For those who woke up early on New Year's Day… many watched the beautiful floral floats make their way down Pasadena, California's main streets during the 2018 Tournament of Roses Parade!
Dole Packaged Foods, LLC's 2018 Rose Parade® float, Sharing Nature's Bounty, took home the Grand Marshal award in this year's parade. Dole® has taken home eight float awards since 2011 and holds the record for the most Sweepstakes Trophy wins. Created by Fiesta Parade Floats, Sharing Nature's Bounty stood at 55 feet long, 18 wide and 26 feet high.
Inspired by the "circle of life," Sharing Nature's Bounty features large animals from various ecosystems, a 16-foot tall waterfall flowing with over 2,000 gallons of recycled water and flowery detail made of more than 60,000 individual flowers. The float also serves to celebrate Dole's long-standing passion for environmental protection and sustainability in areas where the company grows and packages its products.
"The parade theme gave us the privilege to emphasize the importance of giving back, to enrich people's lives and be a source of hope and inspiration for all communities," said David Spare, Vice President of Marketing, Dole Packaged Foods.
The 24 floats awarded official honors in the 129th Rose Parade presented by Honda.
These awards recognize excellence in a variety of categories and specifications.
The 2018 Rose Parade float award-winners are (alphabetically):
| Award | Description | Participant | Theme | Builder |
| Sweepstakes | Most beautiful entry: encompassing float design, floral presentation and entertainment | Singpoli American BD | Rising Above | Paradiso |
| Americana | Most outstanding depiction of national treasures and traditions | Farmers Insurance | Honoring Hometown Heroes | Phoenix |
| Animation | Most outstanding use of animation | Underground Service Alert of Southern California (DigAlert) | Making It Safe for All | Fiesta |
| Bob Hope Humor | Most whimsical and amusing float | La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association | Panda-Monium | Self-Built |
| Crown City Innovator | Most outstanding use of imagination, innovation and technology | The Grand Tour-An Amazon Prime Original | Make Your Own Momentum | Paradiso |
| Director | Most outstanding artistic design and use of floral and non-floral materials | Odd Fellows and Rebekahs Rose Float | Sacrifice to Serve | Phoenix |
| Extraordinaire Trophy | Most extraordinary float | The UPS Store, Inc. | Books Bring Dreams to Life | Paradiso |
| Fantasy | Most outstanding display of fantasy and imagination | Sierra Madre Rose Float Association | Chivalry! | Self-Built |
| Founder | Most outstanding float built and decorated by volunteers from a community or organization | Burbank Tournament of Roses Association | Sand-Sational Helpers | Self-Built |
| Golden State | Most outstanding depiction of life in California | City of Riverside | 25th Annual Festival of Lights | Fiesta |
| Grand Marshal | Most outstanding creative concept and float design | Dole Packaged Foods | Sharing Nature's Bounty | Fiesta |
| International | Most outstanding float from outside the United States | China Airlines | Caring for Our Sea | AES |
| Isabella Coleman | Most outstanding presentation of color and color harmony through floral design | City of Hope | Transforming Lives with Hope | Phoenix |
| Judges | Most outstanding float design and dramatic impact | American Armenian Rose Float Association, Inc. | Armenian Roots | Phoenix |
| Leishman Public Spirit | Most outstanding floral presentation from a non-commercial participant | United Sikh Mission | Serving Kindness | Phoenix |
| Mayor | Most outstanding float from a participating city | City of Torrance | Protecting Nature…The Madrona Marsh Preserve | Fiesta |
| Past President | Most outstanding innovation in the use of floral and non-floral materials | Cal Poly Universities | Dreams Take Flight | Self-Built |
| President | Most outstanding use and presentation of flowers | Western Asset Management Company | Oceans of Possibility | Phoenix |
| Princess | Most outstanding floral presentation among entries 35 feet and under in length | Rotary Rose Parade Float Committee, Inc. | Planting the Seeds of Service | Phoenix |
| Queen | Most outstanding presentation of roses | Downey Rose Float Association | Working Together | Self-Built |
| Showmanship | Most outstanding display of showmanship and entertainment | Trader Joe's | Hats Off | Phoenix |
| Theme | Most outstanding presentation of the Rose Parade Theme | Donate Life | The Gift of Time | Paradiso |
| Tournament Volunteer | Most outstanding floral presentation of the Rose Parade Theme among floats 35 feet and under in length | Shriners Hospitals for Children | Caring for Kids Around the World | Phoenix |
Scores are based on criteria such as creative design, floral craftsmanship, artistic merit, computerized animation, thematic interpretation, floral and color presentation, and dramatic impact.
This year’s judges – María Eugenia Carrion, Bradley Kaye, and James Sutton– reviewed each float during judging sessions that take place during the decorating stages before the parade. The judges used their scores from the judging sessions to determine the trophy recipients. Banners for each award-winning float will be carried in the parade by select members of the Tournament of Roses Troop, which includes Gold Award Girl Scouts and Eagle Scouts.
