Last chance to see Rose Parade floats up close

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Jarod Gutierrez, 12, of Corona, prepares some sparkling cider while his mother, Susan, roasts marshmallows on Colorado Boulevard while camping out overnight. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Giant floral baby heads mask the humans who animate them on the Kaiser Permanente float, “First Step to Total Health,” being readied at Fiesta Parade Floats in Irwindale. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Volunteers work on the Cal Poly Universities float, “Bedtime Buccaneers,” being readied at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

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Grooms Aubrey Loots, left, and Danny Leclair prepare for photos alongside the AIDS Healthcare Foundation float at Fiesta Parade Floats in Irwindale. The couple will be married on the float during the Rose Parade. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Alex Mendoza, 22, practices alongside the city of Torrance float, “Everyone Plays,” being prepared at Fiesta Parade Floats in Irwindale. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Nick Hellewell, a Cal Poly alumnus, works on the Cal Poly Universities float, “Bedtime Buccaneers,” being readied at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

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Giant floral babies wave (Psst! There are real humans inside to animate them) from the Kaiser Permanente entry, “First Step to Total Health,” being readied at Fiesta Parade Floats in Irwindale. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Volunteer Katie Dominguez fixes a damaged portion of a Rose Parade float being readied at Fiesta Parade Floats in Irwindale. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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A decked-out fan watches as last-minute preparations are made to the Cal Poly Universities float, “Bedtime Buccaneers,” at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

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Olivia Moore affixes irises to the Cal Poly Universities float, titled “Bedtime Buccaneers.” (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

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Volunteers work on flowers for the Donate Life “Light Up the World” float at Rosemont Pavilion. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

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Bianca Cermeno, 14, prepares flowers for the city of Torrance’s float at Fiesta Parade Floats in Irwindale. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

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Jacque Giuffre works on K9s 4 Cops float at Fiesta Parade Floats in Irwindale. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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Mildred Hood, left, and Tara Pleickhardt work on the SeaWorld float at Fiesta Parade Floats in Irwindale. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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Volunteer Dana Hill, 19, of Long Beach works on the eHarmony float “Everlasting Love” in Pasadena. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

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Volunteer Arlene Rodriguez, 46, of Los Angeles works on the Donate Life’s Rose Parade entry “Light Up the World.” (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

By Jason Wells

Jan. 2, 2014 10:12 AM PT

<i>This post has been corrected. See the note below for details.</i>

The public has until 5 p.m. Thursday to see in person the floats that rolled down Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena for the Tournament of Roses Parade.

The floats, many of which cost over $100,000 apiece, take months to build and then painstakingly cover with flowers and other plant material in time for the nationally televised New Year’s parade. Thursday will be the last day the public will be able to get an up-close look at the handiwork in Pasadena, where dozens of the floats have been parked.

PHOTOS: 125th Tournament of Roses Parade

This year, “Sunrise at the Oasis,” an idyllic desert vision of beasts roaming among cascading waterfalls, palm trees and tropical flowers, won the coveted Sweepstakes Award.

The float features large colorful animals, including elephants, a camel, peacocks and a tiger, that were created by a team from Dole Foods.

Organizers warned the public to wear comfortable walking shoes since there are no trams and seating is limited. Viewing all the floats will require walking approximately 2.5 miles and typically takes at least two hours, according to the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Assn.

No pets are permitted within the fenced-off venue. For a list of other restrictions, go here.

The floats are located at East Sierra Madre and East Washington boulevards in Pasadena.

Tickets cost $10 and may be purchased at the venue until 3 p.m.

[For the Record, 10:42 a.m. PST Jan. 2: An earlier version of this post stated that the site to view Rose Parade floats is in Sierra Madre. It is in Pasadena.]

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jason.wells@latimes.com

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