Valley Hunt Club Friesian Hitch & Riders (#76) The Valley Hunt Club was founded in 1888 as a riding group to hunt jackrabbits and other game on horseback in the Pasadena fields and foothills. The group later founded the Tournament of Roses in 1890 and sponsored the parade the first six years of its existence (1890-1895). The 2006 Rose Parade marks the club's 35th year of participation.
The group appears in an antique 1860 green Landau carriage drawn by four Friesian horses. Friesian horses are a relatively rare, black colored breed that originated in Friesland, a province of the Netherlands. Graceful enough for riding and powerful enough for farming, the breed has been used by medieval knights, 17th century cavalry and World War II soldiers.
Marshal: Sarah Babcock
City of Palmdale (#77)
Float Theme: A Magical Place To Call Home
"A Magical Place to Call Home" is a twist on Palmdale's "A Place to Call Home" slogan. With delicate fluttering wings and a sparkling magic wand, this Harvest Fairy spreads joy and generosity with overflowing, bountiful cornucopias. A profusion of oversized apples, pears, grapes, squash, pumpkins and acorns flows from the largest of the three cornucopias. Two magnificent bouquets of sculptured magnolia blossoms cascade from cornucopias at the rear of the float. Sculptured morning glories and mushrooms frame the float.
The porcelain skin tone of the Harvest Fairy is a mix of walnut shell, white cornmeal and paprika. Her costume is artistically created in coconut and glistening lunaria with delicate wings of purple dendrobium orchid florets, hot pink sinuata statice, yellow marigolds and gold strawflowers. Floral arrangements of white Casablanca lilies, gladiolus, euphorbia, tuberose, phaleonopsis and dendrobium orchids are intermixed with burgundy Sumatra lilies, pink roses, antherium and ginger. Gardens of 25,000 gold Queensday and yellow Gold Strike roses complete this floral fantasy.
Band: Canadian Massed Pipes and Drums (#78)
Location: Ontario, Canada
The Canadian Massed Pipes and Drums is a family oriented venture with an age range of 12 to 80 years old. Ross Baxter directs the 62-member band, which includes one drum major, 18 percussion, two banner carriers and 10 color guard. Their uniforms are mixed Scottish tartans. Most of the pieces they perform are original bagpipe music.
The band has performed in 26 countries and in nearly every province in Canada. They boast four previous performances in the Rose Parade. They have toured Scotland five times and during their last trip, they performed for Her Majesty and other members of the Royal Family at Balmoral Castle.
Burbank Tournament of Roses Association/City of Burbank (#79)
Float Theme: Pachyderm Parade
What could be more magical than the circus coming to town—especially one with a flying elephant? This float depicts Papa Elephant going after the peanuts from a crashed peanut cart, while Mama tries to stop him and Baby enjoys the flight hanging onto Mama's tail. The crashed peanut cart is made of red carnations and yellow cornmeal. Garbanzo beans create the bumpy texture of the peanut shells. Papa Elephant's withered skin is crushed black/silver lichen, and his headpiece and blanket are Orange Unique roses with a lavish design of Red France roses, Leonidas roses and green Kermit button mums. Mama Elephant's headpiece and blanket are Valerie roses outlined with Osiana and Hot Princess roses. Baby Elephant's skin is created with crushed Ming moss and mauve strawflower.
With one of only six self-built floats in the parade, the Burbank Tournament of Roses Association is a year-round organization, composed entirely of volunteers, who design, build and decorate their float each year.
War Horse and Militaria Heritage Foundation (#80)
The War Horse and Militaria Heritage Foundation educates and entertains the public with a musical ride showing the pomp and circumstance of famous cavalry regiments throughout the world. They also give historical lectures and demonstrations promoting the role of the horse in military history. The majority of riders are on Arabians, which are known for their intelligence, stamina and endurance. The Arabian horse goes back thousands of years as a pure breed and is the foundation horse of many breeds today. Able to travel for distances of over 100 miles, they were popular in history as light cavalry.
The Foundation presents two famous regiments: the Scots Greys of 1815 at their charge at Waterloo and the British 17th Lancers of 1879 in South Africa. Most of the saddles are original European cavalry saddles from the 19th century.
Marshal: Fritz Bronner
Downey Rose Float Association (#81)
Float Theme: Polar Wonderland
The Downey float depicts a wintry snow globe with polar bears inside. The globe has broken, and the polar bears have magically come to life and are escaping the snow globe. Tropical flowers with 3,000 white roses, 3,500 orchids and 1,500 irises produce the snowy effect. Float riders include Miss Downey 2006, Robyn Guggiana, joined by her princesses Justine Akil, Krystal Duncans, Amanda Thoreson and Jacqueline Munoz.
