When members of the Tournament of Roses board approached Visit Newport Beach about entering a float into this year’s Rose Parade, officials at the marketing organization immediately planned a float that would maximize its time in the spotlight.
“We wanted to make a statement and tell the story on an impactful scale,” said Gary Sherwin, the organization’s president and CEO. “We wanted to make sure we had something that was a ‘Wow!’”
For starters, the marketing group came up with the idea to blend the city’s own iconic boat parade that, for 115 years, has floated through Newport Harbor with Pasadena’s historic New Year’s Day parade. Doing that, they designed a float – with help from longtime float builder Phoenix Decorating in Irwindale – that will be the Rose Parade’s longest-ever at 165 feet.
• For related, see: 2024 Rose Parade lineup: Your guide to every float, band and equestrian unit, in order
The float represents five parade boats traveling through the harbor. Each displays a piece of Newport Beach history by recreating some of the city’s most iconic landmarks in florals and fauna.
This is also Newport Beach’s first return to the Rose Parade in 18 years, and it has been several since an entry out of Orange County floated down the route.
The lead boat will carry a flamingo, a festive-looking polar bear, sparking lights, toys and oversized palm and Christmas trees. The second one in the connected chain will be a nod to the Marina Sailing and Boating Center of the Balboa Pavilion and the third will showcase four Rose Queens, from 1952, 1957, 1975 and 1976, who all live in Newport Beach. The fourth boat will depict the legendary Ferris wheel that for decades has been the symbol of the Balboa Fun Zone and the last boat will have a friendly snowman with a top hat, who wishes everyone a Happy New Year.
Anne Martin Wortmann, Rose Queen in 1976, said she is excited to be on the float with three other former queens, Robin Carr Sanders, 1975; Ann Mossberg Hall, 1957; and Nancy Thorne Skinner, 1952.
Wortmann remembered her first time on the parade route, saying, “When you turn that corner to go down Colorado Boulevard, it’s magical because you see all these people lining the street, and everyone is there to see the parade and they spent the night, whole families, everyone is happy and celebrating. It’s something to take away from everyday life and just celebrate.”
Three people selected from a drawing Visit Newport Beach held at trade shows during the year have also won a spot aboard the float.
Sherwin said what made the float plan so meaningful is Newport Beach’s history with Pasadena.
“Newport Beach was actually founded in large part due to people from Pasadena,” who helped settle the coastal town, he said.
The Rose Queens, he also said, have long ties to the city, adding that in years gone by, “candidates would come out here and go on Bay Island.” There, he said, they’d meet other members of the tournament and “out of that, they would decide who’s the personable, most well-spoken person and that person would eventually become the Rose Queen. So, we’ve had this long history.”
In reciprocation, the current Rose Queen and her court are set to ride on a boat in the annual Christmas Boat Parade next weekend.
This summer, float builders from Phoenix Decorating constructed the steel platforms upon which the mini-boat parade will ride. Once complete, the platforms were street-tested to make sure there were no mechanical hiccups – don’t want to be a showstopper for that reason, Sherwin said.
Now, in the final weeks before the 135th Rose Parade on New Year’s Day, the final touches – including a variety of seeds, plants, fruits and, of course, flowers – will be meticulously glued into place. And, community volunteers are welcome to help out.
Each shift is up in Irwindale and requires an 8-hour commitment. The next day to help out is Saturday, and volunteer opportunities continue through New Year’s Eve.
“Between the storytelling, length of float and the Rose Queens aboard, we’re really excited about this float,” Sherwin said. “The community is so excited about having this float. That’s why we have signups and there are certain days and times the community can go in. We’ve had over 40 people so far who’ve expressed interest.”
There should be no worry about completing the float in time, even if there aren’t enough volunteers. As part of the contract with Phoenix Decorating, its staff will fill any time slots not taken by community volunteers.
Early on Jan. 1, everyone riding the float, including the four Rose Queens, will hop aboard and pretend they are coasting along the parade route, waving their hands and smiling for the crowd. That’s when judges come to decide the trophies in the various categories.
“We’re hopeful we can get the Mayor’s Trophy,” Sherwin said, adding it’s for the best entry by any city. “We don’t program against other organizations. We’re just focused on what we can do to blow ours out and make it extra impressive – knowing that others will try to do it, too. We’re going to be a little extra creative; that’s why the length of the float, what’s on it, and having the Rose Queens on it just adds to the dimension. Having the Rose Queens on there will be a nice sentimental and respectful ode to the tournament.”
Among other cities represented with floats this year are Alhambra, Burbank, Visit Louisiana and Ft. Lauderdale.
The float, which is Newport Beach’s second representation – in 2006 the city sponsored a float celebrating its centennial – is costing Visit Newport Beach $300,000, which comes from two sources of its funding that supports tourism marketing of the town, revenue received from the city’s transient occupancy tax and the Tourism Business Improvement District.
“This is a great marketing opportunity for us if you consider the vast reach of 70 million people watching it,” Sherwin said. “We think about what the reach per person is. It’s a great deal. We’re always trying to educate the entire country as to what Newport Beach is.”
Steve Rosansky, then a City Council member and now the president of the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce, still recalls his ride aboard the city’s float in 2006. Though it rained that day and he watched a “river of seeds” flooding off the float, it was a cool experience, he said, and put a highlight on Newport Beach and its centennial.
“It’s an investment,” he said, of what Visit Newport Beach is doing. “If you bought a minute of advertising on the Rose Parade, what would that cost you? Here, they’ve got record length, so they’ll have to talk about it. It has a good story and a lot of sizzle around it. Hopefully, it will be warm and sunny, and people will be envious freezing in their home in Omaha, and decide to come and visit Newport Beach.”
To participate in decorating go here.
This story has been updated to correct the length of the float.
