* (restored)
How to Build a Parade Float
It is wise to begin planning several months before the day of the parade. Look for creative and imaginative people to form a small committee of four to six members. Appoint a chairperson who is a good leader or organizer. When you begin building you will need to know tradespeople with backgrounds in carpentry, painting, and decorating.
Next, have a meeting to discuss ideas: What do you want your float to be about? Is there a prevailing theme? A Jubilee or Anniversary? A homecoming? What about a Mascot? Remember, when designing the float, not to overcrowd it. Select a feature item and two or three complementary items. Your message should be conveyed simply yet powerfully. The sales pitch must be subtle, with the float leaving both an enchanting memory and a positive message with the crowd.
Select one main color and one or two contrasting colors for the float. Use white trim to seperate dark colors. Animals and other props should not be threatening. Keep it simple. Select a place for the organization’s name and place it high and unobstructed on the float in large letters. You want your float to be colorful, eye-catching, and get the attention of the captive audience -including the thousands along the parade route as well as the millions reached by the media. Music from the float will draw attention before it appears and after it has moved on.
The most frequently asked question is HOW MUCH? The cost may vary from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. On commercially built floats, the labor is the most expensive item. For the do-it-yourselfer, the decorations may be the most expensive. Decorations for a float kit start at $700.00 or $800.00. Add a backdrop and the price goes to $1,400.00 or $1,500.00. You will also have to borrow, buy, or rent a flatbed trailer and buy lumber and plywood for it. Fund raising is great way to cover the costs. This is best done months in advance through raffles, silent auctions, donations, social evenings, commercial sponsors, etc.
Materials
1. Trailer and Tow Vehicle – The tow vehicle should not detract from the float. It should be as small as possible and decorated. A borrowed trailer will dictate the size and shape of your float, however they are usually available for short periods only. If you buy your own trailer, you can use the float year after year, just sprucing it up or changing the design every few years. There are also collapsible traveling float kits that store easily and can parade from town to town.
2. A Place to Work – A hangar, barn, or warehouse is ideal. Also arrange to have a place to store the float after the parade. If it is sheltered from the elements, this will minimize future reconstruction costs.
3. Plywood and Lumber – Rough ply sheeting or used plywood and lumber can suffice.
4. Tools – Skill-saw, jig-saws, hammers and nails, scissors, staple gun, and staples (1/2″ for coroplast signs, 3/8″ for twist, 1/4″ for floral sheeting), felt markers, pencils and measuring tapes.
5. Decorations – Floral sheeting, vinyl twist, fringe, astroturf, etc.
6. Detailed Plan of Action – Allow yourself anywhere from one to eight weeks before the parade to assemble your float. A float that is very elaborate will obviously require more time to assemble.
Do It!
Step 1.
A parade float begins with a basic 4-wheel chassis flatbed trailer. Trailers of this type are normally seven to eight feet wide and fourteen to twenty four feet in length. A hay wagon works fine. A smaller type of trailer such as a snowmobile or utility trailer, four feet wide by eight feet long is suitable for smaller organizations. If the surface of the flatbed is not level or has holes in it, you may wish to cover the top with sheets of plywood to provide a sturdy and smooth construction surface.
Step 2.
The width of the apron which goes around the trailer platform, is determined by measuring the distance from the trailer bed to the ground. You will deduct fifteen inches for the fringe drop and the remaining measurement is the width of the apron framework. The apron can be made of plywood also and nailed to the trailer bed or hinges applied for a fold-up version. Sometimes the apron is extended for elaborate rounded shapes that make the float wider.
Step 3.
Once the apron is completed, the next step is to construct the components above the platform known as the superstructures. The decks, background supports, seating platforms and major props are put into place and secured to the flatbed. Remember keep the superstructures simple and well-placed. Floral sheeting, signs, and trim will add more detail.
Step 4.
The final step is decorating and the range of materials can be as endless as your imagination. Vinyl floral sheeting is often used to cover the float. It is sold by the square yard and comes in standard or matallic colours. Next, vinyl twist is added along the edges, around a sign or where two colors meet. ALWAYS DECORATE FROM THE TOP DOWN. Last of all, the fringe and twist is stapled to the bottom of the apron to conceal the wheels and to give a floating appearance.
