The Laredo Flower Battle once again transforms the Cantabrian town into a showcase of imagination and craftsmanship, with an event that brings together thousands of people to watch large floats parade entirely covered with fresh flowers.
Recognized as a Festival of National Tourist Interest and with roots dating back to 1908, the most anticipated day of Semana Grande brings together a spectacular parade in the Alameda Miramar in which the order of one and a half million flowers.
Calendar, schedules and route
The program of the Laredo's Big Week (August 25-31) It reaches its peak on Friday the 29th at 17:30 p.m., when the Battle of the Flowers begins on the Alameda Miramar circuit.
The floats, accompanied by groups and musical and folkloric groups, they complete three laps: after the second, the jury issues its verdict and, in the third, the winners show their trophies to the public in a lap of honour.
How the floats are prepared
The raw material is born at home: The flowers are planted in Laredo and its surroundings in a wide color palette. They are cut three days before the show to ensure freshness, which forces us to work against the clock.
That final sprint leads to the call Magical Night or Night of the Flower, when visitors and residents can watch the floats being finished and flowers and petals being attached, one by one. On Thursday the 28th, there's a free tourist train that tours the workshops, and for those who miss the parade, the floats are still on display. until Sunday 31 in the courthouse parking lot.
Flowers, materials and figures
In the decoration predominate dahlias, daisies and carnations, precisely placed on frames of iron, wood and cork bark to make each structure a unique piece.
This year 11 floats are competing, made by 6 bodywork groups, all different from each other and designed to surprise both with their volume and the fineness of the floral upholstery.
Protagonists and recognitions
The organization has appointed senior bodybuilder to Lydia ValentÃn in recognition of a career that symbolizes effort, perseverance, and passion, values shared by those who create these ephemeral works.
The City Council also distinguishes Luis Arrebola Muñoz as a veteran float rider for his historical contribution: 60 years ago he won with "The Queen of the Festival" and in 1966 his float "Heroine" was third, going down in history for be the first to throw confetti from a cannon.
A party that goes beyond the parade
The Big Week, of seven days long, offers a program that revolves around the Battle of Flowers, with performances such as Rosario Flores (Monday 25), LocomÃa and Malena Gracia (Wednesday 27), Café Quijano (Friday 29) or Soraya Arnelas (Saturday 30).
Those visiting Laredo during these days You will find tradition, music, and craftsmanship around floats where every petal counts, uniting the work of the float makers with the applause of an audience that fills the Alameda Miramar year after year.
