The Marching.com Spotlight presents news and articles on topics related to marching bands and pageantry arts.

Share this page:



View more articles

Suggest an article topic

Popular articles

Seen and Heard at BOA 2017

2017 Winter Circuit Championship Schedule

Prep your body for marching season

2015/2016 Bowl game parade and holiday parade schedule

12 Holiday Gift Ideas for Marching Band Fans

Seen and Heard at BOA 2015

Double Thumbs Up for the Mighty

Cavalcade of Bands Honor Band

Inaugural Parade Marching Band Invitations

Pride of the Dutchmen Marching Band

German bugle band makes its mark at Calgary Stampede

Marching bands to honor 9/11 anniversary

Traveling Efficiently

Specialized Marching Band Carts

2012 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Band Selections

Don't You Judge Me

The Sound of Perfection Movie

Working With a Travel Agent

Fiesta Bowl Memorable for Norton Band

Nerds vs. Geeks

'Band Nerds' Holiday Poem

Drum beat sparks music passion

Sport, Art, or...Spart?

Musical Growth Spurt

First Day of Rehearsal

Troopers Drum Corps Documentary

Ripped Jeans And Self-Esteem

Boot Camp For Bands

Gimme Some Props

Benefits of Indoor Percussion

Secrets of a Successful Audition

A Disappearing Act

An Alternate Universe

One More Time Around Again Marching Band

Steamboat Springs Ski Band

Band Boosters Support Dreams

Ohio State School for the Blind Marching Band

Rose Parade Float Honors Marching Bands

Throw It Down Movie

Bob McGrath inspires on Sesame Street

Rose Parade Float Decorators

Bugles Across America

High School Musical Choreographer Bonnie Story

Working in Harmony at Fillmore Central H.S., Harmony, Minnesota

Marching Amidst the Glaciers at Colony H.S., Alaska

Empowering Multiplicity at Trenton Peabody H.S., Tennessee

Visualizing the Extraordinary at Sebring H.S., Florida

Henson blends winter guard with puppetry in Panther & Crane

Competition: How important is it?

Band Nerds Poetry Book

XtremeBrass Technique helps brass players

Capturing Show Design Ideas

Halftime Magazine Debuts

From The 50 Yard Line Movie

Three Tips for Cleaning Drill

American Band Book

YouTube Marching Videos

Brentwood Band plays on Brad Paisley CD

Macy's Marching Band

Broken Arrow Documentary

Online Fundraising

Color Guard Flag Design

Marching Band Health Tips

European Flower Parades

2010 Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade Coverage

Farmers Insurance entry titled "Salute to the Bands"

DECEMBER 17, 2009 — If marching band fans ever needed a reason to set an alarm clock on New Year's Day, this is it. The first float appearing in the 2010 Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade will be an entry honoring marching bands.

Titled "Salute to the Bands," the float from Farmers Insurance Group of Companies features a 60-foot tall animated bugler dressed in marching band attire. The colorful float will be surrounded by the "Farmers Insurance Band" — members of the Riverside Community College Marching Band who will also perform as part of the televised opening ceremony.

The 2010 Rose Parade will be broadcast on ABC, Hallmark Channel, HGTV, KTLA, NBC, RFD-TV, Travel Channel and Univision. Live coverage begins at 8:00 AM (Pacific) on Friday, January 1.

This is the 51st year Farmers Insurance has participated in the Rose Parade, and the company's second year as "Official Supporter of Rose Parade Bands," according to Farmers spokesperson Paul Dingsdale. Farmers agents and district managers across the country have been helping bands with fundraising efforts throughout the year to prepare for the journey to the Rose Parade. (See related story: Farmers Insurance drums up support to make Rose Parade dreams come true.)

The Salute to the Bands float will be a very public statement about Farmers' enthusiasm for Rose Parade bands, and the design team is working hard to make it spectacular.

Bringing The Design To Life
Tournament of Roses float designers have become masters at selecting natural materials to create the textures and colors to bring the floats to life. Rose Parade rules require that all visible elements of the floats be covered with natural materials.

On Salute to the Bands, the vibrant red jacket of the band uniform will be covered with whole red carnations. The uniform trim will be created by yellow strawflower and gold clover seed. The brass bugle will be accented by clover seed, everlasting, flax seed, silverleaf, ground lentil and blue statice. A variety of materials will be used on the base of the float to create floral depictions of streamers, confetti bits and bright red roses.

Six people will be riding on the float, including the Farmers Agent of the Year, District Manager of the Year and four top Farmers fundraisers for the March of Dimes.

The float was designed and built by Phoenix Decorating Co. of Pasadena. Phoenix Decorating is the largest builder of Rose Parade floats and is supplying 19 floats for the 2010 parade. Salute to the Bands stands 60 feet tall but lowers to less than 16.5 feet in order to fit beneath a freeway underpass near the end of the parade route.

As the first float in the 2010 Rose Parade, Salute to the Bands will be part of the showy opening moments of the television broadcast. Confetti will erupt from cannons at the base of the float to enliven the presentation and celebrate the start of the Rose Parade.


The 121st Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade themed 2010: A Cut Above The Rest will take place Friday, January 1, 2010, at 8:00 AM (Pacific) featuring majestic floral floats, high-stepping equestrian units and spirited marching bands. Following the Rose Parade, the 96th Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi will kick off at 2:10 PM and feature an exciting match-up between the No. 8 BCS-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes and the No. 7 BCS-ranked Oregon Ducks.

Source material courtesy of Farmers Insurance Group of Companies.

Copyright 2009 Marching.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published or redistributed without permission.

Recent Headlines: 2018 Tournament of Roses Bandfest Photos | Prep Your Body for Marching Season | Marching Band Music Arrangers | Marching.com on Facebook | Marching.com on Twitter | Marching.com on Pinterest