Big crowd enjoys Blossom Festival parade

The sun's out and so was the crowd to watch the Alexandra Blossom Festival's Grand Procession. 

It's the 65th festival and Central Otago’s official celebration of the arrival of spring.

The Senior Queen and former queens are also taking part in this afternoon's grand parade, travelling in style in vintage cars, alongside the floats the festival is known for and the blossom princesses that adorn them.

Pioneer Park is the destination for the Grand Procession and a planned fun afternoon at the Contact Energy Saturday in the Park event that includes clowns, jugglers and magic shows on one stage and another stage featuring The Lady Killers and the Jordan Luck Band.

Thrills and spills as Senior Queen crowned 

The festival got off to a mixed start yesterday. 

Between the highs of seeing 22 past blossom queens celebrating Central Otago’s spring festival with a high tea and the crowning of this year’s Senior Queen through to the low of a freestyle motocross (FMX) rider being injured while warming up before the Festival Mardi Gras show, it was all drama on the opening day.

The rider was taken to hospital to undergo tests and determine the extent of his injuries.

But the FMX performance still went ahead with the remaining riders.

Freestyle NZ owner Neil Dempsey said checks had been made to the site and it was safe to continue with the show.

‘‘It is a high-risk sport, and these things happen from time to time. He is fine and the other boys are fine to go on.’’

Earlier, the former blossom queens joined this year’s blossom princesses, the Senior Queen and her runner-up for cucumber sandwiches, sweet treats and tea before those who were up to it headed to the evening mardi gras.

- By Tracie Barrett