The Rose Parade will see floral-decorated floats decorated to the theme of “Celebrating a World of Music: The Universal Language.”
Volunteers have been assembling the floats ahead of the live parade set to take place on Monday, Jan. 1, starting at 8 a.m. PT / 11 a.m. ET.
Audra McDonald was selected as the 2024 Grand Marshal by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses as the embodiment of this year’s theme.
Participants that are set to have a float at this year’s parade include American Armenian Rose Float Association, Cal Poly Universities, City of Burbank, City of Hope, City of South Pasadena, Coding for Veterans, DirecTV, Explore Louisiana, Honda, Kaiser Permanente, Kindness is Free Powered by Boys & Girls Clubs, La Cañada Flintridge, Odd Fellows & Rebekahs, Pasadena Humane (Hill’s Pet Nutrition) and the San Diego Zoo.
Other participants include Shrines Children’s, The UPS Store, Trader Joe’s, Visit Lauderdale, Visit Newport Bech and Western Asset.
Check out the photos below of the floats as they get their finishing touches.
City of Hope’s float is titled “A Lovely Day for Hope,” and it will have the participation of eight cancer survivors alongside their doctors. Sonia Ray, a resident of Atlanta, will be featured on the float after her bout with breast cancer.
The float design built by Phoenix Decorating Company is 50 feet long and nearly 22 feet tall, with the float featuring a colorful floral-covered carousel that represents the cyclical nature of life and a forward momentum signifying City of Hope’s evolution and growth as it expands its supportive cancer care.
The city of Newport Beach will be present at the Rose Parade with a 165-foot-long float titled “Jingle on the Waves.” The five floats linked together pays tribute to the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade with symbols like the Fun Zone Ferris Wheel and the Balboa Pavilion, topped with a stunning 20-foot Christmas tree. Additionally, five former Rose Queens from Newport Beach will adorn the float.