Don’t Do It?
Floatasia Parade Float Co.
‘Creating breathtaking parade floats that dazzle the eye and ignite the imagination. From concept, including custom rendering, to completion, let Floatasia design your float.’
Parades, Etc. of Texas, LLC
‘Consider us the best in Texas parade float design! Parades Etc. of Texas, LLC analyzes current trade show marketing trends and assists in developing strategies aimed at expanding your company’s market share. From the selection of trade shows available to promoting within those markets, we will tailor a program to fit your products or services.’
Associated Attractions Enterprise
‘Associated Attractions is a full service parade float company and will provide both stock and custom design parade floats for all of the Chicago and suburban area, including northwest Indiana. We also supply both stock and custom parade floats in many cities throughout the midwest.’
Fiesta Parade Floats
‘The lead designer, Raul Rodriguez, is widely recognized as one of the most skilled and awarded designers in the float building industry. With decades of floral design and floral technology experience behind Jim Hynd and the engineering and construction experience of Tim Estes, the company is able to translate Raul Rodriguez’s beautiful designs into masterful floral presentations.’
Lawless Industries
‘At Lawless Industries we specialize in parade float chassis design & manufacture and high efficiency electric vehicle drive systems. … and your guests will too. When it comes to entertainment, nothing appeals to a wider range of people than a spectacular parade. Lawless Industries has been designing and building specialized parade float chassis for over 20 years.’
Blue Box Displays
‘Blue Box Displays’ business’ origin stems from a philosophy of bringing wonders of the mind to our clients. We are known for our extravagant displays, excellent service and broadness of design/display capabilities. Underpinning our focus on realism, caricature and surrealism is a desire to bring a rich clarity of expression in our art to a wide audience.’
ABC Parade Floats
‘Greetings! ABC Parade Floats has more than 30 years of experience in the parade and event industry. Our parade float company proudly serves the Midwest and most other areas of the U.S. Our parade floats, mobile displays, and props are built by professional float builders with more than 50 years’ combined experience.’
Manmade Parade Floats
‘Manmade President, and multi-award winning parade float designer, Steven Mansueto, was reared on the parade shop floor. His father, one of North America’s first and foremost designers, passed the torch early on, seeing the extraordinary understanding for conceptual design, combined with materials use, which is mandatory in creating a traveling masterpiece that may have separate and independently moving elements that can also withstand human interaction and yet have the delicacy of movement.’
Suggested Parade
Amy O’Neill’s Parade Float Graveyard
‘Amy O’Neill’s ongoing project Parade Float Graveyard (2004-) recreates floats and fragments of floats from past parades. The fragments include symbols such as flowers, animals, patriotic shields, scout insignias, and industrial gears. O’Neill’s work in this series is inspired by the annual Pasadena Tournament of Roses parade, the popular New Year’s Day procession begun in 1890. The artist possesses an extensive archive of Rose Parade paraphernalia, including slides, records, and posters, which she uses as found material throughout the series.’ — imamuseum.org
Graveyard
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p.s. Hey. ** Nasir, Thanks! Oh, wow, school from Saturday to Wednesday. Weird how mind-boggling that seems to us who grew up with Sundays as off limits for anything secular, or seems to me, I mean. Yeah, you can email it to me. My email is: [email protected]. Thanks! How do you feel about Thursday? I guess I have no preconceptions about this day of the week. So it’s free to be anything. For you too? ** Tea, Hi, Tea! Oh, great, thank you for the news. That’s something to save a bit of money for. Exciting. I hope you’re doing generally great. ** Dee Kilroy, Hi, DK. So sorry your BF is going through that. Hopefully swiftly. Halfway point is major. Speaking as someone whose own process is seriously no ideal either. Let’s just say I relate to a lot of how you describe how you relate to your process. Pretty … yeah. Quitting smoking is so hard. I should say for me. I have friends who quit, and they’re, like, whatever, no big. I quit twice for 5+ years both times, and quitting was a living nightmare. I