Attentive readers may remember that I wrote about the Croissy Carrot Festival in the town where we live last year. In fact, we go every year. Two years ago, my daughter won a prize for her 'objet roulant': a go-kart converted into a carrot.
I recently received a request for information about the festival from the curator of the World Carrot Museum, so here is the information I sent them for everyone with an interest in the fun side of carrots.
This year's festival is coming up next weekend and there willl be the 'defile' (parade in English) on Sunday 10th September of people dressed as carrots pushing, riding and carrying their 'objets roulants'. The festival satrts on the 8th September and there are actually quite a few different events including an 'orange night' party on the Saturday.
The objets roulant can be anthing from a wheelbarrow with someone sitting in it to a large scale model in cardboard and crepe paper travelling on cart wheels... The theme for the chariots this year is 'Games".
There is more information here.
There is a church service at Croissy-sur-Seine church at 10am followed by the parade which starts just outside from 11am. The parade leaves at 12am and arrives at Parc des Berges beside the Seine at 1pm. Everyone then sits down for a meal of beef and carrots and listens to the band.
Bring you carrot costume. You won't feel out of place!
The picture at the top of the page is of some friends from the large communal flat my wife and I lived in when we were students in Liverpool. We used to have an allotment where we grew carrots. But not this one. It was grown by George, our allotment neighbour and champion carrot grower. The secret is to grow them in drainpipes. My wife walked home with it sticking out of the top of a plastic bag.
It was an extremely sturdy object and not at all good for eating. We decided to make wine out of it, but that wasn't any good either. Frankly, the best thing about this carrot is the photo. Which I guess is how it was meant to be.
4 comments:
We expect photos of you in a carrot costume very soon.
I don't believe it. That's NOT a carrot. (Or...? I've just been rereading Oryx and Crake.)
I love these quirkly festivals. Great fun.
Lesley - sadly, my carrot costume was made for me when I was fourteen and I no longer fit it.
Lee - It is a carrot. A carrot with presence.
Clare - The town where we live was built thirty years ago on carrot fields beside the Seine. That's why we have a carrot festival. There aren't too many carrots around here now...
There is also a festival in the Summer to celebrate the Grenouillere, a place where weekenders 100 years ago would swim in the Seine. But you wouldn't go swimming in the Seine now either...
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