Rose Parade float will pay tribute to Mexico

Inside a giant warehouse in Irwindale, crews are finishing the construction of a dozen Rose Parade floats, including a large dog, a carousel and a court jester.

Vicente Avila, 47, a sculptor for Fiesta Parade Floats, has worked on all of them. But he has taken special pride in one of this year’s creations -- a float depicting the memories of his upbringing in Mexico.

The float, which features an Aztec calendar and pyramid, marks the first time in more than 40 years that the Mexican government has participated in the parade. The float will be decorated by Mexican immigrants and their families and will kick off a year of festivities for the country’s 200th birthday. The last time the Mexican government presented a float in the parade was in 1968, when the country hosted the Olympics.

Avila built the model for the float and sculpted a 6-foot-tall Angel of Independence on top.

“This year is going to be something special for me,” said Avila, who lives in Pasadena and hasn’t missed the parade in 21 years. “Even though I am a U.S. citizen, even though my children were born here, I had my childhood in Mexico. I have roots there.”

Mexico’s consul general in Los Angeles, Juan Marcos Gutierrez-Gonzalez, said during a news conference Tuesday at the warehouse that he expects many of the 3.8 million Mexicans living in Los Angeles County to feel that same connection to their homeland when they see the float travel down Colorado Boulevard on New Year’s Day.

“For Mexicans living in Los Angeles, there is going to be a matter of pride,” he said. “It’s announcing to the world: ‘It’s our 200th birthday.’ ”

Throughout 2010, the Mexican Consulate will be organizing various events to celebrate the bicentennial of Mexico’s independence and the centennial of the Mexican revolution. The events include an art exhibit at the Getty Villa museum, a Mexican film festival and an independence parade in East L.A.

The year of celebration will begin Jan. 1, when traditionally clad dancers will perform alongside the 24-foot-high and 55-foot-long float.

The float showcases symbols of Mexico’s culture and history, including a relief sculpture of an eagle with a snake in its mouth and floral portraits of founding fathers Miguel Hidalgo and Francisco Madero. Across the middle of the float, about 50,000 roses will spell out “Mexico -- 2010” under red, white and green pennants.

The designer, Raul R. Rodriguez, was raised in Boyle Heights and is of Mexican descent. Rodriguez said he worked with consular officials to create a float that would highlight pivotal events in the country’s history as well as capture the colors, smells and sounds of the nation.

“Mexico’s going to make quite an impact,” he said. “I am really looking forward to New Year’s morning.”

Televisa and Wells Fargo are funding most of the $250,000 float, which took about three months to construct. In the final week before the parade, about 100 volunteers will place the flowers on the float.

Avila came to the United States from Mexico in 1985 and started constructing floats more than 20 years ago. His first sculpture was a miniature model of a dinosaur, and he has worked on more than 100 floats since then. When he saw the design for the Mexican float, he immediately recalled his youth in Michoacan, where he saw his first Aztec sundial and learned about Hidalgo and Madero.

“Mexico is my country,” he said. “You are born in a certain place; that never changes. You never forget that.”

anna.gorman@latimes.com