The La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association (LCFTRA) keeps on rolling and raising the bar. With changes ever ongoing in an expanding program that delivers award-winning floats on the world stage.
LCFTRA takes their success right back to the community by offering education programs in float construction, welding, fabrication and a number of other “out-of-the-box” endeavors.
From small to large events and partnering with other local groups to deliver unique and new combinations of outreach, LCFTRA thinks as big as the floats they build. This year, they reach for the stars in interpreting the 2025 Rose Parade theme “Best Day Ever” with a Mars rover and copter display on the planet, complete with an astronaut, aliens and discovering water. Partnering with some awesome local key players and striving for some ‘first-time-ever’ features, this Float is sure to be another attention-getter.
You can help bring this amazing float to life by stopping by and joining the crew of builders, thinkers, inventors and tinkerers to learn, teach and build. LCFTRA prides itself on offering a creative space that follows the DREAM: design, research, engineering, art, maker. It’s a great place for summer industrial art activities, father-son/mother/daughter bonding, brainstorming and building. For scouts, there are merit badges to be had as well, so have your troop leader reach out.
You can also support LCFTRA by attending any of our upcoming events, such as any of our monthly Dining-Out fundraiser, an Evening of Stars at Mount Wilson or our annual gala Wine and Roses gala “An InterGALActic Experience” to meet the Rose Court. Come meet new friends and help be part of the community that builds the biggest hot rod in town, which just happens to be heading for Mars this year. Contact us at lcftra.org
Ernest Koeppen
2024 President of La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of
Roses Association
First published in the June 27 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.
