“You’re not going to be able to see this much longer,” comments La Canada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association Director of Float Development Pam Wiedenbeck.

What she’s displaying, as we take a virtual tour of LCFTRA’s current work site, is the substructure of heir 2024 Rose Parade® float, “Flower Power”. Pam is pointing out the inner compartments where the float crew will sit, on New Year’s Day.

This is where the magic happens.

And like much of what goes on behind the scenes, it will seem to happen effortlessly.

With just about two months to go till “Flower Power” appears at the corner of Colorado and Orange Grove, Pam says the crew are on-schedule with construction.

Next will come painting, then decorating, and moving the float under the bridge in December–as well as a second “test drive” for Tournament of Roses®officials.

A community endeavor

You’ll recall that, since March, we’ve been following LCFTRA’s creative journey as their float takes shape.

Floatbuilding is the ultimate S.T.E.A.M. endeavor–with science, technology, engineering, art and math all converging to wow parade viewers all over the world on January 1.

And for La Canada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association, their project is a highly-addictive labor of love.

It’s also a community effort.

As one of only six noncommercial volunteer organizations–called “self-builts”–which create and enter floats in Pasadena’s Tournament of Roses® parade, LCFTRA raises funds, trains new volunteers and invites the community to help them with work parties every Saturday. Their annual fundraiser, “Wine and Roses”, is in fact scheduled for Saturday, November 4th, from 4 to 7 pm. Here’s the link for information–please share and consider attending or donating if you’d like to help!

Milestones on the journey

Since we’ve been covering LCFTRA’s 2024 parade entry, their creative milestones have included: selecting a name, deciding on the music that will accompany the animation, and their first float test drive, or T1.

On this installment, we visited, virtually, with Pam at the float site–and had the opportunity to see, firsthand, where “Flower Power” is currently–and what needs to happen next!

On this edition of Over Coffee® we cover:

• How Pam and her crew are charting “successes” and “failures” of past float entries;

• What’s involved in creating the float’s substructure;

• A closer look at the float characters in progress;

• One crucial element that gives a character its “personality”;

• An explanation of the process of “cocooning” during float construction;

• A float-music innovation for LCFTRA;

• La Canada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association’s main volunteer needs;

• What to expect, if you’re bringing a youth group or younger family members to work at the float site;

• A preview of LCFTRA’s “Wine and Roses” annual fundraiser, happening Saturday, November 4th at Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy;

• A preview of their December, “all-things-float” yard sale!;

• And, a look at what will be happening during “Flower Power”‘s second “T2” test drive!