It’s hard to pin down which floats go above and beyond each year in the annual Rose Parade. Created with planning that happens months — sometimes even years — out from the parade, each decked out with hundreds of flowers and hours of labor when they finally grace Colorado Boulevard, each float is designed to impress.
There’s the ones that go home with awards, yes, but there’s usually a few that fall through the cracks, too. The staff at Pasadena Star-News was on scene during Thursday’s parade, and here are the ones that they think deserve some extra recognition:
San Francisco Travel Association
The sights and sounds of the City by the Bay — cable cars, Pier 39, Golden Gate Bridge and more — came to life aboard this inaugural entry from the San Francisco Travel Association.
The float featured more than 100,000 individual blooms, including 15,000 fluorescent orange marigolds used to create the oversized California poppies encircling the float.
Visit Mississippi
The sophomore entry from Visit Mississippi featured a giant Kermit the Frog, which impressed as it went by accompanied by a musical performance by Mississippi-native Charlie Worsham. Kermit’s appearance paid homage to the frog’s hometown, which his creator, Jim Henson, listed as Leland, Mississippi.
America250
With New Year’s Day opening America’s semiquincentennial year, the 55-foot-long float featured a botanically rich landscape inspired by the country’s natural beauty. The three larger-than-life bald eagles represented the past, present and future of the United States.
Trader Joe’s
Cult-favorite float contributor Trader Joe’s brought a float themed around an ice cream float to this year’s parade. Joining the ice cream float was a giant ship made of fruit, steered by a parrot captain.
Cal Poly Universities
The Rose Parade’s 2025 Sweepstakes Award, marking the most beautiful entry, was presented to the Cal Poly Universities early Thursday — and we don’t disagree. Designed, constructed and decorated by students at Cal Poly Pomona and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, this float features rainforest animals working together to restore an old robot. It was a visual representation of “The Magic in Teamwork” theme.
Rising Together
To honor the lives lost during the early 2025 wildfires in Altadena, Pasadena, Pacific Palisades and Malibu, 31 sunflowers appeared on the float — the first Rose Parade entry from the California Community Foundation and the Black Freedom Fund. Rising from the center of the float was a phoenix in mid-ascent.
The UPS Store
With an under-the-sea themed float, The UPS Store returned with a majestic 34-foot-tall seahorse coaching his charges through a synchronized swimming routine. It was adorned with an impressive number of flowers (170,000) and natural elements, but perhaps more impressive is the record that it set: Shortly before the parade, Guinness World Records proclaimed the seahorse the largest animatronic fish ever.
Star Trek 60
A recreation of the starship U.S.S. Enterprise soared over Colorado Boulevard to celebrate 60 years since the launch of the legendary TV series “Star Trek” (Sept. 8, 1966). Other iconic imagery from the show included rocks representing the geology in the Vasquez Rocks Natural Area, a 945-acre park in Agua Dulce, about 45 miles north of Pasadena and frequent filming location; and the Enterprise’s famous command bridge, where “Star Trek” actors will be stationed for the parade.
Explore Louisiana
For its fifth Rose Parade entry, Explore Louisiana and the Louisiana Office of Tourism celebrated the combined efforts of fishermen, farmers, market vendors and chefs who create something uniquely Louisiana — gumbo. The float’s pelican chef was constructed with an internal lift system that allowed him to raise and lower his ladle, creating the illusion of stirring the bubbling pot of gumbo.
Kiwanis International
Making its 44th Rose Parade appearance, Kiwanis International had a quartet of hippos — a mama and her three youngsters — enjoying their time at a watering hole. They were decorated with light- and dark-grey light lettuce seed, and pink and white fine-cut strawflower; the freckles are dark grey lettuce seed, and the eyes are black beans and white navy beans. The submerged hippos spun and bobbed, while the other baby hippo on land tilted.
