Volunteers hard at work to help finish floats ahead of 2023 Rose Parade
With just days until the 2023 Rose Parade, organizers and volunteers are hard at work in Pasadena, putting the finishing touches on the elaborate florally-decorated floats.
The 134-year-old tradition continues its historic run on Monday, January 2, instead of its traditional spot on New Year's Day, due to that day falling on a Sunday this year.
Float leaders and designers plan each float down to the most minute details, every square inch of which is a piece of art to the volunteers who help finish the floats every year.
A unique aspect of the Rose Parade, which sets it apart from so many different parades, is the fact that "every square inch of every float must be covered with flowers or other natural materials, such as leaves, seeds or bark," according to the Tournament of Roses website.
"Natural materials, it's all we can use," said Danie Bogner, a float leader who has been helping put floats together for 15 years. "So, it's kind of fun. It's just a giant color-by-number."
She helps the team of nearly 500 volunteers as they navigate through the steps of completing each float.
For many Pasadena locals, donating their time to assist with the floats is as long-standing of a tradition as the parade itself, but for others, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
That sentiment rings true for Mervyn Stouffer, who hails from Oshawa in Ontario, Canada. Now 86, he and his wife finally had the opportunity to assist in the production of the parade floats, something they've been busy with since the beginning of the week.
"This has been on my bucket list since I was 18 years old," Stouffer said, noting that his sense of accomplishment won't be fulfilled until he sees the float in action. "And then I'll say, 'Oh, there's the float that I helped decorate.' It'll make me feel real good."
Other volunteers consisted of students fulfilling community service hours and people looking to participate in one of the nation's biggest New Year's Day traditions.
The Rose Parade is officially slated to get underway at 8 a.m. on Monday, with floats and participants traveling 5 and 1/2 miles down the legendary Colorado Boulevard.