How a California Town Builds a Float for One of America's Most-Watched Parades
No corporate sponsors. No million-dollar budget. Just a small California town that refuses to let this tradition die.
Every New Year’s Day, millions of people tune in to watch the Tournament of Roses Parade. Giant floats covered in flowers roll down Pasadena’s Colorado Boulevard, each more elaborate than the last.
Most cost upwards of six figures to build. Some exceed $1 million.
But in a tiny town of 10,000 people in Los Angeles County, a different kind of float comes to life.
One built entirely by volunteers. One funded by $2 donations and drag queen bingo nights.
How The Rose Parade All Started
The Rose Parade began more than 130 years ago as a way to promote Pasadena, which back then was mostly orange groves and farmland. Individual citizens entered floats to showcase what the city (and region) had to offer.
In 1917, Sierra Madre’s Board of Trade (what we’d call the Chamber of Commerce today), decided to throw their hat in the ring. They’ve been entering a float ever since and are the second-oldest participant in the parade’s history.
Over the decades, the tradition evolved. When Prop 13 made it too expensive for the city to fund, community groups took over.
Eventually, the Sierra Madre Rose Float Association was born, a nonprofit that’s kept the parade dream alive through sheer grassroots determination.
Designing the Sierra Madre Float
Every January, the Tournament of Roses announces the parade’s theme for the following year. That’s when Sierra Madre opens the floor to anyone who wants to submit a design.
In early February, a committee reviews all submissions to determine what’s feasible to build and decorate. The board then ranks the designs and takes them to the Tournament’s theme draft, where all float builders gather.
“You walk in, you pull a number, and whatever number you draw is the order in which you get to choose your designs,” explained Ladonna Gaydosh, a long-time volunteer of more than two decades.
Once approved, the real work begins.
How Sierra Madre Raises the Money
Building a Rose Parade float isn’t cheap. Even Sierra Madre’s modest operation costs around $50,000 annually, including $25,000 just for flowers.
So how does a small town pull that off without corporate backing?
“We do one big mailing a year,” said Evelyn Shaffer, the association’s treasurer. “We mail a letter to everybody in the city of Sierra Madre, including all the businesses, and we ask them to help us build this float.”
The responses range from $2 in cash to $500 checks. On average, donors contribute about $50.
Beyond the annual appeal, the association gets creative.
They host drag queen bingo twice a year to raise thousands of dollars per event. They also organize paid trips to television show tapings like The Price is Right and run opportunity drawings with gift baskets.
“It’s really a grassroots fundraising that we do,” Evelyn said.
Local civic groups chip in, too. The Rotary Club, Women’s Club, and others donate grants for specific projects like repairing engines or upgrading barn ventilation.
And sometimes, the float receives the ultimate tribute.
“We’ve even been in people’s wills,” Evelyn shared. “We’ll get a surprise bequeath and it’s usually people who have worked on the float years ago and had so much fun.”
What Keeps Volunteers Coming Back
For many volunteers, the most rewarding part isn’t the parade itself. It’s watching an entire community come together for a common cause.
“A lot of time, nowadays, that’s lost in just growth and expansion of people,” said Paula Kim, another volunteer who’s been involved with the association for close to a decade. “You lose that sense of community and I think it’s important.”
Want to lend a helping hand? Donate to or join the Sierra Madre Rose Float Association all year round as they design and build their float. Visit their website to learn more.