Cal Poly Pomona and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo students are putting the final touches on “Nessie’s Lakeside Laughs,” their float for this year’s Rose Parade. Sparks fly Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, as Cal Poly Pomona student John Pham uses a grinder on the body of Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster, for this year’s Rose Parade float. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Cal Poly Pomona students weld mechanisms together Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, for their Rose Parade float. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Cal Poly Pomona students work Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, on their float for the Rose Parade. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Cal Poly Pomona student Stephanie Arenas peeks through the structure of the Rose Parade float Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, in Pomona. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Cal Poly Pomona students jump together, brushing off foam particles as they work Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, on their Rose Parade float in Pomona. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Cal Poly Pomona students refine their Rose Parade float Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, as they weld pieces of the Loch Ness Monster’s body together in Pomona. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Cal Poly Pomona students work on their Rose Parade float Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, in Pomona. The Loch Ness Monster, Nessie, is the centerpiece of this year’s entry. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Cal Poly Pomona student Zander DeRenard uses a grinder Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, on the body of the Loch Ness Monster as float construction continues in Pomona. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Cal Poly Pomona student Amber Mcgrath welds part of the body portion of the Loch Ness Monster for the Rose Parade float Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, in Pomona. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Cal Poly Pomona students work Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, on their Rose Parade float in Pomona. They focus on the head of the Loch Ness Monster, the centerpiece of this year’s entry. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Cal Poly Pomona students Luna Quezada and Johnathan Bustillos work Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, on shaping the body of their Loch Ness Monster float in Pomona. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Cal Poly Pomona students work Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, on animation mechanisms for their Rose Parade float in Pomona. They focus on the head of a giant Loch Ness Monster, which is the centerpiece of this year’s entry. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Show Caption1 of 12Sparks fly Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, as Cal Poly Pomona student John Pham uses a grinder on the body of Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster, for this year’s Rose Parade float. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Expand It will be seen worldwide during the 136th Rose Parade — themed “The Best Day Ever” — on Wednesday, Jan. 1. The 55-foot long float made of plant life and animatronics stands at 21 feet and depicts an animated lakeside party featuring puffins sliding down the fin of Scotland’s mythical creature Nessie, beavers crafting with driftwood, a Scottish terrier riding a paddleboat on the loch and a smiling Highland cow spinning in an innertube. Related Articles Education | They sound Italian, are electric-powered and will scoot at the Rose Parade​. Meet the Motocompactos Education | Rose Parade 2025: In a parade of float drivers, this husband-and-wife team are fueled by tradition Education | How law enforcement plans to keep visitors safe at Pasadena’s Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Education | Rose Parade 2025: Want to decorate a float, or just be a looky-loo? Here’s how Education | Lindsay Charles is Pasadena Tournament of Roses’ 2025 Rose Queen The universities won their 62nd award at the 2024 parade their entry “Shock n’ Roll: Powering the Musical Current.” They earned the Crown City Innovator Award, which recognizes innovations in technology and imagination. The float featured animatronic electric eels manning electric guitars, a manta ray, and a giant clam, having a rocking party on a coral reef. The float will leave Cal Poly Pomona on Thursday Dec. 19, after a ceremony with students and alums.