By John Hayden

Everything’s coming up roses for Visit Lauderdale. Broward County’s tourism arm got the attention of a nation waking up on New Year’s Day. They had a float in the 135th Annual Tournament of Roses Parade that was seen by millions. 

Visit Lauderdale CEO, Stacy Ritter, grew up watching the iconic procession. That love stayed with her and this fall realized her childhood obsession could be an adult accomplishment. She convinced her colleagues that showcasing Greater Fort Lauderdale would be great for the area. The only problem: time wasn’t on her side.

Most Rose parade floats are planned and constructed over an entire year. Ritter and her team only had three months. “I wish that everyone knew how much work goes into this. There’s no way to convey it,” she said.

One of the big rules of a Rose Parade float is that every inch of surface must be covered by organic material. More than 40,000 roses donned the float, along with wood, seeds, and other products. Designers excelled at this, and the float won The Past President Award for Most Outstanding Innovation in the use of floral and non-floral materials.

The very best of Broward was represented. From the wavewall along Fort Lauderdale Beach to the skyline-dominating Guitar Hotel at the Seminole Hard Rock, to rainbow colored beach umbrellas, diversity was on display.

It’s the latest and greatest accomplishment of Visit Lauderdale’s Everyone Under the Sun campaign. Launched in 2022, it stresses that, despite what national headlines may say about Florida writ large, Broward County is not only inclusive, but a welcoming place for anyone, be it LGBTQIA+ to people with disabilities, to any nationality.