10F
Date: May 6, 2025
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: John La Rock, Community Services Director
By: Monica Harte, Cultural Services Manager | [email protected] Subject: Community Services – Approve Conceptual Float Design and Provide Direction for Funding Allocation for Torrance Entry into the 2026 Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade. Expenditure: None.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation of the Community Services Director that City Council:
1. Approve the conceptual float design as the City’s float entry in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade on January 1, 2026; and
2. Provide direction on Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-26 funding allocation to the Torrance Rose Float Association for construction of the City’s float.
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 Association 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 the Torrance Officials’ Night warehouse visit including the viewing location, viewing time allotment, bus parking and drop-off locations, and ADA accessibility for our Officials’ Night guests. Additionally, the float had to be towed during the parade following a mechanical issue. 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 for the 2026 float design, Michael Abboud, a long-time float designer with the former Fiesta Floats, formed a new company, Fiesta Productions, and has provided TRFA a quote of $235,000 to build the 2026 Torrance float. It should be noted that the TRFA indicated to staff their preference to proceed with Fiesta Productions for the 2026 float. Fiesta Productions’ Michael Abboud was invited by TRFA to attend the student design competition selection meeting for the conceptual float design. TRFA did not extend an invitation to AES.
During the 2025-26 academic year, TRFA opened their annual Conceptual Float Design competition to Torrance public and private high schools to create a conceptual design for the float. 1 City Council
May 6, 2025
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2 The theme for the 2026 Rose Parade is "The Magic in Teamwork," celebrating accomplishments that are achieved by working together.
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 create 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).
On March 26, 2025, the Citizen Development and Enrichment Committee of the City Council voted unanimously to increase the proposed fiscal year (FY) 2026 City allocation for the Torrance Rose Parade float by $50,000 for a total allocation of $175,000. It should be noted that the cost of the Fiesta Productions float is quoted at $235,000. The TRFA has traditionally raised $25,000 to support the float construction, with the City’s funding of $125,000 providing the balance.
Artistic Entertainment Services Fiesta Productions
City allocation $125,000 $125,000
TRFA Fundraising $25,000 $25,000
Additional City Allocation $0 $50,000 (proposed by Committee) Additional TRFA Fundraising
Required $0 $35,000
Total Building Quote $150,000 $235,000
Based on the projected shortfall, staff has initiated additional fundraising efforts, including a GoFundMe campaign, potential text-to-donate services, and engaging with the Chamber of Commerce to coordinate support from the Torrance business community.
Staff requests that Your Honorable Body approve the student originated float design and provide direction regarding the City’s funding allocation to support the 2026 Rose Parade Float. To note, the allocation of an additional $50,000 is reflected in the proposed FY2025-27 operating budget that was presented to the City Council earlier tonight. If the City Council provides direction to allocate an additional $50,000, no further changes are required on the proposed FY2025-27 operating budget.
ATTACHMENTS
1. 2026 Student conceptual design submission by Elizabeth Le of West High
2.Rose Parade float design from Fiesta Productions
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