It was not a typical early Saturday morning on upper Fair Oaks Avenue in South Pasadena between the War Memorial Building and Columbia Street.
That was where at 7 a.m. on Nov. 11 a road test took place to assess the performance and safety of the city’s 2024 float-in-progress. The test was part of a scheduled inspection conducted by members of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses’ organization prior to the Jan. 1 Rose Parade.
The South Pasadena float, titled “Boogie Fever,” will ride in the 5 ½-mile-long parade. The title — a disco song from the 1970s — reflects the parade’s theme of “Celebrating a World of Music: the Universal Language.” A joyful giraffe, elephant and other animals appear on the float holding instruments and jamming along with the song.
During the brief road test, South Pasadena Police Department staff halted traffic. Rob Benjamin, construction chair of the South Pasadena Tournament of Roses Committee, drove the float in an elevated part of the chassis, with only his head visible. Jeremy Bruce, construction team member, sat at the front of the float in what will become a drum that one of the animals — the orangutan — will be playing. His job was to look for any obstacles in the pathway and to stop the vehicle if necessary. These are the same roles that Benjamin and Bruce will assume on Jan. 1.
Escorted by police, the float traveled slowly up Fair Oaks Avenue northbound from the War Memorial Building to Columbia Street. After taking a U turn there, Benjamin drove it south on Fair Oaks to the float site at the memorial building. Members of the work crew and inspectors walked alongside the float on the route. Traffic followed the slow-moving vehicle.
The city’s parade entry passed the road test. “The float ran smoothly and had no issues,” said Benjamin.
Approximately a half-dozen float technical inspectors and observers spent several hours examining the city’s parade entry before and after the road test.
The inspection, which is known as T1, went well, Benjamin said.
“We had a successful T1,” he said. “We had a couple of minor open-item things that are easy to fix.”
The float underwent a mechanical inspection some months ago and was found to be sound, Benjamin added.
Ed Donnelly, the South Pasadena Tournament of Roses president, was pleased with the results of the inspection. He said, “Our construction team has been working diligently for the past few months to create the framework for this year’s design. Following all that hard work, we had 100% confidence we would pass the inspection. Nonetheless, it is a great feeling to see the South Pas float rolling down the street just like it will do on New Year’s Day.”
Brant Dunlap, SPTOR president for 2022-2023, said that there will be a third inspection focusing on fire safety and other requirements when the float is 75% complete.
“This one,” he said, referring to the T1 on Nov. 11, “is the big one.”
“This is the first time we get it out on the road,” Dunlap said. The float must be 25% complete at this point, he added.
After the inspection, the float construction and decoration crews returned to the site for the rest of the day. They are now working three evenings a week and every Saturday and Sunday.
South Pasadena has had a float in the parade longer than any other entity. The float is built entirely by volunteers. For information about volunteering, visit sptor.org.
The website also has details about ways to help raise the estimated $150,000 needed this year to pay expenses.
“The float is funded 100% by donations,” Benjamin said.
First published in the November 17 print issue of the South Pasadena Review.