The Downey Rose Float Association first entered the parade in 1913, became incorporated in 1952 and has entered a float in the parade every year since. Float decorators are all volunteers; some have worked on the floats since they were small children and now they bring their own children.
Band: Seika Girls High School Marching Band (#82)
Location: Fukuoka, JapanThe Seika Girls High School is one of the oldest private high schools in Fukuoka, Japan. Mrs. Matsu Yoshida (1884-1976) established the first sewing academy in Fukuoka in 1909. As founder of the Seika Girls High School, Yoshida devoted her whole life to education for girls at a time when it was not considered to be important. Yoshida's aspiration was to nurture girls to become broad-minded citizens of the world and to establish Japanese cultural identity. She was highly respected as a female educator and was decorated with the Medal of Merit for her distinguished achievement.
In 1978, Fujishige Yoshihisa founded a school band club; today he is the director of the Seika Girls High School Marching Band. Recently, the band won the 2003 and 2004 Gold Prize in the All Japan Marching Band Contest. This performance will mark the marching band's first Rose Parade appearance.
Oddfellows and Rebekahs (#83)
Float Theme: A Romantic Moment
As everyone who has ever experienced "A Romantic Moment" can attest, it's magical! A winter forest scene and a one-horse open sleigh provide a romantic setting, offering a young couple a magical moment in time. A spotted draft horse propels this loving duo—surely an Odd Fellow and a Rebekah—along their snowy path. Real fir trees highlight the Oddfellows and Rebekahs' 53rd entry in the Rose Parade. The trees are surrounded by glistening snow flakes and several hearty roses, peeking though Jack Frost's newly fallen magical coating.
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows, founded circa 1841 in Great Britain, is dedicated to "visiting the sick, relieving the distressed, burying the dead, educating the orphaned and improving the character of man."
California Elite Petite (#84)
The Miniature Horse is a unique breed. These strong and intelligent horses worked in the gold mines of South America. They were brought to the United States in the 1800s and worked in the Appalachian coal mines until 1950. The 14 Miniature Horses in this team are all less than 34 inches high.
The California Elite Petite is a unique group of driven Miniature Horses that pull antique and vintage coaches, wagons and carriages. Art Ricketts and Jim Rapp built the miniature stagecoach from the original 1800s Wells Fargo coach plans with authentic colors and gold leaf detail. The costumes are made from vintage design patterns. The group has performed in parades and exhibitions for five years. They also participate in animal-assisted therapy and special education for children. They love every minute of performing and do it for the big rewards: the smiles.
Marshal: Dawn Wright
City of South Pasadena (#85)
Float Theme: Magical Mischief
South Pasadena's float portrays what occurs when funny things happen to a witch and her kitchen. Raccoons have broken into the witch's kitchen and are playing while she sleeps in her rocking chair. One raccoon learns to fly on a magic broomstick and another has picked up a magic wand and turned a small rabbit into a 10-foot rabbit. The raccoons' antics illustrate what can happen when someone gets into something they know nothing about.
The bunny is fashioned in raw cotton and the raccoons are wearing palm fiber, uva grass, Old Man's Beard and pampas grass. The caldron is made of Spanish moss, Brussels sprouts, limes, Kermit green mums and amaranth seed. The base gardens are mixed with mums, roses, carnations, irises, orchids, elephant leaves and hydrangeas. The South Pasadena Tournament of Roses float is the oldest self-built float in the parade and also the second oldest floral entry in the parade's history.
Band: Foothill Marching Band (#86)
Location: Pleasanton, California
The Foothill Marching Band has a long history of outstanding performances, which includes appearances in the Portland Rose Festival, the Fiesta Bowl in Phoenix, the Festival of States in St. Petersburg, Fla., the Hawaii Invitational Music Festival in Honolulu and the London New Year's Day Parade. This is the band's fifth appearance in the Rose Parade. Members of the Foothill Marching Band travel to Europe every other summer to give concerts in London, Paris, Switzerland, Austria and Germany.
The Foothill Marching Band has earned more than 2,500 first-place and sweepstakes awards. This past school year, the band earned 15 sweepstakes awards in marching competitions and 22 first-place awards. This is the 32nd year of the Foothill Marching Band under the direction of Bob Moorefield.
City of Alhambra (#87)
Float Theme: Floating on the River
A bejeweled, reclining goddess floating on the river Nile presents a lighthearted look at one of history's most magical rulers, Cleopatra. But this Queen of the Nile is stylized as a gigantic hippo, lounging on a colorful floral barge and enjoying the pleasures of a bowl of fruit, cooling feather fans and the aroma of a single rose.
