Jan. 1., 2024 will mark the 75th year that Cal Poly has entered a float in Pasadena's Rose Parade. It is the only student-built float in the Rose Parade and has been so since 1949.
Thousands are expected to watch the 135th Annual Rose Parade. This year's Rose Parade theme is "Celebrating a World of Music: The Universal Language."
Cal Poly's float theme is "Shock n' Roll: Powering the Musical Current." It will be a tableau of an underwater community of animals powering musical instruments according to Cal Poly's Quinn Akemon team president.
At the front of the float, viewers will see a massive manta ray gliding through the water above a colorful coral shelf. Piano keys flow from the front of the float to the back, creating many small caves and niches for animals to live in. An electric eel peers out from one of these caves and observes the scene.
As the viewer's eye follows the keyboard, they will see a stunning guitar and amplifier erupting from funky coral and rock structures. An archway spans the back half of the float, under which two colossal electric eels reside and coil around each other, powering the instruments around them.
On top of the arch sits a large clamshell, which opens and closes to reveal a turntable inside.
Another ray sweeps above the keyboard structure towards the rear of the float, following behind the ray at the front. Starfish, anemones, sea urchins, and more coral complete and bring life to the scene.
You can watch the parade on KSBY from 8-10 a.m. on Monday.
