Nearly 800,000 spectators filled the stands at this year's 135th Rose Parade in Pasadena. This year marked the 75th year Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Cal Poly Pomona have worked together to enter a float, making them the fourth-oldest float-building team in Rose Parade history.
Before the Cal Poly universities' team float made its way along the parade route, months of preparation, engineering, and hands-on work went into its creation. For float team president Quinn Akemon, being a part of the Cal Poly legacy was an honor.
"Not only do you have your current team around you, supporting you, but you have 75 years of alumni who continue to be just as engaged in this process and the students as when they were building it," Akemon said.
This year’s float theme is "Shock N’ Roll: Powering the Musical Current." It not only caught the crowd's attention but also won the Crown City Innovator Award, marking the 61st award won by the Cal Poly team.
For electronics lead Anna Bentler, the best part was, "When we went past the student section and saw all the people who built it with us, all the joy and sometimes tears, and how much they were yelling for us — it was really exciting. It was incredible," Bentler said.
The float weighs in at 40 tons, with a length of 55 feet, and is decorated with over 20,000 flowers and other organic material. It will be on display at Victory Park in Pasadena until January 2.
