Tournament of Roses Parade
Encyclopedia
The Tournament of Roses Parade, better known as the Rose Parade, is "America's New Year Celebration", a festival of flower-covered floats, marching bands, equestrians and a college football game on New Year's Day (but moved to Monday if New Year's Day falls on a Sunday), produced by the non-profit Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association
.
The annual parade was first held January 1, 1890 in Pasadena, California
. Today, the Rose Parade is watched in person by hundreds of thousands of spectators on the parade route, and is broadcast on multiple television network
s in the United States (ABC
holds the official contract, but because it is a public parade, other networks are allowed to produce their own coverage). It is seen by millions more on television worldwide in more than 200 international territories and countries. The Rose Bowl
college football
game was added in 1902 to help fund the cost of staging the parade.
In 2010, the tournament announced that Honda
is the presenting sponsor and the parade is known as the Rose Parade presented by Honda.
first staged the parade in 1890. Since then the parade has been held in Pasadena every New Year's Day
, except when January 1 falls on a Sunday. In that case, it is held on the subsequent Monday, January 2. This exception was instituted in 1893. Local tradition has it that "the Tournament has a deal with God; we'll never hold the parade on a Sunday, and He'll never let it rain on the Rose Parade." However, according to the Tournament of Roses Association Web site, this "Never on Sunday" policy was instituted in order "to avoid frightening horses tethered outside local churches and thus interfering with worship services." Thus, the parade has never been held on a Sunday. Incidentally, the Rose Bowl Game is also not held on Sunday to avoid competing with the NFL
. Other bowl games usually held on January 1 also follow this rule.
Many of the members of the Valley Hunt Club were former residents of the American East
and Midwest
. They wished to showcase their new California home's mild winter weather. At a club meeting, Professor Charles F. Holder
announced, "In New York, people are buried in the snow. Here our flowers are blooming and our oranges are about to bear. Let's hold a festival to tell the world about our paradise."
So the club organized horse-drawn carriages covered in flowers, followed by foot races, polo matches and a game of tug-of-war on the town lot that attracted a crowd of 2,000 to the event. Upon seeing the scores of flowers on display, the professor decided to suggest the name "Tournament of Roses."
Over the next few founding years, marching bands and motorized floats were added. By 1895, the event was too large for the Valley Hunt Club to handle, hence the Pasadena Tournament of Roses
Association was formed. By the 11th annual tournament (1900), the town lot on which the activities were held was re-named Tournament Park
, a large open area directly adjacent to Pasadena's world-famous institution of higher learning, Caltech
. Activities soon included ostrich
races, bronco
busting demonstrations and an odd novelty race between a camel
and an elephant
. (The elephant won the race.) Soon, reviewing stands were built along the parade route and newspapers in Eastern Seaboard
cities started to take notice of the event.
The maker of Wrigley's chewing gum
, William Wrigley Jr.
's, stately Italian Renaissance-style mansion was offered to the city of Pasadena after Mrs. Wrigley's death in 1958, under the condition that their home would be the Rose Parade's permanent headquarters. Tournament House is the name given the former home where the organization is headquartered.
The first associated football game was played on January 1, 1902. Originally titled the "Tournament East-West football game," it is considered to be the first Rose Bowl
. The next game was not played until New Year's Day 1916, but they have been played annually since then. The game derives its modern name from Rose Bowl Stadium, which was built for the 1923 game.
In 2002 and 2006, when the Rose Bowl Game was the BCS National Championship Game
, the "Granddaddy of 'em all" was not held the same day as the parade; the 2006 game was played on January 4. Not all fans were pleased with the change; some thought the atmosphere and tradition of the Rose Bowl were lost. However, since the BCS title game is now separate from the host bowl, it no longer affects the date of the Rose Bowl Game, even when the title game returned to Pasadena in 2010.
, Pasadena's main thoroughfare and a segment of the former US 66, for many decades. The day before the parade, the entire environs of the neighborhood streets south of the intersection of Orange Grove and Colorado Blvds. are sealed off and reserved for the massive parade marshaling of the dozens of floats, bands, equestrian units and other elements. This staging area is referred to as the "Formation Area" and managed by the Formation Area Committee.
On parade morning, the various elements are merged and dispatched in front of Tournament House. It starts by going north on South Orange Grove Boulevard, beginning at Ellis Street. At Colorado Boulevard it passes the main grandstands, and the main television and media stands, and proceeds east on Colorado Boulevard. The parade then turns north on Sierra Madre Boulevard. The floats then must travel under the Sierra Madre Boulevard/I-210
freeway overpass, requiring over-height floats to reduce their height. The parade ends at Paloma Street near Victory Park and Pasadena High School. Floats continue into the Post Parade viewing area which is open that afternoon and the following day. In total, this route is 5½ miles (9 km) long; the assembled bands, horse units, and floats take approximately 2 hours to pass by.
