Local cities prepare their entries for the 2025 Tournament of Roses Parade.

By Eliza PARTIKA

The float entry by the La Cañada Tournament of Roses Association is almost complete as over 1,300 volunteers helped add to the float flowers and dry materials of all shapes, sizes and colors. 

Volunteers assisted with moving the float to the decorating site under the Foothill (210) Freeway bridge, a process that takes three days. Volunteers put the finishing touches on the floral alien figures and astronaut that will sit atop the float. All the float’s decorations have been painted and younger volunteers joined in to cut flowers and paint signs. Flowers this year that will adorn the float include brown roses, safflower and Summerfield roses, bronze mums and purple statice that will swirl in galaxy patterns around the red Mars dust.

“We have to come up with something new every year,” said Jennifer Lazo. “We’ve ever used such unique colors. A lot of funky things (this year).”

It’s a challenge to find the right flowers that are needed – “Not a lot of bronzy brick red, not a lot that aren’t dyed or something else that are natural,” said volunteer Sarah. But when the right color combinations are finalized she said it’s always the most rewarding feeling. 

Burbank Tournament of Roses Association is also putting the final touches on its float. Director Erik C. Andersen said after being involved in the Association for 43 years and designing floats to submit for consideration, he is excited to see one of his designs, which he drew 34 years ago, come to fruition. The float, titled “Having A- Lava Fun,” will depict baby dinosaurs having their “best day ever” playing together while a T-rex sits in time-out for biting. The float will feature a volcano with pyrotechnics and water flowing through a prehistoric landscape based on natural finds in Los Angeles. 

“Even though they might be different species, these dinosaurs are in harmony except for the T-rex. It symbolizes the way I see the world, in a way, where all of us can play together nicely,” he said. “One of the pterodactyl’s wings are a little shorter because I felt he represents someone with a disability, and his sibling is saying, ‘No you can still fly.’ That’s why he’s flying by in his egg. It’s showing him, ‘No, you can do this,’” said Andersen. 

Andersen told the CV Weekly the talent over 25 to 30 years has come together to make this float possible. A dentist carved each figure, painters got involved to make the paper mache dinosaurs. Last year, 4,000 people gave at least four hours each to help. This year, Andersen expects even higher involvement. 

The Burbank team got creative with the materials it is using to decorate the float. The design is something Andersen holds close to his heart each year. 

“I have a file cabinet with all of the designs I’ve made over the years,” he said. “And it’s always so special when I see one come to life.”

Andersen and his team invented a new drying technique for some of the most delicate flowers on the float and decorators researched plants and dry materials that actually could have been around at the time of the dinosaurs. Tropical flowers, roses and dried materials and succulents will decorate the float in vibrant colors.

Terri Coomes, decorating chair, said she and Andersen wanted the natural world to be an important inspiration for this year’s float. 

Coomes said sago palms were a big inspiration for the fine details in the float, outlining the lashes and eyes of the dinosaurs. One volunteer who has the palms in her backyard offered one as a model to recreate them on the float out of other natural materials. Venus fly trap teeth will be made from seaweed hardened and dried to look burnt. Roses and prickly bushes will outline the volcano to look like lava flows that have dried. Coomes said the team wanted a bright dinosaur to lead the float so the team decided on a base of split pea, brushed and filtered, to create a topiary look with mums and limes, with loofah sponges as the chest of the brontosaurus. Yellow marigold and yellow straw flowers will be used to decorate the dinosaurs running along the sawdust path, lined with trees decorated with delicate flowers dried and covered in a special resin to hold their shape. The water will be light blue and dark blue irises to create a shimmering water effect. Onion skins will be layered and hand cut to be placed along the fish to mimic scales. The stegosaurus and triceratops will be scaled with mums and roses. Moss hydrated with water will be at the base of the volcano, with seven different roses to create the flames. The nest will be made of fresh and dried gathered materials, like those found in the wild. 

“We went through each of the dinosaurs to create different textures. Dinosaurs are scaly but we wanted them whimsical, to know they are babies [and] that they are having fun,” she said. 

“It’s nice to have the support. I can get their suggestions to make the float even better,” Coomes said. “When we blend things, the natural materials are creating their own look.”

Much of the inspiration comes from volunteers and long-time members, Coomes added. Volunteers from the Girl Scouts Magnolia Troop in Burbank assisted with sifting and breaking up flowers that will be glued onto the dinosaurs. 

Girl Scout Chloe Kochones, 10, said it means a lot to share her work with the community. 

Isabelle Kochones, 11, said she liked being able to give back to her community by helping with the float. 

“Not a lot of people get the opportunity to do this, and it’s important for the future,” she said. 

Jamie Kim, 10, added, “When you’re helping decorate the float, the people who see the float will see our work.”

“When they see the float on TV, they’ll see what we made,” said Leila Naghshineh, who is also a member of the Girl Scouts.  

While one goal of his may be to win awards for his float, Andersen said the most important part of the yearly float building for him is to get the community involved in a new challenge. 

“This float is a challenge for us,” Andersen said, “and it’s coming together.”