A Great Way to Start the New Year is with the Rose Parade Bandit Run! By Kate McKena
A Great Way to Start the New Year is with the Rose Parade Bandit Run!
By Kate McKena
It's a different way to experience the floats, seeing them up close to really appreciate the fabulous designs, intricate details. and the stunning beauty. In a nutshell, we run the parade route from the end to the beginning, peruse the floats, and then run back, all before the parade starts as you have to be off of Colorado Boulevard when the parade starts.
Though all of the floats are amazing, there are some that resonate more with each of us. For me, I always especially love the animals. The first float I saw this year was "Wild Kingdom", sponsored by Mutual of Omaha, with many animals including the lion, zebra, ram, elephant, ostrich, giraffe, and two owls promoting the message of conservation.
"Reading: It's an Adventure", by the Downey Rose Float Association, with the message "Rise, Shine, and Read", though for us it was "Rise, Shine, and Run" ;o)
The day starts with the alarm going off at 3:00 am, dressing in layers as it's usually pretty chilly at that time of the morning. We drive to Pasadena to meet the group around 4:45 am and start the run by 5:00. We run the parade route up Colorado Boulevard to where the parade starts. There are people along the route, saving spots for their group to get a good view, some that have been there overnight and still curled up in their sleeping bag. There are remnants of the New Year's Eve celebration - and the tradition of throwing tortillas, so watch where you step! There are a lot of well-wishers along the way, asking why we're running and wishing a Happy new Year!
This year's parade theme "Dream. Believe. Achieve." portrays the message that anyone can make a difference in helping the world be a better place. The floats are made with all natural materials including leaves, seeds, bark, in addition to flowers.
The "Courage to Hope" float, by Donate Life, promotes the message or organ donation and has portraits honoring organ, eye, and issue donors. I especially love the intricacy and the amount of tedious details that are put into creating these portraits.
The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation a Harbor UCLA presented "Impositive". I loved the word "Impositive" and if you look it up, there are several meanings from not positive to when something sounds too good to be true, but here it represents having optimism against impossible odds, depicted by scientists working on biomedical research.
The wise old owl representing "Changing Lives Through Education", sponsored by Rotary, is a beautiful owl with books, a graduation cap and the world at its fingertips.
I loved the next message, "Let Imagination Be Your Guide", presented by Western Asset, which also had an owl as the lookout on a boat navigating the seven seas, featuring several somewhat unrelated animals including birds, fish, cats, and what appears to be a baby dragon.
Another dragon appears in the next float, "An Unlikely Tale", by the Burbank Tournament of Roses Association, which depicts the friendship of a dragon and a young boy, who make their dreams come true.
South Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association presented "Sky's the Limit", with encouragement for an Ostrich that believes he can fly. I love that this follows the "Impositive" theme of optimism against all odds.
And I'll wrap up with "Dream to Achieve" by Kiwanis International, depicting a turtle on a tricycle towing a "Dream Boat", with the directional sign "To the future". Though I only covered a few of the many floats, I think the theme of the parade can be summed up with the Artistic Entertainment Services float "Anyone Can Happen". So, here's to making the world better in 2022. Happy New Year!!
Kate McKena
Bio…
Kate is originally from the east coast, but always felt like home was California as far back as she can remember, long before even visiting. She has always surmised that the stork dropped her on the wrong coast, and she was only visiting the east coast most of her life. She moved to California in 2007 and lives with her two puglets, Puddin' and Pippin', on her boat in Cabrillo Marina. Though she has dabbled with photography on and off for most of her life, from black & white darkroom developing to 3D photography with a Kodak Stereo camera, she renewed her interest in photography with the additional home time over the last two years.
Related Articles
