Wilting Floats Rest as Crowds Parade : Tournament of Roses: About 100,000 people gather for a close-up look before the floral exhibits are hauled away.

Wilting and a little dowdy, the floats from the 102nd Tournament of Roses rested Wednesday while crowds paraded around them .

With only a few hours of public life remaining before some of the dead or dying flowers are crushed into potpourri, about 100,000 tourists and locals packed a milelong exhibition area to stroll around the floral displays for a close-up, if slightly less colorful, look.

“It looks better on TV,” said Lili Keating, who drove from Riverside with her 2-year-old son, Michael. “When you get up close, something’s missing.”

The “Purple People Eater,” a one-eyed chrysanthemum-laden monster that dropped dangling stunt actors into its jaws, lost a few of its pointy teeth over its 5 1/2-mile trek on New Year’s Day.

But it could still frighten 4-year-old Xuan Smith on Wednesday.

“It was scary,” he said. “But I liked when it dropped the kids in its mouth.”

When the giant monster’s stomach grumbled, Xuan looked to his mother and noted: “He doesn’t have any manners.”

Pasadena’s Post-Parade, as it is called, might appear small-time when compared to the worldwide spectacle of the New Year’s Day event. But parade spokesman Ken Veronda said it should not be taken lightly. With a mile of the city’s major streets closed, nearby lawns converted into $4 parking lots, police directing traffic at several intersections and dozens of food and souvenir vendors, the famed procession’s aftermath is a major event.

“In a lot of cities, this would be the biggest thing they do all year,” Veronda said.

After the parade, the floats were lined up along the center strips leading to the intersection of Sierra Madre and Washington boulevards.

With a public address system announcing instructions, the crowds walked up one side of the floats and down the other, sometimes as much as 10 people deep.

An estimated 65,000 people toured the floats after Tuesday’s parade. Wednesday, the area was open to the public from 9 a.m. until just about sunset. After everybody was gone, the work began of slowly escorting the floral extravaganzas to “the place where tired Rose Parade floats go,” said Bill Flinn, the parade’s assistant executive director.

For most floats, that means back to the warehouse where they were created.

Richard Chapman of Festival Artists, which built 11 of the 60 floats, said some people come by the warehouse and pick the flowers off the floats so they can make potpourri.

“From our point of view, it’s almost like free labor,” he said. “We’ve got to dismantle the floats anyway.”

Some of the flowers or trees used on the floats are potted and given to hospitals or senior citizens homes, said Veronda. Some of the live plants were rented, he said.

The first float in the parade--and the last one on Wednesday’s tour--was the towering, magical wizard with a burgundy-hued robe of orchids and roses. The Grand Marshal’s Trophy winner, sponsored by General Motors and the United Auto Workers, continued to wave his 40-foot arms with the help of a Chevrolet 454-V8 engine on Wednesday.

“Last year, this was a robot,” said Keith Wien, who drove the 20-ton vehicle. “It was converted to a wizard. But it’s the same inside.”

Gene Martin, 70, came to his first parade from Pleasanton so he could walk with the Wee Wheelers, an entry of miniature horses. On Wednesday, he and his wife, Barbara, were eyeing the floats they couldn’t see while they participated in the parade.

“Close up, they don’t look as good as they do from a distance,” he conceded. “But it’s something I’ve always watched, going back maybe 30 years. It wouldn’t be New Year’s without it.”

Terry Moran videotaped a giant cat covered with gold marigolds on a float named “Smile, Say Cheese.” He and his wife, Donetta, are moving north, Moran said, so they are trying to see and record some of their favorite Southern California attractions before leaving.

“This is one of the greatest shows,” he said.