La Canada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association

Photo albums: Award-winning floats in the 2020 Rose Parade

On: January 29, 2020 By: LBM

“Stories Change Our World” sponsored by The UPS Store won Sweepstakes in the 131^st Rose Parade with its display of golden lion tamarin monkeys.

by Laura Berthold Monteros

“The Power of Hope,” theme of the 131^st Tournament of Roses, inspired floats with different stories to tell, but all with optimism and aspiration. From the humor of dodo birds flying a zeppelin to men and women in a cargo ship crossing the ocean in 1620 seeking freedom, the floats were a panoply of artistry, imagination, beauty, and hope.

Below are three photo galleries with images of the award winners in four categories: Sweepstakes, Entertainment Value, Float Design, Floral Design. There are six self-built winners and floats from professional builders AES, Fiesta Parade Floats, and Phoenix Decorating Company. The captions name the award and give a little information about each entry.

Rose Parade Trophies Get an Update for 2018 lists all the awards and what each one means. Rose Parade 2020 award-winning floats; The UPS Store takes Sweepstakes lists the 2020 winning floats, with sponsors, builders, and designers.

Sweepstakes and Entertainment Value

Extraordinaire: Chinese American Heritage Foundation “American Heroes,” a salute to the men and women who served in World War II on the 75th anniversary of its end.

Wrigley Legacy: Kaiser Permanente “Courage to Reimagine.” The Yellow Brick Road winds through a village where Ozites have access to health care, healthy foods, and a safe community.

Judges: Donate Life “Light in the Darkness” speaks to the hope that organ, eye, and tissue donation brings to donors, recipients, and families. Floragraphs honor the deceased donors.

The Cowboy Channel’s Rodeo New York Gold Buckle Brigade ushers in the Cowboy Channel float. Each rider earned her buckle on the professional rodeo circuit.

Showmanship: The Cowboy Channel “Walk Ride Rodeo” celebrates Amberley Snyder, who returned to barrel racing after being paralyzed from the waist down in a car accident, and the return of the rodeo to Madison Square Garden after 30 years.

Float Design

Theme: Pasadena Celebrates 2020 “Years of Hope, Years of Courage” marked the centennial of the passage of the 19th Amendment. One hundred women in suffragette dress followed the float.

Bob Hope Humor: La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Assn. “Dodo Bird Flight School” celebrated the hopes of flightless birds. Dodos cluster aboard a dirigible, led by an emu trying out a whirlybird.

Director: Cal Poly Universities” Aquatic Aspirations.” Undersea explorers chance on a sunken ship that has become a home to a treasure of sea life. Bubbles float from the submarine.

Crown City Innovator: Trader Joe’s “It Takes a Flight of Fancy.” The Fearless Flyer jets out of the clouds in barrel-rolling pickle barrel. Trusty crew members and the Fearless Flyer puppet come along for the ride.

Grand Marshal: Chipotle Mexican Grill “Cultivate the Future of Farming.” Many of the 51 fresh ingredients served at Chipotle restaurants are used in the decoration of the float. The riders are young farmers, a reminder that as older farmers retire, younger ones are needed,

Fantasy: Northwestern Mutual “Spend Your Life Living.” A family of llamas tube down a Llazy River, with coats of ivory carnations and strawflower for their legs and faces.

Animation: Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day “Plant a Garden…Believe in Tomorrow.” Dancing fruit and flowers remind folks that a garden is full of hope as small seeds grow into beautiful and healthy plants.

Americana: General Society of Mayflower Descendants “The Voyage of Hope—1620” memorializes the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the Pilgrims in North America. The bright colors worn by the riders are accurate for the time.

Golden State: Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens “Cultivating Curiosity” depicts some of the iconic landmarks at The Huntington. Mary Cassatt’s “Breakfast in Bed,” Edward Hopper’s “The Long Leg,” and the Ellesmere Chaucer represent the collections.

Mayor: South Pasadena Tournament of Roses Assn. “Victory at Last.” A huge straw hat, ballot box, and plenty of purple, green, and gold—the colors of the Women’s Suffrage movement—celebrate 100 years of federal voting for women.

Floral Design

President: Sierra Madre Rose Float Assn. “Ka lā hiki ola” (“The Dawning of a New Day”). Tropicbirds soar around a lush floral island with rotating tikis and Hawaiian dancers on and around the float.

Isabella Coleman: AIDS Healthcare Foundation “Hope for the Homeless.” Tiny homes call attention to two crises: homelessness and affordable housing. AHF has lent its voice to several different causes with its floats over the years.

