‘A World of Harmony’: Rose Parade Countdown

The drama of the 1990 Tournament of Roses parade is reaching fever pitch as the big day approaches. Final touches will be put on the floats up to the last minute before the procession starts to wind its way through the Pasadena streets on Monday.

The theme of the 1990 parade is “A World of Harmony,” and the floats will directly reflect that theme with their emphasis on music. Thus this year, the parade will have an added dimension, according to Bill Walleck, director of special events for C. E. Bent & Co., builders of 24 of the 60 floats that will be in the parade.

“Many of the floats will have live entertainment and music, such as jazz bands and choirs, combining sight with sound,” he said. In the past, he said, the concentration on flowers and decor produced a mostly visual effect.

One of the most innovative floats in this year’s parade, according to Walleck, will be the GM-United Auto Workers entry. The float is a land vehicle that suddenly turns into a 57-foot-high robot emitting sounds and belching smoke.

And, as usual, not all the flowers in the parade are roses, contrary to the parade’s name. Orchids, flown in from Singapore, will be there in profusion, and chrysanthemums and other flowers have come from all over the world--Mexico, South America, and even the Amsterdam flower market.

The universality of the event is further underscored with the selection of Sen. John Glenn (D.-Ohio) as the grand marshal. Glenn, you may recall, was the first U.S. astronaut to orbit the Earth. For the many millions who can’t be there in Pasadena Monday, television coverage will be ample, with pre-parade reporting starting at 7 a.m. on Channels 5 and 11. At 8 a.m. coverage will start on CBS (Channels 2 and 8); NBC (Channels 4, 36 and 39); ABC (Channels 7, 3, 10 and 42); KMEX (Channel 34) and XETV-San Diego (Channel 6). And if you’re too busy partying or watching football games, parade replays will be aired at 5 p.m. (Channel 11) and 7:30 p.m. (Channel 5).