The 2010 parade saluted the men and women serving America
throughout the world with a four F-18 jets flyover
, performed by pilots of the Fighting Redcocks of Strike Fighter Squadron 22 (VFA-22
) from the Naval Air Station at Lemoore, California
at the beginning of the parade.
The 2012 Rose Parade will have 43 floats, 21 bands and 18 equestrian units (with approximately 400 horses).
still enters a flower decorated carriage. The Cal Poly Universities Rose Float
still relies solely on students who volunteer.
Typically 48 to 72 hours prior to parade day one can view several of the floats being decorated with flowery mantles, in the various 'float barns' that dot the Arroyo Seco
/ Rose Bowl area in West Pasadena, not far from the start of the parade. It is a rule of the parade that all surfaces of the float framework be covered in natural material (such as flowers, plants, seaweeds, seeds, bark, vegetables, or nuts, for example); furthermore, no artificial flowers or plant material are allowed, nor can the materials be artificially colored. Last-minute volunteering opportunities are usually available.
Anaheim city's float
at the 2008 Rose Parade included the Stanley Cup
that the NHL's Anaheim Ducks
had won last season, hoisted by player Brad May
. (As the regulations state that the outside of the float must exclusively use organic material, ABC
commentators speculated that the city got an exception to display the Cup.) The 2009 parade featured 46 floats, including some new entries, such as Jack in the Box
's Jack-O-Licious, City of Mission Viejo
's Making a Splash, RFD-TV
's Hee Haw, and the City of Roseville
's Entertaining Dreams for a Century The 2010 parade floats included Boy Scouts of America
100th Anniversary float, Consulate General of Mexico in Los Angeles, and "Safety Harbor Kids". The 2010 parade also featured a 113 feet (34.4 m) float from Dick Van Patten
’s Natural Balance Pet Foods
, which set a Guinness
world record for longest single-chassis float. The City of West Covina
paid tribute to the "service and commitment of the Tuskegee Airmen
" with a float, entitled "Tuskegee Airmen – A Cut Above", which featured a large bald eagle, two replica World War II "Redtails"
fighter planes and historical images of some of the airmen who served our country. The float won the Mayor's trophy as the most outstanding city entry - national or international.
New floats that joined the 2011 Rose Parade were: Beverly Hills Tournament of Roses Committee, Cunard Line
, Dole
, Los Angeles County Firemen’s Benefit & Welfare: Never Forget 9/11 “Remember, Reflect, Renew”, UNO 40th Anniversary, "Messina Wildlife Management", Namco Bandai Games
Inc., "Quikrete" Cement & Concrete Products, "Saving America’s Mustangs Foundation", and Shriner’s Hospitals For Children.
Since January 1, 2012, falls on a Sunday, tradition dictates that the parade will be held on Monday, January 2, 2012. The 2012 Rose Parade will have 43 floats, featuring the LMU
Centennial Celebration float, and the Girl Scouts of America 100th Anniversary float, entitled "What Will You Do Today?". Float builder Fiesta Floats is donating their services to design of the Girl Scouts float, which will be decorated totally by the organization's volunteers of all ages. Paramount Pictures
is also participating in the 2012 parade with its centennial celebration float "100 Years of Movie Magic". Namco Bandai Games
will join the parade for the first time, commemorating the Power Rangers
. Others are Microsoft
Kinect ("You are the Controller") and the Kit-Cat Klock
("Timeless Fun for Everyone").
The floats will compete for one of twenty-four awards, to be selected by the three judges each year. The 2012 parade float judges are: Lois B. Fowkes, Paula Pryke
, and Bryan Wittman.
After the parade, all the floats are 'parked' at the end of the parade route on Sierra Madre Blvd. and Washington Blvd., near Victory Park
, and are on display for one and half days (two and half days when January 1 falls on Friday) after the parade. None of the float riders and/or dignitaries/stars who rode on them are present. Admission to the viewing area is $10.
Since the beginning, horses have played a part in the Rose Parade. Thousands of riders have made the trek down Colorado Boulevard. "The Tournament equestrian family grows bigger and stronger every year as it welcomes the new equestrians who come to share the magic of New Year's Day and appreciate the commitment to excellence and professionalism exhibited by the returning equestrian units to the parade," according to the Tournament of Roses.
Prior to the parade, an "Equestfest" is held at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center
to showcase the performances by the amazing and talented riding teams. Equestrian units taking part in "Equestfest" have included First Cavalry Division U.S. Army Fort Hood, Clydesdales, "Traveler"-USC mascot
, Sons and Daughters of the Reel West and the California State Fire Fighters Association. Bob Eubanks
and Shawn Parr have served as announcers at "Equestfest".
Montie Montana
was a perennial participant until his death in 1998. TV viewers know him from more than 60 appearances, waving to the crowd from his silver saddle.