Queen: Dole Packaged Foods “Sunshine for All.” A brilliant sun packed with 60,000 roses in shades fading from orange to yellow to white greets the new day. An additional 20,000 roses fill the deck gardens.

Leishman Public Spirit: Burbank Tournament of Roses Assn. “Rise Up” honors the courage and spirit of hope that arise out of the ashes of California’s most deadly and devastating fire season in 2018. Beneath the phoenix, a waterfall and renewed growth create a haven for wildlife.

Princess: City of Torrance “Our Garden of Hope and Dreams” recreates the Pine Wind Garden at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center. At the front is a pond with leaping koi and a sunning turtle.

Past President: City of Hope “City of Hope.” The Tree of Wisdom at the center symbolizes the different branches of science and care at the 107-year-old research and treatment facility. The lush floral decoration uses 85,875 roses, orchids, delphinium, and other flowers.

Founder: Downey Rose Float Assn. “On the Wings of Hope.” “Paper” cranes winging over a Japanese garden bring happiness, wisdom, health, and hope. Downey queen and princesses grace the float.

International: China Airlines “Dreams of Flying, Wings of Hope.” A cheerful airliner bursts out of a music box, along with other icons of Taiwan, from noodles to lanterns to spinning tops and a skyscraper.

Tournament Volunteer: Rotary Rose Parade Float Committee “Hope Connects the World” is joined by Optimist International. A floating penguin is guided on an international journey by a crew of Rotarians and Optimists, tethered to common ideals.

3 Rose Parade Deco Week photo galleries—self-builts, AES, Phoenix, Fiesta

On: December 31, 2019January 31, 2020 By: LBM

South Pasadena does not have a float barn, and builds the float under the only concrete bridge designed by architects Charles and Henry Greene.

by Laura Berthold Monteros

Your Rose Examiner spent three consecutive days walking the float barns, and came back with tons of photos. For these galleries, I’ve chosen one of each float, shots I particularly like, just to give a flavor of the process and introduce readers to the floats that will glide along the Tournament of Roses Parade on Jan. 1, 2020.

The barns and decorating sites were pretty packed and the decorators were working furiously to get the dry dec on. I managed to fit in two conversations, one with Erik C. Andersen and Linda Cozakos at Burbank Tournament of Roses Association., and one with Harry Gill and Minu Singh at the Sikh American float in the Phoenix Decorating Company barn, which can be read here.

Photos in Gallery A were taken on Dec. 28 and 29, and include AES and five self-built floats (we didn’t go down to the Downey float barn). Gallery B was taken on Dec. 30 at Phoenix Decorating Company. Gallery C was also taken on Dec. 30, at Fiesta Parade Floats.

Deco Week Gallery A

Sierra Madre Rose Float Assn., La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Assn., AES, Cal Poly Universities, South Pasadena Rose Float Assn., Burbank Rose Float Assn.

A plethora of flowers ready to be put on the Rose Parade vehicles that will carry Tournament of Roses celebrities

University of Oregon cheerleader float (Wisconsin is similar, in red)

Burbank Tournament of Roses Assn. This is the first time Burbank has used fire on a float.

Deco Week Gallery B

Phoenix Decorating Company

Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens

Deco Week Gallery C

Fiesta Parade Floats

Underground Service Alert of Southern California (DIGALERT)

General Society of Mayflower Descendants

List of floats in the 2020 Rose Parade with titles, builders, designers

On: December 14, 2019December 14, 2019 By: LBM

The Chinese American Heritage Foundation returns to the Rose Parade with a tribute to WWII Congressional Gold Medal honorees.

by Laura Berthold Monteros

As promised, here is the most complete public listing of the floats that will appear in the 131^st Tournament of Roses Parade on Jan. 1, 2020. The chart below lists the sponsor, title, builder, and designer for each of the 42 floats. The awards presented in 2019 are also noted.

New sponsors this year are General Society of Mayflower Descendants, celebrating 400 years since Plymouth Rock; Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, for its centennial; Pasadena Celebrates 2020, the centennial of the 19^th Amendment; The Cowboy Channel, to promote its upcoming rodeo in Madison Square Garden; The SCAN Foundation; and Wescom Credit Union. Long-time sponsors who were in the 2019 parade are all returning, but still absent are Lucy Pet, Miracle-Gro, Singpoli, and the City of Los Angeles. Also missing are 24 Hour Fitness and the American Armenian Rose Float Association.

