On the first Sunday of each September, in a village in the southern Netherlands, a fantastical parade takes place. The Corso Zundert was created originally as a birthday celebration for Queen Wilhelmina. It began rather modestly, with flowers affixed to bicycles and horse carts, but has since followed the lead of its trademark material and blossomed.
Beyond disruption from the war, Zundert's parade has been on-going since it's creation in 1936. Renowned for its artistic beauty, it is a competition between different Zundert districts. Creating the winning float is a lifelong dream for many citizens. The parade encourages creativity on many levels and has only had a theme twice, once honoring Zundert-born Vincent van Gogh.
RELATED: The Master of Treehouse Mansions
RELATED: The Master of Treehouse Mansions
The massive, gorgeous, inventive floats seen in Corso Zundert often start as an iron frame with styrofoam and papier mâché. They are then covered by an estimated 400,000 dahlias, which are grown on 81 acres of land in the area. There is really no conveying how much effort, art, and spirit are put into these floats, but it's worth noting that in the '80s, the floats grew with such fervor that the parade organizers had to put limitations on their size. They are now restricted to a mere 62 feet in length, 4.5 feet in width, and 30 feet in height.
More of Jai Kapoor's photos here
Watch more Seeker:
The Race to the End of the World
Read more about the Corso Zundert flower parade: