Maria Romo stood in the intersection of Colorado Boulevard and Oak Knoll Avenue just before 5:30, Monday morning, wearing a stocking cap and smiling as she stoked the fire burning in her barbecue grill, where she was putting pieces of wood.

Confetti lined the sidewalks from the midnight New Year’s celebration, capped off with noisemakers and people dancing in the street.Romo, 38 of Riverside, camped out with her aunt, brother and 16-year-old daughter, Nancy.

So, how do you keep two small horses calm during the Rose Parade, amid the brightly colored floats and the cacophony of tens of thousands of people cheering from the sidewalks?

Cal Poly students have long assembled Rose Parade floats in a structure that left their creations exposed to rain, harsh sun and wind.

This year, Cal Poly Pomona and San Luis Obispo’s float entry, named “Dreams Take Flight,” feature animals flying through clouds on airplanes with moving wings, Peters said.