There are 39 sponsored entries, six of them self-built, and three Tournament of Roses entries, including the Royal Court float and two floats for the schools playing in the 106^th Rose Bowl Game. Phoenix decorating company tops the numbers with 18 floats, followed by Fiesta with 11 and AES with five, seven if they build the team floats, which they have done in the past.

The most prolific designer is Michelle Lofthouse of Phoenix Decorating, with 18 entries. Sometimes, designers cross boundaries and create concepts for more than one commercial builder, but this year, they break down by company: AES, John Ramirez (4); Fiesta, Michael Abboud (4), Stanley Meyer (3), Art Aguirre (2), Charles Meier (2); Phoenix, Michelle Lofthouse (17), Rachel Lofthouse (3).

Subscribe to The Rose Examiner by filling in your email in the box, above left. We ask that commenters register with this site, to avoid spam.

131^st Tournament of Roses Parade Floats

Sponsor	Title	Builder	Designer	2019 Award
AIDS Healthcare Foundation	“Hope for the Homeless”	Fiesta Parade Floats	Art Aguirre
Amazon Studios	“Troop Zero”	AES	John Ramirez
American Honda Motor Company	“Our Hope for the Future”	AES	John Ramirez
Blue Diamond Almonds	“The Best Almonds Make the Best Almondmilk”	AES	John Ramirez
Burbank Tournament of Roses Association	“Rise Up”	Self-Built	Lisa Long	Animation
Cal Poly Universities	“Aquatic Aspirations”	Self-Built	Student designed	Extraordinaire
China Airlines	“Dreams of Flying, Wings of Hope”	AES	John Ramirez	International
Chinese American Heritage Foundation (CAHF)	“American Heroes”	Fiesta Parade Floats	Mike Abboud
Chipotle Mexican Grill	“Cultivate the Future of Farming”	Fiesta Parade Floats	Mike Abboud
City of Alhambra, CA	“Hope Keeps Us Going”	Phoenix Decorating Company	Michelle Lofthouse	Princess
City of Hope	“City of Hope”	Phoenix Decorating Company	Michelle Lofthouse	President
City of Torrance	“Our Garden of Hope and Dreams”	Fiesta Parade Floats	Art Aguirre	Tournament Volunteer
Dole Packaged Foods	“Sunshine for All”	Fiesta Parade Floats	Mike Abboud	Wrigley Legacy
Donate Life	“Light in the Darkness”	Fiesta Parade Floats	Charles Meier	Judges
Downey Rose Float Association	“On the Wings of Hope”	Self-Built	Thom Neighbors, Carrie Redfox
Farmers Insurance	“Conveyor of Hope”	Phoenix Decorating Company	Rachel Lofthouse	Queen
General Society of Mayflower Descendants	“The Voyage of Hope – 1620”	Fiesta Parade Floats	Mike Abboud
Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens	“Cultivating Curiosity”	Phoenix Decorating Company	Michelle Lofthouse
Kaiser Permanente	“Courage to Reimagine”	Fiesta Parade Floats	Stanley Meyer
Kiwanis International	“Soaring with Hope”	Phoenix Decorating Company	Michelle Lofthouse
La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association	“Dodo Bird Flight School”	Self-Built	Ted Baumgart, Grant Delgatty	Founder
Lions Clubs International	“Hope for 2020”	Phoenix Decorating Company	Michelle Lofthouse
Lutheran Laymen’s League	“Anchored in Jesus”	Phoenix Decorating Company	Michelle Lofthouse
Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day	“Plant a Garden…Believe in Tomorrow”	Phoenix Decorating Company	Michelle Lofthouse	Americana
Northwestern Mutual	“Spend Your Life Living”	Fiesta Parade Floats	Stanley Meyer	Bob Hope Humor
Odd Fellows Rebekahs Rose Float	“First Responders Bring Hope”	Phoenix Decorating Company	Michelle Lofthouse
Pasadena Celebrates 2020	“Years of Hope, Years of Courage”	AES	AES
Rotary Rose Parade Float Committee	“Hope Connects the World”	Phoenix Decorating Company	Michelle Lofthouse
Shriners Hospitals for Children	“Hope Knows No Limits”	Phoenix Decorating Company	Rachel Lofthouse	Theme
Sierra Madre Rose Float Association	“Ka lā hiki ola”	Self-Built	Jason Redfox	Director
Sikh American Float Foundation	“Planting Seeds of Hope”	Phoenix Decorating Company	Michelle Lofthouse	Isabella Coleman
South Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association	“Victory at Last”	Self-Built	Michael Mera	Mayor
The Cowboy Channel	“Walk Ride Rodeo”	Phoenix Decorating Company	Rachel Lofthouse
The SCAN Foundation	“Hope’s Heroes”	Phoenix Decorating Company	Michelle Lofthouse
The UPS Store, Inc.	“Stories Change Our World”	Fiesta Parade Floats	Charles Meier	Sweepstakes
Tournament of Roses	2020 Royal Court	Phoenix Decorating Company	Preston Bailey
Tournament of Roses	Rose Bowl Game Team: University of Oregon	N/A	N/A
Tournament of Roses	Rose Bowl Game Team: University of Wisconsin	N/A	N/A
Trader Joe’s	“It Takes a Flight of Fancy”	Phoenix Decorating Company	Michelle Lofthouse	Crown City Innovator
Underground Service Alert of Southern California (DIGALERT)	“The Power of Safety FIRST”	Fiesta Parade Floats	Stanley Meyer	Past President
Wescom Credit Union	“Better Together: Hope Creates Community”	Phoenix Decorating Company	Michelle Lofthouse
Western Asset Management Company	“Growing a Better Tomorrow”	Phoenix Decorating Company	Michelle Lofthouse	Fantasy

