south pasadena rose parade float 2017
Festivals around LA / Pasadena / South Pasadena

Decorating the 2017 Rose Parade float in South Pasadena

by carollightwood
Woman decorating south Pasadena Float
The “body” of this float is a old time car and these two women were pasting seeds on the fender for a black accent.

The city of South Pasadena always enters a float in the Tournament of Roses parade and the float is always decorated by local volunteers.

South Pasadena Float design 2017
An artist’s rendering of what the float will look like when completed.

The location for the 2017/2018 float is under a huge tent just off Mound St. at Fair Oaks in South Pasadena and they are still busily adding seeds, leaves and flowers.  They have only 2 more days to go. By Sunday evening they have to have the float in line for the start of the parade on Monday morning.

Man decorating hat South Pas float
A local resident adds black seeds to a megaphone that goes on the trailer behind the float. It will be added later.
Giraffe ready for seeds South Pas float (
Scaffolding surrounds the float. The giraffe which will eventually be set upright is still on its back waiting to be covered with plant material.
Paiints for south Pasadena Rose parade float
All visible surfaces on every float in the Rose Parade must be covered with plant parts of some sort: seeds, leaves, etc. Before they get pasted on, however, artists paint colors matching the flowers that will be added on top.
sycamore leaves south pasadena Float (
The brown convertible top (folded back) is covered with dried sycamore leaves. I wonder if they just wandered around South Pas and picked the leaves out of people’s gardens. Sycamore trees are everywhere.
Red beans on south Pasadena float (
Red beans are used for color on the tires.
Yellow flowers for South Pasadena Rose Parade float
Yellow flowers in these buckets will be added to the float at the last minute.  Seeds and dried leaves and dried fruits always go on first.
Tented barn South Pasadena Rose Parade float
Many floats are built and decorated in huge permanent barns in Irwindale. South Pasadena’s “barn” is a huge tent in a city park which comes down after the parade.

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