Contact: Jay Thompson

805-235-0955; jthomp04@calpoly.edu

Deadline for concept submissions for the 138th Rose Parade® is Feb. 5

SAN LUIS OBISPO — Cal Poly Rose Float, fueled by a historic win on New Year’s Day, is seeking design ideas for their entry in next year’s 138th Rose Parade®.

There is no limit to the number of entries an individual can submit. The Rose Float leadership team — comprising about 60 students, equally split from Cal Poly and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona — will review the design concepts and vote on the winner.

The deadline for submissions is 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 5.

Cal Poly universities Rose Float is the only student-built float in the Rose Parade® and one of a handful of entries built by community volunteers and not commercial float builders. The schools been invited to participate for 78 consecutive years.

The lucky entry will provide the basis for the 2027 final design, which will roll down the 5-1/2-mile parade route on New Year’s Day. 

It also serves as the schools’ floral bouquet to the world — a crowd of 700,000 Pasadena parade goers and an international television audience in the tens of millions — just as this year when the students’ “Jungle Jumpstart,” depicting jungle denizens working together to restore a 40-foot-long robot, earned the parade’s top honor, the Sweepstakes Award, which was a first for the schools. Moreover, it marked only the seventh time since the award was established in 1924 that a self-built entry was selected and had its name etched on the award’s permanent silver cup.

If that’s not reward enough, the winner will also have a choice between $500 or a pair of tickets to the 2027 Rose Parade®.

The 2027 theme is “Welcome.” Announced Jan. 15 by Pasadena Tournament of Roses® Association’s newly installed President Terry Madigan, the theme celebrates the simple joy of belonging — that feeling that you’re always welcome, no matter who or where you are. It’s the warmth of family — whether related or chosen, the love of good friends, and the welcoming embrace of community.

Completed submissions must be emailed to Rosefloat@cpp.edu with the subject line “2027 Concept.” Submissions can be color or black and white; must be no larger than 11 by 17 inches; and must include the applicant’s name, phone number and email (included in the body of the email and not on the concept rendering).

Designs should only be submitted to Cal Poly Rose Float and will become property of such once received.

For questions or more information, contact: Josh D’Acquisto at jdacquis@calpoly.edu or 805-756-1182, or Cary Khatab at 909-869-3204 or kkhatab@cpp.edu.

Follow Cal Poly Rose Float Facebook, Rose Float Instagram and Rose Float on X (formerly Twitter) for news and contest updates.

About Cal Poly

Cal Poly is a nationally ranked public university located in San Luis Obispo, California, and known for its Learn by Doing philosophy. Each year over 23,000 top-tier students come to Cal Poly to put knowledge into action, taking their learning outside the classroom as they prepare for careers in areas such as engineering, agriculture, science, business, humanities and the built environment. Cal Poly’s hands-on approach, small class sizes and close student-faculty mentorships result in graduates ready from Day One to impact their communities, California and the world. www.calpoly.edu

Top Photo: Cal Poly universities’ “Jungle Jumpstart” received the Sweepstakes Award as the most beautiful entry on a rainy New Year’s Day at the 137th Rose Parade®. Measuring 53 feet long, 25 feet high and 18 feet wide, the float explores the 2026 parade theme of “The Magic in Teamwork” by showcasing the dynamics of a unique partnership through the story of rainforest denizens restoring a 40-foot robot friend.

Photo by Tom Zasadzinski | California State Polytechnic University, Pomona