at 2pm on 29 April.
This year Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers will run from 13 September over four floral-filled weekends to 7 October. The 75th anniversary program will be announced on 28 March.
Recent research shows there’s no slowing the power of the petal, with 2023 figures from Tourism and Events Queensland revealing a bouquet of brilliant broken records, including a fresh milestone in total attendance, with a record-breaking figure of 417,517—an impressive 14% surge compared to the 2022 results.
The attendance spike is marked by a remarkable 22% increase in the number of individuals, reaching an unprecedented 199,789 during the four-weekend program. Notably, this marks the inaugural instance where attendance has surpassed the 400,000 mark. Additionally, visitor nights soared to a new pinnacle, registering a 12% upswing from 2022 and reaching an impressive 136,676.
Importantly, direct and incremental spending reached a total of $24.54 million another record for the event following last year’s then record of $22.61 million.
“Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers is a very special event – for four weeks in Spring it attracts more than 400,000 people to celebrate the 40+ million petals blooming across the city’s parks,” Chair of the Toowoomba Regional Council Environment and Community Services Committee Cr James O’Shea said.
“Like its well-tended gardens, the event continues to bloom, and this year we celebrate 75 years. We are thrilled that more attendance and revenue records have been broken at last year’s event, as people from all over Australia and internationally, converged on our Garden City,” he said.
The Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers took gold at the Queensland Tourism Awards for Major Festival or Event, and NEXT WEEKEND represents Queensland at the prestigious Australian Tourism Awards in Darwin.
Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers – A History
Since its inception in 1949, the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers has flourished and is now an iconic Queensland event. The brainchild of Essex Tait and the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce, Carnival was introduced as a way for the city to use its “Garden City” reputation to promote increased economic activity following the hardships of war. On October 21, 1950, the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers commenced with 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, as it has been ever since.
Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers 2024
13 September to 7 October
tcof.com.au