A few of my regular readers asked what are the stages to putting a Rose Parade float together and while I am no expert on the subject....someone who is, tells me that the following is a fairly typical sequence of events.

First, the Rose Bowl Committee announces its theme. The theme is always something that will appeal to a broad church and offend no one. The theme for the 2009 Rose Parade is Hats Off to Entertainment

Next, companies and organizations that want to participate design proposals for the various floats. The Rose Bowl Committee then approves or declines that various designs.

Art directors then create scale models and computer renderings of the floats that they send to the specialist float makers.

The various float makers lay out a full-scale grid on their barn floor and begin to construct the float. Welders create the structure of the float, a kind of steel 3D skeleton.

The float is built on a rolling chassis--that can carry up to 50 tons. the tires are filled with gel to avoid embarrassing blowouts or punctures on parade day.

The 3D steel skeleton is then covered in a layer of chicken wire and sprayed with expanded polystyrene foam.

Next comes road-testing. The exhibitors are under growing pressure to use animation on their floats. During road testing the animations are tested and re-tested to ensure their reliability and repeatability.

The float is painted to match the designers color scheme, and materials are chosen to cover the float. Every square inch of the float must be covered in living (or once living) materials. Traditionally, this meant flowers, but increasingly, a range of exotic seeds are used to create a variety of colors and textures. This could be where alpaca fiber comes into play.....

Last but not least, a mass of volunteers does the detail work. The actual roses are only applied a few days before the show--or in some cases the day before the parade.

Well I hope that answers the curious among you as to how a Rose Parade float is constructed.

If you want to see floats being tested before they are decorated there is a video on You Tube.

If you want to win tickets to the 2009 Rose Parade which will be the 120th parade then the official site has a sweep stake which ends in 8 days time on Jan 31st...

Good luck !