Victor floral designer builds Rose Bowl Parade floats

VICTOR — For Laurel Hollopeter of Victor, designing and building floats for the Rose Bowl Parade is a family affair.

“We have a group who gathers each parade, and we stay in an Airbnb and have a lot of fun to say the least,” said Hollopeter, who just finished his 17th year as a Rose Bowl parade float designer and builder.

“We sit and talk about our day and then just talk about our friendships. We have laughed so much we almost cry, but it's all in good fun and we love each other so much.”

Hollopeter, who is a floral designer with Hy-Vee in Iowa City, first volunteered to build floats for the Rose Bowl Parade for the Phoenix Decorating Company in 2001.

“It was something I had always wanted to do, being in the floral industry,” Hollopeter said.

Seven years later, he got the itch, as he calls it, to help with the parade again.

“I contacted a friend who previously lived in Iowa, and she said if you are going to help with the Rose Bowl parade you gotta work for Fiesta Parade Float Company,” recalled Hollopeter.

“I sent an email, and the reply back was we are already full of volunteers.”

Hollopeter then made a phone call and mentioned that Lisa Weddell, now owner of LWeddel Design of Littleton, Colorado, had told him to contact the company. The response was, "Oh, you know Lisa. You are in. Come on out.”

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Hollopeter and three other floral friends from Iowa made the trek in late 2007 as volunteers for the 2008 Rose Bowl Parade.

“After coming home from the parade in 2008, I called Fiesta and asked for information on details of the float I had worked on, as a newspaper was doing a story and wanted more information about the float construction, etc.,” said Hollopeter.

“At that point the Floral Lead Designer said, ‘We were going to contact you, as we would like to have you back next year as a "paid" designer for our team.’”

“So that is how it all began,” said Hollopeter. “I returned each year after that with the exception of the year when my dad passed away, as it didn't work out.”

He also did not build parade floats during the COVID era because the parade was canceled Jan. 1, 2021.

Hollopeter spent 15 years with Fiesta as a paid designer until the 2023-24 season when the company closed due to financial difficulties and the parade designers and builders did not get paid.

“So at that point I thought the time of helping to create floats was probably over,” Hollopeter said. “However, deep in the back of my mind, I had the thought that we would get picked up by another float builder.

“Fiesta closing was a big topic of discussion at the annual AIFD (American Institute of Floral Designers) Symposium, which was held this past July in Orlando, Florida.

“It was in Orlando, when we found out that there was a possibility that we could be picked up by another float builder,” said Hollopeter. “There were talks planned, and by the time I left Orlando, it sounded like I would be on a return mission to the Rose Bowl Parade.

“It was hard not to say much, as we had to wait for the ‘official’ word that we would be moving to a new builder.”

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The new builder is Artistic Entertainment Services, and they have two locations, one in Azusa, California and one in Orlando, Florida They do extensive work for both of the Disney properties.

For the 2024/25 parade, Hollopeter was the co-designer, working with Mike Hollenbeck on four parade floats — Ohio State University and the University of Oregon for the Rose Bowl game; Army float in honor of the branch of service celebrating its 250th year; and Mega Entertainment, which is the last float in the parade lineup.

“Working for AES this year was a wonderful experience,” Hollopeter said. “It was a blend of many former designers from Fiesta and designers who had worked for AES in the past.

“We were welcomed with open arms, and everything went off probably better than anticipated.

“We all brought experience and floral knowledge to the construction this year. We incorporated what we had done at Fiesta and learned the AES way of things too. It was a great combination.”

There were a few other changes that AES implemented. In past years, designers and builders started working Dec. 27. This year, they began working on the floats Dec. 26.

“So that meant everyone either arrived on Christmas Day or in the early morning hours on Dec. 26,” noted Hollopeter. “I chose to arrive on Christmas Day as I have done that for several years.”

AES built 16 floats for the 2024/25 parade, and of those, only 12 were judged. Of those, nine received awards.

“I have been a design lead for a few years, and it basically means you lead your team to getting the construction of all the floral for the float done in a timely matter, and you might design sample designs and work with the other great designers on your team,” said Hollopeter.

“We consider all jobs the same. This year we never worked past midnight, and I wouldn't even say we did that this year. The last day of construction, we were actually finished before 11:30 p.m., but you stay to help clean and finish other floats.

“All 16 floats AES built this year were done before the stroke of Midnight heading into 2025.

Floats range in size of 35-foot, which is considered the smallest, and go up to much larger versions depending on the budget and designs.

“There are ‘set’ numbers of flowers for each float, but the biggest thing is that there should be just a few flowers left over and those are saved for any damage to flowers once they go to the parade line up,” said Hollopeter.

“The floats travel to the parade route late afternoon Dec. 31.”

In some cases, repairs of floral products might need to be made due to trees overhanging on the route, and other incidents, said Hollopeter.

“The floats set in the parade lineup over night with security and lighting. We always go to the lineup of floats early to see all the entries and get more photos up close.”

For Hollopeter, being a parade float designer and builder gives him great pride to work with others he calls family.

“I meet new people each year, but then there are several who return each year for the parade, and we have become family,” he said.

“Going back each year is like going home to ‘family.’ It's like a big family reunion, as some you only see either at the parade or maybe one other time a year at Symposium,” added Hollopeter.

“The biggest thing is, yes, it's a lot of fun, but there is plenty of work that must be done.”

Hollopeter’s Iowa family pushed Christmas to January so Hollopeter could follow his dream.