Being selected to have a design transformed into a parade float is a special honour and remarkably, Candeece, Year 6, has achieved this twice. Her creative talents have been recognised on two separate occasions with her designs having been chosen for Melbourne’s beloved Moomba parade. 

Candeece entered her designs at the Moomba design-a-float competition, which is a popular and voluntary activity at Melbourne’s Moomba Festival. Entrants are invited to submit creative drawings for a chance for them to be built and showcased in the Moomba parade the following year. It is a competition that encourages the community to use their imaginations and get creative. 

“You would draw your design on your sheet, then turn it in. That is how I got involved,” explains Candeece. 

When Candeece submitted a design as part of the activities at the 2023 Moomba Festival, she did it for fun and did not expect that it would be chosen to be built.  

However, the originality and charm of her design, which featured cute dumplings, caught the eye of organisers. As a result, her design was selected to be built as a float titled “Dumplings” for the 2024 Moomba Parade.  

Sadly, as extreme weather conditions caused the Moomba Parade to be cancelled that year, Candeece’s float, along with others, never had the chance to be enjoyed by the 2024 Moomba crowds.  

In 2025, Candeece decided to enter the competition again, for a second chance at having her float design feature in the Moomba parade. This time she was inspired by her interest in origami. “I chose this because I just learned how to draw those 3D shapes on paper, and I only drew them for fun. I wasn’t expecting it to actually become something special,” explains Candeece. 

Photo credit: City of Melbourne  & Brendan Beckett Photography

Once again, her design was selected to be brought to life and this time her float titled “Shapes and Scribbles” featured in the March 2026 Moomba parade.  

She is delighted that her drawings have become real and have moved from a simple piece of paper to being transformed into something beautiful for others to enjoy. 

“When people see my float, I want them to feel the magic of origami and 3D shapes. I want them to see how they’re not just plain items, but something that can be so creative,” she says. 

She also encourages those who are interested in doing a Moomba float submission to try to come up with new and original designs that stand out from the crowd. 

She is grateful to everyone who has encouraged her to enjoy being creative, including her art teachers.