Some 75 New Mexicans and many other folks who probably wish they were are spending the holiday week doing one of those once-or-maybe-twice-in-a-lifetime events are doing just that: Decorating New Mexico’s float entry in the Tournament of Roses Parade.

Obviously the weather in southern California is a far cry better than the cold and snow that was covering much of the Land of Enchantment when they left a couple of days ago, but no matter. New Mexicans who remembered the soggy parade experience in 2006 and the state’s award-winning entry last January 1st are hyped as they turn Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner into what many visitors to the Fiesta Parade Floats pavilion are calling one of this year’s more imaginative entries.

Two completely unrelated events in 1949 will now forever be linked with the unveiling of the State of New Mexico’s float, “Hats Off To New Mexico – Beep!Beep!,” as it travels Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena, California in the 2009 Tournament of Roses® Parade this Thursday (January 1, 2009) - the official designation of the Roadrunner as New Mexico’s state bird and the introduction of cartoon characters Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner to the world by animation legend Chuck Jones

“While New Mexico’s state bird has been entertaining visitors to the Land of Enchantment since 1949, so has its cartoon counterpart entertained movie-goers,” said Michael Cerletti, Secretary of the New Mexico Tourism Department. “Our roadrunner will be fondly and forever linked with the Chuck Jones’ Road Runner, so we think he is perfect to remind the world that New Mexico is the place to be for fun-filled entertainment.”

These pea-clad combatants have been a hit from the first day media and visitors were allowed into the float-building pavilion, and they’ve already made a guest appearance on local evening newscasts.

This is the third time in the past four years that New Mexico will be represented by a float in the Rose Parade, and it follows on the heels of the 2008 float, “Passport to Our World & Beyond,” winner of the coveted Grand Marshal’s Trophy “for excellence in creative concept and design.”

Once again, the New Mexico float is designed by award-winning float designer Raul Rodriguez and built by Fiesta Parade Floats of Pasadena, Calif. under contract with the New Mexico Tourism Department.

New Mexico’s float volunteers, led by head volunteer Bobbi Baca with help from Tourism Department staff, will all tell you that helping transform a storyboard concept into comic reality is a great experience.

And Secretary Cerletti will tell you, “The national and international exposure offered New Mexico through our appearance in the Parade and the media events held in conjunction is immeasurable. Our purpose in participating in this event – like all our advertising efforts - is to pique the interest of our potential visitors and to create in them a curiosity to find out more about the Land of Enchantment. It is important that the New Mexico tourism industry does everything it can to take advantage of unique marketing opportunities, like the Tournament of Roses® Parade.”

Additional New Mexico information: Visit New Mexico