Heart and Heritage -Part 2

by Dot Cannon

The air is cold, but not icy, in Pasadena. It’s just after 8:00 am on New Year’s Day, 2019. And the 130th Rose Parade® is in full swing!

Float awards have been announced at 6:00 that morning. Now, the first award-winner makes its appearance.

The City of Alhambra, celebrating its 91st appearance in the Rose Parade®, has won the 2019 Princess Award for “Most Outstanding Floral Presentation Among Entries 35 Feet and Under in Length”.

A few minutes later, these beautiful animals trot onto the scene.

The CHP Mounted Patrol Unit has seven draft horses. They include: two Belgians, two Shires, two Clydesdales and a Percheron.

Rhythms of exuberance

Lassiter High School Marching Trojan Band, from Marietta, Georgia, delivers a spirited rendition of Stevie Wonder’s”You Are the Sunshine of My Life”.

Bandmembers in white shirts and black pants and vests with red-plumed hats play trumpets as they march

They’re a two-time Bands Of America Grand National Champion band. In addition, they’ve appeared three times in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade…

Women in swirling white skirts with purple trim wave pink and purple flags

…and 2019 marks their fifth appearance in the Rose Parade®.

Majorette in white leotard spreads her arms before banner that reads "Pasadena City College Tournament of Roses Honor Band"

“Happy New Year!” shouts Pasadena City College’s Tournament of Roses® Honor Band, following their first selection. 2019 is their 90th consecutive appearance in the Rose Parade®!

Go teams!

“Let’s go, Bucks!” shout float riders from the Ohio State float. A considerable number of audience members pick up the chant.

Cheerleaders in white uniforms ride Washingotn float with bit "W" and a football in the center, and surround a Husky costumed mascot

“Huskies! Huskies! Go dogs!” shout other parade attendees, a few minutes later when the Washington State float appears.

(When the two teams face each other, in the 105th Rose Bowl that afternoon, all the shouting seems to have had an effect. The score is a close one! The Ohio State Buckeyes triumph over the Washington Huskies, 28-23.)

A creative harmony

Creativity and showmanship are the order of the day.

Hermans Banuelos charro team approaches on horseback as central rider twirls lasso rope around his torso

The Hermanos Banuelos Charro Team make riding and roping look easy.

Theirs is an authentic Mexican Charro team, founded in 1995, by a group of charros from Zacatecas, Mexico. Their goal: to promote their Mexican heritage and preserve their culture.

Closeup of Charro rider on bay horse, flanked by two other riders, as he spins a rope lasso while Rose Parade audience looks on from the stands

Visiting schools throughout the Pasadena school district, the team emphasizes respect as a key to success.

2019 marks their tenth appearance in the Rose Parade®!

Color and spirit

“Aloha!” shout members of th Na Koa Ali’i – Hawaii All-State Marching Band. They’ve just finished playing their first selection.

This band is made up of band members from all public and private schools, on all of the islands of Hawaii!

Hawaiian band members wear red shirts and grass skirs over black slacks as they march

They’re wearing handmade raffia and chau bark skirts, imported from all over Polynesia, for their fourth Rose Parade® appearance. .

Meanwhile, band members are wearing custom shirts, in various colors. Sections have red, then yellow, then green.

Women in calf-length sea-green dresses with white leis around their necks wave two flags each, of varying colors: orange, blue, yellow, green, purpleand red

The effect is that of a “marching rainbow”–and their flags carry through on the idea!

A new performance “twist”

Banda Municipal de Acosta begins with an amazing show: a Costa Rican folk dance.

Female dancers in flowered red and white skirts and peasant blouses dance with male dancer with a white shirt, red cummerbund and white hat

Band members also do something we haven’t seen before.

Glockenspiel player in navy band uniform with white hat and gold plume plays facing audience directly as column before her heads away at a 45-degree angle

Band members march almost directly up to the stand, playing an individual instrument right to audience members.

Drummer in navy band uniform with white hat and gold plume plays facing audience directly as column before her heads away at a 45-degree angle

Then, that band member executes a smart right turn, still playing while continuing down the Colorado Boulevard parade route. Piccolo player in navy band uniform with white hat and gold plume plays facing audience directly as column before her heads away at a 45-degree angle

The effect is engaging and impressive.

Female flag carriers swirl flags with pink, red-white-and-blue and sea-gren, white and navy logos

The Banda Municipal de Acosta comes from various cities in Costa Rica–and band members range in age from 10 to 35 years old!

And another definite high point? Comparing the floats, this morning, to their previous Deco Week appearance.

Variations on “wow”

Prior to the parade, we had the opportunity to see the China Airlines float, “Rhythms of Taiwan”, in its “deco” stage at “Decorating Places”. It was spectacular at that point.

Rhythms of Taiwan float with deity figure in back and performers in red at the front, behind "award" banner

This morning, complete with performers, it’s even more so.

Performers in red Chinese kimonos sing behind float sign, "Rhythms of Taiwan"

It’s also the winner of the International Award–for “Most Outstanding Float Outside the United States”.

Volunteer adds plant materials to the dark eyes of the woman on the Stella Rosa float

Here’s the Stella Rosa Float, “Taste the Magic”, undergoing the “deco” process at Fiesta Parade Floats, three days earlier…

Stella Rosa float, with genie flying in the air, rolls past audience behind a banner reading "Grand Marshal Award"

…and here it is, as the winner of the 2019 Grand Marshal Award for “Most Outstanding Creative Concept and Float Design”. Closeup of Kool and the Gang singing, smiling and gesturing towards their audience from the Stella Rosa float

Meanwhile, onboard the float, riders Kool and the Gang, celebrating (“Stellabrating”?) 50 years of making music, exhort the audience to “Get Down On It”!

We did not, unfortunately, get the opportunity to see self-built La Canada Flintridge’s entry, this year, prior to the parade. But it certainly is shining this morning.

Three smiling frogs play banjos and sing aboard "Tree Frog Night" float as it travels down Orange Grove Boulevard behind a banner reading, "Founder Award"

This is “Tree Frog Night”, La Canada Flintridge’s 41st Rose Parade® entry. It’s a celebration of Cajun and Zydeco jazz and blues.

It’s also the 2019 winner of the Founder Award, for “Most Outstanding Float Built and Decorated by Volunteers from a Community or Organization”!

Congratulations to the winners–and to all the hardworking creative people who put their hearts and souls into making the Rose Parade® a one-of-a kind New Year celebration! We know (and previously covered the fact that) some unexpected events occurred, later in the morning.

But nothing changes the fact that, 13 decades after its creation, the Rose Parade® continues to inspire, entertain and encourage participants to strive for excellence.

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