The hippo is created with silverleaf, gray moss and carnation petals. Her gossamer pants feature pink roses and strawflowers. The fans are created with pink flower petals and pampas grass. Alhambra, located south of Pasadena, is celebrating its 78th consecutive Rose Parade appearance. The float is decorated by more than 500 volunteers, primarily from the Alhambra Unified School District.
Spirit of the West Riders (#88)As in the Old West, the Spirit of the West Riders rely on a variety of horse breeds including quarterhorses, thoroughbreds, paints, mustangs, Missouri fox trotters, Arabians and other popular breeds of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They are a unique horse group that blends American history and entertainment in their representation of the men and women of various ethnic backgrounds who tamed the wild frontier of the 1840-1920 period. Each of these equestrians embodies the spirit of the American frontier with their colorful old-time outfits, period saddles and other historic gear.
All dedicated historians and top horsebackers, many Spirit of the West Riders appear frequently at charitable functions throughout southern California and in professional productions, movies and television. Shunning the popular "Hollywood" Western film image, this equestrian unit offers a realistic, yet flavorful, glimpse of America's past.
Marshal: Phil Spangenberger
City of Pasadena (#89)
Float Theme: Building the Future
Pasadena is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its community-owned Water & Power Department that provides electric service to its residents and businesses. A construction worker wearing a hard hat holds a lightning bolt—the magic of power—in one hand and a crown and key—the official symbol of Pasadena—in the other. He is surrounded by notable images of the city: the fountain at the city's power plant, the Colorado Street Bridge, the Gamble house, Jet Propulsion Laboratory projects, Pasadena City Hall, the city's first power plant and the Rose Bowl stadium. The images are presented on a bed of sculpted and real roses.
The entry in the Rose Parade is one of several activities planned to mark the 100th anniversary of Pasadena's municipal electric system.
Band: PUSD All Star Band (#90)
Location: Pasadena, California
The Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) All Star Band was created last year specifically for the Rose Parade. High schools represented in the band are Blair, John Muir, John Marshall Fundamental plus Pasadena and middle schools are Eliot, McKinley, Norma Coombs Alternative, Sierra Madre, Washington and Wilson. David Miller is the director.
City of Los Angeles (#91)
Float Theme: LA's Architectural Heritage
Los Angeles is a magical city in many ways, including its architecture. A three-story Victorian-style home proudly introduces LA's architectural heritage, saluting the founding of the city in 1850 and the diversity of its architecture and people. The second largest city in the United States, Los Angeles is the Tournament of Roses' longest continual float sponsor with the 2006 entry representing 108 years of parade participation. Flowering trees, a fountain and lush garden setting accent the float, evoking visions of the many inviting neighborhoods that accent the familiar architecture of the downtown LA skyline.
The Victorian house is created with yellow and orange strawflower, ground sweet rice and ground lentil. The roof is made of palm bark and the trees bloom with dendrobium and cattleya orchids, on trunks of palm fiber. The garden areas feature roses, gerbera daisies, gladiolas and irises.
Wonderful Outdoor World (#92)
The Wonderful Outdoor World (WOW) program was created in 1995 to introduce outdoor recreation and environmental education to inner-city Los Angeles youth. These urban kids get the opportunity to camp and have fun learning about the outdoors. Eight of the youth riders are WOW campers from inner city areas who participated in WOW both at their neighborhood park and on a mule pack trip in the Sierra. These riders were selected based on their knowledge of outdoor recreation and ecology, along with their riding skills.
The WOW mule team, costumed with saddle packs full of an assortment of traditional camping gear, leads the way for this year's parade entry. Selected WOW participants, wearing colorful camping-appropriate attire and riding hats, ride side by side as they travel down the parade route.
Marshal: Dana Valdez
Lutheran Laymen's League (#93)
Float Theme: Miracle of Faith
A large cross symbolizes the "Miracle of Faith" and celebrates the 75th anniversary of the Lutheran Hour radio broadcast. Unique backlighting enhances the magical glow of the cross, while roses, yellow ribbon and butterflies serve to accent the Lutheran Hour's 57th Rose Parade entry. A richly colored pillow supports the cross. The Lutheran-affiliated Petal Pushers® provide more than 5,000 volunteer decorators each year for this float and for many others created by Phoenix Decorating Co.
The cross is covered with dry red, yellow, orange and purple strawflowers; the sides of the cross feature sweet rice; and roses at the center are created with red and yellow strawflower. The yellow ribbons being placed by Monarch butterflies are created with a combination of yellow strawflower and live flower petals. The butterflies feature acetate wings colored with sesame seeds and yellow and orange strawflower. The pillow supporting the cross is made of red carnations with details provided by yellow strawflower, split peas and blue strawflower.
