Award-winning float building company showcasing American Idol winner for 2022 Rose Parade

IRWINDALE, Calif. (KABC) -- The Rose Parade is back, and so are hundreds of volunteers working around the clock decorating floats. The award-winning Rose Parade float builder, Fiesta Parade Floats, is in charge of eight floats in the 37-parade float lineup.

"When you come here, it's like a natural high. I love it. I love coming here," said Ruthanne Gomez, a volunteer from Inglewood. "I missed coming last year. We have been doing this for five years. This year we are working on the Louisiana float."

For the first time, the State of Louisiana's Office of Tourism will have a float traveling down Colorado Boulevard, showcasing their diverse beauty, flavors and culture. It will also share a message of hope.

"We took the theme 'Dream, Believe, Achieve' and brought it to our float. Some of those people that really made a difference during the pandemic, hurricane, those people that really stood up for Louisiana when we needed them most, and we are proud to have them riding in our float," said Secretary of Tourism Dough Bourgeois.

Louisiana's float will also be the stage for the mid-parade performance with a rendition of "Born On The Bayou" featuring American Idol Laine Hardy.

"Laine is from a small town of Louisiana. He was the winner of American Idol. We are so happy for him to be a part of this," said Bourgeois. "We will also have the Hot 8 Brass Band from New Orleans."

And homegrown talent will also be rocking the parade. Melany Perez, who graduated from Torrance High School, won the city's parade float design contest. Her concept is coming to life with her float titled "The Embodiment of Nature."

"Because in my art class we learned about endangered species. It helped me that people need to know more about these endangered species that's why we brought in this concept because people need to know about these animals," said Perez.

According to Fiest Parade Floats, they had some trouble getting volunteers and are welcoming folks to still sign up. Click here for volunteer info.

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