Local Talent Rides In Rose Bowl

Emma Carter and Gracie Reichman Ride In

FOR MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AROUND the world, the Rose Parade is an iconic New Year’s Day tradition. The Rose Parade travels 5.5 miles down Colorado Boulevard featuring four types of entries: floral-decorated floats entered by a participating corporation, non-profit organization or municipality, equestrian units, bands, and tournament entries. Rose Parade participants have long histories with the Tournament of Roses and keep the traditions alive.

On January 2nd, Emma Carter, who is a senior at Quitman High School made local history by being the first high school student from Jackson Parish to ride a float in the annual Rose Bowl Parade that was held in Pasadena, California. Standing alongside her was Miss Louisiana 2022 Gracie Reichman from Colfax, Louisiana, was a junior Kinesiology & Health Sciences major at Louisiana Tech University.

Gracie and Emma, along with other fair and festival winners from all over the state of Louisiana were invited to ride on a float sponsored by the state of Louisiana along with Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser. Riding along beside them was Country Music Association Award winner and 2022 Academy of Country Music New Female of the Year winner Lainey Wilson who performed on the “Louisiana Celebration Riverboat.”

The float, which was in the image of a Louisiana Riverboat covered with roses, was the brainchild of Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser, to promote the state and use as an introduction to Mardi Gras celebration to the world. The float was the darling of the parade and brought home the Showmanship Award, traditionally given to the float that had the most creative design.

The earliest Tournament of Roses welcomed 3,000 spectators to its first parade filled with beautiful, horse-drawn carriages covered in flowers. More than a century later, the parade floats are a marvel of state of the art technology, all tucked away beneath flowers and other all-natural materials.

Each year more than 80,000 hours of combined service are supplied by 935 volunteer members of the Tournament of Roses Association. Nicknamed “White Suiters” because of the distinctive white suits every volunteer wears, these community-spirited men and women give up their evenings, weekends and holidays to ensure the success of the Rose Parade® and Rose Bowl Game.