The Camargue in all its splendor will serve as the theme for the Pégoulade of the Nîmes feria

Part of the team which worked on the design and creation of the twelve tanks. Midi Libre – MIKAËL ANISSET

Didier Momper and elected official Frédéric Pastor in front of a replica of a herdsman's hut and the tomb of the legendary Wild Boar. FREE MIDI – MIKAËL ANISSET

The well-known Tiki of walks in the Camargue, never too far from the pink flamingos. Free lunch – MIKAËL ANISSET

Sara pour rappeler le prochain pélérinage des gitans aux Saintes-Marie-de-la-Mer. – MIKAËL ANISSET

600 participants, dont des enfants issus des écoles nîmoises, défileront sur les boulevards du centre-ville jeudi 16 mai, à 20 h 30, pour la traditionnelle pégoulade.

In one of the hangars of the municipal technical center, only details remain to be settled on the twelve tanks of the pégoulade, the one which will open on Thursday May 16, in the early evening, the Pentecost fair, and will evoke the splendors of the Camargue.

An obvious theme for the deputy for festivities and bullfighting Frédéric Pastor: "It was obvious! We have also scheduled the free race, Thursday, in the arenas, of the abrivados. I haven't forgotten the final of the Bullfighting Trophy which will be held in Nîmes this year as well as the final of the Agglo's shelter competition. It was a good year."

The team of six technicians, under the direction of Didier Momper, met deadlines which allowed it, a few days before the colorful parade, to refine the details, install the lighting and complete the famous crocodile which concludes the pégoulade. "This year we will have 600 participants with students from the 14 Nîmes schools and Alaé receptions, the CCAS and associations."

An increasingly eco-responsible pégoulade

From September, we had to work on the theme, propose ideas to Mayor Jean-Paul Fournier, to his deputy for festivities Frédéric Pastor before validating the choice of twelve floats, built from February.

The elements of some of them must be able to be dismantled to leave the hangar, have a weight which allows them to be towed by electric vehicles seen more on golf courses (except the crocodile pulled by a quad ) : "It’is an increasingly eco-responsible pégoulade", says the festivities assistant.

Materials, such as polystyrene, are reused to fashion, for example, a herdsman's hut, with the replica of the tomb of the bull Le Sanglier, legend of free running. "I’used photos, 3D visuals to reconstruct the tomb, to be as realistic as possible", announces Fred , one of the members of the team working on the construction of the tanks.

Sara

Many nods to the Camargue will parade before the eyes of the public this Thursday like the luminous mosquito that circles, ready to bite, but also a "chouille" in homage to the festival, the Tiki, a boat larger than life, the sand of the Mediterranean coast, the enormous ice cream cone, pink flamingos, the evocation of the salt marshes, the giant Camargue cross, Sara so as not to forget the Saintes-Marie-de-la-Mer and the gypsy people… It remains to discover the paintings of Boulevard Amiral Courbet at the arenas.

Pégoulade on the Camargue this Thursday, May 16, 8:30 p.m., departure from the bottom of Boulevard Amiral Courbet.