For the 2010 parade, there were 23 units:
All American Cowgirl Chicks, Amigos de Anza Equestrian Drill Team, Arizona Mini Mystique Driving Drill Team, Benny Martinez Family, Calizona Appaloosa Horse Club, Cowgirls Historical Foundation, Giddy Up Gals, L.A. County Sheriff
- Mounted Enforcement, Long Beach Mounted Police, Medieval Times, The New Buffalo Soldiers, Painted Ladies Rodeo Performers, Region 1 Versatile Arabians, Scripps Miramar Saddlebreds, The Shire Riders, So Cal Peruvian Paso Horse Club, U.S. Army Ft. Hood - 1st Cavalry, USMC - Color Guard, USMC - Mountain Warfare Training, Valley Hunt Club, Victorian Roses Ladies Riding Society, Wells Fargo, and Western Haflinger Association.
The twenty-two equestrian units in the 2011 Rose Parade were:
1st Cavalry Fort Hood, All American Cowgirl Chicks, Benny Martinez Family, California
State Firefighters’ Association, Cowgirls Historical Foundation, Equine Extremist with Tommie Turvey, Giddy Up Gals Drill Team, Kern County Sheriffs Mounted Posse, Long Beach
Mounted Police, Medieval Times
Dinner and Tournament, New Buffalo Soldiers, Region One Arabians, Saving America's Mustangs Foundation, Scripps Miramar Saddlebreds, Southern California Peruvian Paso Horse Club, Spirit of the West Riders, The Shire Riders, United States Marine Corps
Mounted Color Guard, Valley Hunt Club
, Victorian Roses Ladies Riding Society, Wells Fargo
, and Wild West Willie (combined with Kern County Sheriffs Mounted Posse).
2012 Rose Parade Equestrians are: All American Cowgirl Chicks, Arizona Mini Mystique, Broken Horn Ropers, Calgary Stampede Show Riders (riding with the Calgary Stampede band), Calizona Appaloosas, Cowgirls Historical Foundation, Escondido Mounted Police, First Cavalry Fort Hood (US Army), Kings County Sheriff's Posse, LAPD Mounted Unit, Long Beach Mounted Police, Los Hermanos Banuelos, Medieval Times, Merced County Sheriff's Posse, New Buffalo Soldiers, So Cal Peruvian Pasos, Spirit of the West, War Horse Militia, US Marine Corps, Valley Hunt Club, Wells Fargo.
Top marching bands from all over the world are invited. Many of the nation's top high school marching bands, along with college and organizational marching bands participate.
The bands participating in the parade have also developed traditions. For example, Pasadena City College
's Lancer Marching Band always marches in the Rose Parade, along with high school bands and color guard members from all over Southern California
, who are selected by audition the previous autumn. The Tournament of Roses Honor Band is a coveted position, and those selected are among the best student musicians in California
. Nine of the high school trumpet players, selected by performance on their auditions, and the best snare drummer, are selected as the Herald Trumpets, who march directly before the Rose Queen's float and play fanfares.
University Marching bands from the two schools participating in the Rose Bowl are invited to march in the parade. They typically accompany the float that represents the school and conference.
Bands that have a long standing arrangement to be in the parade include:
In 1998, the Washington Township High School Minutemen Marching Band from Sewell, New Jersey
became the first band in the history of the Rose Parade to decorate its entire ranks with live flowers, in keeping with the practice of decorating the parade floats. Designed by Todd Marcocci, this unique concept and design approach received tremendous support from all major media around the world. Since then, several bands have followed suit.
Additional to the parade, the bands participate in a two day, three shows Bandfest at Pasadena City College's Robinson Stadium, usually take place on December 29 and 30 each year (December 30 and 31, 2011).
On January 20, 2011, Rick Jackson was confirmed as President of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association
. He chose Just Imagine... as the theme for the 2012, 123rd Rose Parade and 98th Rose Bowl Game.
The Grand Marshal of the Parade is an honorary position selected by the President of the Tournament. Many are picked for a relationship to the theme that is also picked by the President.
The Grand Marshal for the 2012 parade is J.R. Martinez
, announced on November 1, 2011 at Tournament House.
Food Network
star Paula Deen
was the Grand Marshal
of the 2011 parade. Captain Chesley B. Sullenberger III was the 2010 Grand Marshal and actress Cloris Leachman
served as the 2009 Grand Marshal, the 10th female grand marshal in the history of the parade.
Repeat Marshals of the Tournament of Roses Parade
actress Sophia Bush
was Queen in 2000.
Evanne Elizabeth Friedmann, 17, of La Canada Flintridge, and a student at La Canada High School
, was named the 93rd Rose Queen on October 19, 2010 by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses
Association. Her Royal Court includes Tatyane Anaid Berrios, Sarah Christine Fredrickson, Jessica Michelle Montoya, Tenaya Miyoko Senzaki, Kathryn Morris Thomson, and Michelle Kaye Washington. The new queen was crowned at the Coronation ceremony on October 28, 2010 at the Pasadena Convention Center.
Natalie Innocenzi, 16, of Arcadia, and a student at Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy was the 92nd Rose Queen. The princesses were Katherine Hernandez, June Ko, Lauren Rogers, Kinsey Stuart, and Ashley Thaxton.
