Downey City Council Commits to Fund Annual Rose Parade Entry Fee as Volunteer Effort Faces Challenges

The City of Downey will pay the annual $30,000 entry fee for the Downey Rose Float Association to participate in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade, the city’s Council decided Tuesday.

A report by the Downey Patriot said the vote was 3-0, with one councilmember absent, to pay the yearly fee from the city’s Parks & Recreation general fund.

Downey’s float is one of the few “self-funded” volunteer-driven city floats in the Rose Parade, joined by South Pasadena, La Cañada Flintridge, Burbank, and Sierra Madre.

The fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting funding challenges have put these local self-built float builders short on volunteers and cash, but not on passion and pride.

Downey Mayor Claudia M. Frometa said that the city takes great pride in the float and that she fully supported the city council’s move.  

“We look for it every year on January 1 as it goes down Colorado Boulevard,” the Mayor told the Downey Patriot. “It is important for us to step up and support it, and not just support it by word but by putting it in our budget as a line item.”

The city of Downey also covered last year’s fee.

The report said the volunteer Downey Rose Float Association raises funds through various events, such as a fireworks stand, a raffle, and a Miss Downey beauty pageant. It also receives donations from local businesses and residents.

The group also benefits from a rent-free lease of a property at 7631 Gardendale Street from Los Angeles County, the report added. 

The Downey Rose Float is one of the few self-built floats that join the parade in Pasadena every New Year’s Day. The report said Downey reached out to four out of five other cities with self-built, non-commercial floats and learned the town of La Cañada Flintridge contributed $15,000 for their float in the previous year. 

South Pasadena allocated $1,000 for flower purchases, according to the report, and Burbank receives about $54,000 for their float annually from Burbank Water and Power.

The float associations in South Pasadena and La Cañada Flintridge had told of funding challenges last year due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Both cities, known for their award-winning floats, were grappling with a shortage of volunteers and funding. 

On average, constructing a float for the Rose Parade can range from $60,000 to $85,000 or more. The cost includes expenses related to materials, labor, decorations, and other associated production costs. The actual cost for each float can vary depending on the specific design and production requirements.