The UPS Store sea monster promoted reading in the 2018 Rose Parade.
by Laura Berthold Monteros
The 129th Tournament of Roses Parade ushered in a new system of float awards. The 24 awards are divided into three categories plus Sweepstakes, in 2018 by Singpoli American BD. The gallery below has photos of the four winners in the Entertainment Value category. The theme of the 2018 Rose Parade was “Making a Difference.” From food to books to raising families, the sponsors of these floats make a difference to people across America.
The four awards and winners in the Entertainment Value category are
Extraordinaire Award for the most extraordinary float: The UPS Store “Books Bring Dreams to Life,” designed by Charles Meier and built by Paradiso Parade Floats
Wrigley Legacy Award for the most outstanding display of floral design, float design, and entertainment: Ag PhD TV and Radio “Salute to Farmers,” designed by John Ramirez and built by AES
Judges Award for most outstanding floral design and entertainment: American Armenian Rose Float Association “Armenian Roots,” designed by AARFA board member Johnny Kanounji and built by Phoenix Decorating Company
Showmanship Award for most outstanding display of showmanship and entertainment: Trader Joe’s “Hats Off,” designed by Michelle Lofthouse and built by Phoenix Decorating Company
All photos are copyright 2018 by LB Monteros
The UPS Store “Books Bring Dreams to Life” from Paradiso Parade Floats illustrates how readers are swept up in new adventures through books. The gigantic sea monster breathed smoke. Complex hydraulics linking the segments enabled her to appear as if she was swimming in an ocean of roses and iris, while angel fish swam up and down in a spray of soap bubbles.
The head UPS Store sea monster was mounted on a gimbal that enabled it to move in multiple directions. The eyes moved from side to side and ears wiggled. Though the float was the standard 55 feet long, the neck and head moved out beyond that limit.
With a rotating head, moving eyes, wiggling ears, a neck that rocked back and forth, and a swishing tail that swung beyond than the 18 foot width, this sea monster provided quite a spectacle a the 2018 Rose Parade. The float won the Extraordinaire Award for the most extraordinary float.
A pirate finds adventure in a book on The UPS Store float. The scaly back was created almost exclusively with brilliant fresh flowers—more than 125,000 blooms—and a sprinkling of grapefruit, lemons, oranges, and limes.
Sailing on a book, a pirate waves at the Rose Parade crowd. Note the tether to the mast. The sea monster’s tail swished and the segments of the body swayed from side to side. The knobby starfish was covered in kumquats.
The Trader Joe’s Fearless Flyer, created by Phoenix Decorating Company, pedals along the 2018 Rose Parade route in his garish but dapper get up on “Hat’s Off.” Accompanied by equally decked-out tricyclists and walkers, Mr. Flyer prepares to doff his hat.
The tricycle “pulled” a rickshaw filled with Trader Joe’s crew members, shaded from the Pasadena sun by a colorful parasol. The float was 40 feet high and 75 feet long, with a produce-filled rickshaw behind.
As the hat came off, confetti and popcorn shot out of the can of corn on Trader Joe’s “Hats Off.”
corn, animation. The Flyer’s arms, legs, and ankles flex to pedal the rotating big wheel.
The “aloha” jacket mirrors the aloha shirts worn by Trader Joe’s staff. The float used 87,460 flowers, 200 lemons, and a variety of dry materials.
Tricycles filled with fresh-cut stems went along for the ride, and walkers doffed their top hats to the crowd. The entry won the Showmanship Award for most outstanding display of showmanship and entertainment.
A small rickshaw filled with Trader Joe’s produce and beverages is ready for a long march down Colorado Blvd.—or a tailgate at the Rose Bowl.
At 110 feet long, the two-section Ag PhD float was a colorful “Salute to Farmers” in the 2018 Rose Parade. AES designed and built the float, which featured a tractor and planter, a combine, and of course the men and women who produce our food. The combine appears to pump grain into a storage bin.
Towering over the Ag PhD float is a water tower, a familiar fixture in small town America. Ag PhD is a television and radio program that provides up-to-date information for farmers. The primary crops in its South Dakota home, soybeans, corn, and wheat, are featured on the float.
100 farmers representing all 50 United States rode on the Ag PhD float in the 2018 Rose Parade. The first entry for Ag PhD, the float won the Wrigley Legacy Award for most outstanding display of floral design, float design, and entertainment.
100 farmers representing all 50 United States rode on the Ag PhD float in the 2018 Rose Parade.
Mother Armenia is portrayed as a young woman on the American Armenian Rose Float “Armenian Roots.” The float was dedicated to Armenian mothers, daughters, sisters, and grandmothers, who spend their lives “Making a Difference.” Created by Phoenix Decorating Company, the entry won the Judges Award for most outstanding floral design and entertainment.
Mother Armenia holds a pomegranate, a symbol of fertility, abundance, and marriage. The white veil has raffia fringe made using needles. The green veil and her dress extend to reflect typical Armenia carpet designs, using mums and roses.
Armenian women from many walks of life wave from a garden of yellow, coral, white, and red roses on “Armenian Roots.” The float used 167,400 flowers.
Armenian women from many walks of life wave from a garden of yellow, coral, white, and red roses on “Armenian Roots.” The float used 167,400 flowers.
Bright Armenian designs on the richly-flowered carpets used Kermit green mums and red roses, with various yellow and gold mums and blueberries for the trim.
All photos copyright 2016 Ramona Monteros, except as noted
Destination Irvine - Irvine Chamber of Commerce "Innovation Rocks!" designed by Mike Abboud and built by Phoenix Decorating Company was the city’s first entry in the Rose Parade. It represented Irvine’s 16 hotels. Peter the Anteater is UC Irvine’s mascot.
