by Dot Cannon

Pasadena Tournament of Roses® was celebrating an anniversary.

In fact, their 2020 Rose Parade®, on Wednesday, January 1, honored several of them.

The General Society of Mayflower Descendants’ float commemorated the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the “Mayflower” in Provincetown.  The Chinese-American Heritage Foundation’s float paid tribute to the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, and to the heroes of the Great War.

Now, Pasadena Celebrates 2020 was honoring the suffrage centennial, with their “Years of Hope, Years of Courage” float.

Created by Artistic Entertainment Services, the float celebrated the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920.   The float’s appearance in the Rose Parade® is the kickoff of a year-long centennial celebration.

“Years of Hope, Years of Courage” was a Tournament of Roses® award-winner, as well.  It earned the “Theme” trophy for “Most Outstanding Presentation of the Rose Parade® Theme”.

Many of the float riders were descendants of the pioneers who fought for both civil rights and women’s rights.  These included Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s great-great-granddaughter  Coline Jenkins, and Kenneth B. Morris Jr., who is the great-great-great grandson of African American Abolitionist leader Frederick Douglass.

And the float’s outwalkers were costumed as suffragettes, in a reminder of the efforts of our grandmothers, great-grandmothers and great-great-grandmothers, to win the vote for all women.

VIPs and football

Pasadena Mayor Terry Tornek and his family rode by, in a handcrafted replica of an 1880 Abbottt Downing Hotel Coach, pulled by eight black-and-white Clydesdales.

Of course, a major highlight of any Rose Parade® is the appearance of the two football teams who will play the Rose Bowl® game, following the parade.  The 2020 parade was no exception.

The University of Oregon band marched proudly by.  The Oregon Ducks mascot accompanied them.

“Bucky!” cried a paradegoer in greeting, a few minutes later.   The University of Wisconsin-Madison mascot waved from that team’s football float.

And when the Wisconsin marching band first came up, their appearance seemed a little low-key–for about three seconds.  Then…

…Breaking into a high-stepping prance, band members headed towards the bleacher stands as they played an uptempo march. Then, they made a smart right turn onto Colorado Boulevard.

…And still more spectacle

“Look at this!” exclaimed one spectator, as the Trader Joe’s float made its appearance.

Themed, “It Takes a Flight of Fancy”, the float, which Phoenix Decorating Company created, won the “Crown City Innovator” float award.  Tournament of Roses® awards this particular trophy for “Most Outstanding Use of Imagination, Innovation and Technology”.

The float depicted the Trader Joe’s “Fearless Flyer”, taking to the skies in a pickle barrel!

Float riders waved from parachutes amid the “clouds” around a banana moon.  The clouds are made up of lavender and white carnations, and the pickle in “Fearless Flyer”‘s hand is decorated in ground parsley!

A Rose Parade® debut

Celebrating their first Rose Parade® appearance were Banda Municipal de Zarcero.

From Zarcero, Costa Rica, they put on a show inspired by the wild flora and wildlife of their country, according to the Tournament of Roses media guide.

A spirited Latin folk dance started off their performance.

Their color guard, created in 2012, is one of the first professional teams in the country.

And their band looked sharp, and sounded even better.

Two anniversaries

For the 2020 Rose Parade®, self-built South Pasadena Tournament of Roses were celebrating two important dates.

Their float, “Victory At Last”, commemorated the centennial of the passing of the 19th Amendment.   It won the Mayor’s trophy for “Most Outstanding Float From a Participating City”.

A pen and scroll symbolized the signing of the Amendment.  Pins, buttons and a hat symbolized the unity of women who worked to win the vote.  The pen was covered in sycamore leaves, while the ballot box, at the rear of the float, was covered in flax leaves.

And “Victory At Last” was South Pasadena’s 126th Rose Parade® float!  As the oldest self-built (noncommercial independent organization) in the parade, they’ve been entering floats since 1893.

Showmanship and exuberance

Up rode a crowd-pleasing equestrian unit: Los Hermanos Banuelos Charro Team.

Spectators whooped and applauded their rope tricks and high-stepping horses.

Los Hermanos Banuelos is an authentic Mexican Charro Team, founded in 1995, who promote respect as the key to success in their community outreach.  Taking their mounts and rope shows to local elementary schools and libraries, they teach children the magic of working with horses.

2020 marks the twelfth time they’ve ridden in the Rose Parade®!

Just a few minutes before Los Hermanos Banuelos made their appearance, 2020 Tournament of Roses® President Laura Farber had ridden by.  She and her family were traveling in a 1911 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost.

Smiling broadly, she waved to the crowds in time to the Alhambra Unified School District Marching Band, just behind her.   She appeared to be having as much fun as all the paradegoers were!

And much, much more was coming, as the 2020 Tournament of Roses® parade, themed “The Power of Hope”, continued.

 

This is Part Three of a four-part series.  Here are our links to Part One and Part Two.