Cal Poly Universities Unveil Whimsical Rose Parade Float Design – Pasadena Now
Cal Poly Universities have announced their 2025 Rose Parade float entry, "Nessie's Lakeside Laughs," featuring the Loch Ness Monster joining land-dwelling friends in a lakeside party. The float, measuring 55 feet long, 21 feet high, and 17 feet wide, aligns with the parade's theme "Best Day Ever!"
The design depicts Nessie surfacing from the depths to interact with various animated animals, including sliding puffins, crafting beavers, a Scottish terrier in a paddleboat, and a smiling Highland cow spinning in an innertube. Team presidents Brooke Handschin, a mechanical engineering senior, and Collin Marfia, a graduate student, explained the concept's inspiration in a joint statement.
"The inspiration for this float comes from that place of terrifying wonder, when you discover something new and end up enjoying it to the fullest," they said.
As the only student-designed and constructed entry in the Rose Parade, scheduled for Jan. 1, the Cal Poly Universities team has a history of success. They have won 62 awards since their parade debut in 1949, including the Crown City Innovator Award for their 2024 entry.
The float will showcase the team's newly designed animation system, with most mechanisms powered hydraulically and smaller elements controlled electrically. Nessie, standing 22 feet tall, will move her neck and head to observe the surrounding activities.
Decorations will feature a mix of fresh flowers and dry plant materials. The lake will be adorned with irises, roses, and baby's breath, while land animals will be covered in materials like black moss and coconut husks. Nessie's body will incorporate both fresh and dry plant materials to symbolize her newfound connection to the land animals.
The float's construction is a collaborative effort between Cal Poly Pomona and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Pomona builds the front half of the float base (known as the pod), San Luis Obispo constructs the back, and design elements are shaped by both teams. The two halves are joined in Pomona later in the fall.
Students will continue working on the float through the fall semester, balancing their studies with the project. The final product will be evaluated by Rose Parade judges on Dec. 31, before its New Year's Day debut.
Handschin and Marfia expressed their excitement for the project's culmination: "When people see the float come down Colorado Boulevard, they'll see a beautiful float with Nessie and her friends. We'll see that too — but we'll also see every step that our team went through to get there."
