Cal Poly float awarded early spot in 2023 Rose Parade
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif. – Cal Poly universities' "Road to Reclamation" float will be one of the earliest judged floats in the upcoming Rose Parade, and the only student entry in the competition.
“It’s really cool to know that we’ll be one of the first things that people see during the parade. It’s going to help, pardon the pun, set the theme for the parade,” said Cal Poly team president Annie Doody.
Cal Poly's float reflects the parade's theme of "Turning the Corner" by highlighting the important role that snails play in their rarely seen environment by eating dead and decaying plants on the forest floor.
"Road to Reclamation" takes a scene we normally see as very small and expands it to whimsical dimensions by featuring a 25 foot tall mushroom with a snail perched on top.
“We wanted a concept that embodies being shrunk down to the size of a bug while being immersed in a lush, wooded forest floor,” explained Doody.
The float made the journey south to Rosemont Pavilion in Pasadena on Dec. 19, but work will continue through Jan. 1 when Rose Parade judges will make their final assessment before announcing award winners around 6 a.m. on Jan. 2.
The Cal Poly Rose Float team consists of members from both Cal Poly in SLO and Cal Poly in Pomona.
