Theme:
A massive erupting 26-foot volcano with smoke, steam and 20-foot blasts of real fire stands tall over a vibrant and lush tropical rainforest filled with three waterfalls, prowling tigers, and fluttering butterflies as well as chimpanzees, parrots and dragonflies.
Famous Float Designer: Raul Rodriguez
I got to the meet the very talented award-winning float designer, Raul Rodriguez! He designed last year’s float and designed about 7 other floats in the building. You can see a preview of the other floats in my photo gallery.
| The Queen’s Court |
| All Fresh and Natural Elements. |
New Product Samples:
- Frozen DOLE Peach Mango Smoothie Shaker. You’ll never need a blender again. Are you always on the go? Create a perfect frozen smoothie with real yogurt and fruit by shaking DOLE Peach Mango Smoothie Shaker with juice for 30 seconds! Made with all natural fruit and real yogurt, a good source of calcium and are nutritionally fortified with an extra boost of protein, each 11 oz serving is under 200 calories.
- New Squish’ems! squeezable fruit snack. Squish’ems! is real fruit sauce in a great squeezable pouch with a fun resealable cap. No need for a spoon, just pop the cap, squeeze and enjoy! Each Squish’ems! pouch contains 1 full serving of fruit that is made locally in the US with all natural fruit, has only 70 calories and contains 100% daily value of vitamin C.
You Might Want to Know:
(You might want to take some time to read every last detail). AMAZING
- It’s 55 ft long, 18 ft wide, and stands over 26 ft tall.
- It weighs about 22 tons, or the weight of 10 elephants.
- The DOLE Rose Parade Float, “Dreaming of Paradise,” will feature a 26-foot massive volcano which will erupt with smoke, steam and fire shooting 20 feet into the sky over a vibrant and lush tropical rain forest of Latin America teaming with prowling tigers, fluttering butterflies, chimpanzees, parrots, and dragonflies.
- Nested in the lush backdrop of tropical flowers and foliage two magnificent parrots, perched on lofty branches of orchids, are overwhelming in size.
- Whimsical chimpanzees demand our attention with their antics as they frolic near magnificent waterfalls cascading down plush moss covered walls accentuating the mist-draped gardens.
- Exotic animated leopards bask in the beauty of the jungle that claims the lost ruins of past civilizations.
- The incredible parrots are fashioned in floral feathers of blue iris, red poinsettia, carnations and Pee Wee anthuriums accented with Kermit button mums.
- The playful chimpanzees have fur fashioned in dehydrated cranberry foliage with highlights of pampas and pharmitas grass.
- The colorful butterflies of orange marigold and yellow strawflower petals are detailed with black onion seed and white sweet rice.
- Shades of bronze and cream strawflower petals and black chive seed create the leopard fur.
- Lava of 8,000 vivid florescent orange roses majestically flow over the volcano surface decorated in black lichen moss.
- More than 25,000 hot pink roses ramble through colorful tropical gardens created from thousands of specialty anthuriums, cypripedium, hybrid vanda orchids, Kimi, Curcuma and Torch ginger, King and Pink Mink protea, along with Angusta, Bihia, Lobster Claw, Pagoda and fuzzy King Kong hanging heliconia. Foliages and ferns are intermixed with bromeliad plants to complete the exotic gardens.
- Over 10,000 purple dendrobium orchids cascade from the forest canopy of trees.
- A highly sophisticated computerize hydraulic system has been used to achieve the realistic movements on the tigers and butterflies. The computer program is designed to keep the movement of the tigers synchronized with the eruption of the volcano.
- Three waterfalls feature over 1,000 gallons of cascading recycled water as well as a misting system add to the tropical mood.
- Throughout the float there are fresh and healthy fruits, including bananas, pineapples, mangoes, papayas, peaches, strawberries and blueberries that were grown by DOLE just for this use on the float.
- Traditional Costa Rican folk music is played with performers dancing at street level on both sides of the float.
- The DOLE “Dreaming of Paradise” float was designed and created by Fiesta Parade Floats, which has built 19 consecutive Sweepstakes Trophy Winners in the Rose Parade—including DOLE’S 2011 entry, “Living Well in Paradise” and last year’s entry “Preserving Paradise.
About DOLE’S Participation in 2013 TOURNAMENT OF ROSES PARADE:
- DOLE works with thousands of independent family farmers from around the world. The “Dreaming of Paradise” float pays tribute to the beauty and bounty of the tropical paradise of Latin America.
“It also reminds us that with responsible, sustainable growing and operating practices we can keep the dream of paradise alive.”
- At DOLE, healthy living includes not only eating well and exercising, but treating our people, resources, environment and community as our most precious assets.
“That’s why it is our mission to provide great tasting, all natural, healthy fruit and vegetables, as well as make the world a better place to live both today and in the future.”
- “Dreaming of Paradise” follows in the tradition of DOLE’s two Sweepstakes Trophy winning predecessors of showcasing the regions where DOLE employs workers and grows produce.
| DOLE’s Marketing VP, Dave Spare |
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About DOLE:
DOLE is the world’s largest producer and marketer of high-quality fresh fruit and fresh vegetables, and is the leading producer of organic bananas. DOLE markets a growing line of packaged and frozen fruit and is a produce industry leader in nutrition education and research.
DOLE lives its mission statement and guiding principles through active involvement in the communities of our independent family farmers, where the most nutritious, fresh fruits and vegetables are grown for your family’s enjoyment.