First introduced in the middle ages, parade floats have been around for centuries. It is amazing that such a trend caught on so long ago and is still so popular. Most parades that you see, whether it be a small town Christmas parade, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, a parade at Disney World, or Mardi Gras, they will all have floats. Some floats just boast decorations while others have people in costumes, animals, children and maybe a famous singer or dancers. Many times the people that ride on the float will throw candy or food or small toys to onlookers. This is very typical of Mardi Grasparades.

Back in the Middle Ages, when parade floats first emerged; it was the church that used pageant wagons as movable scenery for passion plays. Artisan guilds used their talents to build the wagons for their specific needs. The wagons were pulled throughout the town or village, much like today. They were mainly used during Corpus Christi. During this, there were forty-eight wagons that were pulled, one to represent each play in the Corpus Christi cycle. The name "floats" came from the first floats, which were barges that had been decorated and towed along a canal by ropes that were held by parade marchers on the shore.

One example of a famous parade in which floats are used is the Tournament of Roses. First run in 1893, the Tournament of Roses was started by members of the Pasadena Valley Hunt Club. Their wish was to showcase their new California homes' mild winter weather. So, the club put together horse drawn carriages covered in flowers that were followed by foot races, polo matches, and a game of tug-of-war on the town lot. Two thousand people showed up to this event. So, the Tournament of Roses was born and is still watched by hundreds of thousands of people each year.

So, now that you have a little history on floats, let's talk about what it takes to build one. It is actually not as hard as it looks! Of course, depending on the event, you can make it as elaborate as you wish. The first step in building your float is to read the parade rules, regulations and safety requirements. It would be awful to put so much time and effort into something that you may not be able to enter because you failed to read the rules. Also, check with the parade chairman for a theme so that you can decide on an appropriate design for your float. Next, you need a trailer. This can be built or borrowed. Floats can also be built on jeeps, cars and even boats and barges. Most, however, are built on trailers that are eight feet or less in width to allow for ease of travel. After obtaining the trailer, have a meeting with your builders so everyone agrees on a design. Split up the group and designate each small group to one particular task. Remember to stick with the theme of the parade and be creative! Everything else will fall into place and you will have so much fun showing off your creation on wheels.

For more information on parades, visit http://paradeschedules.com