Downey Rose Float: After the ball was over
Photo by Lorine Parks
“After the break of morn—After the dancers' leaving; After the stars are gone;” goes the song popular in the 1890’s. What is left to see, after the ball?
If you wanted to go in person to the Downey Rose Float but you were daunted by the trek to Pasadena, it was on display after the Rose Parade in front of the Embassy Suites on Firestone Blvd. in Downey. A few days after the parade the float is brought by surface streets back to Downey, late at night because it measures 46 feet long and moves at only 5 miles an hour, and is pulled by Titan Tow.
The Downey float’s theme, “Bee Inspired,” highlighted the struggle and resurgence of the bee population, once in decline.
“People are now beginning to realize that a lot of our fruits and vegetables rely on bees,” said Downey resident Jason Redfox, the float’s designer.
Four days after the parade, on a sunny Friday at noon time, I was able to see the side of the float that is away from the cameras, that nobody sees on TV. It is equally well decorated, with even more bees coming to the hive’s honeycomb. Giant strawberries dangled nearby.
Families were taking pictures and choosing their own floral souvenirs. Each flower was still fresh in the individual water-filled tubes, each carefully placed by hand in the massive carved styrofoam design. The craftsmanship can be appreciated at leisure, much better than when the float goes by for just a few precious seconds during the televised parade.
In front of the float, a mom was posing her little daughter Isabella in her frothy yellow tulle princess gown, while her big brother stood by.
Up close, I could see that the box-like honeycomb cells were filled alternately with oranges, lemons and roses. Masses of blue and white hydrangeas skirted the base, and the bees were made of petals and seeds. Bouquets of multi-colored orchids, roses, iris and lilies carpeted the float and hung everywhere. That’s what won the float the Leishman Award for Best Floral Presentation by a Non-Commercial Entry.
Non-commercial and self-decorated mean that the non- profit Rose Float Association has been responsible since 1962 for designing and creating the floral tableau. The float is self-financed, mostly by contributions and donations from individuals, and this year the City of Downey voted to give $30,000 towards this beautiful representation that bears our city’s name.
Total estimated cost this year was $70,000 for flowers, construction and decoration materials. I found those individual plastic water vials with a rubber cap and pointed stem tip, for example, listed online for $19.99 for a pack of 70. Even at a special price, think of how many thousands the float uses.
Fundraisers like the August “Paint and Sip” event spotlighting bees was joined by the Beekeepers Association of Southern California. The Rose Float Association sells hot dogs and home- baked desserts at the city’s Summer Concerts in the Park. A July Fourth Fireworks stand brings in dollars, and local restaurants, businesses and service organizations, contribute.
Entry fees for the Miss Downey contest make up a good part of the float income, and Miss Downey and her court traditionally ride on it: Little Miss Downey, Junior Miss Downey, Miss Teen Downey, and Miss Downey.
This year I heard the question, “Where are the girls?” Some viewers couldn’t find them anywhere on the float.
Miss Downey Sarah Sarofeem and her court were there, but minus crowns and gowns. Sitting amid the flowers and dressed in jeans and warm checked flannel shirts, they represented the all-important bee-keepers. As contestants, these young women also won scholarships, showing today the contest’s emphasis is on nurturing their potential and usefulness to the community - just like the bees.