On New Year’s Day, 2024, a “cool bus” made its way down Pasadena’s Colorado Boulevard.

This wasn’t just any bus. In fact, it wasn’t, technically, a bus at all.

What it was, was La Canada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association’s award-winning Rose Parade® float, “Flower Power”, drawing delighted responses from parade goers as it went by.

“Flower Power” was a peace-symbol-decked, 1960s-style school bus (labeled “cool bus”!), driven by a rose and with a band of flowers playing 1960s music on their instruments. It was led by a small yellow satellite float, in which were riding two “group-bees”.

And it was preceded by a “Golden State Award” banner–for “Best Representation of Life in California”.

As one of six noncommercial float builders, or “self-builts’, entering their creations in the Rose Parade®, nonprofit LCFTRA has won multiple awards. However, 2024 marks their first “Golden State Award” since they first began entering floats in the Tournament of Roses® Parade in 1978.

In fact, 2024 marks the first time a self-built has ever won this particular float award from Tournament of Roses!

A journey behind the scenes

Since March of 2023, Over Coffee® has had the honor of following LCFTRA’s float building journey, as the ultimate expression of creativity at the intersection of art and science. LCFTRA Vice President of Float Development Pam Wiedenbeck has generously taken us behind the scenes and through the stages from rendering to reality.

Receiving approval from the Tournament of Roses®, naming the float, frame construction, animation decisions, character construction and music selection have all been milestones we’ve had the opportunity to discuss.

And now, LCFTRA is restarting the cycle. They’ll shortly be selecting a new design for their 2025 Rose Parade®float. They’re recruiting volunteers, if you’d like to help, and have a GoFundMe page and several fundraisers coming up, to cover the cost of float materials.

Pam shared the final months of the journey to Colorado Boulevard with “Flower Power”, offered a look at the judging and awards, and previewed what’s next!

On this edition of Over Coffee® we cover:

• What was happening from October to December, as LCFTRA completed the float;

• A last-minute “Murphy’s Law” occurrence, just prior to the T2 test drive, and how the team dealt with it;

• A closer look at the “Golden State” Award, as well as the ones they’d still like to win;

• How LCFTRA is currently moving forward with plans for their 2025 float;

• What float-judging day was like;

• How the float awards are announced;

• Unprecedented awards for not only LCFTRA, but three of their fellow self-builts!;

• Pam’s favorite memory from working on “Flower Power”;

• How to support LCFTRA as they prepare for the 2025 Rose Parade®;

• Why very few float materials are donated from local gardens;

• Upcoming fundraisers;

• Pam’s thoughts on LCFTRA’s process in coming up with a float idea in keeping with the 2025 theme, “Best Day Ever”;