When members of the Tournament of Roses board approached Visit Newport Beach about entering a float into this year’s Rose Parade, officials at the marketing organization immediately planned a float that would maximize its time in the spotlight.
“We wanted to make a statement and tell the story on an impactful scale,” said Gary Sherwin, the organization’s president and CEO. “We wanted to make sure we had something that was a ‘Wow!’”
For starters, the marketing group came up with the idea to blend the city’s own iconic boat parade that, for 115 years, has floated through Newport Harbor with Pasadena’s historic New Year’s Day parade. Doing that, they designed a float – with help from longtime float builder Phoenix Decorating in Irwindale – that will be the Rose Parade’s longest-ever at 150 feet.
The float represents five parade boats traveling through the harbor. Each displays a piece of Newport Beach history by recreating some of the city’s most iconic landmarks in florals and fauna.
This is also Newport Beach’s first return to the Rose Parade in 18 years, and it has been several since an entry out of Orange County floated down the route.
The lead boat will carry a flamingo, a festive-looking polar bear, sparking lights, toys and oversized palm and Christmas trees. The second one in the connected chain will be a nod to the Marina Sailing and Boating Center of the Balboa Pavilion and the third will showcase four Rose Queens, from 1952, 1957, 1975 and 1976, who all live in Newport Beach. The fourth boat will depict the legendary Ferris wheel that for decades has been the symbol of the Balboa Fun Zone and the last boat will have a friendly snowman with a top hat, who wishes everyone a Happy New Year.
Anne Martin Wortmann, Rose Queen in 1976, said she is excited to be on the float with three other former queens, Robin Carr Sanders, 1975; Ann Mossberg Hall, 1957; and Nancy Thorne Skinner, 1952.
Wortmann remembered her first time on the…
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