Floats

Mascot Nellie, and Lou Ann Hammond, show you the floats, bands, and equestrians from this years 2016 Rose Bowl Parade.

The Rose Parade’s elaborate floats have come a long way since the Tournament’s early days. Today, float building is a multi-million dollar business and float construction begins almost immediately after the previous year’s parade is concluded.

The process starts with a specially-built chassis, upon which is built a framework of steel and chicken wire. In a process called “cocooning,” the frame is sprayed with a polyvinyl material, which is then painted in the colors of the fresh flowers or dry material to be applied later. Every inch of every float must be covered with flowers or other natural materials, such as leaves, seeds or bark. Volunteer workers swarm over the floats in the days after Christmas, their hands and clothes covered with glue and petals. The most delicate flowers are placed in individual vials of water, which are set into the float one by one.

Through all the changes, the Rose Parade has remained true to its floral beginnings, and each float is decorated with more flowers than the average florist will use in five years.

• B-2 Bomber flyover

2016 FLOATS – click on the name to go to the video

The floats, listed with the builder are (alphabetically by participating company or organization):
• 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, PBS – Downton Abbey
• 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
• South Pasadena float
• Stanford Marching Band
• The Mayors float
• 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

MARCHING BANDS

Mascot Nellie, and Lou Ann Hammond, show you the floats, bands, and equestrians from this years 2016 Rose Bowl Parade.

The first marching band to appear in the Rose Parade was the Monrovia Town Band in 1891, with fewer than 20 members. Today, it’s not uncommon to see marching bands with 300 or more members in the parade. Well over 50 musical groups compete for as few as 12 openings every year.

Bands are selected approximately 15 months in advance to give the groups time to raise the money needed for the trip to Pasadena.

2016 MARCHING BANDS – click on the name to go to the video

• 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.
• Iowa marching band
• 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
• Rancho Cucamonga, CA Etiwanda High School Marching Eagle Regiment
• 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 

EQUESTRIAN UNITS

Mascot Nellie, and Lou Ann Hammond, show you the floats, bands, and equestrians from this years 2016 Rose Bowl Parade.

Since the very beginning, horses have been part of the Rose Parade, with equines pulling flower decorated carriages on New Year’s Day 1890. Even with the advent of motorized vehicles in the parade, equestrian units have remained an integral component each year, highlighting a wide variety of breeds including graceful Andalusians, striking Percherons, and elegant Saddlebreds.

Skilled riders, eye-catching costumes, and hand-crafted tack add to the appeal year after year.

2016 EQUESTRIAN UNITS – click on the name to go to the video

• 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 stagecoach