Drew Helen Washington of Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy was selected as the 2012 queen on October 18, 2011. The Coronation Luncheon is scheduled on October 27, 2011. Other members of the 2011-12 Royal Court are Sarah Nicole Zuno, Benjamin Franklin High School; Cynthia Megan Louie, LaSalle High School; Morgan Eliza Devaud, La Canada High School; Kimberly Victoria Ostiller, Flintridge Preparatory School; Hanan Bulto Worku, Pasadena High School, and Stephanie Grace Hynes, Maranatha High School.
. Number of studies were conducted by the Anderson School of Management at UCLA on attendance and economic impact to Southern California.
The Los Angeles Times
ran a study in 1980 that said the actual attendance at the parade was actually about 60% of what is claimed each year.
, NBC
, Univision
(in Spanish), HGTV
, The Travel Channel, RFD TV, and KTLA
(the latter three offer interruption-free coverage, although KTLA repeats the parade throughout the day with commercials). WGN TV in Chicago will carry KTLA's uninterrupted coverage of the 2009 parade (WGN and KTLA are both owned by Tribune Broadcasting
). Until 2007, the parade was also broadcast on CBS
, and KTTV
also televised the parade for many years until 1995. Joining the broadcast in 2010 will be the Hallmark Channel
.
The 1954 edition of the parade was also the first program ever televised in the NTSC
color television
format nationwide on NBC
.
The Pasadena Tournament of Roses appointed former Los Angeles Times
executive P. Scott McKibben as its executive director in 2010, replacing John M. (Mitch) Dorger, who had served as CEO since 2000. On September 8, 2011, he resigned for personal reasons. Chief operating officer William B. Flinn was named interim executive director.
each year, or the equivalent of roughly 7.42 years of combined manpower. Fortunately for the Association, the group has 935 members, each whom is assigned to one of 34 committees, and 38 student ambassadors. Responsibilities include:
During the Parade, many Tournament members are required to wear white suits with red ties, name tags, membership pins and official ribbons. Because of this, the volunteers are commonly referred to as "White Suiters." In December each year, a fleet of white vehicles with special "ToR" license plates are seen throughout the San Gabriel Valley
. The use of these cars is currently donated by American Honda for use by high-ranking Tournament members.
Each year, an honor troop of Eagle Scouts
from the San Gabriel Valley Council, and "The Tournament Troop" of Girl Scout Gold Award recipients of the Arcadia
Service Unit of the Girl Scouts Greater Los Angeles, is selected to carry the parade banners down the route. Each year, for the last 35 years, more than 100 scouts have participated.
The Tournament of Roses Radio Amateurs (TORRA) provided audio communications and video co-ordination for the parade officials through the use of Amateur radio
from 1968 until 2005. With over 300 ham radio operators
in TORRA there were several ham radio sites
along the parade route equipped with amateur television
as well as 2-way ham radios. Several mobile units - including motorcycles and pedestrian units (creepie-peepies) provided the video coverage. With modern technology and cell phone service, TORRA was no longer needed.
Thousands more volunteers help cover the floats in those beautiful flower and seed mixes during "Deco week," Dec 26- parade day. Many of these come back year after year, some even camp nearby to help all week long.
From 1955 to 2005, the parade avoided being rained on with several close calls.
For the 2006 Tournament of Roses Parade on January 2, winds with gusts up to 45 mph (72 km/h) and five inch
es (130 mm) of rain in the Pasadena area were predicted. Unfortunately, the forecast proved accurate; despite the parade's good luck for 51 years, it rained continuously and heavily throughout the entire 2006 parade. The President of the Tournament, the Grand Marshal of the Parade and the Executive Committee, deliberated into the early morning in the Tournament House. With street rumors circulating of the parade being canceled or postponed and restlessness of the crowd further east along the parade route, the parade commenced (with a vote of 10-4 with two abstaining), despite the inclement weather. Low television ratings and poor attendance plagued the ceremony. Some floats showed signs of water damage by the end. (The Parade was held as scheduled—it is always held on January 2 when January 1 falls on a Sunday.)
Pasadena Tournament of Roses
Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association, created by the efforts of Charles Frederick Holder and Francis F. Rowland, is the non-profit organization that has annually produced the New Year's Day Tournament of Roses Parade since 1895 and the Rose Bowl Game, since 1902...
.
The annual parade was first held January 1, 1890 in Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
. Today, the Rose Parade is watched in person by hundreds of thousands of spectators on the parade route, and is broadcast on multiple television network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
s in the United States (ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
holds the official contract, but because it is a public parade, other networks are allowed to produce their own coverage). It is seen by millions more on television worldwide in more than 200 international territories and countries. The Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
game was added in 1902 to help fund the cost of staging the parade.
In 2010, the tournament announced that Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
is the presenting sponsor and the parade is known as the Rose Parade presented by Honda.
