Flower shipments have arrived, signifying that the Rose Parade is just a float away.
It's all in the details when it comes to the art of building floats, and with more petals than days left until the 123rd Rose Parade on Monday, Fiesta Parade Floats is hustling to make its floats bloom.
Established in 1988, Fiesta Parade Floats has built over 235 floats. The company has been the proud winner of the Sweepstakes Award -- the top prize for the parade -- for 18 years in a row.
Attention on the floats has shifted from the large-scaled details to the minor ones with Monday floating around the corner.
One of the minor details is the animals featured on the floats. For 38 years, Fiesta has hired detail artists like Jacque Giuffre to add finishing touches on the animals that grace each float.
"Anything that is supposed to look like fur or feathers, I have to come up with; with flour or wheat or seed--something botanical," said Giuffre.
Yet for some individuals, this year's parade will be their first.
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"I'm 60 years old and this has been on my bucket list and I'm thrilled to finally get here," said Illinois volunteer Debbie Lawson.
Preparing floats for the Rose Parade is a process that begins shortly after each year’s parade, said the Dole float’s supervisor Glenwood Kelly.
And with the help of volunteers, it becomes an event that may be shared amongst thousands for decades after the roses have withered.
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