1976

Saturday Night in South Pasadena
It’s eight o’clock and the town constable is rolling up the sidewalk-sound familiar? Certainly many towns throughout the nation identify with this passive but comical rendition of Saturday night. The sidewalk is made of dusty miller and the officer of purple iris and yellow mums. A loose dog of pampas grass chases the neighborhood cat. Taking his Saturday night bath, the home owner watches television from his mum covered tub. This is one of only five entries in the self-decorated class. An all-out volunteer effort, 1976 marks South Pasadena’s 57th entry.

Source:1976 Official Tournament of Roses Parade Souvenir Program

The country’s bicentennial brought the theme “America, Let’s Celebrate” to the Rose Parade. Hal Edgar, the South Pas Tournament of Roses Association vice president, helped design the entry “Another Saturday Nite in South Pasadena.” The float featured a constable literally rolling up the sidewalk in front of a house, while a dog chased a cat through the yard and a man inside took a bath. Demonstrating that, as great a town as it is, there ain’t much to do in South Pas on a Saturday evening, the piece evoked the belief of many suburbanites across nearly all generations that the town they grew in belonged to the crickets at night. As the float made it’s way down Colorado, it was met with delayed but hearty laughter, as onlookers slowly got it. Commentators on T.V., however, were oblivious to the reference and questioned the entry’s relevance to the Parade’s theme. “Another Saturday Nite” won the Judge’s Special Trophy for outstanding showmanship and dramatic impact.

Excerpt from The SouthPas Float Story-2006 Official Souvenir “a History of Doing it Ourselves“ by Jim Taveres