PASADENA, Calif. – As the Pasadena Tournament of Roses prepares for the 135th Rose Parade presented by Honda, we are excited to offer the first in a series of sneak previews of floral float entries that will inspire and delight our global audience from Colorado Blvd. on January 1, 2024.
Since the first Rose Parade in 1890, each float entry presents a unique theme and visual story that brings their vessel to life. The theme of the 2024 Rose Parade — “Celebrating a World of Music”—is reflected in the official renderings for float participants American Armenian Rose Float Association, City of Burbank, Explore Louisiana, OneLegacy Donate Life, Pasadena Humane | Hill’s Pet Nutrition and The UPS Store, Inc.
The floats will journey the 5 ½ mile Parade route displaying their symbolic and spectacular storytelling sure to be embraced by millions of streetside and broadcast viewers from across the country and around the world drawn to America’s New Year Celebration®.
American Armenian Rose Float Association
The mission of the American Armenian Rose Float Association is to promote and preserve Armenian culture and heritage through the art of float design. Vibrant hues dance to the rhythm of the float theme, “Armenian Melodies,” featuring a beautiful Armenian Taraz, a dress adorned with red Christmas mums, whole pomegranates, cranberry seeds and dried apricots. The Shukar Birds, perched proudly at the back of the float, are decorated with blue and purple statice, black beans and the warm glow of orange lentils. Feel the beat of traditional Daf drums, curated into a medley of brown flax seeds, crushed walnuts, and the deep blue of statice.
The most stunning aspect of the float is the homage to Garni Gorge, a gorge a short distance east of Yerevan, Armenia, just below the village of the same name, where the first-century AD Temple of Garni may be seen above the gorge. Along the cliff walls of the gorge are well-preserved basalt columns carved out by the Goght River. This floral portrayal of Garni Gorge is a rock wall adorned with white rice and seeds of light lettuce, poppies, and dark lettuce, a tribute to the Armenian terrain. Layered at the base are white and yellow roses mingled with apricots and pomegranates, complemented by blue statice flowers and pink cymbidium orchids.
This spectacle isn’t just a visual delight; it’s a celebration of Armenian heritage. It’s a testament to the commitment and dedication to inspiring, educating and raising awareness about the deep history of Armenian traditions and values. Join the celebration and let the Armenian melodies guide you on a colorful journey.
City of Burbank
Celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Burbank Tournament of Roses Association, the group’s mission is to create an energetic and crowd-pleasing float representing Burbank’s 91st participation in the Parade. As part of their fundraising activities, they sell rose vials placed on the float, whether for themselves or to honor someone special so the loved one symbolically rides down the parade route with the City of Burbank float. This year’s float, “Caterpillar Melody,” centers around an oversized caterpillar named Beth, playing a joyful tune on a harp surrounded by colorful butterflies, highlighting the transformative power of music.
The caterpillar was designed in CAD software and prototyped with 3-D printing. While a single cylinder drives the head and tail mechanisms, it is supported by a massive truss system hidden inside the harp. Watch as the caterpillar’s segments move dynamically and butterflies flutter, creating a lively spectacle. The float is adorned with tens of thousands of cushion mums, button mums, orchid stems, and rose stems. Also featured are yellow and purple daisies covered in cornmeal, purple statice and orchids, and an array of sunflowers, gerbera daisies and Liatris stems, creating a colorful display.
To enhance the float’s theme, Ben Knorr wrote an original composition, “Caterpillar Melody,” to be played as the float makes its way down Colorado Blvd. The piece expresses the simplicity and beauty found in nature, beginning with a gentle string texture and a conversational harp on a peaceful musical journey.
Explore Louisiana
For the third year in a row, Louisiana will parade across the national and international stages in the Rose Parade. The 2024 Louisiana float features a larger-than-life Mardi Gras jester, fleur de lis and second-line inspired umbrellas. What better place than Louisiana to highlight the world of music and Mardi Gras? Just the words “Mardi Gras” conjure up images of spectacular parades with floats and unbelievable costumes, such as the renowned Mardi Gras Indians, to beads and, of course, the trademark colors of purple, green, and gold representing justice, faith, and power.
From boat parades to pet parades, and from chasing chickens to pink flamingos, our one-of-a-kind culture and rich, diverse history results in offbeat, authentic, and family-friendly experiences you won’t find anywhere else in the world. Each Mardi Gras celebration is defined by who we are and the people who live in those communities, which is why no two celebrations are alike. Louisiana has over 400 festivals throughout the state every year, the biggest and most unique of those celebrations is Mardi Gras. Whether the songs Mardi Gras Mambo or Carnival Time are filling the airwaves, no one throws a parade or speaks the language of music better than Louisianans.
