Fearless floats of flowers

Two skateboarding bulldogs, 750,000 people and one 49-foot humanoid replica with pyrotechnics shooting out of its hat.

That’s what spectators can expect to see at the 120th Rose Parade, which kicks off at 8 a.m. Jan. 1.

What parade planners hope they won’t see, however, is rain. As New Year’s Day approaches, float builders are scrambling to finish the 46 floats that will grace this year’s parade -- and making sure the celebrated Pasadena event will be able to withstand the kind of heavy downpour that soaked festivities three years ago.

This includes adding battery backups to the two-way radio system used by parade volunteers, drawing up plans in case a tree goes down in severe weather, and being prepared to cancel altogether if lightning is forecast within a 10-mile range of the parade route.

But that shouldn’t be a problem this year. New Year’s Day in Pasadena and the surrounding region is expected to be mostly sunny, with a high of 65 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

“We’ve got a lot of bands, sponsors, floats and people coming from out of town for whom it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Lance Tibbet, chairman of parade operations. “We do it rain or shine. Preparation-wise, other than maybe changing some venues for outdoor events, the parade goes forward as planned.”

Phoenix Decorating Co. -- a Pasadena float-building business whose founder, the late Bill Lofthouse, began designing floats for the parade 54 years ago -- is making 19 of this year’s 41 commercial floats.

The toughest part of preparing for the parade is coming up with creative ideas for the floats, not bracing for the occasional bouts of rain and wind that have hit in years past, said Larry Palmer, a spokesman for Phoenix.

But when it does rain, watch out. Although a gentle shower or mist is good for the flowers, they can get droopy with too much water.

Rain can also add up to 2,000 pounds to a float because flowers soak up the water, Palmer said.

In 2006, heavy rain pummeled the Rose Parade, drenching paradegoers, float riders and bands. It was the first time rain had fallen on the parade in half a century.

“I’m sure your mom taught you to have enough sense to come out of the rain,” Palmer said. “We did not.”

But the design and construction of the floats stay constant, regardless of weather predictions.

“We do the floats the same either way,” Palmer said. “The glue is very strong. We glue the flowers on and make sure they can function throughout the parade. It’s a little more trying if it’s wet, but [what happened] three years ago proved to us that our floats will function in a downpour.”

Float-makers also take precautions to make sure flowers will stay put in gusty winds. The more delicate flowers, such as roses, orchids and irises, are placed in individual water-filled vials inserted into the base of the float so they won’t blow away.

Tibbet said he expects between 750,000 and 800,000 people to come out for the parade.

“We’re expecting a normal crowd,” Tibbet said. “With the economy and the general state of things the way they are, people tend to turn toward entertainment.”

And, judging from the crowds that line Pasadena streets every Jan. 1, there’s nothing more entertaining than a dog on wheels, on a bed of roses.

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catherine.ho@latimes.com