#ZGZZFlorece opened its doors today in the Parque Grande José Antonio Labordeta. Four days will be dedicated to floral decorations full of color, beauty and creativity, accompanied by an extensive musical program and a complete gastronomic offer. This year, in addition, the festival will go far beyond the borders of the Park to extend to other parts of the city, both with decorations on emblematic facades and with other leisure activities.
The Mayor of Zaragoza, Jorge Azcón, and the Councilor for Public Services and Mobility, Natalia Chueca, presented #ZGZFlorece today in a ceremony in which participated, in addition to other members of the Corporation, representatives of the different companies and institutions that sponsor and collaborate in its realization.
The opening ceremony began with a tribute to Ukraine, a country that will be especially remembered these days with different decorations that will combine the colors of its flag. The Ukrainian soprano and pianist Olena Panasyuk, who performed a moving song of her country, “Rydna maty moya” (My dear mother), by Platon I. Maiboroda.
Both the mayor and the councilor recalled that #ZGZFlorece became last year the great spring surprise of Zaragoza and the first great outdoor social milestone in our city after the months of lockdown due to the pandemic of COVID. The Parque Grande José Antonio Labordeta was transformed, for three days, into a place of dreams and a meeting place with flowers, color, culture, gastronomic leisure and proposals from the florist sector.
OBJECTIVE: TO CONSOLIDATE LAST YEAR’S SUCCESS
This year, #ZGZFlorece returns in its second edition extending one more day its program and extending to other parts of the city. In addition, various institutions, companies and groups have decided to join this festival to give a real welcome to spring and good weather.
The aim of this year, as they have explained, is to consolidate this festival as a reference at national and international level, even trying to exceed last year’s figures. In addition, to reinforce “the commitment to beauty, to generate a pleasant and friendly meeting place for the whole family”.
In today’s presentation, they wanted to expressly thank all the companies, institutions, associations and groups that have wanted to join the project this year. In this edition, #ZGZFlorece is sponsored by Gradyflor, Flores Aznar, Urbaser, FCC, Leroy Merlin, Avanza, Los Tranvías de Zaragoza, Viñas del Vero and Grupo Costa, as well as the collaboration of Edelvives, La Torre Outlet, Fontecabras, Ágreda and the Association of Florists of Aragón.
THE PARQUE GRANDE, EPICENTER OF THE FESTIVAL
#ZGZFlorece 2021 had, as previously recalled, a great success in terms of participation, with 100% occupancy in the performances and areas with capacity -due to the health situation caused by the coronavirus-. Not only were 175,000 visitors able to enjoy this floral fair, but also the Flower Market and the gastronomic area of the “foodtrucks” managed to exceed their sales forecasts.
In this new edition, the enclosure used in the Parque Grande is 30% larger, the same proportion in which will increase the number of flowers used, which will reach 65,000.
The floral interventions are six, compared to four in the last edition. To the four spaces used last year (the Staircase of the Batallador, the Kiosk of Music, the Fountain of Neptune and the Bridge of the Singers) are added the Botanical Garden and Isabel Zapata Marin Street.
Its protagonists are, once again, master florists with great national and international recognition. In this landscape festival Carles J. Fontanillas, Myriam Aznar, Rosa Valls and Sefa Tur repeat, in addition to Carlos Curbelo, Guillermo Lasso and the Association of Florists of Aragon.
A CITY DECORATED WITH FLOWERS
This year, #ZGZFlorece continues to grow and increase the spaces in which it will be present. Thus, in addition to the central streetcar stops, special decorations have been added to the buildings of Caja Rural de Aragón, Heraldo de Aragón, the Gran Hotel, the Teatro Principal, the Hotel Alfonso I, the Chamber of Commerce and the Central Market, as well as in some stores, such as Love Story on Gran Vía.
Also, El Corte Inglés has organized a floral exhibition in its Ámbito Cultural de Independencia from May 3 to 31. It is showing the floral works made at the Rey Ardid Foundation. There are also children’s workshops and other activities. Throughout the month of May, the El Corte Inglés restaurant in Sagasta is offering a special dessert starring edible flowers.
In this extension of #ZGZFlorece by the city also highlights the special decoration that already have the Plaza de España and Plaza de las Aguadoras, in Las Fuentes, by the Association of Florists of Aragon, and the celebration of El Tubo Florece, sponsored by Zaragoza Esencial. On the municipal side, the Parks Service has also intervened in Alfonso and Don Jaime streets.
The middle facade of Etopia also looks these days with the image of #ZGZFlorece, which is projected at night.
Councilor Natalia Chueca has continued to encourage “all citizens who, as individuals, want to take advantage of these days to decorate their balconies and windows, to participate in this explosion of color that we want Zaragoza to be these days”.
