Only a handful of cities in the world host flower parades and Salt Lake is about to become one of them.  

The Malabar Flower Festival in India is one of the most prestigious, along with The Kegworth Flower Festival in Derby, England. Medellin, Spain hosts its Festival of Flowers, and of course the International Carnival in Nice, France is world renowned, along with festivals in Denmark, The Netherlands and Belgium. The most famous flower parade in the US is the Tournament of Roses Parade, which took place in Pasadena, California in January.  

Since its inception in 1939 and dedication in 1952, The International Peace Gardens at Jordan Park have welcomed hundreds of thousands of guests from around the globe to enjoy the botanical beauty, statuary, and architecture of foreign lands. Visitors can meditate with a bust of Mahatma Gandhi in India, then hike to Switzerland’s majestic Matterhorn in just minutes without the need for a passport. There’s even time to include much of Europe, China, Lebanon and Africa in your itinerary. 

Svetlana Johnston has been a member of the International Peace Gardens Committee since October 2024, co-representing Russia as an individual member country. She is also the organizer of Utah’s inaugural Peace Gardens Flower Parade. 

Sprawling over 11 acres along the banks of the Jordan River, the Peace Gardens were dedicated by the city to symbolize goodwill, democracy, world peace, and brotherly love. This is in addition to celebrating the unique history, literature, and cultural heritage of the featured nations. Committee member volunteers represent each of the 28 gardens. As a monument to peace, the gardens provide beauty, inspiration, and a reverence for nature, making them a favorite backdrop for weddings, bridal photography, and family portraits.

What is The Flower Parade?

The Peace Gardens hosts numerous cultural events throughout the year, but Johnston realized that nothing of significance was happening in the spring. To remedy this, Canadian garden representative Catherine Soucy, and French garden representative Eveline Jean, brainstormed ideas for celebrating the blooming season. 

“Subsequently, I was invited to the Committee to co-represent Russia jointly with Adrian Ritz, who is currently the chair of the Committee and is also directly involved in organizing the Flower Parade,” Johnston explained. 

  “As a representative of the Russian garden, I am also leading one of the Parade’s sub-committees responsible for logistics and organizing the vendors. I have been reaching out to flower shops, theater companies, art groups, schools and cultural associations to promote our parade and its mission.” 

A first-of-its-kind event in Utah

Inspired by the flower parade in Nice, France, The Peace Gardens Flower Parade is a first for Utah. Each year will feature a different theme highlighting the beauty, peace, and joy that flowers provide. This vibrant community event will feature a spectacular parade of fairy tale characters, creative arts and crafts, and engaging activities for all ages. Open to the public, The Flower Parade invites participants and vendors alike to share their talents, stories, and creativity. 

Johnston’s enthusiasm is evident. “We are garden enthusiasts who love flowers and fairy tales,” she says. “Both allow us to involve our kids in cultural experiences representing our common heritage. We cherish our culture, our childhood memories, and sharing our culture through fairy tales because they represent archetypal characters and storylines that teach future generations about eternal morals and ethical values. One may forget about the origins of Cinderella or Little Red Riding Hood,” but they have become cosmopolitan and truly are just good stories with valuable lessons. They connect people by bringing joy to kids and adults alike.” 

All you need is an imagination 

The Flower Parade is open to individuals and organizations with connections to the floral decoration business, belong to an artistic or theatrical group, or are simply enthusiastic about the idea. Anyone with an imagination can participate using a cart, wagon, bike, wheelbarrow, or anything on wheels that isn’t motorized. 

“You just need to transform it into something from a fairy tale using any type of flowers — fresh blooms, green plants or paper flowers beautifully cut out and painted in different colors,” Johnston says. “Flowers can be made out of any material. If a float is too much work, you can simply wear a flowery dress coupled with a hat adorned with flowers, or grab some tulips from your garden and join the parade. You can also bring your mom and grandmother to the gardens.” 

Johnston and her team of six volunteers are excited to share a popular Russian fairy tale. 

“Our Russian speaking community of volunteers decided to create a float with the classical and well-known character Baba Yaga and her Chicken-Legged House. As both antagonist and protagonist in many Slavic folk stories, Baba Yaga is a witch who lives in her Chicken-Legged house in the deep forest. She rides her broom, steals kids who misbehave, and cooks them in her big clay oven called a ‘Pechka.’” 

According to Johnston, they chose this particular character “because she is vibrant and a lot of fun for kids to look at. We used cardboard boxes to manufacture her hut and adorned it with moss and living orchid plants and succulents on the roof. We made Baba Yaga’s hair out of fresh flowers and plants. We had so much fun creating our float and can’t wait to showcase our work. The house will be walking on its chicken legs, which will be entertaining for spectators of all ages.”

Utah’s Flower Parade will take place on May 10, 2025 in the International Peace Gardens right before the Mother’s Day celebration. The first procession will start at 10am and will repeat hourly four times between 10am and 2pm, with cash prizes for the top three floats. The event is free of charge to both visitors and participants. For those who work up an appetite, food trucks will be available in the parking lot.   

The International Peace Gardens is located at Jordan Park, 1000 South 900 West in Salt Lake. The gardens are open from 7am to 10pm year-round, and flower displays are in bloom from May through October. Dogs on leashes are allowed, and you must pick up after your furry friend. Learn more about the International Peace gardens here. Learn more about The Flower Parade here.

Feature Image of The Flower Parade organizers by John Taylor.