Rose Parade floats, food, and friendship at annual self-built potluck

On: April 29, 2019April 30, 2019 By: LBM

Photo: Sierra Madre float barn displays name signs from award-winning floats

Updated April 30, 2019 to add Sierra Madre Rose Float Association

by Laura Berthold Monteros

When the six self-built float organizations meet for the annual get-together and potluck, the talk isn’t of beating the others out for Rose Parade trophies. It’s a time to reveal designs for floats in the upcoming Rose Parade that have been approved by the Tournament of Roses, as well as a place for camaraderie among a rare breed of peopl who still build their own flower-covered floats to represent their communities. Ideas, techniques, and food—plenty of it and all delicious—are shared.

The Rose Examiner attended last Saturday’s event, hosted by Sierra Madre Rose Float Association in their float barn in Sierra Vista Park. All six associations had representatives there: Burbank Tournament of Roses Association, Cal Poly Universities Rose Float, Downey Rose Float Association, La Cañada Flintridge Rose Float Association, South Pasadena Rose Float Association, and of course Sierra Madre. The Cal Poly team was represented by alumni, because it was the weekend for students from both Pomona and San Luis Obispo to get together and plan for the parade.

The theme for the 131^st Tournament of Roses is “The Power of Hope.” Each float entry must reflect that in some way. The designs, chosen from among scores of submissions, are presented to the Tournament of Roses for approval on theme draft day in February.

La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses 2020 “Dodo Bird Flight School." L-R Sara Wickersham, Ernest Koeppen, Janis Peterson

Burbank Tournament of Roses 2020 “Rise Up”

South Pasadena Tournament of Roses 2020 “Victory at Last”

Sierra Madre Rose Float 2020 “Ka La Hiki Ola” (The Dawning of a New Day). Ignore the 2019 in the sign!

Self-built floats are usually humorous, though Downey often creates scenes simply for the beauty, such as 2016’s “Exploring the Everglades.” The 2020 float, “Wings of Hope,” features orgami cranes flying over a Japanese garden. The concept was inspired by a project at East Middle School that, like the students in Sadako and the Thousand Cranes, had a goal of folding 1,000 paper cranes to be given to patients at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

Burbank also has a more serious theme this year. “Rise Up” depicts a phoenix rising from the ashes, a reminder of the fires that tore through areas of Northern California last year. President Ginny Barnett said she had friends in the almost completely destroyed city of Paradise. The phoenix represents the hope those caught up in the fires have for the future. She said this design is unusual for a Burbank float, which is usually about fun.

The 100^th anniversary of women’s suffrage will be honored by South Pasadena with “Victory at Last.” The victory was the ratification of the 19^th Amendment to the Constitution in 1920. A gigantic straw hat decorated with feathers, flowers, and a campaign button dominates the float in a star-spangled celebration of a watershed event in American history.

“We’re trying to be as non-political as possible,” the presenter said. The Rose Examiner hopes that votes for women is no longer a political issue!

La Cañada Flintridge, whose floats are always highly animated, went to the birds with “Dodo Bird Flight School.” Penguins and an emu are also enrolled, but it’s doubtful they will have much success launching off the giant blimp. The emu, strapped to a da Vinci screw on a satellite float, may have the best shot.

Sierra Madre had a model of their float, “Ka La Hiki Ola” (The Dawning of a New Day) on display and will produce the rendering later. There will be a waterfall at the rear, and lots of tikis, and birds rising off the float.

