Every New Year's Day, dozens of massive floats roll through Pasadena, California, for the Tournament of Roses Parade.
Each year the floats are designed around a different theme and are adorned with thousands of handpicked flowers brought to the U.S. from around the world to compete for one of 24 awards.
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WATCH HEREBut before a spectacular float rolls onto the road for the annual parade, a team of designers and builders must come together to make their design come true, a feat that can take nearly a year to accomplish.
That is exactly what the Phoenix Decorating Company does. They are one of the only two commercial float builders approved by the tournament to design and build the floats.
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"The beginning of the year, the Tournament of Roses provides a theme […] This year, it's called Best Day Ever," said Chuck Hayes, who handles sponsor relations at the Phoenix Decorating Company. "So... we have a multiple people design what they think the best day ever is in regards to the spirit of the parade […]"
Since 1985, Phoenix has designed over 150 floats, which are then presented to clients before they finally narrow down to one for the parade. Each float costs an average of $275,000 to design and build.
"Every design is unique. It's never been used before. None of the materials that we utilize have been used in other parades," Hayes said.
This year, Phoenix is working on 17 floats, all of which have to be done by midnight on Dec. 30 before the judging, which takes place on Dec. 31.
The 2025 Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 1 at 11 a.m. P.T.
