The Hot 8 Brass Band and American Idol winner Laine Hardy will ride aboard the first-ever float representing Louisiana in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California, on January 1. The float will depict the spirit of the Bayou State with moss-draped cypress trees, a Cajun fisherman in a pirogue, sculptured magnolias, pelicans, crawfish, crabs, and powdered sugar covered beignets.
An iconic wrought-iron balcony and French Quarter-style lampposts will also be highlighted on the float. Hardy and the Hot 8 Brass Band will perform mid-parade aboard the float on a stage in front of the Louisiana tourism logo with the branded message “Feed Your Soul.” The float measures 55-feet long, 18-feet wide and 24-feet tall. More than 35,000 roses and 18,000 purple irises, along with thousands or orchids, daisies, carnations, will be used to create a swamp-like scene on the float. Volunteers build the floats in California.
Under the direction of Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser, Louisiana Tourism budgeted $550,000 for parade expenses, which include the $350,000 float and $200,000 in travel and entertainment costs. Federal funding from the CARES Act will pay for the float as a means of bolstering tourism following the crippling effects of shutdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic. Nungesser said his office paid a total of $700,000 to be in the Tournament of Roses Parade for one year, with an option for two more years.
Funds from the same federal allocation were used to build a Louisiana-themed float carrying Jon Batiste that debuted in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in November. The cost for participating in the Macy’s parade is $1.3 million for three years.
Nungesser said, “As we open our doors to the world and compete with tourism destinations across the globe, it’s important to think outside the box. So many families and friends gather to watch the Rose Parade and by putting our state on an international stage, we are welcoming millions of guests to our great state. We want to feed everyone’s soul with a little Louisiana on New Year’s Day.”
The parade theme for 2022 is “Dream. Believe. Achieve.” To underscore the theme, Louisiana’s Lieutenant Governor wants to showcase several Louisiana citizens who dared to dream, believe in themselves, and achieve a major feat who will be invited to ride the float.
“I’m excited to release the names of those riders soon. My office oversees Volunteer Louisiana. I am in awe of the many good Samaritans and helpful neighbors we have across our state,” Nungesser said.
Volunteers are also being recruited in the Los Angeles area to help decorate the float on Wednesday, December 29, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 16016 Avenida Padilla in Irwindale, California. For more information, visit here.
The Rose Parade will be broadcast globally on New Year’s Day to an estimated 37 million viewers. The television event airs on several networks and will also air live in the Caribbean, Latin America, Armenia and on the Armed Forces Network. The parade precedes the Rose Bowl football match which will pit the No. 11 University of Utah against No. 6 Ohio State.
