The design for Louisiana's new float was unveiled today.
This year the state will have a float in both the Macy's Thanksgiving parade and the Rose Parade in Pasadena.
Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue will ride the Celebration Gator in the 96th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York on November 24.
And on January 2, 2023, a new float, the Louisiana Feed Your Soul Float presented by Louisiana Travel, will roll in the Rose Parade. The design will depict an icon of Louisiana – the riverboat or paddlewheel steamboat – decorated entirely with flowers, leaves, and seeds. Country Music Association Award winner, 2022 Academy of Country Music New Female of the Year winner, and Louisiana music ambassador Lainey Wilson will perform mid-parade for millions of viewers nationally and internationally.
“We’re excited to return to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Rose Parade to showcase all the ways you can Feed Your Soul in Louisiana. All of our riders are an excellent representation of the celebratory spirit of Louisiana,” said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. “We love a parade in Louisiana and we will be kicking off carnival season a few days early on January 2 when our float rolls through the streets of Pasadena.”
Five premier sponsors of Louisiana’s Feed Your Soul float presented by Louisiana Travel, or the Louisiana Celebration Riverboat, in the 2023 Rose Parade® represent convention and visitors bureaus and tourism boards from across the state including the Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission, Natchitoches Convention & Visitors Bureau, Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau, Tangipahoa Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Visit Baton Rouge. The Rose Parade® theme for 2023 is “Turning the Corner.” To underscore the theme, premier sponsors will share how their area of the state has turned a corner into a bright future.
“It is thrilling to be joined this year by our sponsors and to host these 20 Louisiana queens aboard the Louisiana float,” said Lt. Governor Nungesser. “All our efforts in the travel and tourism industry in Louisiana are focused on working with our local partners to drive visitation to every corner of the state. As I always say, if you can eat it, shoot it, catch it, or dance to it, we name a festival after it in Louisiana. This year’s riders are wonderful stewards of our festivals and culture, but also outstanding members of their community that demonstrate the welcoming and neighborly nature of Louisianans.”
The Rose Parade® will be broadcast on January 2, 2023, to viewers across the world. The television event airs on several networks including live telecasts in Armenia, the Caribbean, Latin America, and on American Forces Network.
