2027 Render Released!

January 1st, 2027. Launch day. When every bird takes to the skies, no matter what kind of wings.  

Cal Poly Rose Float is proud to present their 78th entry into the 2027 Rose Parade “Soaring as One.” The theme for the 138th Tournament of Roses “Welcome” is portrayed here as a vibrant flock of traditionally flying and flightless birds, soaring together through a colorful, sunset sky.  

“Welcome” celebrates the joy of belonging, the warmth of being surrounded by people that want the best for you, where you know that every contribution matters and everyone has a place to belong. Every bird has contributed to the wings that will lift their flightless friends off the ground, and now they are enjoying the fruits of their labor with a joyride high in the sky, all integrated as one flock. At the front, a Canada goose leads the signature V-formation, followed by a mallard duck, a large blimp carrying a peacock and a Rhode Island red chicken, a kiwi bird hanging from a glider, and a nene goose. A jungle fowl with prosthetic wings and a great blue heron bring up the rear. 

Cal Poly Rose Float is a collaboration between Cal Poly Pomona and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and the only completely student-led, student-designed, and student-built float in the entire Tournament of Roses. They boast a long and storied history, winning 65 awards since their beginnings in 1949.

What is Cal Poly Rose FLoat?

Cal Poly Rose Float is a joint effort between Cal Poly Pomona and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo universities to enter a student-built float in the annual Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association’s Rose Parade. Both Cal Poly Pomona and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo are two designated Polytechnic universities within the 23-campus California State University System (the largest four-year public university system in the U.S.).

Since 1949, Cal Poly Rose Float has continuously designed, built, financed, and decorated a float-entry in the annual Parade. Over the last 77 years, Cal Poly Rose Float has been awarded a total of 65 awards/trophies (about 84% of all participating years).

More importantly, Cal Poly Rose Float has been a tremendous leader in the introduction of new technology to the Parade. This includes the first use of:

• Hydraulics for animation in 1968.

• Computer-controlled animation in 1978.

• Fiber optics in 1982.

• Animated decorations in 2014.

• Color-changing floral effect in 2017.

This program is one of the longest consecutive running self-built entries in the parade, as well as the only "student self-built" float designed and constructed entirely by students year-round on two campuses. They compete against professional float builders who manufacture entries for sponsors, many of them with development budgets approaching $1 million. This tradition continues today and marks the partnership between the two campuses.

CAL POLY ROSE FLOAT AWARDED SWEEPSTAKES!

On January 1st, 2026, our 77th parade entry Jungle Jumpstart made its long-awaited journey along Colorado Blvd. at the 137th Rose Parade! For the first time in our program’s history, our float was awarded the prestigious Sweepstakes trophy. Sweepstakes in an all-encompassing accolade that recognizes excellence in design, floral presentation and entertainment, and is considered to be the highest honor a parade float can achieve.

THE ROAD TO SWEEPSTAKES!

 TEAMWORK! This first half of the year, Rose Float has hard at work imagining, developing, and preparing for this year's Pasadena Tournament of Roses Rose Parade. The selection of this year's float concept has been followed up with several vital meetings between SLO and Pomona. At these meetings, our departments have been achieving their own goals with Design and Construction developing the physical shape of the float, Operations showing off their marketing skills designing new merch, and Decorations planting and harvesting some of the materials that will bring the float to life!

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