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It is official! The design for the South Pasadena self-built float that will travel down Colorado Boulevard in the Jan. 1, 2024, Rose Parade® presented by Honda has been chosen. Its title is – drumroll please – “BOOGIE FEVER.”
The artist’s rendering depicts five joyful animals holding musical instruments. A smiling giraffe grasps a tambourine in its mouth. An elephant’s trunk has been transformed into a horn instrument. A happy orangutang plays bongo drums while a playful toucan shakes a pair of maracas. A snake is poised to start spinning a record on an old-fashioned player with more vinyl records on deck. They are all on a lush bed of colorful tropical flowers and plants.
“The design was chosen from dozens of entries submitted by a variety of individuals from kindergarten students to senior citizens,” said Ed Donnelly, president of the South Pasadena Tournament of Roses Committee (SPTOR).
“The design committee studied each of them and ultimately landed on a brilliant concept submitted by Anne Muller,” he tells us. “Reneé Hoss-Johnson took Anne’s sketch and created a vibrant rendering, as well as a practical guide that we can follow to build the float that you will see rolling down Colorado Boulevard in January.”
“Boogie Fever” is the name of a number one ’70’s hit song by the Sylvers, a Los Angeles-based group. The song reflects the post-disco musical genre of that time and our featured float animals will be jamming along with the recorded song which will no doubt inspire revelers to dance along.
SPTOR has obtained the rights to play the tune royalty-free during the parade, according to committee members. Added music that fits the theme has proved to be a winning addition to our float in past years.
“Boogie Fever” reflects the Tournament of Roses® Parade theme of “Celebrating a World of Music: the Universal Language.”
The float, as always, also highlights the spirit of South Pasadena. “We wanted to showcase the exuberance and optimism of our community,” Donnelly told the Pasadena NOW online magazine in August.
“Our design is a group of tropical animals playing music together in an explosion of joy,” he said. “This reflects the energy and enthusiasm of all the young families that have moved into town in the past few years.”
In 2024, we will have had a float in the parade as a city for 113 years. South Pasadena’s is the oldest self-built float in the parade. The other self-built floats are from Burbank, Downey, La Canada, Sierra Madre, and both campuses of Cal Poly.
Construction of the float has already begun under a massive tent in the parking lot of the War Memorial Building. To inquire about volunteering on the construction crew, email construction@sptor.org
Signups for the deco (decoration) squad begin September 15. Visit www.sptor.org for more information.
The city’s entry is completely self-built. Volunteers build and decorate the float. They also sponsor events to raise the $140,000 needed annually to pay expenses. To donate,
visit www.sptor.org
Last year, we won the Bob Hope Humor Award for featuring the most whimsical and amusing float in the parade. It was a very exciting New Year’s Day for South Pasadenans. Be sure to volunteer this year so you and your family can be part of it all!
