Grand Central has given a sneak peek of the float that will lead this year’s Grand Central Floral Parade on Saturday, as part of the 70th anniversary of the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers.
Grand Central Marketing Manager Marieke Bridgeman said the centre has been a proud sponsor of the parade for 23 years. “There’s nothing quite like Carnival time in Toowoomba, and each year we love seeing how the local community and visitors embrace the Grand Central Floral Parade,” she said. “It’s a wonderful community event. The floats produced are the result of thousands of hours of work by local community and business groups, showcasing the pride and diversity of our beautiful region.”
Ms Bridgeman said the idea behind Grand Central’s lead float was to take inspiration from Carnival’s very first parade. “We’re taking our cue from history this year. In 1950 the first parade was led by a bullock team, so we have created a contemporary version in celebration and recognition of this milestone.”
Grand Central also commissioned local artists Anna Bartlett, Katie Whyte, Mary-Kate Thomson, Jennifer Wright (Summers), Joy Heylen and Kym Breeze to create designs on six fibreglass cows through the lens of the Carnival theme ‘The Power of the Flower’. Four of these cows have been mounted on the float, paired with a floral carriage to lead the parade, and the other two cows will be in Grand Central for customers to enjoy from this Friday. The float will also be accompanied by whip crackers along the parade route. The Grand Central Floral Parade will start at 3pm on Saturday September 21.
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