History
Members of Pasadena's Valley Hunt ClubValley Hunt Club
The Valley Hunt Club is a private social club located in Pasadena, California, that is most noted for starting the Tournament of Roses Parade in 1890....
first staged the parade in 1890. Since then the parade has been held in Pasadena every New Year's Day
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
, except when January 1 falls on a Sunday. In that case, it is held on the subsequent Monday, January 2. This exception was instituted in 1893. Local tradition has it that "the Tournament has a deal with God; we'll never hold the parade on a Sunday, and He'll never let it rain on the Rose Parade." However, according to the Tournament of Roses Association Web site, this "Never on Sunday" policy was instituted in order "to avoid frightening horses tethered outside local churches and thus interfering with worship services." Thus, the parade has never been held on a Sunday. Incidentally, the Rose Bowl Game is also not held on Sunday to avoid competing with the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. Other bowl games usually held on January 1 also follow this rule.
Many of the members of the Valley Hunt Club were former residents of the American East
Eastern United States
The Eastern United States, the American East, or simply the East is traditionally defined as the states east of the Mississippi River. The first two tiers of states west of the Mississippi have traditionally been considered part of the West, but can be included in the East today; usually in...
and Midwest
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
. They wished to showcase their new California home's mild winter weather. At a club meeting, Professor Charles F. Holder
Charles Frederick Holder
Charles Frederick Holder was the inventor of big-game fishing and a founder of Pasadena's Tournament of Roses and the Tuna Club of Avalon on Santa Catalina Island....
announced, "In New York, people are buried in the snow. Here our flowers are blooming and our oranges are about to bear. Let's hold a festival to tell the world about our paradise."
So the club organized horse-drawn carriages covered in flowers, followed by foot races, polo matches and a game of tug-of-war on the town lot that attracted a crowd of 2,000 to the event. Upon seeing the scores of flowers on display, the professor decided to suggest the name "Tournament of Roses."
Over the next few founding years, marching bands and motorized floats were added. By 1895, the event was too large for the Valley Hunt Club to handle, hence the Pasadena Tournament of Roses
Pasadena Tournament of Roses
Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association, created by the efforts of Charles Frederick Holder and Francis F. Rowland, is the non-profit organization that has annually produced the New Year's Day Tournament of Roses Parade since 1895 and the Rose Bowl Game, since 1902...
Association was formed. By the 11th annual tournament (1900), the town lot on which the activities were held was re-named Tournament Park
Tournament Park
Tournament Park is a private park maintained by the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California. It was simply known as the "town lot" before renamed Tournament Park in 1900. It is best known for being the site of the first Rose Bowl Game in 1902, and the second to eighth Rose Bowl...
, a large open area directly adjacent to Pasadena's world-famous institution of higher learning, Caltech
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
. Activities soon included ostrich
Ostrich
The Ostrich is one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member of the genus Struthio. Some analyses indicate that the Somali Ostrich may be better considered a full species apart from the Common Ostrich, but most taxonomists consider it to be a...
races, bronco
Bronco
Bronco, or bronc is a term used in the United States, northern Mexico and Canada to refer to an untrained horse or one that habitually bucks. It may refer to a feral horse that has lived in the wild its entire life, but is also used to refer to domestic horses not yet fully trained to saddle, and...
busting demonstrations and an odd novelty race between a camel
Camel
A camel is an even-toed ungulate within the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as humps on its back. There are two species of camels: the dromedary or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the bactrian has two humps. Dromedaries are native to the dry desert areas of West Asia,...
and an elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
. (The elephant won the race.) Soon, reviewing stands were built along the parade route and newspapers in Eastern Seaboard
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
cities started to take notice of the event.
Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company
The William Wrigley Jr. Company is a company headquartered in the Wrigley Building in Near North Side, Chicago, Illinois. The company was founded on April 1, 1891, originally selling products such as soap and baking powder. In 1892, William Wrigley, Jr., the company's founder, began packaging...
, William Wrigley Jr.
William Wrigley Jr.
William Wrigley Jr. was a U.S. chewing gum industrialist. He was founder and eponym of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company in 1891. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
's, stately Italian Renaissance-style mansion was offered to the city of Pasadena after Mrs. Wrigley's death in 1958, under the condition that their home would be the Rose Parade's permanent headquarters. Tournament House is the name given the former home where the organization is headquartered.
The first associated football game was played on January 1, 1902. Originally titled the "Tournament East-West football game," it is considered to be the first Rose Bowl
1902 Rose Bowl
Originally titled the "Tournament East-West football game," what is now known as the Rose Bowl Game was first played on January 1, 1902 in Pasadena, California, starting the tradition of New Year's Day bowl games.The inaugural game featured Fielding H...
. The next game was not played until New Year's Day 1916, but they have been played annually since then. The game derives its modern name from Rose Bowl Stadium, which was built for the 1923 game.
In 2002 and 2006, when the Rose Bowl Game was the BCS National Championship Game
BCS National Championship Game
The BCS National Championship Game, or BCS National Championship, is the final bowl game of the annual Bowl Championship Series and is intended by the organizers of the BCS to determine the U.S. national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision...