decided I’m going to smoke forever. I’m down to a holy vice couple: cigarettes and caffeine, and they’re an attractive enough couple, and I’m not going to break them up. Ultra-best luck if you can quit. I’m about 30% interested in seeing ‘Barbie’. I think I’ll stream it at some point. The boring ghost train had a pretty good track layout on two levels, so you could see the possibilities and rue the ride’s makers for short-schrifting its possibilities. The new one has a blah track layout, only on one level, so it’s just kind of lousy beginning with the lazy concept. Yes, my pal/collaborator Zac is a fellow dark ride aficionado, as are, to a lesser degree, several friends of mine here, so I’m not lonely. Your comment was definitely a bowl. And a bowl of split pea soup, my favorite. ** Steve Erickson, I saw there’s a new Errol Morris premiering at Venice, and I guess that’s it? There’s also a new Harmony Korine film starring Travis Scott that I’m very curious about. The Flying Nun book sounds very tempting. Huh. Interesting. ** David Ehrenstein, Yes, indeed, re: Derrida on Mallarme. That Blanchot thing on Mallarme in the post isn’t too shabby either. ** Tosh Berman, Ashbery loved Mallarme. I actually talked to John about him years ago. He’s great, yeah, really one of the very greatest. ** Kettering, Hi. Sure, and you similarly rock your day. ** _Black_Acrylic, Hi, Ben. Well, give me your report on ‘Oppenheimer’. I really don’t have any interest in seeing it at this point, but I’m open. ** Dominik, Hi!!! Yeah, I mean it’s not a fun area or anything, but it is a place where you can walk or metro to the fun areas easily. Nah, the fun fair was fun enough. The vibe was good. Love gets a B for effort. I only use my phone for talks, texts and to take pix/videos, that’s it. Oh, and GPS sometimes. The new one gets here today. I’m scared. I’d read love’s novel! Love spending an entire year designing and building amazing floats for the annual Dominik Parade, which, wait, happens today!, G. ** Cody Goodnight, Hi, Cody. I think I’m alright thanks. I don’t mind when people drink coffee with stuff in it. I just, I don’t know, am hardcore. Ah, those Xmas animated things, they’re by Rankin Bass, okay. I loved them when I was wee. I don’t think I know ‘The Last Unicorn’ though. It must be on youtube. On it. Yes, very sad about Sinead O’Connor. I’m one of those people who think ‘Dark Side of Moon’ was when Pink Floyd went bad forever. I was really into their earlier trippy stuff, and when that record came out, my friends and I were, like, ‘Sell outs!’ Obviously an overstatement, but, yeah. I’m actually also one of those people who think Verhoeven is extremely overrated. Not the popular opinion, but, yeah. I have lots of friends who think he’s a genius, but I just don’t get it. My problem surely. Sorry. But I trust you enjoyed ‘Showgirls’. Enjoyment is all that matters. Very fine day/night to you! ** Darby Da Vinci 👨🎨, Now that’s an appropriate moniker! No, it’s not just you, I love freezing cold too. I went to Antarctica a few years ago. You’d love the weather there, ha ha. Don’t get, like, heat stroke. I got heat stroke when we were filming our movie in the desert, and it was weird in a bad way. I used to run very briefly in, like, the early 80s, but that’s all. When I was in high school I was, of course, horrible at all sports except running track. The coach always had this very shocked look on his face when loser/wimp me won races. I was ok at volleyball too. Again, credit to my height only. Uh, I’m very routine in my sleeping. I go to bed at about 10:30 pm and wake up at 6, 6:30 am. Unless I’m out seeing music or something. I’m not sure how I do it or what to recommend. Melatonin works really well for me. I take it every night. When your sculpture becomes non-covert, yes, I’d like to see it. Bats’ eyes are really trippy. My building has bats. Every day at about 5:30 pm they come out and fly in super fast circles in our vestibule for about an hour and then, I don’t know, go into hiding again? ** l@rst, Hey, L! Awesome, thanks, man. I’ll go look for that. Sweet! Super best of the best to you! ** Right. I’m going to take a wild guess and assume that the vast majority of you don’t know how to make a parade float. Correct me if I”m wrong. So, to help you, I’ve restored this very, very old blog post made by someone who called themselves Astro Float Materials. Or maybe was their real name, I guess that’s technically possible. Anyway, enjoy acquiring a new skill today, if I’m guessing right. See you tomorrow.
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