Behind the Scenes: The Secret World of Rose Parade Floats

History of the Rose Parade

The Rose Parade has its origins in Pasadena, California where it was originally called the Tournament of Roses. The first parade took place on January 1, 1890 as a way to showcase the region’s mild winter weather. It was put on by Pasadena’s Valley Hunt Club and featured horse-drawn carriages covered in flowers.

While the parade started small with just a local audience, it quickly grew into a beloved New Year’s tradition. By 1895, the event included its first float, which was a flower-covered pyramid. In the early 1900s, themes were introduced and rules were established requiring every inch of the floats to be covered with flowers or other natural materials.

Throughout the early 20th century, the Rose Parade continued to expand and attract tourism. By 1920, over 300,000 spectators were attending, with many travelling from across the country to experience the pageantry. It was also broadcast nationally on the radio for the first time that year. Its reputation as “America’s New Year Celebration” was firmly cemented, carrying on the Tournament of Roses tradition into the nationwide spectacle it is today.

The Scale of the Rose Parade is Enormous

The Rose Parade is one of the largest and most watched parades in the world. Every year, over 1 million spectators line the 5.5 mile parade route through the streets of Pasadena, California to watch the spectacle in person.

The parade floats themselves are a magnificent sight to behold. They are enormous, multi-level structures completely covered in flowers and other organic materials like seeds, bark, and leaves. On average, a single float can take up to 9 months to design and complete and is big enough to hold over a dozen riders. Some special floats have been known to be over 50 feet tall and 70 feet long. With over 40 floats sponsored by major companies, non-profits, cities, and universities, the parade essentially becomes a 90-minute floral extravaganza.

Putting on an event of this scale also requires an army of volunteers. Each float relies on hundreds of volunteers to help decorate it in the days and weeks leading up to the parade. In total, over 9,000 volunteers contribute over 80,000 hours of their time to make the floral masterpieces possible. From selecting flowers to precision placement on the floats, these volunteers are the unsung heroes that bring the Rose Parade to life each year. Their passion and dedication behind the scenes is an essential part of the event’s lasting success and appeal.

Rose Parade Float Design Process

The intricate float designs that parade down Colorado Blvd on New Year’s Day don’t just magically appear – they are the result of months of planning and hard work by dedicated teams of designers and volunteers.

The process starts over a year in advance, when the theme for the next Rose Parade is announced. Participating organizations then begin brainstorming design concepts that align with the theme. By early spring, sketches and scale models are presented and one design is chosen to bring to life.

From there, floral designers partner with structural engineers to construct a steel framework matching the approved design. This framework acts as the base of the float, allowing it to be both structurally sound for the 5.5 mile route, while also supporting the weight of the flowers and other natural materials that will cover its surface.

With the float frames completed, the real design work begins in earnest in the fall. Teams of volunteers work under the guidance of floral designers to painstakingly cover every square inch of the float’s surface with flower petals, leaves, seeds and other natural materials. The floats are decorated almost entirely with organic materials – no artificial substances.

It’s a labor of love for the hundreds of volunteers who dedicate months of long days working in warehouses to bring these imaginative floats to life with natural beauty. The scale of time, people and botanicals involved is immense – one Rose Parade float can take over 130,000 flowers to cover.

When New Year’s morning arrives, spectators are treated to incredible floats that are as much marvels of engineering and design as they are floral artistry. Months of planning and dedication from skilled designers and volunteers all lead up to those beautiful creations making their way down Colorado Blvd on January 1st.

Securing Flowers

The Rose Parade requires millions of flowers to decorate the elaborate floats. Special rose hybrids are grown specifically for use in the parade, with names like ‘Tournament of Roses’ and ‘Parade Day.’ These hybrids are selected for traits like large bloom size, disease resistance, and suitability for float decoration.

In addition to roses, many other flowers are needed. These are sourced globally and imported in the months leading up to the parade. Chrysanthemums, orchids, irises, lilies, and gerbera daisies are some of the popular choices. The flowers are carefully stored in refrigerated conditions to preserve freshness until float decoration time.

It’s a monumental task to source the quantity and variety of flowers needed for over 40 floats. Planning starts right after the previous year’s parade. Through contracts with global suppliers and local rose growers, parade organizers ensure there will be enough gorgeous blooms to delight spectators on parade day. The vibrant colors and natural beauty of millions of flowers are integral to the Rose Parade’s magic.

Rose Parade Float Construction

The physical construction of the Rose Parade floats is an enormous undertaking that starts many months before New Year’s Day. Each float begins with a steel frame welded together based on the float’s design. Chicken wire is then attached to the frame and coated with glue to create the basic shape of the float. Finally, the entire surface is covered with natural materials like flowers, leaves, seeds and bark.

Thousands of workers and volunteers collaborate to construct the floats in large warehouses and venues throughout southern California. The floats can be up to 60 feet long and 18 feet wide, with some weighing over 50,000 pounds. Building them requires metalworking skills, artistic vision, floral arranging expertise and countless hours of labor. Natural materials must be preserved and handled with care to avoid damage before the parade.

In the final weeks before the Rose Parade, floral decorators work around the clock to attach flower petals individually onto the float surface. Common flowers used include roses, gerbera daisies, carnations, orchids and chrysanthemums. Seeds, beans and other natural ingredients are used to add texture and fill in gaps. The finishing touches are added just days before New Year’s to ensure the flowers look as fresh as possible during the parade. It’s an impressive feat of engineering and design to construct such elaborate floats using all natural materials.

