Happy New Year everybody!
Perhaps I will reflect more on 2015 when I have time to do it, but I worked last night on another project for 3 more hours after a 19 hour day and I got about 5 hours of sleep, and here I am working again.
The Rose Parade is much nicer and less commercial (though still pretty commercial) than the Macy’s Ballon Parade, so much so I recently erased my 5 year collection of the Thanksgiving Parade from my DVR.
This year’s theme is “Find Your Adventure” and the Grand Marshall is Ken (Civil War) Burns, documentary film maker. If you like zooming around old photographs he’s your guy.
Of course the unique feature of the Rose Parade is that the floats must be entirely covered in flowers, plants, or plant by products (like seeds and bark). Many are highly animated and all structural and mechanical moving elements must be likewise covered. I’m told they’re spectacular in person in a way that doesn’t come across on TV because you lose the sense of scale and some are quite large indeed.
Preparing them takes weeks which makes preserving the plants an issue. A team of judges reviewed them early this morning and they select 24 as worthy of trophies and awards.
| SWEEPSTAKES TROPHY | LATHROP K. LEISHMAN TROPHY |
| GRAND MARSHAL’S TROPHY | PRESIDENT’S TROPHY |
| DIRECTOR’S TROPHY | QUEEN’S TROPHY |
| MAYOR’S TROPHY | THEME TROPHY |
| NATIONAL TROPHY | GOVERNOR’S TROPHY< |
| BOB HOPE HUMOR TROPHY | JUDGE’S SPECIAL TROPHY |
| ANIMATION TROPHY | FANTASY TROPHY |
| FOUNDERS’ TROPHY | INTERNATIONAL TROPHY |
| PRINCESS’ TROPHY | ISABELLA COLEMAN TROPHY |
| TOURNAMENT SPECIAL TROPHY | PAST PRESIDENTS’ TROPHY |
| TOURNAMENT VOLUNTEERS’ TROPHY | CRAFTSMAN TROPHY |
| EXTRAORDINAIRE TROPHY | CROWN CITY INNOVATION TROPHY |
Now that may seem rather a lot until you realize there are 42 Floats (more than there are Balloons at Macy’s). Now there are a few groups that still ‘roll their own’ using volunteers but most of the Floats are designed and built by 2 professional firms, Fiesta Parade Floats and Phoenix Decorating Company.
Never forget that 42 is the answer to the question of Life, the Universe, and Everything (also, what is 6 x 7?).
| AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Fiesta Parade Floats | American Armenian Rose Float Association, Inc., Phoenix Decorating Company |
| American Honda, Phoenix Decorating Company | The Bachelor, Fiesta Parade Floats |
| Burbank Tournament of Roses Association, Self Built | Cal Poly Universities, Self Built |
| Cal-Nev-Ha District of Kiwanis International, Phoenix Decorating Company | California Milk Advisory Board, Fiesta Parade Floats |
| China Airlines, Artistic Entertainment Services | City of Alhambra, Phoenix Decorating Company |
| City of Glendale, Phoenix Decorating Company | City of Hope, Phoenix Decorating Company |
| City of Los Angeles, Phoenix Decorating Company | City of Torrance, Fiesta Parade Floats |
| Destination Irvine – Irvine Chamber of Commerce, Phoenix Decorating Company | Disneyland Resort, Artistic Entertainment Services |
| Dole Packaged Foods, Fiesta Parade Floats | Donate Life, Paradiso Parade Floats |
| Downey Rose Float Association, Self Built | Farmers Insurance Group, Phoenix Decorating Company |
| Kaiser Permanente, Fiesta Parade Floats | Kiehl’s Since 1851, Fiesta Parade Floats |
| La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association, Self Built | Lions Clubs International, Phoenix Decorating Company |
| Los Angeles Lakers, Paradiso Parade Floats | Lutheran Laymen’s League/ Lutheran Hour Ministries, Phoenix Decorating Company |
| Miracle-Gro, Fiesta Parade Floats | Northwestern Mutual, Fiesta Parade Floats |
| Odd Fellows and Rebekahs Rose Float, Phoenix Decorating Company | Public Broadcasting Service, Paradiso Parade Floats |
| Rotary Rose Float Committee, Inc., Phoenix Decorating Company | Shriners Hospitals for Children, Phoenix Decorating Company |
| Sierra Madre Rose Float Association, Self Built | Singpoli Group, Paradiso Parade Floats |
| South Dakota Department of Tourism, Phoenix Decorating Company | South Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association, Self Built |
| Tournament of Roses 2016 Royal Court Float, Fiesta Parade Floats | Trader Joe’s, Phoenix Decorating Company |
| Union Bank and the American Heart Association, Western States Affiliate, Phoenix Decorating Company | United Sikh Mission, Phoenix Decorating Company |
| Western Asset Management Company, Phoenix Decorating Company | WVU Medicine Children’s, Phoenix Decorating Company |
There are also 18 musical units (Marching Bands). Some are local but for many schools save for over a year for the big trip to warmer climes and Disneyland. It’s not cheap, north of $5,000 per member in many cases.
