Flower floats glide through Capitola

August 24, 2010

Crowds will gather in Capitola, California, for the 58th annual Capitola Begonia Festival this labor day weekend.

According to the Santa Cruz Sentinel, a crowd of up to 30,000 people is expected to show up for four days of activities, including a sand sculpture contest, film screenings, live music and the main event - a presentation of colorful floats made of flower petals.

The festival dates back to 1952, when local swimming students decorated their paddleboards with freshly plucked begonia blossoms. This year 11 floats will show up decorated with the flowers.

"Each one [of the floats] is a labor of love," Lin Banks, president of the Begonia Festival, told the news source. "You have to put in the time and effort that it takes to go down to the picking fields in Marina, pick the flowers - you need thousands of flowers for the floats - and then put the flowers on."

Those who won't be able to attend the event but still want to revel in the beauty of the flower may want to display a bouquet in their home. According to the American Begonia Society, there are thousands of types of this flower, including the Euphrates, evening nymph, fuzzy buzz and chemainus.

This article is brought to you by Teleflora - a leader in the flower delivery service for over 75 years. Teleflora helps its customers buy flowers online and specializes in bringing the freshest available flowers for a variety of holidays and occasions - all hand-delivered in keepsake vases by the best local florists. ADNFCR-3114-ID-19930449-ADNFCR