Once again, Louisiana will provide mid-parade entertainment. Stay tuned for an exciting reveal of all the thrilling details about the Louisiana performance and riders, coming your way very soon! Welcome to Mardi Gras and plan your trip by visiting ExploreLouisiana.com.
OneLegacy Donate Life
Celebrating its 21st year in the Rose Parade, the OneLegacy Donate Life Rose Parade float celebrates the rich culture of the Hopi tribe, native to the American Southwest, known for outstanding pottery, paintings, weaving and carvings. This group of Pueblo Native Americans is one of the oldest cultures in the United States, originating approximately 7,000 years ago. Serving 10 transplant centers and more than 200 hospitals, OneLegacy is a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives through organ, eye and tissue donation in seven counties in Southern California: a diverse population of 20 million donors, families and waiting recipients across the region and country.
At the forefront of the float is a beautiful Butterfly dancer wearing a symbolic headdress, representing the Hopi Butterfly Dance—a ceremony honoring butterfly pollination and abundant crop harvests. Scattered among a lively cactus scene lie woven baskets adorned with memorial floragraphs of deceased donors embedded into the intricate design, signifying those who gave the gift of life through organ, eye, and tissue donation. Organ, eye and tissue recipients ride the float, while living donors walk beside it. Hopi dancers surround the float, inviting abundance, hope and prosperity. This impressive Native American scene is completed with prickly pear plants, stalks of corn and fluttering butterflies.
Similar to the 2024 Tournament of Roses theme, “Celebrating a World of Music,” organ donation transcends cultural boundaries, uniting people worldwide through the gift of life and the transformative impact of organ donation, bridging cultures and bringing communities together. Becoming an eye, organ or tissue donor is easy and can be done by registering online at donateLIFEcalifornia.org/OneLegacy or by check marking “YES” at your local DMV. For more information, visit OneLegacy.org.
Pasadena Humane | Hill’s Pet Nutrition
Hill’s Pet Nutrition and Pasadena Humane join forces to raise awareness about the importance of ending pet homelessness. The float theme, “Feed the Love,” showcases the joys of welcoming a pet into your home. From kittens playing underneath a cat tree to a hungry dog eagerly awaiting a bowl of nutritious food while sporting an “Adopt Me” bandana, the float shows what it’s like to give shelter pets a warm welcome home.
The adorable, oversized animals are primarily decorated with strawflower petals, great Ming and Spanish moss-uva, with accents of poppy, sesame and onion seeds. With wiggling dog ears, pawing cats and tails waving, the float celebrates the relationship between pets and their people while symbolizing a solid partnership between Pasadena Humane and Hill’s Nutrition that has helped more than 53,000 dogs and cats find loving homes. Riders and outwalkers from both organizations will reflect a shared goal of promoting the love between people and pets.
Pasadena Humane President & CEO Dia DuVernet and Hill’s Pet Nutrition’s Food, Shelter & Love program lead Joann Fuller will be joined by employees, volunteers, community members and a handful of dogs to encourage adoption, fostering, volunteering and donating to help animals in need. To top it off, the audience will enjoy an original song created in collaboration with the Los Angeles College of Music, emphasizing the message of love and adoption.
The UPS Store, Inc.
After winning the Sweepstakes award for three consecutive years, The UPS Store, Inc., returns to the Rose Parade for the sixth time. Their float, “The Beat of Achievement,” aligns with the 2024 Rose Parade theme, “Celebrating a World of Music: The Universal Language.” The float will highlight the company’s Start Small, Grow Big program with Junior Achievement USA® to support the next generation of entrepreneurs and small business owners. The float’s design is playful and bold and sure to surprise and delight the audience. To further champion their support of today’s youth to prepare and inspire them for entrepreneurship, The UPS Store has collected $3.6 million in donations for Junior Achievement chapters throughout the U.S.
The focal point of this float is the super hip, vest-wearing crocodile, who moves his head and tail as he rocks a microphone in one croc-hand. He has the wonderful audience support of his posse of pink flamingos moving around, and even a colorful parrot fan is enjoying the Croc’s booming mini concert. The vibrant puffer vest is decorated with custom-grown marigolds, complementing the Croc’s scaly green complexion. The surrounding tropical paradise overflows with tens of thousands of Pink Floyd roses and a dazzling display of orchids, bromeliads, anthurium and heliconia.
The speakers are cleverly massive and loudly allow the Croc to share his hip-hop rhymes with the crowd. This highly animated float is powered by a separate 6-cylinder industrial engine, providing the energy to drive the hydraulic pump that powers the complex animations. The UPS Store, Inc. integrates one-of-a-kind design, gorgeous floral presentation, and hi-tech animation for the ultimate wow factor.
Source: Tournament of Roses