The design draft for Cal Poly Universities was not yet ready, but we look forward to seeing it in the future. Visit All Things Rose Parade on Facebook to get updates on the Tournament of Roses.

Subscribe to The Rose Examiner by filling in your email in the box, above left. We ask that commenters register with this site, to avoid spam. We do not share emails with third parties.

Float Design award winners in the 2018 Rose Parade

On: June 11, 2018July 13, 2018 By: LBM

Torrance Rose Float Association “Protecting Nature…The Madrona Marsh Preserve” by Fiesta Parade Floats won the Mayor Award.

by Laura Berthold Monteros

The flower-covered floats in the Float Design category in the Tournament of Roses’ new system of float awards display themes that touch our lives or have specific design elements. The winners in the 2018 Rose Parade are listed in the table below, and descriptions of flowering and animation are in the captions in the photo gallery. It’s a large gallery, but the floats are well worth the clicks.

Some interesting notes on a few of the floats:

The Sierra Madre float, its 86^th entry, wrote, “Ten years ago we had the first grandmother to drive a Rose Parade float and this year we have the first great-grandmother to drive a Rose Parade float. Kay Sappington, our Chair of Float Decoration, has 13 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren, and to top it off, parade day is her birthday. The observer, LaDonna Gaydosh, is a grandmother with seven grandchildren.”
The new Torrance rose was featured on the Torrance float. Named after the city, it was introduced last year by the American Rose Society to mark its 125^th anniversary.
La Cañada Flintridge had its own first. Driver Aram Dergharapetian, at 19 years, 5 months old, was LFCTRA’s youngest ever float driver and one of the youngest in Tournament history. 2018 was Aram’s second time on the float; he was the animator on “Backyard Rocketeer” last year. Another note: It’s said to be the only float in the parade equipped with a data recording system, similar to an airplane’s “black box.” Information is stored for analysis and can be viewed in real-time by the float operating crew.
The art department at Paradiso Parade Floats worked on the Donate Life float Aztec calendar for two months, resulting in stunning detail. They researched and adapted the design to incorporate the memorial portraits.
“Make Your Own Momentum,” the entry from Amazon Prime and Paradiso, did indeed make its own momentum. It was the only human-powered float in the 129^th Rose Parade and the first entry ever to be pushed by people down the 51/2 mile route. (Quite a few years ago, the Odd Fellows and Rebekahs float was a litter carried by several handsome and scantily-clad young men. It was quite the treat!)

2018 FLOAT DESIGN CATEGORY
Award	Sponsor “Theme” Builder, Designer
Theme for most outstanding presentation of the parade theme	Donate Life “The Gift of Time” Paradiso Parade Floats, Charles Meier
Bob Hope Humor for most whimsical and amusing entry	La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association “Panda-Monium” Self Built, Renee’ Hoss-Johnson, Brianne Johnson
Director for most outstanding artistic design and floral presentation	Odd Fellows and Rebekahs Rose Float “Sacrifice to Serve” Phoenix Decorating Company, Michelle Lofthouse Note: Write up in the Grand Marshal article.
Crown City Innovator for most outstanding use of imagination, innovation, and technology	The Grand Tour–An Amazon Prime Original “Make Your Own Momentum” Paradiso Parade Floats, Charles Meier
Grand Marshal’s for most outstanding creative concept and float design	Dole Packaged Foods “Sharing Nature’s Bounty” Fiesta Parade Floats, Stanley Meyer
Fantasy for most outstanding display of fantasy and imagination	Sierra Madre Rose Float Association “Chivalry!” Self Built, Joanne Garcia (concept)
Animation for most outstanding use of animation	Underground Service Alert of Southern California (DigAlert) “Making It Safe for All” Fiesta Parade Floats, Stanley Meyer
Americana for most outstanding depiction of national treasures and traditions	Farmers Insurance Group “Honoring Hometown Heroes” Phoenix Decorating Company, Dave Pittman
Golden State for most outstanding depiction of life in California	City of Riverside “25th Annual Festival of Lights” Fiesta Parade Floats, Stanley Meyer
Mayor for most outstanding floral display from a participating city	Torrance Rose Float Association “Protecting Nature…The Madrona Marsh Preserve” Fiesta Parade Floats, Irene Tsay (concept) & Art Aguirre

Sierra Madre Rose Float Association won the Fantasy award for “Chivalry!” which portrayed a young knight-to-be bandaging a wounded dragon. Sierra Madre princesses sitting under the rose blossom tree are Emma Allen, Petra Shair, Amy Stapenhorst, Emily Verdin.

