South Pasadena Tournament of Roses

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).

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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

2020 Rose Parade honors the centennial of women’s suffrage with two floats

On: September 23, 2019 By: LBM

by Laura Berthold Monteros

The 2020 Tournament of Roses will celebrate the 100^th anniversary of the signing of the 19^th Amendment on Aug. 26, 1920 with two floats in the 131^st Rose Parade. It’s fitting that Laura Farber is the president this year, only the third woman and the first Latina to hold that position. The Rose Parade will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020 at 8 a.m.

In keeping with the parade theme, “The Power of Hope,” the float sponsored by Pasadena Celebrates 2020 is named “Years of Hope, Years of Courage.” The entry from South Pasadena Tournament of Roses (SPTOR), the oldest self-built float association, is “Victory at Last.”

South Pasadena Tournament of Roses 2020 float “Victory at Last”

South Pasadena, whose entries date back to 1893, was the first to honor the centennial, with a float designed by Mike Mera. The entry features the hat popular with suffragettes, a boater in purple and decorated with feathers and flowers and a campaign button. It leans against a ballot box, while the scroll of the 19^th Amendment sits in front. A large jewel in the purple and green of the movement represents a secret sign women had for others who supported their rights.

Chris Dueñas-Metcalf, social media chair of SPTOR, explained, “Women wore jewelry in certain colors to signal other women that they supported the movement without verbally saying so.” Men controlled the households, communication as well as money, and women’s clothes usually didn’t have pockets, he said. “Jewelry, hats, and clothing were the ‘social media’ of the day…. We specifically chose this theme because Laura (Farber) challenged us three years ago to take on this topic.” Farber lives in South Pasadena.

Pasadena Celebrates 2020 float “Years of Hope, Years of Courage”

Pasadena Celebrates 2020 is the brainchild of a recent Pasadena transplant, Nan Johnson. This past January, she sat down with a group of women and men to create a plan to raise the hundreds of thousands of dollars necessary to enter a float. The organization was formed under the umbrella of the non-profit National Women’s History Alliance. Johnson is a retired Political Science Adjunct Professor from the University of Rochester, New York, founding director of the Susan B. Anthony Center, and President of the American Association of University Women (Rochester).

The entry, which is not affiliated with the City of Pasadena, features a 30-foot Statue of Liberty holding the tablet of the 19^th Amendment and wearing a suffrage sash of purple, white, and gold, with banners planted along the float deck. It is designed by John Ramirez and built by AES. Riders will include a “Bouquet of Suffrage Descendants,” those in direct line to Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Ida B. Wells, and Frederick Douglass.

Women who would like to be among the 100 outwalkers, which requires a $1,000 contribution, can apply on the website. In addition to corporate and individual sponsors, people can donate $20.20 for a rose vial with the donor’s or honoree’s name on it. Sponsors and donors include prominent women’s organizations and individuals; they are listed on the website.

The 19^th Amendment to the Constitution simply states “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.” It gave women across the country full rights to vote, but since 27 of the 48 states—almost all in the West—already had enfranchised women, at least for presidential elections, its major impact was on 21 states that spread down the East Coast and across the South.

The first to grant full rights was Wyoming territory in 1869, though there had been short-lived attempts prior to that. (This map shows the distribution and the dates of enfranchisement.) Now, 25 percent of the Senate is female, with six states being represented by women only. Only five women are from states in which women couldn’t vote for president prior to 1920. The House has 102 women representatives, plus four delegates from US territories and the District of Columbia.

Sources:

https://www.history.com/news/the-state-where-women-voted-long-before-the-19th-amendment

https://constitutioncenter.org/timeline/html/cw08_12159.html

https://cawp.rutgers.edu/list-women-currently-serving-congress

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.

