A Vosges institution since 1935, the Gérardmer Fête des Jonquilles is held every two years. For weeks, hundreds of volunteers pick and pin millions of daffodils onto the parade’s floats.
In 2026, no big corso: Gérardmer is hosting the 3rd edition of Jonquilles en Fête on 17, 18 and 19 April 2026, a more intimate version (street animation, decorated windows, exhibitions). The next traditional parade is planned for 2028, shifted to avoid clashing with the 2027 presidential election.
History: since 1935
The Fête des Jonquilles was created in 1935 on the initiative of the Gérardmer town council, inspired by the flower corsages of the Côte d’Azur (Nice Battle of the Flowers, Grasse parade). The idea was to celebrate the Vosges spring, marked by the spectacular flowering of daffodils in the mountain meadows.
The first edition mobilised around ten floats, a few brass bands and a few thousand curious onlookers. The event grew rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s, drawing tens of thousands of spectators to each major edition.
The connection to daffodils is intrinsically Vosges: daffodil meadows are a natural and cultural heritage of the massif, directly associated with the arrival of spring at altitude.
The Vosges daffodil
The Vosges daffodil is a Narcissus pseudonarcissus, a wild daffodil with yellow petals and an orange centre, different from garden narcissi. It grows naturally in damp meadows and forest edges between 600 and 1,000 metres altitude.
The finest daffodil meadows in the Vosges are concentrated around Gérardmer, Xonrupt-Longemer, Liézey and Ban-de-Laveline. Flowering typically falls between mid-March and mid-April depending on altitude and aspect.
Picking: daffodils often grow on private meadows. Picking is strictly forbidden on private property and in the protected areas of the Parc Naturel Régional des Ballons des Vosges. The flowers used for the floats are either bought from producers or picked from meadows where the associations have obtained the landowner’s permission.
Observing daffodils from marked paths is always possible and free: the meadows around Liézey and the Col de Martimprey offer spectacular displays at the start of spring.
Building a float
Making the floats is a project that starts several months before the parade:
- Who can take part: any association in Gérardmer and surrounding communes can apply. Applications open with the town council roughly 12 to 18 months before each major edition.
- Selection: a municipal committee evaluates projects on artistic, technical and feasibility criteria. Around twenty floats are selected for the grand parade.
- Structure: floats are built on agricultural trailers or flat-bed trucks. The internal frame is made of wood and metal by volunteers, often local craftspeople or farmers.
- Mesh and pinning: the frame is covered with wire mesh onto which flowers are pinned stem by stem. This stage mobilises dozens of volunteers over 3 to 4 weeks of preparation.
- Pinning night: the night before the parade, teams sometimes work until dawn to finish pinning the last fresh daffodils.
- Build time: count 4 to 8 weeks of volunteer work for a medium-sized float.
Records
The Fête des Jonquilles has set some impressive records over the decades:
- Number of daffodils: major editions mobilise between 3 and 5 million flowers in total across all floats
- Most flowered float: some floats have carried up to 300,000 pinned daffodils on a single structure
- Volunteers: more than 2,000 mobilised for major editions, in a town of about 8,000 inhabitants
- Attendance: major editions attract between 40,000 and 80,000 spectators over the weekend
Accommodation: Gérardmer full, La Bresse as alternative
For major editions, Gérardmer is fully booked 2 to 3 months in advance. Lakeside and town-centre establishments are the first to go.
La Bresse, 15 minutes by car, is an excellent fallback:
- Wider accommodation offer (chalets, hotels, gîtes, B&Bs)
- Prices generally 15 to 25% lower than in Gérardmer during the Daffodil Festival
- Possibility of combining spring hikes from La Bresse in the morning before heading to Gérardmer in the afternoon
For major editions (2028, 2030…), book accommodation in La Bresse or within a 20 km radius as soon as the official dates are announced, around 6 months in advance.
Parking and shuttles
Managing visitor flows is a major logistical challenge for the Fête des Jonquilles. The system in place for major editions:
- Park-and-ride car parks: several peripheral parking zones are activated around Gérardmer, mainly at the municipal stadium, the intercommunal sports hall and on farmland made available for the event.
- Free shuttles: buses connect the town centre from the relay car parks every 10 to 15 minutes on the day of the grand parade. Free for spectators.
- Park-and-ride fee: generally 2 to 5 euros per day depending on location.
- Advice: arrive before 10am on the Sunday of the parade to find a relay car park without difficulty. After 11:30am, the approaches to Gérardmer are often jammed.
For Jonquilles en Fête editions (like 2026), the pressure is much lower and town-centre parking remains accessible.
Children’s activities
The Fête des Jonquilles is designed as a family event:
- Street shows: acrobats, jugglers, stilt walkers and puppeteers animate the pedestrian streets all weekend, with performances suitable from age 3.
- Brass bands: several local and regional bands parade before and after the floats. Children love the drums and brass instruments in the open air.
- Traditional fairground rides: carousels and merry-go-rounds are set up on Place de la Délivrance for young children.
- Flower workshops: some editions offer free flower-pinning workshops for children, to understand the work of the volunteers.
The big parade
On Sunday, around twenty flowered floats roll through the streets of Gérardmer, surrounded by fanfares, folklore groups and invited delegations. Each float carries about 50,000 to 100,000 daffodils, hand-picked in the Vosges meadows.
A collective effort
Each neighbourhood or association builds its float: design, wood and mesh structure, sorting flowers, final pinning the night before the parade. A human adventure involving thousands of volunteers over a month.
The weekend
- Friday night: opening, fireworks on the lake
- Saturday: activities, folk groups, spring market
- Sunday afternoon: big parade
Practical info
- Car parks saturated, use the shuttles from outside
- Get on the route early for a good view
- Paid seating stands with guaranteed places
- Book restaurants very far in advance
Combine with a stay
Late April, La Bresse already offers the first hikes of the year. Enjoy the daffodil weekend, add a morning at Lac des Corbeaux or the Hohneck, and sleep in La Bresse (15 min from Gérardmer) to avoid the bustle. See our chalets.
Frequently asked questions
How often is the Fête des Jonquilles held?
The big Fête des Jonquilles (flowered float parade) is held every two years. Between editions, Jonquilles en Fête offers a more intimate version: activities and flowered shop windows. In 2026: Jonquilles en Fête on 17, 18 and 19 April. Next big Fête in 2028.
Where to find the official programme?
On fete-des-jonquilles-gerardmer-officiel.fr or mairie-gerardmer.fr.
Is parking easy on the day of the parade?
No, car parks saturate early. Shuttles from outside Gérardmer are strongly recommended, or stay in La Bresse (15 min) and come in by shuttle.
Can you pick the daffodils yourself in the meadows?
Picking is regulated and limited to local tradition. The volunteers pick for the floats. Respect gates and private properties.