Girona’s annual Temps de Flors flower festival back in bloom
119 floral displays on show from May 7 to 15 after two editions marked by Covid-19
The northern Catalan city of Girona recovers one of the most colorful and flourishing events in the territory with 119 floral projects. From May 7 to the 15, the municipality will celebrate 2022 Temps de Flors. This will be the first edition since the Covid-19 pandemic and organizers have recovered the past format, with activities indoors and outdoors.
Temps de Flors will celebrate the 67th edition of the flower festival this 2022 and will leave behind the Covid-19 restrictions in place last year. In 2021, Girona celebrated the "Temps de Flors, a cel obert," as it all happened outdoors, and in 2020 the event was canceled because of the lockdown.
Spectacular floral arrangements adorn the streets and squares, as well as various other colorful and decorative artistic installations. In this edition, the city will have 119 floral projects in 107 different locations, and the vast majority of them are inspired by the connection with nature.
In 2021, there were 92 arrangements in 83 different spaces, while in 2019, the city hosted 137 floral projects in 171 locations.
This year, visitors will be able to, once again, be able to see indoor arrangements in the Cathedral cloister and its dungeons, and in the Arab baths. All of these floral projects will be divided into four different routes across the neighborhoods of Girona.
At the Barri Vell, the city center, the route will have several entries and exit points. If organizers see the place is crowded, they will close some entries so the space can empty before allowing more people into the area.
"It will not be a 100% Temps de Flors, but almost normal," Glòria Plana, Girona’s councilor for economic promotion, said during the presentation. Despite not having any Covid-19 restrictions and the indoors and outdoors face mask mandate has been lifted, organizers propose to keep using one "when in crowded places."
Popular activity in the city
The Temps de Flors’ event is not only for visitors but also for local residents. "This is the only place where over 1,000 volunteers take part in the event, which is very important, as nowhere else sees 1% of the population participate in a city’s activity," Marta Madrenas, Girona’s mayor said.
"We bring Temps de Flors to our neighbors, so they live the event as soon as they leave their homes," Madrenas added.
At the moment, the city council has not estimated the number of visitors they will have in this year’s Temps de Flors. However, in 2021’s edition over 200,000 people attended the event.
The festival is "self-promoted," Plana explained. This is one of the reasons why the council has reduced its marketing campaign budget for the event.