Cal Poly Pomona and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo students are putting the final touches on "Nessie's Lakeside Laughs," their float for this year's Rose Parade.

It will be seen worldwide the 136th Rose Parade -- themed "The Best Day Ever" -- on Wednesday, Jan. 1.

The 55-foot long float made of plant life and animatronics stands at 21 feet and depicts an animated lakeside party featuring puffins sliding down the fin of Scotland's mythical creature Nessie, beavers crafting with driftwood, a Scottish terrier riding a paddleboat on the loch and a smiling Highland cow spinning in an innertube.

The universities won their 62nd award at the 2024 parade their entry "Shock n' Roll: Powering the Musical Current." They earned the Crown City Innovator Award, which recognizes innovations in technology and imagination. The float featured animatronic electric eels manning electric guitars, a manta ray, and a giant clam, having a rocking party on a coral reef.

The float will leave Cal Poly Pomona on Thursday Dec. 19, after a ceremony with students and alums.