At the Fiesta Parade Floats warehouse in Irwindale, volunteers were very busy Sunday morning. There's still a lot to do, like paste on seeds and clip countless flowers. In all, 42 floats will take part in the parade and that equates to hours and hours of detailed work before judging on Monday.
The theme for Kaiser Permanente's float this year is the "The Cat in the Hat" by Dr. Seuss. Kaiser has been a part of the parade for the last eight years and has won an award each time. A Kaiser representative said they chose "The Cat in the Hat" as their float theme to encourage people to keep reading and also stay healthy and active.
It's Miracle Grow's first time participating in the parade. Their float is called "Everyone Grows," and the theme is a Dr. Seuss-inspired backyard fantasy.
A new twist this year - a Virginia couple won a contest to get married on the Farmer's Insurance float. Saturday, the soon-to-be-wed pair got their first look at the float they'll be saying "I do" on.
Meantime, more and more police officers will be seen in Pasadena as the city prepares for both the parade and the Rose Bowl game.
Security is being beefed up to prepare for the hundreds of thousands of people that will converge on the area in the next few days. The city even has its emergency operations center ready in the case of a major incident.
Officials say the parade and game have gone smoothly in past years, and as long as people abide by the rules and regulations, this year should be no different.
Some helpful tips for parade goers: Overnight camping is allowed Monday night only; you can claim your spot on the parade route starting at noon Monday; people cooking along the route must have a fire extinguisher on hand. Items banned along the parade route include: tents, sofas, unoccupied chairs, bonfires, fireworks, except as part of scheduled official events. And if you're sitting in the grandstands, several items have been banned including backpacks, coolers and large bags.
Pasadena has set up a hotline to help parade-goers. The special toll-free Visitor Hotline is (877) 793-9911 and will operate Dec. 28 to Jan. 2, 2013.
We are your Rose Parade station. See the 124th Rose Parade on New Year's Day Tuesday on ABC7 starting at 8 a.m.
City News Service contributed to this report.