| Albany State University – Marching Rams, Albany, Ga. | Allen High School – The Allen Eagle Escadrille, Allen, Texas |
| Centro Escolar José Maria Morelos y Pavón – Aguilas Doradas Marching Band, Puebla, Mexico | Franklin Regional High School – Panther Band, Murrysville, Pa. |
| Instituto Pedro Molina – Latin Band Pedro Molina, Guatemala | Jenks High School – Trojan Pride, Jenks, Okla. |
| Los Angeles Unified School District, All District High School Honor Band, Los Angeles | Mira Mesa High School – Sapphire Sound, San Diego, Calif. |
| Pasadena City College Tournament of Roses Honor Band & Herald Trumpets, Pasadena, Calif. | Plymouth-Canton Educational Park – Plymouth-Canton Educational Park, Canton, Mich. |
| Punahou School – Punahou Marching Band, Honolulu, Hawaii | Saratoga High School – Saratoga High School Marching Band and Color Guard, Saratoga, Calif. |
| The Salvation Army Tournament of Roses Band, Los Angeles | Toho High School – Toho High School Green Band, Japan |
| United States Marine Corps West Coast Composite Band, San Diego, Calif. | Virginia Military Institute – VMI Regimental Band, Lexington, Va. |
| William Mason High School – Mason High School Marching Band, Mason, Ohio | Wyoming All-State Marching Band, Cheyenne, Wyoming |
Also the Stanford and Iowa Marching Bands.
Another unusual feature (though not unique) of the Rose Parade is the Equestrian Units. Pasadena is in the middle of California Horse country and they are actually the oldest units in the parade. This year we have 19 of them.
| 1st Cavalry Horse Detachment – Fort Hood | American Endurance Ride Conference |
| Anheuser Busch Budweiser Clydesdales | Calizona Appaloosa Horse Club |
| Dakota Thunder Shires | Long Beach Mounted Police |
| Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department | Los Hermanos Bañuelos |
| Martinez Family | Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament |
| National Park Service | The New Buffalo Soldiers |
| The Norco Cowgirls & The Little Miss Norco Cowgirls Rodeo Drill Team | Scripps Miramar Ranch |
| Spirit of the West Riders | U.S. Army Field Artillery Half Section – Fort Sill |
| U.S. Marine Corps Mounted Color Guard | Valley Hunt Club |
| Wells Fargo |
The parade actually takes over 5 hours to run but the broadcast is only 2 and the cameras are near the start so you get a chance to see them before parts start falling off. It is on NBC starting at 11 am ET (8 am PT). All units are listed alphabetically, not in the order they will appear.
I hope your New Year is Healthy, Enjoyable, and Profitable. Best wishes, The Stars Hollow Gazette and DocuDharma.
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Princess Trophy- City of Torrence
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Mira Mesa Band
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Alhambra
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Lutherans
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Wells Fargo
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See you next year.
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