Submitted by Laurel Hollopeter AIFD, CFD, IMF
Hello and Happy New Year from California and the 2022 Rose Parade. The design team is slowly arriving as this year it seems travel is more difficult than normal. Flight delays, canceled flights and Covid protocols are all making it different this year in gathering the troops.
Finally, all have arrived safely, some in the wee morning hours of December 26th, which as a designer, is our travel day for the parade. Designers arrived to many of the different Los Angeles area airports throughout the day. Not only was air travel difficult, but getting your rental vehicle also brought some difficulties. We, as floral designers, just charged on and conquered what we were given this year.
Our design team met later than usual for our team meeting (on December 27) as we waited on the arrival of everyone. Some designers and team leaders have already had their walk through of their floats, with Katie McCormick Furey and Nicholas St. Clair AIFD.
Once in the meeting, we are given information on floral foam supply, (as we are even in our own shops experiencing shortages) that certain types and sizes are simply not available this year. Each float has been given a certain amount of foam and we are making it work for everyone. Not only is the supply of foam and issue, but we are learning that some planned flowers and greens will not be available for use. However, as great designers, we are doing what we do in our own shops, we adapt to what we are given and actually making it work better!
For this parade, Fiesta Parade Floats (the company that I am working for) has chosen to only build six floats for the 2022 Rose Parade. This means less floral designers, less volunteers, but it still means great quality of workmanship!
It seemed strange walking in on December 26 and seeing only six floats this year, but the quality of these six is unmatched by anyone. The employees of Fiesta are putting the finishing touches on the construction and the many volunteers who are here are beginning the process of dried decoration.
Fresh flowers have started to arrive under the direction of Nicholas St. Clair, and he and his team are checking off the list of needs and making sure everything is fresh and great quality. It seems strange seeing carts full of loads of fresh flowers arriving already in water! The design teams then verified the number of flowers received to what was on our list for what we were required to do.
Day one for the floral team involved processing some flowers, making our pads with foam, getting containers ready with foam, and then placing the containers and pads on the float itself. As a designer we want to get the pads placed on the floats before decking (fresh evergreen) goes down so we can get the pads placed securely and well. One must remember these floats travel several miles, not only during the actual parade, but to the lineup for the parade on New Year’s Eve afternoon. It’s all very important on that the mechanical aspect of making sure we place the designs correctly and securely so the beauty of the fresh floral décor will flourish!
Each day we have been given goals of what should be done on the floats. You want to keep on track so we don’t get behind. Some areas you might start designs off of the float to complete, and then place on the float when time.
The first judging of the float was done on Thursday December 30. During this judging time the team has assembled some of the floral décor and is working hard on other areas of the float. At this time we do not showcase the entire float as we leave surprise elements for the final judging with is done on December 31 with the entire float in action with riders, walkers and music!
We have worked what I would call normal hours so far, nothing late and not coming in really early either. As the design team has traveled from across the country, some are still adjusting to time changes and travel delays. We are on task to complete the floats on time and looking forward to bringing you the finished floats and can’t wait to have our six floats judged for the final time to see how we do! From the float barn in Irwindale, California, the design team and volunteers are hard at work for the 2022 Rose Parade “Dream Believe and Achieve”, the 133rd Rose Parade. THE BLOOM IS BACK!!