Destination Irvine "Innovation Rocks!" celebrated the 50th anniversary of the University of California Irvine as an innovation hub. Irvine is known for life-changing innovations in technology and life sciences.
Eight interlocking gears and two bubble machines created a whimsical mood on Destination Irvine - Irvine Chamber of Commerce "Innovation Rocks!"
Fanciful flowers nestled among the roses on the Destination Irvine "Innovation Rocks!" Rose Parade float.
American Armenian Rose Float Association, Inc. "Discover Armenia," designed by Johnny Kanounji and Mike Abboud and built by Phoenix Decorating company celebrated 16 landmarks of Armenia on the organization’s second Rose Parade float. The Mother Armenia statue of Yerevan, Armenia is front and center and the Sardarapat Memorial rises in the rear.
Three television personalities rode the “Discover Armenia” Rose Parade float: Araksya Karapetyan from Good Day LA, Sona Movsesian, Conan O'Brien assistant, and Ellina Abovian from KTLA. Two of the ladies are seated in front of two Urartu sphinxes.
"Discover Armenia" float: Tatev Monastery, built in the 9th century, and 10th century Gavazan Swinging Column. The column is a feat of engineering, constructed with a pivoting base to withstand earthquakes.
Two riders beside the “We Are Our Mountains” monument, now in Azerbaijan, and in front of the pre-Christian era Temple of Garni on the “Discover Armenia” float.
Riders in front of the Sardarapat Memorial on “Discover Armenia.” White doves were released from the float during the Rose Parade.
City of Glendale, Calif. “Getting There Is Half the Fun,” designed by Michelle Lofthouse and built by Phoenix Decorating Company was Glendale’s 101st Tournament of Roses entry, placing the city behind only Los Angeles in Rose Parade longevity. Its entries have won more than 50 trophies, including 12 Sweepstakes.
The feathers on Glendale’s official bird, the peacock, fluttered in the breeze on “Getting There Is Half the Fun.” The swirls in the “eyes” of the tail feathers are Glendale’s city logo.
Glendale’s “Getting There Is Half the Fun” had 15 riders in various conveyances: Sarah, Arthur, and Rachel Fritz; Robert and Catherine Nicksin; Patricia Trytten;, Lori, Olivia, Evan, and Michael Silao; Melody Rogers; Katherine and Glenn Yamada; Charleen Badell-Slaughter, and Bill Slaughter.
Trains, planes, automobiles, and even bicycles have brought folks to the City of Glendale throughout the decades. The plane propeller spun and the locomotive wheels rotated. Bikes on Rose Parade floats are real, but completely covered in botanical materials. The float observer did double duty as the engineer.
United Sikh Mission, “A Sikh-American Journey,” designed by Michelle Lofthouse and built by Phoenix Decorating Company. The second entry for this organization celebrated the Vaisakhi a
Punjabi harvest festival. The Punjab region of India is home to the Sikh culture and religion.
The white horse and Sikh rider dominated the front of United Sikh Mission “A Sikh-American Journey.” The equality of all human beings is central to Sikh beliefs.
Sikhs wore traditional and conventional clothing on “A Sikh-American Journey” in the Rose Parade. The temperature was close to freezing when the parade started, which is a good reason for the young man to be wearing gloves.
Dancers joyfully accompanied the United Sikh Mission float. The rectangular baskets among the roses held authentic Indian sweets, which were allowed because they are a natural substance.
A working Ferris wheel was framed by traditional Punjabi urns and peacocks on the United Sikh Mission float. Sikhs work with underprivileged communities through civic, educational and personal development programs.
The rear of the United Sikh Mission float featured a map of India detailing the Punjab region framed by stalks of grain and the American and Sikh flags. The region is similar in agricultural wealth to California’s Central Valley, where many Sikhs live and farm.
United Sikh Mission, “A Sikh-American Journey,” designed by Michelle Lofthouse and built by Phoenix Decorating Company, viewed from the “off-camera” side. Photo by LB Monteros
City of Alhambra “Parks Make Life Better,” designed by Dave Pittman for Phoenix Decorating Company marks the city’s 88th entry in the Rose Parade. The arch is symbolic of Alhambra’s location at the mouth of the San Gabriel Valley.
A solo cyclist guided Alhambra’s “Parks Make Life Better” along Colorado Blvd. in the Rose Parade.
Child’s play, golf, and soccer are a few activities that take place when “Parks Make Life Better” in Alhambra. Alhambra’s six parks—Alhambra, Almansor, Granada, Story, Emery, and Burke Heritage—offer community services to the residents.
Riders on “Parks Make Life Better” included City of Alhambra's City Manager Mary Swink and
several Park & Recreation employees. The leaves on the twin trees were whole magnolia leaves. Photo by LB Monteros
Lutheran Laymen's League/Lutheran Hour Ministries “Jesus is the Light of the World,” designed by Michelle Lofthouse and built by Phoenix Decorating Company It is the organizations’ 66th Rose Parade entry. The lighthouse topped by a cross is a traditional symbol of the float’s theme.
“Jesus is the Light of the World” carried both biblical era and modern disciples in a 20 foot fishing boat, complete with nets of tightly-wrapped raffia. Riders were Dr. John Nunes and Monique Nunes (Chile), Rebeca De Franco (Guatemala), Sathiyanathan Sathiyabalan (Sri Lanka), Dave Rueter, Matt Nolte, Christopher Schaar, Vivian Ernst, Rebekah Buchholz, Ryan Cosgrove, and Dick Gast, General Chairman of the Lutheran Hour Ministries Float Committee.
Roses encircled the lighthouse Lutheran Laymen's League/Lutheran Hour Ministries “Jesus is the Light of the World.” Every year, some 4500 Lutheran Petal Pushers volunteers decorate seven Phoenix floats.
