Kicking off Toowoomba’s beloved Carnival of Flowers is an must-see event that promises to be one of the most joyful and visually spectacular of the whole event!
The whole region and its surroundings is set to turn the entire region into a sea of colour on Floral Friday, inviting the community, businesses, schools and visitors to dress head-to-toe in florals ahead of the official opening weekend of the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers.
From floral shirts, dresses and hats to creative handmade costumes, the message is simple: if it blooms, wear it. In fact, this year the mission is more important than ever, because there is an initiative to attempt a world record for the largest gathering of people dressed as flowers in one location!
While final details are still being confirmed, the initiative is expected to bring together schools, community groups and media partners in a shared celebration of colour and creativity, and to generate even more excitement for this year’s Carnival.
As Toowoomba Region Council Tourism portfolio spokesperson Councillor James O’Shea explained, “Floral Friday is one of those moments where the whole region leans in together. It’s creative, it’s colourful and it sets the tone for everything that follows across the first weekend of Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers.
“We’re encouraging everyone to get involved, whether that’s in the CBD, regional hubs, at school, at work or at home, the more flowers, the better.”
For their part, people in the community are delighted to participate. As Lisa Bentley, owner of Jilly’s Café put it, “Floral Friday is pure joy. It’s creative, it’s community-driven and it showcases Toowoomba at its absolute best.
“We’re proud to support an event that encourages people of all ages to get involved. Our staff love welcoming people into Jilly’s to enjoy our Carnival #trEAT offering each year and Floral Friday is another way for us to have fun and celebrate the start of Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers in such a unique way.”
As she said, the initiative is really about a community coming together, and it’s expected to include creative activations across local media and schools, including printed floral cut-outs and DIY costume elements to encourage participation from kids and families.
Practical information
Floral Friday will take place on Friday, September 18, marking the official kick-off of the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers.
And the colourful world recort challenge will take place at Queens Park from 12pm, with organisers aiming to bring together more than 938 people dressed as Toowoomba violets and hopefully put the Garden City into the record books.
You can see the rest of the events for that day here, and follow updates for Floral Friday here.
📍Queens Park, 43-73 Lindsay St, East Toowoomba
