Still in progress, five Rose Parade floats hit the road in test drives ahead of Jan. 1

This parade only went three blocks along the foggy streets of Azusa, but when five Rose Parade floats got their test drive on Saturday, Nov. 23, it nevertheless brought them closer to their worldwide spectacle that is the 136th Rose Parade in Pasadena.

Five floats in varying stages of parade readiness traveled past homes from the facilities of Artistic Entertainment Services (AES) in Azusa, accompanied by red-jacketed Tournament of Roses officials, float workers and forklift drivers.

AES is building 16 floats this year. The company, which also builds floats for three Pride parades, the Hollywood Christmas Parade and Disney parks, took on more work after Fiesta Parade Floats was dropped by the Tournament of Roses last year. Event organizers said Fiesta no longer met the criteria to build floats for the venerable event.

The uptick in work parade work was seamless, said spokesman Stefan Pollack of The Pollack Group.

“Last year, (AES) built 11 floats and this year we’re building 16, and we certainly have the greater capacity and ability to build more floats,” he said.

The dry run is a chance for Tournament of Roses officials to sign off on each float’s mechanical and structural integrity before the parade. This day, the floats for AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Pasadena Humane/Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Go Bowling, U.S. Army and Honda got road tested.

Steve Perry, director and chair of float construction for the Tournament of Roses, is a 35-year member. He is in charge of about 20 volunteers, all tasked with checking everything from brake fluid and hydraulics before the road test to testing carbon dioxide readings and heat sensors at the end of the drive. Officials also make sure float riders and drivers complete an emergency fire drill in 45 seconds.

“I love this parade, and our job is to make sure nothing goes wrong on that journey from Orange Grove Boulevard and Green Street to Sierra Madre Boulevard and Paloma Street,” Perry said.

Tournament of Roses President Ed Morales said the float building warehouses is where all the magic begins, gearing up in increasingly hectic days from construction to decoration.

“The floats are a unique part of the parade and in the next 40 or so days, it will literally be one best day after another,” Morales said.

Driver Jack McGinley will drive in his 50th Rose Parade in January. It was 1975 when the owner of Festival Artists, the predecessor to AES, asked who wanted to drive a float.

“I raised my hand and I’ve been having fun since,” McGinley said.

From putting up with either cold or heat, and in one memorable year, hanging with bungee-jumping clowns, McGinley said aside from a particular set of driving skills, one has to call on a reserve of patience when driving a float. (The clowns were very professional.)

His observer Andrew Olson, in charge of animation control as well as rear brakes, said he likes being able “to drive a cool machine even though it’s a big, clunky thing.”

Andy Tricinella and Anthony Martin will drive the Go Bowling float, complete with animated pins amid a retro, mid-century design. The storied turn from Orange Grove Boulevard to Colorado Boulevard isn’t too hard to maneuver.

“It depends on the float and how much of a turning radius it has, but otherwise it’s okay, they guide you pretty well,” Tricinella said.

Neighbor Lina dela Cruz has spent the last 32 years following the stages of float-building at AES. She bundled up in the chilly morning to take in the sight.

“I live close by and I’m always happy to see all the floats that come out from here,” she said. “I also volunteer to decorate them and after the parade, I go see them when they’re lined up in Pasadena. Today, I have a view of the floats not everyone is able to see.”