Volunteer Efforts

Decades before the Rose Parade begins its march down Colorado Boulevard each year, thousands of volunteers from across Southern California start working diligently behind the scenes to bring each float to life. The elaborate floats that glitter in the parade would not be possible without the dedication and skill of these volunteers.

In the weeks and months leading up to New Year’s Day, volunteers gather in warehouses and makeshift studios to construct the floats. Starting in October, volunteers begin spending hours on end gluing flowers, leaves, seeds, and other natural materials to create dazzling floral arrangements that adorn the floats. Armed with bottles of glue and trays of flower petals, the volunteers carefully cover every visible surface in natural materials. For many volunteers, working on the Rose Parade floats becomes a decades-long labor of love. Some have returned year after year for over 40 years to lend their time and talent.

“I just like working with my hands and making something beautiful,” said Rose Parade volunteer Julie Clark, who has helped decorate floats for over 20 years. “It’s so rewarding to see it all come together on parade day.”

While the work can be tedious at times, seeing the finished floats rolling down the parade route makes all the effort worthwhile for volunteers. Without their skill and commitment in bringing designs to life, the Rose Parade’s magical floral fantasies wouldn’t be possible.

Rose Parade Day Operations

The morning of the Rose Parade starts long before the sun comes up. Floats are rolled out of their warehouses and into position on Orange Grove Blvd in the early early morning hours while most viewers are still asleep. Before the sun even rises, the floats are inspected by judges who will award prizes in various categories like “Queen’s Trophy” for best use of roses, “Showmanship Trophy” for most outstanding display of showmanship and entertainment, and more.

Once the judging is complete, participants and volunteers make any last minute touches and prepare for the official start. The Rose Parade route stretches 5.5 miles through the streets of Pasadena, cheered on by hundreds of thousands of spectators along the route and millions more watching live broadcasts around the world. Marching bands, equestrian units, and of course the spectacular floats travel the route at a walking pace to give viewers time to admire every colorful detail.

The Rose Parade culminates with the Rose Bowl Game, a college football bowl game that caps off the Rose Parade festivities. After over a year of planning and preparation, the brief but beautiful Rose Parade tradition lives on into another New Year.

The Rose Parade Television Broadcasting

The Rose Parade has been broadcast on television since the 1940s, allowing people across the country and eventually around the world to experience this iconic event.

The first television broadcast of the Rose Parade was in 1948 locally in the Los Angeles area. In 1952, NBC became the first network to broadcast the parade nationwide, helping grow its reputation and viewership.

Now the Rose Parade is broadcast internationally to millions of viewers. The parade and surrounding events are shown on a number of major networks in the United States and other countries including ABC, NBC, CBS, Univision, PBS, Hallmark Channel, and more.

It’s estimated that tens of millions of people tune in to watch the Rose Parade every year on January 1st. In 2022, total viewership across networks was approximately 36 million. Not only is it broadcast live, but many networks also show encore presentations for viewers in other time zones and countries.

The Rose Parade has become a beloved New Year’s tradition for audiences around the world thanks to television. Its evolution from a local event to an international spectacle televised for millions demonstrates the parade’s cultural significance and appeal after over 130 years.

Economic Impact

The Rose Parade generates significant economic benefits for the region. The City of Pasadena profits from the influx of visitors who come for the parade and associated events. Tourism revenue from hotels, restaurants, shops, and other businesses spikes during the days leading up to and following New Year’s Day.

The parade also provides a boost to the flower industry in California. Thousands of flowers are purchased from growers up and down the state to decorate the elaborate floats. Rose growers benefit in particular, as demand for roses surges for use on the floats. After the parades, the floats are dismantled and the flowers are sold to the public as keepsakes and souvenirs.

Beyond the direct economic impacts, the Rose Parade generates invaluable publicity and branding for Pasadena and the greater Los Angeles area. The parade is broadcast around the world, showcasing the region’s sunny climate and natural beauty to millions of viewers. Pasadena’s reputation as “The City of Roses” is enhanced by the iconic annual event.

Overall, the Rose Parade delivers significant economic dividends to Pasadena and Southern California businesses. The costs involved in staging the massive production are outweighed by the revenue, job creation, tourism, and marketing value generated.

Future of the Rose Parade

The Rose Parade has become an iconic New Year’s tradition, mesmerizing viewers for over 130 years. As the parade approaches its centennial anniversary in 2024, marking 100 years since the first parade in 1890, expectations continue to rise for celebrating this momentous milestone.

The Rose Parade shows no signs of losing steam or diminishing in grandeur. If anything, parade organizers strive each year to outdo themselves, finding new ways to wow audiences while upholding beloved traditions. Recent years have seen more elaborate floats with sophisticated animations and bold designs. 2024 will likely feature the biggest and best parade yet, befitting the historic centennial celebration.

Beyond the 100th anniversary, the future looks bright for the Rose Parade carrying on as a highlight of the New Year’s Day festivities. As long as viewers delight in the beautiful floats, marching bands, equestrian units, and other lively entries parading down Colorado Boulevard, the Rose Parade will continue showcasing its unique brand of splendor and pageantry for generations to come. With its rich history and appeal, this iconic American tradition has firmly cemented its place as a beloved way to ring in each new year.