The Rose Palace, one of the huge barns where Rose Parade floats are constructed, is nearby so I walked over there about 3 days ago to see which float (or floats) were being built there this year. It turns out that The Lutheran Hour float was partially completed and it appears that there will be a pink elephant on it. The basic colors were on the float but the flowers were still to be added.
The Farmer’s Insurance float honoring teachers was also being built in the Rose Palace.
By now, December 31st, the flowers are on the float. Later tonight the float will roll out of the barn, and take its place in the line-up of floats along Orange Grove.
January 1st: I just watched the parade and the elephant turned out to be beige–not pink.
This year the entry to the barn was enclosed by a tent to help keep volunteer workers, called Petal Pushers, warmer. It’s been in the 30sF overnight recently and may drop as low as 33F tonight which will also make it very uncomfortable for all those visitors who camp out along the Colorado Blvd. parade route overnight.
Happy New Year!!
[In 2018 the Rose Palace closed as a float construction space. Almost all Rose Parade floats are now built in barns in Irwindale.)
