Rose Parade floats get a test drive before the big day. Annette Arreola reports for Today in LA Weekend on Saturday Nov. 23, 2024.
The 2025 Rose Parade floats will soon be adorned with eye-catching floral decorations for the spectacular New Year's Day tradition on Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena.
But on Saturday in Azusa, it was all about what's underneath.
Some of the parade floats were taken on a test run, an opportunity to kick the tires and assess the mechanicals and underpinning structures before they're decorated for the 136th Rose Parade. The float test drive includes checking components like brakes, throttle, steering and structural integrity before they're covered in floral elements by decorators.
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"We have five of our floats going out on a test run today," said Artistic Entertainment Services spokesman Stefan Pollack said. "Today is about inspecting the underbelly and the mechanicals of the floats. Taking a look at all the mechanicals… before they cover them up and adorn them with beautiful flowers."
Floats participating in the Saturday test run included those representing the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Pasadena Humane/Hill's Pet Nutrition, Go Bowling, the U.S. Army and Honda.
The 2025 parade them is "Best Day Ever."
