By John Hayden

Everything’s coming up roses for Visit Lauderdale. Literally.

Broward County’s tourism arm is putting its über-inclusive ad campaign, Everyone Under the Sun, in front of millions on New Year’s Day. Visit Lauderdale is making its first foray into the Tournament of Roses Parade, the iconic New Year’s Day tradition in Pasadena, CA.

“This float will bring our exceptional destination to life and in full bloom,” said Stacy Ritter, President and CEO of Visit Lauderdale. “It’s an organic blend of sights and sounds representative of the diverse people and iconic attractions, showcasing to the world.”

The float will showcase everything under the sun that makes Greater Fort Lauderdale a great place to play and visit. A sneak peek shows it’s a wild design, as in wildlife. Lifesize alligators with wagging tails will be joined by lovable manatees, along with sea turtles and bright pink flamingos.

The country will also see recreations of cool landmarks we often take for granted. There will be a section of the ‘wave wall’ that runs along A1A at Fort Lauderdale Beach. The guitar part of the instantly iconic Seminole Hard Rock Guitar Hotel will emerge from the float’s skyline.

By The Numbers

Visit Lauderdale predicts it will take 25,000 labor hours to create the float, which will sport 45,000 roses comprised of 1,000 varieties of roses along with flax seeds, sesame seeds, brussels sprouts, blue statice, heliconia, cymbidium orchids, and more.

The float will be 24 feet long, 18 feet wide, and 55 feet high. In all, the agency budgeted $750,000 for the project.

About 700,000 people will see the float in person as it wends through the 5.5 mile route, and another 22 million will see it on television. The original Rose Parade was in 1890, and this will be the 135th iteration of the event that celebrates roses, music, creativity and now, Everyone Under the Sun.