Rose Parade Coverage

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CHR

CHR

Design matters
Nov 28, 2002
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The LA Times has a wonderful section about Rose Parade floats this morning including photo galleries and videos. This image gallery was all shot at Fiesta Floats where I know at least a couple FCers are working. (Didn't spot any familiar faces, though.)

The "how they build a fire-breathing dragon" images are cool, too.

Lots of news and info about the parade so I'll try and add some more links later today.

Watching the parade is the absolutely best way to start the New Year. :)
 
I agree there is no beter way to start the new year, than a flower celebration of this magititude! Haven't been back in several years, but agter 14 years there it really does make you think about how hard the desgin team works to pull this off.

Fiesta Parade floats as you can tell is the BEST floral of them all, most would agree the other pale in comparision.

Happy Floral New Year, good post Cathy! Best to you Phil and Rosie, too.
 
For those of us who have worked with Fiesta Floats before, it kind of gives me a lump in my throat to know what exactly goes into that kind of production. Jonathon and I went and worked two years with Fiesta. The second year we took my 14 year old son with us. He has wonderful memories of this as do we.

There is a type of emotion felt, when they roll out the floats for final judging that is only even close to what is felt at childbirth. You are so exhausted, yet you didn't know that such pride could exist. Perhaps you women with fast labors wouldn't make the connection-mine were all extremely LONG. Our last shift on the floats was something like 32 hours straight. We could hardly walk or feel our extremities, yet when they got everything on the floats going...it was magical and emotional. I cried... even what's his name cried (but don't tell him that I told you). Just to know that you had something to do witH something of this magnitude is truley AMAZING.

They have been trying to get us to come back and do it year after year. I truly believe that everyone should do it at least once. But my answer has been for some time now, "Been there, Done that, and it's on the resime'." Besides, my brother and sis-in-law usually take off for the PI the day after Christmas for 5-6 weeks. That's the day all the designers show up for the finishing touches.

Actually, I met several of our FC members while working on those wonderful floats. I regard those people as very close friends. Eddie Payne actually helped me during my AIFD process. Tony from PJ's in Phoenix and I were inducted together. Just to name a couple...

Just couldn't help myself when the subject came up about Fiesta Floats.

Thanks for allowing me to go on and on. If you ever think you would like to have the experience...Go for it. It's worth it.

Twila
 
Working on the Rose parade floats is a dream of mine. I have not yet been able to do so, but I WILL make it out in time one of these years to work on the parade and to just spend some time working alongside and collaborataing with some of my fellow florists.

The amazing creativity that comes from watching the parade and in particular seeing the visions of Jim Hynd come to life is so amazing. And yes Cathy, I had the pleasure of watching You and Phil so many years ago, come riding out on one of the peices at National Symposium.....while I was not able to be there in person, that is still one of the most treasured videos of symposium that I possess.
 
Twila said:
Just couldn't help myself when the subject came up about Fiesta Floats.

Thanks for allowing me to go on and on. If you ever think you would like to have the experience...Go for it. It's worth it.

Twila
Click to expand...

Thanks for saying it for me - it's an awesome experience.

One of the few things that's choked me up in many years - you do actually cry when you see your incredibly hugely awesome overwhelming work come to life like that.

THAT'S what I call a floral arrangement!

What kind of single arrangement could you make with a million bucks? (That's what Thai Airways spends on theirs)

Eddie and I worked side by side on the FTD float back in '00 when I was the #1 FTD basher in the US. And we won, too!

Jim Hynd (Fiesta) does consistently win most of the awards - I think they pass the rest around "just to be fair" cuz he is an utterly incredible artist.

And darn it I overslept this morning - anyone know if it will replay tonight?
 
You can contact most anyone at Fiesta Parade Floats....they are online as well and they will send you the info. You can also go online to AIFD website and get Jim hynd's e-mail of the AIFD member listing and contact Jim directly and he can put you in touch with the right person.

Also, You can go to Phoenix decorating online and go through there to assisit with Raul Rodriguez designs as well.
 
Jon, it's on KTLA now... at least that's according to my Express Vu guide.

V
 
I had tickets to the Rose Bowl Game.... but let them go.

Sis and BIL are in the process (he has, she hasn't) of relocating to the LA area from the Salinas area.

Sis, BIL and I are all U of I grads. Other sis and bf went for the parade and the game.

The life of florist....

I walk in the greenhouse this morning to a sea of boiler water. A manifold pipe slipped of the Header feed. Luckily it must have happened only a few hours earlier.

One day..... I will go.

Joe
 
JB -

KTLA has their Parade broadcast on video (broken down into fifteen minute segments.) It's a local LA station that covers the parade without breaking away to commercials.

Here's a list of the trophy winners and more coverage from the LA Times.

Rick -

Gee, you have a good memory. Put me in the Jim Hynd fan club too. He's not only a fabulous float designer, but a generous person in sharing his vast knowledge about flowers. Jim's program at AIFD symposium brought down the house. Hard to believe it was 14 years ago - but people were still talking about it this year in Palm Springs.

Twila -

Fantastic post! The emotional component of 'being there' is truly remarkable. I'm hoping to use a bit of your remarks in a blog post.

Eddie -

Your post made remember the days when Gerd Pollitz (Rocky's husband) ran the seed shack. :)

So many great designers have worked for Jim at Fiesta. Of course, the other float companies use top-notch designers, too, but Fiesta always seems to do the floral work better than anyone else.

You guys probably already know that Rainbird took Sweepstakes this year. They've been uploading video daily to YouTube. The one from Saturday features an interview with Jim and you can see Modesto Busto adding lotus pods in the background at one point. http://youtube.com/watch?v=yIDUS13EBjg

FTD must have cut the budget. It was definitely less showy than years past - still, the float won an award.
 
Besides the Rose Parade, I want to also help with SAF's effort at Presidential Inaguration...( how great that Ian Prosser was head man last time ), and work with the Philadelphia flower show and the AIFD exhibit that we always do.
 
Cathy - in watching the referenced You tube Video you mentioned, I also saw a clip of Las Floristas.

I know Phil has judged Las Floristas before. Have you, Phil, or anyone here on FC ever done or seen The incredible work done for Las Floristas and the other headdress ball - Damas De Caridad I think is the name of that one ?
 
Thanks to all who have posted nice words about the parade, especially about Fiesta. I have just returned from lovely Duarte and Fiesta Parade Floats.
This was my eight year of working for FPF.
They are absolutely the BEST float company to work for.
They treat us like royalty and create the most lush, beautifully created florals in the parade. Jim Hyde AIFD, the floral creator, is brilliant, and about the nicest person on the planet. Our Rainbird float captured Sweepstakes. Out of the 10 floats we made and are eligible for an award, we captured 8 awards.
A Fiesta Float stands out from the others.

I have done the Macy's Queens float for the past 4 years. It isn't eligible for an award, but, I put my all of my heart and hard work into it.

We are always looking for volunteers. If anyone is interested, they should contact Beverly [email protected]

Working for Fiesta has brought me many opportunities and exposures.
Here is a link to a little article that the Rocky Mountain News did on me this last weekend. http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2007/dec/29/local-florists-have-hand-in-parade/

Happy New Year to all.
I'm going back to sleep!!!
 
The article was great. What a wonderful thing to be involved in. It sounds exciting and awe inspiring(and some hard work) Kudos to you!
 
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