The Sierra Madre horned dragon’s head moved in all directions, controlled by a joy stick operated by an on-board animator. The tail and wings, and the head of the knight, also moved.

40,000 fresh flowers were used to carpet “Chivalry!” and create the rose trees, including roses, gladiola, gerbera, asters, Veronica, agapanthus. The dragon appears to be ti leaves with button mums.

This gorgeous float for the Torrance Rose Float Association by Fiesta Parade Floats won the Mayor award. Towering egrets watch over the unique ecosystem of the Madrona Marsh Preserve in Torrance, which is home to more than 1,000 species of rare flora and fauna. Monarch wings fluttered.

“Protecting Nature…The Madrona Marsh Preserve” decoration: Trees, 3,000 stems of alstroemeria; deck, 5,000 Santana and Queensday roses; egrets, flake coconut, dendrobium, yellow split peas for beaks; throughout, protea, larkspur gerbera.

Torrance riders: Irene Tsay; American Rose Society Pres. Pat Shanley & ED Laura Seabaugh; Madrona Marsh Preserve Pres. Suzan Hubert & VP Bobbie Snyder; Bill Arrowsmith, Connie Vadheim, Cathie Sinfield

Dole Packaged Foods “Sharing Nature’s Bounty” reflected the company’s commitment to FOOD Share and Feeding America. In a flight of fantasy, animals from around the world come together in a variety of habitats to share the earth’s water, from the waterfall in back to the ocean in front.

A drummer walks beside the Dole float, next to an ocean filled with silverleaf dolphins and bright fish. Some 50,000 Mokara orchids and roses are intermingled in varying shades to capture the colors of the grasslands, lowlands, and tropical forest. Thousands of exotic flowers and 7,000 Topaz roses create the tropics.

Twelve dancers performed a fusion of traditional and modern dance representative of Chile, Philippines, Thailand, Sierra Leone, and Hawaii. A 5-foot wide waterfall cascaded 10 feet down to the deck. Can you spot the macaw and the toucan?

Encircled by a plumeria lei, the animals on “Sharing Nature’s Bounty” were covered in a variety of grasses and dry materials. The elephants moved their heads around. Peeking out just beneath the baby elephant is an orange octopus.

“Honoring Hometown Heroes” from Farmers Insurance Group honored first responders with a parade within a parade. The chief in a convertible, a fire engine, kids on a bikes, and members of the marching band take part in the small-town procession.

The float used 222,300 flowers, including red and white carnations, iris, roses, orchids, delphinium, mums, stock, and gladiola. Among the first responders were real live Farmers agents and district managers.

Riders were David Sewell, Greg Windham, Rick Schnider, Paul Harrington, Christian Slayton, George Wen, Tim Ahearn, Marte Formico, and Dan Brown. The ladder raised to 24 feet, the pedals on the bikes moved, and wheels on the bikes and cars rotated.

Every animal on “Panda-Monium,” built by La Cañada Flintridge Rose Float Association, was animated. The mischievous bears bedeviled their hapless neighbors, a turtle, a snake, and a banana-munching monkey.

It’s easy to feel sorry for Sha Shé (Silly Snake)! Lemon, lime, and tangerine peels created its skin. The pandas’ white fur used 2,200 mums and Fat Choy, a natural black fungus commonly used in oriental soups, was stretched and fluffed to look like black fur.

Approximately 3,500 roses and more than 10,000 other blooms were used on “Panda-Monium.” Various grasses and dry materials, as well as edibles such as fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, and beans were used. Three different types of butterflies dotted the float.

These cool cats and dapper dogs may be great at construction, but they should have called 811 before they put the shovels in! “Making It Safe for All” from DigAlert, a free nationwide service that locates underground utility lines, illustrates how a simple call can avoid catastrophe.

The DigAlert float used a preponderance of dry materials for the animals and machinery. Flowers included more than 9,000 hot pink roses and 3,000 lavender and alstroemeria stems for the trees, and gardens of alstroemeria, lisianthus, lilies, waxflower, iris, roses, gerbera, solidago, renunculars, heather, monte casino, liatris, bouvardia, sunflowers, and tulips.

Animation: Crane gyrates and its load swings; backhoe jerks, sputters, and puffs smoke as it twists around; boom and bucket raise and lower; real water and CO2 spurt from broken main; all animals are animated.

“The Gift of Time” by Donate Life demonstrated the best in Rose Parade floats: beauty, color, meaning. The float celebrates the lives of organ donors and recipients with floragraph portraits on the Aztec calendar. Outwalkers carried flower-filled baskets.

