'We're like a little float family:' Meet the local self-built floats bringing life to Rose Parade

BURBANK, Calif. (KABC) -- La Cañada Flintridge, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena and Burbank - these are just a few of the places where self-built parade floats are quickly coming to life.

"A lot of people ask what that means. That means we're all volunteer, all volunteer- funded and all volunteer-built," said South Pasadena Tournament of Roses President Ed Donnelly.

This year's Rose Parade theme is celebrating the world of music.

La Cañada Flintridge's float has a "Flower Power" theme, a nod to the '70s.

"How important the era that is an Americana, that the music of this country, of our state specifically, how it tied together, all the fun, the love, the peace, the rebellion, the anti-war, it was a time when music spoke volumes, and still does," explained La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association President Ernest Koeppen.

In Sierra Madre, their theme is "Enchanted Music Box."

"The front horse is coming off the float. He's going to the next dimension. He's done his time as a carousel horse, and now he's becoming a real horse," explained Kay Sappington of Sierra Madre.

Although this effort can be competitive, it's also a community.

"With the self-builts, we are like a little float family," said Sappington. "We have a picnic every year where we all come together and show our new float rendering."

Hundreds of volunteers of all ages, and from different parts of the country, work on the intricate pieces that add up to an elaborate display of life and creativity.

Volunteers in Burbank have collaborated to create their "Caterpillar Melody" float.

"It's waiting to transform into a beautiful butterfly, it's going to play a nice melody on a harp, and what it's playing this melody to is a bunch of other caterpillars that have already transformed into beautiful butterflies that are fluttering around the float," said Steven Edward, the vice president of the Burbank Tournament of Roses Association.

Other self-built floats include the Downey Rose Float Association and Cal Poly Universities.

Judging for the 135th Tournament of Roses takes place Sunday, the day before the parade.