Decorating a Rose Parade float is a time-honored tradition. Every square inch of the exposed surface of a float entered in the parade must be covered with flowers or other natural materials. Materials used for decorating must be natural (not dyed!), and include a variety of flowers such as roses, chrysanthemums, irises, carnations, and hydrangeas. Other natural materials include seeds, bark, leaves, fruits and vegetables.
La Canada starts decorating on December 22nd each year. The pre-Christmas shifts often include painting the float and preparing decorating materials to be applied. After Christmas, dry materials are started, which can include creating intricate patterns with seeds and beans, or adding the bark to a giant tree. Finally, in the days leading up to the parade on New Year's Day (or January 2nd, when the 1st is a Sunday), fresh flowers and leaves are prepared and put on the float. Some of the more delicate flowers are placed in individual vials of water and set into the float one-by-one.
Volunteer community members are needed each year to decorate floats for the Rose Parade. It's a great activity for families or groups of friends, and anyone decorating will quickly become a part of the La Canada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association family. It is truly a rewarding experience to watch a float you helped decorate proudly turn the corner on Colorado Boulevard on New Year's Day.
You can experience the magic of turning a float into an artistic masterpiece as well as creating wonderful memories of working within the community. Decorating sign-ups begin annually in the fall.