, the "Granddaddy of 'em all" was not held the same day as the parade; the 2006 game was played on January 4. Not all fans were pleased with the change; some thought the atmosphere and tradition of the Rose Bowl were lost. However, since the BCS title game is now separate from the host bowl, it no longer affects the date of the Rose Bowl Game, even when the title game returned to Pasadena in 2010.
Parade
The Tournament of Roses Parade has followed the same route mainly following Colorado BoulevardColorado Boulevard
Colorado Boulevard is a major east–west street in Southern California, United States. It runs from Griffith Park in Los Angeles east through Glendale, the Eagle Rock section of Los Angeles, Pasadena, and Arcadia, ending in Monrovia...
, Pasadena's main thoroughfare and a segment of the former US 66, for many decades. The day before the parade, the entire environs of the neighborhood streets south of the intersection of Orange Grove and Colorado Blvds. are sealed off and reserved for the massive parade marshaling of the dozens of floats, bands, equestrian units and other elements. This staging area is referred to as the "Formation Area" and managed by the Formation Area Committee.
On parade morning, the various elements are merged and dispatched in front of Tournament House. It starts by going north on South Orange Grove Boulevard, beginning at Ellis Street. At Colorado Boulevard it passes the main grandstands, and the main television and media stands, and proceeds east on Colorado Boulevard. The parade then turns north on Sierra Madre Boulevard. The floats then must travel under the Sierra Madre Boulevard/I-210
Interstate 210 (California)
Interstate 210 and State Route 210 together form a contiguous highway, called the Foothill Freeway, in the Greater Los Angeles area of the U.S. state of California. The western portion of the route is an auxiliary Interstate Highway, while the eastern portion is a state highway...
freeway overpass, requiring over-height floats to reduce their height. The parade ends at Paloma Street near Victory Park and Pasadena High School. Floats continue into the Post Parade viewing area which is open that afternoon and the following day. In total, this route is 5½ miles (9 km) long; the assembled bands, horse units, and floats take approximately 2 hours to pass by.
The 2010 parade saluted the men and women serving America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
throughout the world with a four F-18 jets flyover
Flypast
Flypast is a term used in the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth, and other countries to denote ceremonial or honorific flights by groups of aircraft and, rarely, by a single aircraft...
, performed by pilots of the Fighting Redcocks of Strike Fighter Squadron 22 (VFA-22
VFA-22
VFA-22, Strike Fighter Squadron 22, also known as the "Fighting Redcocks", are a United States Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter squadron stationed at Naval Air Station Lemoore...
) from the Naval Air Station at Lemoore, California
Lemoore, California
Lemoore is a city in Kings County, California, United States. Lemoore is located west-southwest of Hanford, at an elevation of 230 feet . It is part of the Hanford–Corcoran Metropolitan Statistical Area...
at the beginning of the parade.
The 2012 Rose Parade will have 43 floats, 21 bands and 18 equestrian units (with approximately 400 horses).
Floats
Originally flower decorated horse carriages were entered in the parade. Floats, built by volunteers from sponsoring communities, supplanted most of the carriages over time. Currently, most are built by professional float building companies, and take nearly a year to construct. Some communities and organizational sponsors still rely on volunteers. The Valley Hunt ClubValley Hunt Club
The Valley Hunt Club is a private social club located in Pasadena, California, that is most noted for starting the Tournament of Roses Parade in 1890....
still enters a flower decorated carriage. The Cal Poly Universities Rose Float
Cal Poly Universities Rose Float
The Cal Poly Universities Tournament of Roses Parade Float or Cal Poly Rose Float is a yearly program which builds a rose float that is displayed on the morning of every January 1 during the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California...
still relies solely on students who volunteer.
Typically 48 to 72 hours prior to parade day one can view several of the floats being decorated with flowery mantles, in the various 'float barns' that dot the Arroyo Seco
Arroyo Seco (Los Angeles County)
The Arroyo Seco, meaning "dry stream" in Spanish, is a seasonal river, canyon, watershed, and cultural area in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The Arroyo Seco has been called the most celebrated canyon in Southern California.-River course:...
/ Rose Bowl area in West Pasadena, not far from the start of the parade. It is a rule of the parade that all surfaces of the float framework be covered in natural material (such as flowers, plants, seaweeds, seeds, bark, vegetables, or nuts, for example); furthermore, no artificial flowers or plant material are allowed, nor can the materials be artificially colored. Last-minute volunteering opportunities are usually available.
Anaheim city's float
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
at the 2008 Rose Parade included the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
that the NHL's Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
had won last season, hoisted by player Brad May
Brad May
Brad S. May is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger who played in the National Hockey League . He grew up in Stouffville, Ontario, but played his rep minor hockey in Markham, Ontario. A veteran of over 1,000 NHL games, May was known more for his enforcing skills than his scoring...
