Cal Poly Rose Float opens design contest for 2027 Rose Parade
Jungle Jumpstart makes its way towards Colorado Blvd in Pasadena during the Rose Parade on Jan. 1, 2026.
Deadline to submit design concepts for the 138th Rose Parade is 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 5.
– Cal Poly Rose Float, fueled by a historic New Year’s Day win, is seeking design ideas for its entry in the 138th Rose Parade. There is no limit to the number of concepts an individual may submit.
The Rose Float leadership team, made up of about 60 students evenly split between California Polytechnic State University and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, will review all submissions and vote to select the winning concept.
The Cal Poly universities’ Rose Float is the only student-built float in the parade and one of a small number of entries constructed by community volunteers rather than commercial float builders. The schools have been invited to participate in the parade for 78 consecutive years.
The selected concept will serve as the basis for the final 2027 float design, which will travel the 5.5-mile parade route on New Year’s Day.
The float also represents the universities’ floral bouquet to the world, reaching approximately 700,000 parade spectators in Pasadena and an international television audience in the tens of millions. This year’s entry, titled “Jungle Jumpstart,” depicted jungle animals working together to restore a 40-foot-long robot and earned the parade’s top honor, the Sweepstakes Award. The win marked the first time the Cal Poly programs received the award and only the seventh time since its establishment in 1924 that a self-built float earned the distinction.
The winning designer will receive a choice between $500 or a pair of tickets to the 2027 Rose Parade.
The 2027 parade theme, “Welcome,” was announced Jan. 15 by Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association President Terry Madigan. The theme focuses on belonging, community, and the feeling of being welcomed, regardless of background or place.
Completed submissions must be emailed to Rosefloat@cpp.edu with the subject line “2027 Concept.” Designs may be submitted in color or black and white, must not exceed 11 by 17 inches, and must include the applicant’s name, phone number, and email address in the body of the email rather than on the artwork. Submitted designs will become the property of the Cal Poly Rose Float program upon receipt.
