All we can say is…these Brusselonians sure like their parades.
This was called the Zinneke Parade …..translated from the French site: “it is a social and artistic project which invites each and everyone to develop its creativity. It is also a whole human festival 100%, without amplification nor engines.”
…….and creative they were! Artsy ones:
very bazaar:
funny ones,
colorful ones:
They love their stilts here too!
Look closely at the photo on the left above – there is a child on stilts and then in the back a man on a double stilt.
They have a different theme each year. As far as we could decipher – this year the theme was “the sea and water”.
It was a dangerous parade for D. A very big monster knocked his glasses off his head into the crowd. Did I mention his REALLY good glasses? Fortunately two ladies walking by saw them and picked them up. He was so lucky as the streets were wall to wall crowds.
He also got his foot stepped on by a “specially-abled” artist. The artists were a real mix, men, women, very young to very old, even specially-abled. The artists were very active with the crowds and did such stunts as painting faces and spraying people with water. The situation where the specially-abled boy (Downs syndrome) stepped on D’s foot was very cute. The boy did it very gently and then laughed and laughed.
At the very end, the parade closed with the “Final Jump”. Here we are gathered with the group for the final jump. 
What is the final jump you ask – translated from their site: “a photograph of all the paradeurs in full jump! Large and small, tired and unchained, all the participants will jump – in the street – in a sudden explosion of energy, to exceed gravity. What to make while jumping? It is a free choreography! Each one is free to imagine its Jump. The important thing is to take off!”
We were “hanging” with the crowd for the Final Jump – See D in action for his final “jump”:
and here is the sponsors photo we found on their website – yep, there we are! D is pretty clear – black coat with hand in the air…..look closely to see me : )
The XtraSuitcase 
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