Eight floats for the Three Kings Cavalcade

Tonight’s traditional Three Kings Cavalcade now in its 59th year will see the participation of eight floats. Starting at 7.30pm the participants will gather at Grand Casemates Square for the judging which takes place as from early this afternoon.

Eric Abudarham, president of the Three Kings Cavalcade committee, said yesterday that even though rain was expected the parade would still go ahead.

Peter Pan, the Evacuation, Ninja Turtles, nursery rhymes and dragons are amongst the themes chosen this year by the participants which include the ever faithful youth clubs, the Balloqui family, Budokai Martial Arts Centre and AIM, St Bernard’s Church, the Scouts and Gibraltar Breastfeeding.

This year the Three Kings will be travelling on new floats which have been built locally. They will be seated on thrones made by Clarenwood and be pulled along by 4x4s on loan from the Bassadone Motors.

At the top of the parade will be the Royal Gibraltar Regiment Band. Also participating is Miss Gibraltar Hannah Bado and her two princesses. As always the Sea Scouts Band will be on parade as well as the Re-Enactment Association.

Fifteen minutes before the Cavalcade a group of Superheroes and well-known characters will walk up the Main Street handing out sweets.

Although the committee had a tough time throughout last year finding individuals and groups to take part in the event, Mr Abudarham and the committee, was nonetheless happy with the final outcome and looking forward to tonight.

Mr Abudarham admitted t had been more difficult to get the show on the road and one of the main issues had been not having enough covered areas in which to build the floats.

“More facilities and covered areas made available as from 1st December are needed,” he insisted.

This year, he added, the rain in recent days had not helped either.

The committee, he said, was grateful to the help it had received and to the support from different quarters. But as the Cavalcade heads for its 60th anniversary year in 2017 if Gibraltar wants to continue to have this spectacle every year more help was needed.

He called on both the Government and the Public Sector to give their support for next year.

Mr Abudarham who has been involved with this event for some 30 years described it as “a challenge” which was for the benefit of Gibraltar. His committee, he added, would be getting down to work again as from the end of this month in order to ensure the 60th anniversary was a success.

As for tonight and the 59thEdition everyone was very much looking forward to the event and the committee was grateful to the transport companies for again supporting the Three Kings Cavalcade. The Cavalcade starts at 7.30pm from Grand Casemates Square.