Rose Parade cancellation causes heartache in Downey

Alexis Givens designed the concept for the 2021 float.

DOWNEY — With the announcement of the 2021 Tournament of Roses cancellation, the Downey Rose Float has been left in a state of limbo.

Since 1955, The Downey Rose Float Association (DRFA) has maintained a constant (and often, successful) presence in Pasadena’s annual beginning-of-year parade.

Unfortunately for participants and spectators alike, the current coronavirus crisis would ultimately pull the plug on next year’s festivities, with parade officials announcing 2021’s parade last week.

This is the first time since WWII that the annual parade has been canceled.

According to DRFA President Jeremy Clifton, the lack of a parade next year is a disappointing reality, albeit not an entirely unexpected one.

“We anticipated that it would come to that,” said Clifton. “We spoke to [parade officials] once, and it was, ‘We will let you know by basically June what our plan is.’ Then it went to, ‘We’ll let you know by July,’…Tournament basically was basing everything off of where the coronavirus was going and what LA County, Governor of the State, and CDC was recommending.”

“Once everything started spiraling out of control, they realized they couldn’t do it.”

Clifton added that it’s a decision that DRFA understands, due to the pandemic.

Still, the announcement comes as more salt in the wound after an already difficult year for DRFA, as COVID-19 has almost completely derailed the organization’s usual fundraising efforts, including the Miss Downey Pageant and Parade of Winners.

“The only major fundraiser that we’ve been able to have this year was the fireworks stand, and that was successful, thank God,” he said. That’s the only thing that’s keeping us afloat.”

If there’s any silver lining with the parade’s cancellation, it’s that there wasn’t any major construction done for the upcoming float yet.

Downey’s 2021 float was entitled “Reading: It’s an Adventure” and featured three storybooks coming to life. Its concept was that of current Little Miss Downey Alexis Givens. The final rendering was done by Tom Neighbors.

“It was based off of education,” said Clifton.

It remains uncertain if Rose Parade officials will carry over the 2021 theme to 2022, and by extension, if DRFA will be able to use the same concept later on.