A waterfall cascaded out of the mouth of the sculpted jaguars, front and back. Riders included NFL coach Sam Wyche and baseball legend Rod Carew.

A butterfly and waterfall graced the back of the Donate Life float by Paradiso Parade Floats. Organ and tissue recipients and living donors waved at the crowd.

The float was flowered with nearly 200,000 blooms, including various roses and orchids, heliconia, carnations, chrysanthemums, protea, and anthurium. Leaves included smilax, alocasia, monstera, and ti.

At 150 feet, the Amazon Prime Video “Make Your Own Momentum” came in just five feet shy of the Rose Parade length limit. The huge human-powered wheels brought attention to the show “The Grand Tour.”

Each wheel had had different images from “The Grand Tour,” such as hubcaps, steering wheel, tires, revolution gauge, map, landmarks, and ring roads, and featured a floragraph of one of the presenters. The first was Jeremy Clarkson.

Eight people pushed each wheel for 5 ½ miles along the Rose Parade route. We were told that the inner drive wheels were motorized and there brakes for the steep downslope on Colorado Blvd.

Inner drive wheels rolled forward and the outer cosmetic wheels revolved counter-clockwise. Gears, wheels and gauges were animated as well.

Richard Hammond’s floragraph was on the second wheel, set among fiery yellow, orange, and red shades of rose, carnations, marigolds, and chrysanthemums.

James May brought up the rear on the fanciful third wheel. Floragraphs were created with blends of nigella, poppy seed, and crushed sweet rice.

The annual Festival of Lights at the Mission Inn in Riverside was named “Best Public Lights Display in the Nation” and the “Best Holiday Festival” by the readers of USA Today.

Fireworks and streamers shot from behind the Moorish/Spanish styled tower. The lamppost is topped by the Riverside Raincross. Riders and outwalkers include David and Kristen Bristow; Duane and Kelly Roberts, keepers of the Mission Inn; Mayor and Riverside native William R. "Rusty" Bailey III.

Parrots Josephine and Napoleon, Mission Inn mascots, perch among “bougainvillea” created by 7,000 dendrobium and alstroemeria. More than 30,000 orange roses framed the deck. Flora displays were thousands of roses, orchids, euphorbia, liatris, hydrangea, and amaranth.

All photos are copyrighted. Contact administrator for permissions.

Burgers and camaraderie at self-built float picnic

On: April 30, 2018 By: LBM

Cal Poly Pomona 2019 float team, L-R: Elizabeth Meyer, Nathan Muro, Stephanie Ferreya, Hana Haideri, Caitlin Yaneza, Wolfgang Breitenbach

by Laura Berthold Monteros

One might think that there would be a good deal of competition among the associations that build their own floats for the Tournament of Roses Parade. Indeed there is, but it’s all good-natured. Once a year, they get together for a picnic or potluck at one of the float sites to reveal the designs for the upcoming parade, talk shop, and share information. Your Rose Examiner dropped by the South Pasadena Tournament of Roses Assn. build site on Saturday to chat with some of the folks and glimpse the design sketches for the 2019 parade.

The floats will end up looking a good deal like the sketches, but there will be tweaks along the way, some by the builders as they work on structural and floral elements and some from the TOR Float Committee. With the theme being “The Melody of Life,” there’s an emphasis on incorporating musical elements in each entry. In the case of Sierra Madre Rose Float Assn., acceptance of the design was contingent on adding an instrument to the float. The team added a koto player to “Harmony’s Garden,” a depiction of the Japanese Garden on the grounds of Sierra Madre Elementary School.

Check out the photos below!

Five of the six self-built associations were at the picnic—SPTOR, Burbank Tournament of Roses Assn., La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Assn., SMRFA, and Cal Poly Pomona—which form a sort of necklace along the foothills. The remaining builder is Downey Rose Float Assn., which is further south. San Luis Obispo, the northern half of the Cal Poly Universities Rose Float, gets together with the Pomona when it rolls down in October.

We met Janetta Mcdowell, the Cal Poly Pomona Rose Float Director, and spoke with six of the students who are on the team this year. Despite all the hours they put in, they get no academic credit. “It’s a club, not a class,” they said. During crunch time towards the end of the year, they will be joined by other volunteers. Here’s a little about the students in the photo above.

