The 93rd parade of Aalst Carnival drew 105,000 spectators on Sunday, a record according to the city. After two years without a parade, 70 regular and 218 separate groups took part – 100 years after the first parade.
The first day of the carnival went off without any significant incidents, announced the city on Monday.
Police arrested five people on the first carnival night and a handful of drug possession or alcohol abuse arrests occurred. Medical posts attended to about 100 people, mostly minors and 24 carnival goers ended up in the emergency room, 22 of whom were adults.
Although 83 vehicles were towed on Sunday, the city is satisfied the first night of the carnival went ahead "without any significant incidents".
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On Monday, the festivities resume at 13:30 with the procession marching out again. At 14:00, the broom dance of the Aalsterse Gilles will start on the Grote Markt, which is also where the traditional 'Onion Throw' will be held.
Further afield, the Binche festival has also been livening up the city with the carnival reaching its highest point tomorrow, on Mardi Gras. With these two carnivals, the Belgian carnival season has officially begun.
For those who want to see more of the weird and wonderful carnivals Belgium has to offer, The Brussels Times highlighted a few main ones held throughout the three regions.