Band: Pearl City High School Charger Marching Band (#94)
Location: Pearl City, HawaiiPearl City High School is located on the island of Oahu, the "Gathering Place" where the city of Honolulu and district of Waikiki are found. Situated on the slopes of the magnificent Ko'olau range, the school's campus overlooks historic Pearl Harbor. From this beautiful setting, the Pearl City High School Band shines as an exemplary program in the public schools.
This is the Charger Marching Band's fifth Rose Parade appearance. The Chargers have also performed in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Hollywood Christmas Parade, Ginza Parade in Tokyo and the annual Aloha Week Floral Parade in Honolulu. Under the direction of Kent Sato, the band's 262 members consist of one drum major, 111 woodwinds, 66 brass, 24 percussion, 36 dancers and 22 banner carriers. Performances by the band are noted for excitement, energy and entertainment.
Lions Clubs International (#95)
Float Theme: We Believe in Magic
A gigantic, tuxedoed lion entertains parade viewers as he rides in a top hat floating along on a mystical flying carpet. This fine feline undoubtedly has many tricks up his sleeve, but it's his wand that signifies the true magic. The red and white cane depicts the Lions Clubs' dedication to working with the visually impaired, with the goal of wiping out preventable blindness. This is the 20th year that the 1.5-million-member organization has participated in the Rose Parade.
Blind and visually impaired members of the Leo Club of the Braille Institute help decorate the float. By participating in floral application, they are given the opportunity to touch and smell the flowers as they are applied to the float and truly experience the heart of the Tournament of Roses Parade. The lion's fur is created with pampas and uva grass, his tuxedo is decorated with black seaweed and the bowtie is made of carnation petals. The flying carpet is fashioned with lentils, split peas and yellow strawflower. The magic wand cane features white sweet rice and carnation petals.
Western Group (#96)
The Western Group is a band of elegant riders from across the U.S. assembled primarily for the Rose Parade. These riders have been participating in the Rose Parade for more than 30 years. Many of the riders participate in other parades and benefits throughout the year. Breeds represented in this group are: Missouri fox trotter, Appaloosas, quarterhorses, Morgans and Arabians.
The riders' attire is adorned with leather, rhinestones, silver and other elegant fabrics as well as ornamental accessories. Marshall Jann of Sweden's attire consists of a white tuxedo accented with red roses. Many saddles exhibited by the Western Group are the work of Bohlin, a master saddle maker whose craft was at its peak in the 1920s and 1930s Hollywood era.
Marshal: Jann of Sweden
City of Glendale (#97)
Float Theme: Imagination Express
All aboard! The Imagination Express from the City of Glendale is chugging down Colorado Boulevard bringing New Year's greetings to Rose Parade viewers. Definitely the little train that could, this locomotive boasts a smiling face and peppermint-flavored smoke rings coming from its rose-colored stack. Sound effects and music specially composed for this float add character to this cheerful choo-choo. Children throughout history have enjoyed the magical lure of trains and the mystery of their destination.
Whole carnations cover the main body of the locomotive, with yellow and orange strawflower adding accents. The face is made of fine-cut everlasting, with carnation nose and seaweed eyelashes. The garden along the train tracks is abloom with roses surrounded by daisies and irises.
Band: Mt. Carmel Marching Sundevils (#98)
Location: San Diego, California
Mt. Carmel's music program was recognized by the Grammy Association as one of the top three high school music programs in the United States. The Marching Sundevils have won numerous Sweepstakes awards at band competitions throughout Southern California, including the prestigious Arcadia Tournament of Bands. The Mt. Carmel music program has enabled their students to travel and perform worldwide, including in London, Scotland, Australia, Scandinavia, Germany and Hawaii.
Led by Garry McPherson, the marching band has 280 total members: three leaders, one drum major, 90 brass, 50 flag bearers, 20 percussion, 110 woodwinds and 10 banner carriers. Mt. Carmel performed in the 1984 and 2000 Rose Parades.
Tulare County Sheriff's Posse (#99)
The Posse members volunteer their time to participate in search and rescue operations with the Tulare County (California) Sheriff's Department and with other counties when requested. The team of 18 horses is a mix of bay and sorrel quarterhorses and one Tennessee walking horse, ridden by Marshal Randy Alfieri. The Tennessee Walker is a gaited horse strictly bred for show and is known for its high-stepping footwork.
The Tulare County Sheriff's Posse was founded in 1940 as a non-profit organization. From June through September, the group goes into the mountains to find lost hikers and hunters when needed. They also raise funds for scholarships to aid students in the law-enforcement field. The Posse is honored to have County Sheriff Bill Whitman leading the team in this year's Rose Parade.
Marshal: Randy Alfieri
