City Council Honors Designer of Floats
Raul Rodriguez, one of the world’s foremost designers of parade floats, has been honored with a resolution by the Los Angeles City Council for his work, which Councilman Richard Alatorre said “has brought joy and smiles to millions of people.”
Rodriguez, a native of Boyle Heights, is the most honored float designer in the history of the Rose Parade. In this year’s parade alone, he designed 16 of the 52 floats, 11 of which won awards. For the third consecutive year, a float he designed won the award for most beautiful entry.
“The theme of the 1997 parade is ‘Life’s Shining Moments,’ ” Rodriguez told the council, “and I want to thank you for giving me one of them.”
Rodriguez’s interest in parade floats was sparked by watching the parade on TV. At age 15, he won a high school contest to design a float for Whittier.
In addition to floats, Rodriguez has designed several hotel facades, including the Flamingo Hilton in Las Vegas, as well as many wine labels.
“I love my work because I get to express myself, and I get to see all the people smiling,” Rodriguez said.
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