Elizabeth Meyer is working on the float for her second year, last year as a volunteer and this year as a team member. She works on the hydraulics, a messy job but one that is redolent with the scents of childhood spent with her mechanical grandfather. She’s studying mechanical engineering and working on the float is her senior project.
Nathan Muro volunteered for a year before joining the float team two years ago. He is the design committee chair and is majoring in electrical engineering.
Stephanie Ferreya is an assistant chair of the design committee and is in her second year on the float. She majors in biology.
Hana Haideri is an electrical engineering major; this is her second year on the float team after volunteering for a year.
Caitlin Yaneza works on the electronics on the float as part of the construction team. This is her second year on the team. She is a psychology major.
Wolfgang Breitenbach is on the team for the first year. His choice was the deco committee, which handles the floral design. His major is manufacturing engineering, which he simplified for us by saying that it about automation and assembly lines.

Cal Poly Universities are known for engineering and agriculture, so we asked if anyone was an agriculture major. The head of the decorating committee, which is in charge of ensuring that floral and botanical choices are made, fulfilled, and get on the float, is an ag major, we were told.

The all-volunteer associations are very proud that they give the professional builders a run for their money. One of the Burbank volunteers noted that the only trophy designated for self-builts is the Founder Award, but in recent years, self-builts have frequently taken four or five trophies overall. In 2016, all six groups won awards. For long-time Rose Parade aficionados, the self-builts are the heart of the parade. It will be exciting to see how they fare in 2019.

“Three Little Birds” balance on a guitar in South Pasadena’s entry at the self-built picnic. Below the easel is a piñata in the logo of the Tournament of Roses.

Float designs are perched under the bridge that is part of the South Pasadena float site. From left, Burbank’s animal swamp band, Cal Poly’s astronauts, Sierra Madre’s “Harmony’s Garden,” and La Cañada Flintridge’s “Tree Frog Night,” with an amphibian string band.

Nathan Muro holds the sketch of the 2019 Cal Poly float, which shows astronauts rocking out with aliens. There is no name yet.

This little turtle greeted folks at the self-built picnic. He was a spinner on the 2017 South Pasadena float.

Self-builders share picnic goodies and 2018 float renderings

On: May 6, 2017 By: LBM

At the annual Self-Built Floats picnic on May 6, 2017, folks huddled under canopies to nosh on burgers and potluck.

by Laura Berthold Monteros

Self-Built float associations may compete for trophies in the Tournament of Roses Parade, but there is a lot of camaraderie and mutual aid among the volunteers and students who build the entries. Of the 40 to 45 flower-covered floats, all but six are built by professional float companies. The six associations take turns hosting an annual potluck get-together to display the renderings and share stories. The Rose Examiner was honored to attend today’s event, in anticipation of the 129^th Rose Parade to be held on Jan. 1, 2018.

La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association hosted barbecue at Los Angeles County Fire Camp 2, a training facility tucked between the Jet Propulsion Lab and Hahamongna Watershed Park. Tables were filled with potluck sides and desserts while LCFTRA volunteers grilled burgers and hot dogs. A fragrant log fire warmed our hands in the steady rain. It was the end of a typical spring week in Southern California, which saw sunny 90-degree-plus days in the first half of the week drop to 60 degrees for the weekend.

Ginny Barnett, president of Burbank Tournament of Roses Association, shows the sketch of their 2018 Rose Parade entry and describes the animation.

Kay Sappington of Sierra Madre Rose Float Association holds up the sketch of a darling dragon which will appear in the 2018 Rose Parade.

Cal Poly Universities in San Luis Obispo and Pomona build their float in two parts that are attached together in October. The students put in hard work, but have a lot of fun.

Chuck Terhune, president La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association for 2018, talks about “Panda-monium” at the annual Self-Built float picnic.

There’s nothing like a crackling log fire to make a rainy day feel cozy. Los Angeles County Fire Camp 2 was the location for the annual Self-Built get-together and potluck.

What’s a little rain, when there are canopies, a fire pit, and a nice flat lawn? The annual Self-Built float picnic was held at Los Angeles Fire Camp 2, which is nestled in the Arroyo Seco just below JPL.

The six self-builders are Burbank Tournament of Roses Association, Cal Poly Universities, Downey Rose Float Association, La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association, Sierra Madre Rose Float Association, and South Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association. DRFA and SPTORA were unable to make picnic, but we have photos of the rest.

Sweepstakes and Entertainment Value

Float Design

Floral Design

Deco Week Gallery A

Sierra Madre Rose Float Assn., La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Assn., AES, Cal Poly Universities, South Pasadena Rose Float Assn., Burbank Rose Float Assn.

Deco Week Gallery B

Phoenix Decorating Company

Deco Week Gallery C

Fiesta Parade Floats

131st Tournament of Roses Parade Floats

Check out the photos below!

131^st Tournament of Roses Parade Floats