It is almost Jacaranda Festival
On the 29th October 1935, Grafton's first Jacaranda Festival made its debut before 4000 enthusiastic fans in brightly illuminated Jacaranda Avenue
(in Pound Street).
Children by the hundred danced and presented a floral pageant before
Myrtle Gentle's name was drawn from a golden casket
as first Jacaranda Princess by the Festival King, Jim Orr.
Jacaranda Queen was Mavis Schwinghammer
and they were attended by 20 maids of honour,
11 pages, flower girls, jesters and princesses.
The next night a floral dance, adopted from The Cornish Floral Dance and played in one step time, encouraged adults to dance down Jacaranda Avenue.
Since the first Festival a queen crowning ceremony is held on the last Saturday in October each year, heralding the start of the major festival week. The final weekend features a spectacular street parade.
The festival is now into its 75th year and is still strong in commitment, participation and celebration from the Clarence Valley residents. The Jacaranda Festival attracts many tourists during this late springtime event.
Purple Haze
There are hundreds and hundreds 
of spectacular jacarandas
planted in and all around Grafton
Mr10 or is that a monkey swinging in a tree?
Mr6 found a 'snake' hole,he is finding lots and lots of 'snake' holes everywhere we go at the moment.
The purple carpet is as pretty as the purple canopy
The streets are lined with purple
The town is looking wonderful
with trees of all sizes in their party frocks
There are jacaranda trees everywhere,
all over the district
in the city, on the river, and out in the paddocks.
1 comment:
I love jacarandas - they are so gorgeous. We have quite a few around here, but nothing like Grafton has!
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