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The Floral Festival was a weeklong series of events organised by the Palmerston North Public Relations Organisation between the 17th and 22nd of February 1958. The events were well attended, and many businesses got into the spirit of the occasion with floral themed window displays, quizzes, fashion shows and film festival showings. The event was topped off by the parade, attended by hundreds of people along the route.

The Manawatu Evening Standard on 24th February 1958 described this entry as 'showing originality', depicting "...an iceberg on which stood the personification of Sir Edmund Hilary in Polar garb accompanied by a live husky at his feet. Appropriately, and firmly placed in the iceberg proudly waved the New Zealand flag. This entry gained second prize in the trade section for Glaxo Laboratories Ltd."

After the festival, The Manawatū Standard reported (25 February 1958) "Many people have congratulated Mr Beckett [Public Relations Officer] and his assistant Miss B. Norman, on the success of the Floral Festival which brought to the city visitors from over a wide area. With the influx of these visitors trade in the local retail stores automatically quickened in tempo, and it would appear that the festival did much for Palmerston North."

This image is from the slide collection of Nola Wilson

Identification

Object type
Image
Relation
2006-12
Date
February 22, 1958
Digitisation ID
2023S_2006-12_040967
Format
Slide
Held In
Community Archives

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Creation

Created By
Place
Cuba Street, Palmerston North

Object rights

Taxonomy

Tags
blossoms,
cars,
floral parade,
glaxo laboratories ltd,
Community Tags

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Related items

Floral Festival Parade - Combined Retail Stores Swan float
Floral Festival Parade vehicle
Floral Festival Parade - Combined Retail Stores Swan float
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