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Serving the community: 2018 Rose Parade floats from cities and volunteer organizations

On: July 27, 2018 By: LBM

The City of Alhambra celebrated its 90th Rose Parade float with “Story Time,” a salute to the Civic Center Library’s 110th birthday. The bookworm is reading “Tales from the Alhambra,” the source of the city’s name, to his insect buddies.

by Laura Berthold Monteros

Cities and service organizations, such as the ones in the gallery below, present the attractions of their communities and accomplishments of their organizations through the visual impact of Rose Parade floats. These entries brought both beauty and fun to the 129^th Tournament of Roses. Here’s the basic info on each; riders and flowering are in the captions. Be sure to check out the 2018 Rose Parade page for a listing of all the articles about floats on TheRoseExaminer.com.

Lions Clubs International, “Preserving Our Environment,” Phoenix Decorating Company, Michelle Lofthouse designer
South Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association, “Booster Club,” Self-Built
City of Alhambra, Calif., “Story Time,” Phoenix Decorating Company, Mike Abboud designer
Kiwanis International, “Racing to Serve Children,” Phoenix Decorating Company, Michelle Lofthouse
City of Carson, “Honoring the Past – Envisioning Our Future,” Fiesta Parade Floats, Art Aguirre designer
Lutheran Laymen’s League, “Bringing Christ to the Nations,” Phoenix Decorating Company, Michelle Lofthouse

All photos are copyrighted. Contact administrator for permissions.

Lion Clubs International “Preserving Our Environment” depicts youth in LEOS planting and sprucing up a historic location. International President Naresh Aggarwal of Punjab, India and his wife Navita rode the float.

Roses, orchids, gerbera, iris, delphiniums, daffodils, Bells of Ireland, hyacinth, tulips, stock, and snapdragons—some specially grown for Phoenix Decorating Co.—made up the 10,360 flowers. Two live Noble firs stood on either side. The mill wheel rotated with real water.

South Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association is the oldest self-built float in the Rose Parade, going back 108 years. “Booster Club” honored folks who support student athletes. Note the license plate! The tiger is the mascot of SPHS and the ostrich harks back to the Cawston Ostrich Farm.

A roadster, covered with 40,000 red Paris roses pulled a trailer filled tailgate necessities. Flowers included 50,000 roses, 5,000 carnations, and 10,000 mums. The wheels on the car turned and smoke wafted from the grill.

The City of Alhambra celebrated its 90th Rose Parade float with “Story Time,” a salute to the Civic Center Library’s 110th birthday.

The 55,700 flowers on the Alhambra float included roses, mums, carnations, orchids, gerbera, iris, Bells of Ireland, snapdragons, freesia, calla lilies, lavender, amaranthus, hydrangea, and larkspur. The worms head turned from side to side and the ladybugs’ wings flapped.

The Kiwanis International float had a speedy tiger “Racing to Serve Children,” which illustrated the urgency Kiwanians have in making sure children have what they need to thrive and reach their full potential.

Real bikes were covered with dry materials to meet Tournament of Roses requirements, including black onion powder, ground rice, lentils, and white pepper, statice, and silverleaf.

The 89,874 flowers on the Kiwanis float included roses, carnations, mums, gladiola, and cymbidium. Kiwanians packed the stands to cheer on their champion racer.

“Honoring the Past—Envisioning Our Future” kicked off the 50th anniversary celebration of the City of Carson. The beads surrounding the treasure chest showed off city landmarks and organizations, Stub Hub Center, the world’s largest soccer-specific stadium in the US.

Floral sprays created the new Founder Fountain, located at city hall. Flowers included orchids, iris, and more than 20,000 coral Movie Star roses. Fireworks, both real and floral, burst out of the float. Carson is also home to the newest Goodyear blimp, “Wingfoot Two.”

Lutheran Hour Ministries “Bringing Christ to the Nations” chose a boat, an ancient symbol of the church, with map on the sail, to bring the Gospel message to the world. The float was decorated with 41,740 flowers, including roses, mums, carnations, calla lilies, and orchids.

Riders on the Lutheran Hour Ministries float were people who, like the Rose Parade theme, are “Making a Difference”—a comfort dog and handler, a Sunday School teacher and child, a leader of a food bank, a medical professional, and a Lutheran pastor.

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.

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