As we go to press, we’re stuck on the literally seedy side of Sierra Madre. It’s “Deco Week” in Sierra Madre as volunteers for the Sierra Madre Rose Float Association (SMRFA) @sierramadrerosefloat lovingly apply uncounted gajillions, make that bazillions, of caraway seeds, dried lentils, brilliant yellow and orange marigold petals, crushed bottlebrush flowers and pearlescent sushi rice to this year’s entry. In just a few days,14,000 fresh roses, each stem set in its individual vial, will perfume the float’s surface before it rolls off into the fray.
The parade official theme: “Best Day Ever!” SMRFA’s interpretation of this annual theme: “¡Fiesta!” set in an abuelitos’ (grandparents’) backyard complete with rustic stage, candy-spewing piñatas, and live canciones provided by the Grammy-winning Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea who performed on the soundtrack for the 2017 Pixar-Disney crowd-pleaser, Coco. This original concept was submitted by Steve and Belle Gagne, and illustrated by Sharon Gahlia.
Sixteen professional dancers in folkloric garb will further enliven the party scene with iconic skirt-swirling moves honoring various Mexican states and regions. Approximately 50,000 fresh flowers will complete the effect.
Hanna Jungbauer, Volunteer Coordinator and manager of social media for the 501(c) 3 SMRFA since 2011, says, “We have people arriving every day right now via tour bus and RV caravans from Nebraska, New York, Virginia, Florida, to help decorate our float in time for the parade.”
As has been the case since 1917, the Sierra Madre Rose Float is an entirely self-built DIY affair without benefit of the deep pockets which fund high rollers crafted downstream in the flatlands.
“Our float is low-end,” says Jungbauer, citing the cost to construct and complete “¡Fiesta!” in the SMRFA float barn at around $52,000. Many corporate floats, she says, ring up a price tag in the $400,000 range.
The hardworking hardware used to power the float along its route is improvised from skillfully adapted vintage farm equipment. The chassis for the 35-foot-long, 18-foot-wide float houses two engines, a Ford 390 and a Slant 6. The float also houses a 100-gallon water tank to create the garden’s bubbling fountain feature.
Siddhartha famously cautioned that the journey of a thousand steps begins with one. So, too, with the SMRFA float, but the process breaks down into six basic steps. First, the chassis is secured, followed by the decking process, which creates a web structure on top of the chassis, formed by the installation of strong, fingerlike projections called pencil steel.
From there, the horizontal areas of the growing structure are “foamed” or fitted with thick sheets of foam to support features that will be added next. Vertical areas are “screened,” meaning that armatures for tall, north-south features are built from window screening and industrial glue.
Once these skeletal structures are created and in place, “…the ‘Ghostbusters’ vibe kicks in,” says Jungbauer. Wearing protective gear, a tech directs a stream of viscous, fast-drying polymer onto the forms from a jetpack using a projector gun. The polymer expands when it hits the air, turning from liquid to a sculpted solid in minutes. This process is known as “cocooning.”
Once dry, Deco Week can begin, starting with paint, then the application of dry plant matter like seeds, grains, leaves, beans, pods, dried petals, ground spices – the crew recently foraged for grapevine cuttings to festoon the float’s backyard stage – and finally, crowned with fresh blooms. The results so far include sandias (watermelon lollipops) and tricolor candy corn that will erupt from a unicorn piñata.
Jungbauer says the number of volunteers wielding paintbrushes, glue guns and more in Sierra Madre during Deco Work ranges from 250 to 400 per week as the deadline approaches. And just as the last auld lang syne is weepily warbled and the Brut buzz lifts, local SMRFA volunteers will set to work again, donating two days of their time per week, usually Thursdays and Sundays, throughout the year to design, plan and build the nonprofit’s float for the next season, in addition to hosting fundraisers and other events.
The ongoing 365-day-a-year engagement, ramping up each year in March, creates a strong sense of community that defines this unique foothill community.
“Everyone is invited to join us in the spring,” says Jungbauer. “We operate with an inclusive vibe that’s truly joyful, and we teach skills like welding and how to fix an engine for those who want to learn.”
All photos by Hanna Jungbauer.
Thank you for shining the spotlight this direction! It’s a labor of love, by the people and for the people.