Although staging the Rose Parade by the city of Pasadena is a costly affair, the Tournament of Roses does not sell its name for commercialism. It's an extravaganza that is relatively uncommercialized. And then there's the ruling on decorations. All floats must be decorated with fresh materials, such as flowers, flower and plant seeds, petals, bark of trees, and leaves. Other pickled or preserved materials are not permitted.
Judges spend time on each float, taking a close look at every detail.
You will have more flowers than any other float in the parade. It will have, among a dozen other varieties, some 50,000 orchids, all imported from Thailand and flown in by Thai International. These floral decorations will include purple dendrobium orchids, Vanda orchids, red Mercedes roses, ginger, anthuriums, heliconia, tuberose, leucadendron and thousands of a wide variety of orchids and lotus blossoms. There will also be red carnations and pepper berries with the golden highlights of yellow chrysanthemums and marigolds to give the snake-like Nagas and the two sculptured classical dancers the prominence that befits their positions in the mythological hierarchy. It's always an exciting moment on the final afternoon before the parade, an afternoon of anxiety and anticipation.