Zumba on Your Fiesta-Themed Parade Float

Some things are too good not to share. Celebrations of Latin American cultures, such as Cinco de Mayo, have grown through the years into traditional community-wide festivals in cities of all sizes.

Zumba is also too good not to share. Promoting a diverse collection of Latin music styles along with fitness, fun and charitable giving, Zumba’s popularity shows no sign of waning.

It’s an inevitable match.

So let’s talk about your float decorations. What you want to think about first are bright colors or even the proverbial “riot” of colors to generate visual energy.

You may well ask if you’ll find the colors you need in basic parade float materials and the answer is yes. Fringe and festooning comes in all your primary colors and with choices of vinyl and metallic versions. Floral sheeting, usually the first choice for covering decks and decorations, gives you even more color options including unusual hues such as hot pink and teal.

The next step is to pick out large props and decorations. How about signage? There are at least four ways to identify your group or slogan in a decorative way, and you’ll want to choose based on budget, time, number of volunteers, re-usability and other factors. They are: pomps, fiesta banners, posters and personalized props.

The Fiesta Arch, shown above at right, is a lovely example of a prop in bright colors that can carry a message. Printed on both sides, you won’t have to worry about orienting it just so on the float; and with a height of nine feet, everyone will see the text. While it may require anchoring and some internal bracing, this made-to-order piece is a big, beautiful time-saver over building from scratch.

Pull motifs from your arch to complete the presentation. Mylar balloons in the shape of musical notes, maracas props and wearable sombreros from the Fiesta store are examples of additional decorations that will help pull the look together.

From there, it’s time to add sound and movement to your visual feast. Will your Zumba team actually dance on the float? It could be that building and using stanchions will meet safety regulations, or that the dancers will perform alongside the float and leave the riders to something tamer. If you haven’t already, check with the parade authority as soon as possible and plan accordingly.

Will you be building a parade float for Cinco de Mayo or other Latin American festival coming up soon? Let us know in comments!

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