5A
Date: March 26, 2025
To: Chair and Members of the Citizen Development and Enrichment Committee From: John La Rock, Community Services Director
By: Monica Harte, Cultural Arts Manager | [email protected] Subject: Community Services – Approve Conceptual Float Design for the 2026 Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade and Provide Recommendation on Funding Allocation.
Expenditure: None.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation of the Community Services Director that the City Council Citizen Development and Enrichment Committee:
1. Approve the conceptual float design for the City’s float entry in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade on January 1, 2026; and
2. Provide a recommendation to the City Council on a funding allocation to support the construction of the City’s entry for the 2026 Tournament of Roses Parade.
FUNDING
None required.
DISCUSSION
In 2025 the long-time float builder used by the Torrance Rose Float Association (TRFA), Fiesta Floats, closed for business, and with assistance from the Tournament of Roses organization the TRFA chose Artistic Entertainment Services (AES) to build the 2025 Rose Float. The Float won the Princess Award, but there were logistical issues during Official’s Night and the float had to be towed during the parade. Craig Bugajski, CEO and President of AES, has provided TRFA an informal quote of $150,000 to build the 2026 Torrance float.
In addition to the AES quote, Michael Abboud, a long-time float designer with Fiesta Floats, reopened Fiesta Floats as Fiesta Productions and has provided TRFA a quote of approximately $235,000 to build the 2026 Torrance float. It should be noted that Michael Abboud was invited by TRFA to attend the selection meeting for the Conceptual Float Design student competition to offer his expertise. TRFA did not extend an invitation to AES.
With the start of the 2025-26 academic year, the TRFA opened their Conceptual Float Design competition to Torrance public and private high schools. The theme for the 2026 Rose Parade is "The Magic in Teamwork," celebrating accomplishments that are achieved by working together.
Citizen Development and Enrichment Committee
March 26, 2025
The objectives of the "Conceptual Float Design Contest" are:
•To broaden awareness and interest in the City of Torrance Rose Parade Float. •To engage youth in the parade and our city's float.
This is the eighth time TRFA has held a design contest for Torrance High School students to present a conceptual design for the float; it has been a very successful process to date. TRFA received 15 float design submissions relating to the 2026 Parade theme. In February, 2025 the TRFA Board and a representative of Fiesta Productions reviewed the submissions and unanimously selected a proposal from Elizabeth Le of West High. (Attachment 1). Fiesta Productions provided a professional float design interpretation of the student design at the request of TRFA (Attachment 2).
As part of the proposed FY 2026 City Budget, an allocation of $125,000 is requested to support the 2026 Tournament of Roses Torrance Float. It should be noted that the cost of the Fiesta Productions float is quoted at approximately $235,000. The TRFA has traditionally raised $25,000 to support the float construction, with the City’s funding support of $125,000 providing the balance.
Staff is concerned that TRFA’s selection of Fiesta Productions may result in a funding gap of approximately $110,000.
Following direction from the Citizen Development and Enrichment Committee to the City Council, staff will provide a report to the City Council to approve the conceptual design and to appropriate funds to the Torrance Rose Float Association for the construction of the 2026 float entry in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade.
The Community Services Director and the TRFA Board request that the City Council Citizen Development and Enrichment Committee consider the funding allocation supporting the Torrance 2026 Rose Float and approve the conceptual float design by Elizabeth Le and recommend that the City Council approve the recommended funding amount and the conceptual float design at a future meeting.
ATTACHMENT
1. Student design submission by Elizabeth Le of West High School
2. Conceptual design from Fiesta Productions