Saint-Gilles to get own folklore festival and parade

The Brussels commune of Saint-Gilles this year is to get its own folklore festival and parade centred around the figure of the Water Carrier (La Porteuse d'Eau) from the statue in the centre of the Barrière, announced social cohesion minister Thierry Van Campenhout. The festival, to take place on 18 September, aims to bring together all of the residents of Saint-Gilles, writes Brusselnieuws.

Saint-Gilles was one of the few Brussels communes without its own folkloric tradition, so Van Campenhout decided to start one on the occasion of the commune's 800th anniversary, he told La Dernière Heure. He chose the Water Carrier statue, located on the roundabout near town hall, as the central figure for the new event.

"She symbolises the welcoming of newcomers; She offered water to visitors and their horses at the entrance to the city," explains Van Campenhout. "The statue could even wear different costumes. And there will be a parade, as well, to bring all the residents of Saint-Gilles to the Barrière."

In addition to the parade, the commune so far plans to have performances by circus artists and musicians, including a choir singing a Saint-Gilles hymn, which is still in the making.