. (As the regulations state that the outside of the float must exclusively use organic material, ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
commentators speculated that the city got an exception to display the Cup.) The 2009 parade featured 46 floats, including some new entries, such as Jack in the Box
Jack in the Box
Jack in the Box is an American fast-food restaurant founded by Robert O. Peterson in 1951 in San Diego, California, where it is still headquartered today. In total, the chain has 2,200 locations, primarily serving the West Coast of the United States...
's Jack-O-Licious, City of Mission Viejo
Mission Viejo, California
Mission Viejo is a city located in southern Orange County, California, U.S. in the Saddleback Valley. Mission Viejo is considered one of the largest master-planned communities ever built under a single project in the United States, and is rivaled only by Highlands Ranch, Colorado, in its size...
's Making a Splash, RFD-TV
RFD-TV
RFD-TV, or Rural Free Delivery TV, is a United States satellite and cable television channel devoted to rural issues, concerns, and interests. The channel's name is a reference to Rural Free Delivery, the name for the United States Postal Service's system of delivering mail directly to rural patrons...
's Hee Haw, and the City of Roseville
Roseville, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Roseville had a population of 118,788. The population density was 3,279.4 people per square mile...
's Entertaining Dreams for a Century The 2010 parade floats included Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
100th Anniversary float, Consulate General of Mexico in Los Angeles, and "Safety Harbor Kids". The 2010 parade also featured a 113 feet (34.4 m) float from Dick Van Patten
Dick Van Patten
Richard Vincent "Dick" Van Patten is an American actor, best known for his role as patriarch Tom Bradford on the television sitcom Eight is Enough. He began work as a child actor and was successful on the [New York] stage, appearing in more than a dozen plays as a teenager...
’s Natural Balance Pet Foods
Natural Balance Pet Foods
Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Pet Foods is an American commercial pet food manufacturer with its headquarters located in Pacoima, Los Angeles, California...
, which set a Guinness
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
world record for longest single-chassis float. The City of West Covina
West Covina, California
West Covina is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. Located some east of Downtown Los Angeles in the eastern San Gabriel Valley, it is a mostly middle class suburb of Los Angeles...
paid tribute to the "service and commitment of the Tuskegee Airmen
Tuskegee Airmen
The Tuskegee Airmen is the popular name of a group of African American pilots who fought in World War II. Formally, they were the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group of the U.S. Army Air Corps....
" with a float, entitled "Tuskegee Airmen – A Cut Above", which featured a large bald eagle, two replica World War II "Redtails"
Red Tail Project
The Red Tail Squadron, part of the non-profit Commemorative Air Force and until June 2011 known as the Red Tail Project, maintains and flies a World War II era P-51C Mustang...
fighter planes and historical images of some of the airmen who served our country. The float won the Mayor's trophy as the most outstanding city entry - national or international.
New floats that joined the 2011 Rose Parade were: Beverly Hills Tournament of Roses Committee, Cunard Line
Cunard Line
Cunard Line is a British-American owned shipping company based at Carnival House in Southampton, England and operated by Carnival UK. It has been a leading operator of passenger ships on the North Atlantic for over a century...
, Dole
Dole Food Company
Dole Food Company, Inc. is an American-based agricultural multinational corporation headquartered in Westlake Village, California. The company is the largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world, operating with 74,300 full-time and seasonal employees who are responsible for over 300...
, Los Angeles County Firemen’s Benefit & Welfare: Never Forget 9/11 “Remember, Reflect, Renew”, UNO 40th Anniversary, "Messina Wildlife Management", Namco Bandai Games
Namco Bandai Games
is an arcade, mobile and home video game developer and publisher based in Japan which is the product of a merger between the video game development divisions of Bandai and Namco. Namco Bandai Games is a wholly owned subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings and specializes in production and sales of...
Inc., "Quikrete" Cement & Concrete Products, "Saving America’s Mustangs Foundation", and Shriner’s Hospitals For Children.
Since January 1, 2012, falls on a Sunday, tradition dictates that the parade will be held on Monday, January 2, 2012. The 2012 Rose Parade will have 43 floats, featuring the LMU
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University is a comprehensive co-educational private Roman Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions located in Los Angeles, California, United States...
Centennial Celebration float, and the Girl Scouts of America 100th Anniversary float, entitled "What Will You Do Today?". Float builder Fiesta Floats is donating their services to design of the Girl Scouts float, which will be decorated totally by the organization's volunteers of all ages. Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
is also participating in the 2012 parade with its centennial celebration float "100 Years of Movie Magic". Namco Bandai Games
Namco Bandai Games
is an arcade, mobile and home video game developer and publisher based in Japan which is the product of a merger between the video game development divisions of Bandai and Namco. Namco Bandai Games is a wholly owned subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings and specializes in production and sales of...
will join the parade for the first time, commemorating the Power Rangers
Power Rangers
Power Rangers is a long-running American entertainment and merchandising franchise built around a live action children's television series featuring teams of costumed heroes...
