IHOP drops out of Rose Parade

Robert Chacon

For the first time in 27 years, Glendale-based IHOP Corp. will not

enter a float in the Rose Parade, citing financial constraints.

“IHOP has become a household name, and we don’t need the

recognition anymore,” company spokesman Patrick Lenow said. “The Rose

Parade has been a great tradition for us and served us well.”

Lenow declined to say how much the company spent annually on its

float, but called it a sizable investment the company will use for

other marketing measures.

Float entries from the cities of Glendale, Burbank and La Canada

Flintridge, meanwhile, are coming together for the Jan. 1 parade, the

theme of which is “Music, Music, Music.”

Glendale’s float, housed in a Pasadena warehouse, is the closest

to completion of the three cities’ entries. Titled “One Man Band,”

the entry is unique because, at 35 feet, it is the tallest float the

city has ever entered in the parade, said City Councilman Dave

Weaver, who is the float chief for the Glendale Rose Float Assn.

The float features an animated boy dressed in a carnation-red band

suit, one hand on a bugle, the other banging a giant bass drum and

smaller drum set. It will also feature the first originally composed

theme for a float in the parade’s history, Weaver said.

The Glendale Centre Theatre is making original costumes for the

nine riders on the float, another first, Weaver added.

“Original costumes, original music and the height of a three-story

building, this is the most unique float we’ve ever had,” Weaver said.

“The float is already painted to look exactly how it will look during

the parade.”

La Canada Flintridge’s 26th entry, “Cactus Practice,” features

three flowering cacti playing musical instruments. The float will

undergo its last construction inspection this week by the Tournament

of Roses Assn., before shape-forming foam is applied to chicken-wire

frames.

Housed at a local maintenance yard, the float will be moved to

Flintridge Preparatory Academy on Dec. 20 for the final application

of flowers.

“We are one of the few associations that uses all volunteers to

build the float,” said Bob Wallace, former president of the La Canada

Flintridge Tournament of Roses Assn.

The Burbank Tournament of Roses Assn. also uses only volunteers to

build its floats. This year marks the city’s 70th entry since 1914,

association president Teri Bastian said.

Housed at a Burbank Water and Power warehouse on North Lake

Street, “Moosic, Moosic, Moosic,” features a singing cowboy and his

horse atop a desert butte. Below, a trio of cows and several prairie

dogs listen to the cowboy sing Gene Autry’s “Back in the Saddle

Again.”

The float is also awaiting the application of the foam to begin

taking its final shape. Eventually, more than 100,000 roses, mums,

irises and other flowers will carpet the float.

Hundreds of volunteers at each float site will begin layering the

floats with flowers beginning a few days before the Jan. 1 parade.