6 & 7 september 2026
6 & 7 september 2026
“Will you come and play at my place Wednesday afternoon? We can play dress-up and play outside.” Full of wonder and with a sparkle in their eyes the friends nod a resounding yes! And before they know it, they triumphantly parade one after the other, dressed as their favourite characters. First in line is a tough cowboy, armed with a dangerous gun. He is followed by a cheerful fairy on a unicorn cockhorse and a brave knight carrying an elegant shield closes the line. Three happy toddlers; carefree, playful and most of all enjoying their Wednesday afternoon off.
The children are portrayed as realistically and lifelike as possible. The designers want to convey their playfulness. The toddlers are having a wonderful afternoon, something they also wish for the audience. During the parade the cowboy, fairy and knight will look around and the cockhorses will move as well.
This year Veldstraat builds three small floats with a total length of approximately 25 metres. Besides flowers, they will also use beans, jute, bamboo, feathers and possibly other materials in order to “dress” the toddlers. Sounds of the characters and matching melodies will complete the picture.
This is Jonas’ debut as a designer, his father Barry has been active as a designer for several decades. Father and son developed this idea after Barry told a story about a mural of a horseman on a rocking horse. And because the Gommers family has been helping out at Veldstraat for years it seemed logical to present their design there.
Jonas learns a lot from his father, who is a little faster and to whom some actions come a little easier as a result of his experience. But Barry says he really enjoys brainstorming with Jonas. Father and son, just like the playing toddlers, are eager to get started.
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Barry Gommers (51) is a commercial real estate appraiser in Breda and this is his seventh design. He started out in 1996 at Helpt Elkander, followed by several designs for Wernhout and his last two design were for Veldstraat. His son Jonas (20) is making his debut this year. Jonas won the Corso knowledge quiz this year and will start his journalism studies in Tilburg in September.
Original Dutch Text: Jeroen Vriends
Translation: Bas Booij
Photo: José van Trijp – Fotografie
Hamlet Veldstraat
www.veldstraat.nl
This article is brought to you by Corsief. An independent magazine about corsos in general and the Zundert flower parade in particular. The magazine is produced entirely by volunteers, who are all more or less active in the Zundert flower parade world. Corsief is entirely full-colour and appears four times a year.