Parade Float Judging Sheet & Criteria

Parade float judging has a challenge most contests don't: the entries are moving. Judges may see each float for a minute or less, from one spot, and must score dozens of them in a row. A clear sheet and a well-placed judging stand are what make the result fair to the clubs, schools and businesses that spent weeks building.

Most parades use one or both of these approaches:

• Judging stand: judges score each float as it passes or pauses at a fixed point on the route
• Pre-judging: judges walk the staging area before the parade to look at construction and detail up close, then score the performance at the stand

Pre-judging is fairer for construction and detail, which are hard to see from a stand, but it needs the floats in place early and judges who can walk the line. If you use it, publish the pre-judging time in the entry rules.

The criteria below make a 100-point sheet for most community parades. A holiday or homecoming parade with a strong theme might add points to theme adherence; a parade known for big builds might weight construction more.

Print one sheet per judge with every float in lineup order, so judges follow the parade down the page. Each float carries its entry number on a large, visible sign on both sides.

[PARADE NAME] [YEAR]: FLOAT JUDGING SHEET
Theme: [PARADE THEME]

Judge name: ____________________    Judge number: ______
Score each float as it passes. Do not confer with other judges.

FLOAT #  ENTRANT            DIV   THEME  DESIGN  BUILD  ORIG  ANIM/MUSIC  OVERALL  TOTAL
                                  (20)   (20)    (15)   (15)  (15)        (15)     (100)
______   ________________   ___   ____   ____    ____   ____  ____        ____     _____
______   ________________   ___   ____   ____    ____   ____  ____        ____     _____
______   ________________   ___   ____   ____    ____   ____  ____        ____     _____
______   ________________   ___   ____   ____    ____   ____  ____        ____     _____
______   ________________   ___   ____   ____    ____   ____  ____        ____     _____
______   ________________   ___   ____   ____    ____   ____  ____        ____     _____

Divisions: B = business, N = nonprofit/civic, S = school/youth, F = faith
Tie-breaker: highest THEME ADHERENCE score, then OVERALL IMPRESSION.
Float not seen or not judged (float # and reason): ______________

Judge signature: ____________________

[PARADE NAME] FLOAT PRE-JUDGING NOTES

Float #: ______    Entrant: ____________________
Inspected at: [STAGING AREA]    Time: ______

Construction quality: ___________________________________
Detail visible only up close: ___________________________
Safety check passed (per parade rules): Yes / No
Notes for the judging stand: ____________________________

Pre-judge signature: ____________________

Divisions keep a school club's float from competing against a business with a production budget. Define each division in the entry rules and publish the awards for each.

Bands, cars, horses and walking units are usually judged on their own sheets, or not at all, so they don't compete against built floats.

1. 1

   Place the Judging Stand

   Place the stand where floats are still in good order and spacing, usually past the first stretch of the route but before the crowd is thickest at the end. Near the announcer helps, so the entry description is read as the float passes.

2. 2

   Set Up the Stand

   Raise judges off the curb so they see over the crowd, give them shade or cover, and provide clipboards, pens, a lineup list and a radio to the parade marshal.

3. 3

   Set a Pause at the Stand

   Many parades ask each float to slow or pause briefly at the stand, so riders and performers can present. Set the time in the rules and have a marshal at the stand to keep it moving.

4. 4

   Share the Lineup Early

   Send judges the lineup with each entry's number, division and a short description before the parade, so they aren't reading while a float passes.

5. 5

   Plan for Gaps

   If a float breaks down, arrives out of order or misses the stand, the marshal radios the stand. Decide in advance whether a float that misses the stand can still be judged.

6. 6

   Collect and Tally

   A runner collects sheets at the end, two people tally them, and the head judge checks the results before they go to the announcer.

Judges with a family member, employer or club on a float should step aside for that float. With three or five judges, the head judge averages the remaining scores for it.

Float safety rules are set by the city, the parade committee and sometimes the police or fire department, and they vary widely. Publish your rules with the entry form and check every float before it leaves staging. Rules many parades use include:

• A licensed driver with clear forward visibility, and a spotter if the view is blocked
• Walkers or marshals beside large floats, near the wheels, in larger parades
• A maximum height to clear overhead wires, signals and trees on the route
• Riders seated or secured, with a limit on riders standing while the float moves
• A fire extinguisher on board, and rules for generators, fuel and open flame
• Limits on throwing candy or items from moving floats; many parades require walkers to hand them out instead
• Decorations that can't drag on the road or block the driver's view

Your permit will set many of these. The event permit guide covers what parades and street events usually need, and an event safety plan and crowd management plan should include the route, the judging stand and the dispersal area.

Entry forms should ask for the entrant name, contact, division, a short description for the announcer, the float's length, width and height, the towing vehicle, the number of riders and walkers, any music or sound system, and agreement to the safety rules and a liability waiver. Ask for a sketch of the design if you pre-approve themes.

Announce winners at a set time and place after the parade, or at a festival stage, and post the results the same day. Many parades give winners a banner or plaque to display on next year's float. Volunteers make parades run, from staging marshals to tally counters; event volunteer management covers recruiting and briefing them. If your parade includes a costume award for walkers, the costume contest judging sheet has a sheet you can adapt.