Everything You Need to Know about the 2020 Rose Float

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The Cal Poly Universities 2020 float, “Aquatic Aspirations.”
The Cal Poly Universities 2020 float, “Aquatic Aspirations.”

On January 1, the 72nd Rose Parade float jointly built by Cal Poly Pomona and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo will help lead the internationally televised parade. The Cal Poly Universities’ float – Aquatic Aspirations – will be the second float (and fourth entry) to head down Colorado Boulevard to begin the 131st Rose Parade.

Here is what you should know about the float.

  1. The elegant underwater scene features a journey of discovery as a submarine hunting for treasure instead finds a breathtaking underwater habitat.
  2. At full height, the submarine will tower 30-feet high over the parade route with three giant sea turtles swimming underneath.
  3. Animation includes giant octopus on the bow of the wreck waving its arms, swimming fish and turtles, a floating ray, and very large jellyfish watching spectators with rotating heads. Colorful corals and a shimmering kelp forest add to the scene.
  4. More than 90 percent of the flowers for Aquatic Aspirations were grown in California, from San Diego County to Humboldt County, including on both Cal Poly campuses. A highlight among the flowers will be the largest turtle, whose outer shell will be covered primarily with green roses while the inside will feature green tick flowers. View the Deco Week photo gallery on Facebook.
  5. The sunken ship will be covered in ground coffee beans, golden flax seed and crushed yellow popcorn kernels. The colorful base will be covered in Crane Queen Kale, pink and yellow Gerberas and roses, pink protea and blue irises, along with a “sand bank” covered in nuts and seeds.
  6. The Cal Poly Universities’ Float is 48 feet long, 30 feet high and 18 feet wide. The teams collaborate across miles to design the float. Then the Pomona team builds the front half of the pod, and the San Luis Obispo students construct the back. Watch a video of construction work.
  7. The 30-foot high submarine, which will weigh up to 2,000 pounds, will need to be lowered twice during the parade, once to avoid a telephone wire and a second time to travel under the 210 freeway at Sierra Madre. This provides an extra challenge for the construction team.
  8. A Daily Bulletin news story provides a look at the float skeleton as students weld final elements onto the float and begin screening. (Subscription may be required.)
  9. It takes about six hours for the float to travel from Cal Poly Pomona to the Rosemont Pavilion in Pasadena, where it will reside through Dec. 31. Hundreds of volunteers will help cover the float in flowers and other natural materials.
  10. A new Rose Float Lab and Design Complex is scheduled to open in 2020. The new facility will be fully enclosed, have additional storage space and new equipment.

The 2020 Pasadena Rose Parade begins at 8 a.m. on Jan. 1 and is broadcast live around the world on ABC, KTLA5, NBC and other stations. Cal Poly Pomona’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts will also have photos and video on New Year’s Day.