. Others are Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
Kinect ("You are the Controller") and the Kit-Cat Klock
Kit-Cat Klock
The Kit-Cat Klock is an art deco novelty style clock. The clock is manufactured in the shape of a black cat and is hung on a wall. The tail swings as a second hand and eyes move back and forth to give illusion of it watching you. It first appeared during the 1930s...
("Timeless Fun for Everyone").
The floats will compete for one of twenty-four awards, to be selected by the three judges each year. The 2012 parade float judges are: Lois B. Fowkes, Paula Pryke
Paula Pryke
Paula Shane Pryke is a British florist and author.d of Ralph and Gladys Pryke; m 1987, Peter Romaniuk. Educ: Culford School; University of Leeds . LRAM 1985....
, and Bryan Wittman.
After the parade, all the floats are 'parked' at the end of the parade route on Sierra Madre Blvd. and Washington Blvd., near Victory Park
Victory Park, Pasadena, California
Victory Park is a neighborhood in Pasadena, California. It is bordered by New York Drive to the north, Orange Grove Boulevard to the south, Altadena Drive to the west, and Sierra Madre Boulevard to the east.-Landmarks:...
, and are on display for one and half days (two and half days when January 1 falls on Friday) after the parade. None of the float riders and/or dignitaries/stars who rode on them are present. Admission to the viewing area is $10.
Equestrians
Prior to the parade, an "Equestfest" is held at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center
Equidome
The Equidome is a 3,500-seat indoor arena located in Burbank, California, as part of the Los Angeles Equestrian Center. It was built in 1982 and is used for sporting events such as rodeos, equestrian shows and is occasionally used for concerts...
to showcase the performances by the amazing and talented riding teams. Equestrian units taking part in "Equestfest" have included First Cavalry Division U.S. Army Fort Hood, Clydesdales, "Traveler"-USC mascot
Traveler (mascot)
Traveler is a horse who is the mascot of the University of Southern California. He appears at all USC home football games in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum as well as many other outdoor events, including numerous Rose Parades. The current horse is Traveler VII...
, Sons and Daughters of the Reel West and the California State Fire Fighters Association. Bob Eubanks
Bob Eubanks
Robert Leland "Bob" Eubanks is an American television/radio personality and game show host, best known for hosting the game show The Newlywed Game on and off since 1966, where he was known for using the catchphrase, "Makin' Whoopee"...
and Shawn Parr have served as announcers at "Equestfest".
Montie Montana
Montie Montana
Montie Montana , was a rodeo trick rider, actor, stuntman and cowboy inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1994....
was a perennial participant until his death in 1998. TV viewers know him from more than 60 appearances, waving to the crowd from his silver saddle.
For the 2010 parade, there were 23 units:
All American Cowgirl Chicks, Amigos de Anza Equestrian Drill Team, Arizona Mini Mystique Driving Drill Team, Benny Martinez Family, Calizona Appaloosa Horse Club, Cowgirls Historical Foundation, Giddy Up Gals, L.A. County Sheriff
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is a local county law enforcement agency that serves Los Angeles County, California. It is the fourth largest local policing agency in the United States, with the New York City Police Department being the first. The second largest is the Chicago Police...
- Mounted Enforcement, Long Beach Mounted Police, Medieval Times, The New Buffalo Soldiers, Painted Ladies Rodeo Performers, Region 1 Versatile Arabians, Scripps Miramar Saddlebreds, The Shire Riders, So Cal Peruvian Paso Horse Club, U.S. Army Ft. Hood - 1st Cavalry, USMC - Color Guard, USMC - Mountain Warfare Training, Valley Hunt Club, Victorian Roses Ladies Riding Society, Wells Fargo, and Western Haflinger Association.
The twenty-two equestrian units in the 2011 Rose Parade were:
1st Cavalry Fort Hood, All American Cowgirl Chicks, Benny Martinez Family, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
State Firefighters’ Association, Cowgirls Historical Foundation, Equine Extremist with Tommie Turvey, Giddy Up Gals Drill Team, Kern County Sheriffs Mounted Posse, Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
Mounted Police, Medieval Times
Medieval Times
Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament is a family dinner theater featuring staged medieval-style games, sword-fighting, and jousting performed by a cast of 75 actors and 20 horses. Each location is housed in a replica 11th-century castle, with the exception of the Toronto location, which is housed...
Dinner and Tournament, New Buffalo Soldiers, Region One Arabians, Saving America's Mustangs Foundation, Scripps Miramar Saddlebreds, Southern California Peruvian Paso Horse Club, Spirit of the West Riders, The Shire Riders, United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
Mounted Color Guard, Valley Hunt Club
Valley Hunt Club
The Valley Hunt Club is a private social club located in Pasadena, California, that is most noted for starting the Tournament of Roses Parade in 1890....
, Victorian Roses Ladies Riding Society, Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational diversified financial services company with operations around the world. Wells Fargo is the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by assets and the largest bank by market capitalization. Wells Fargo is the second largest bank in deposits, home...
, and Wild West Willie (combined with Kern County Sheriffs Mounted Posse).
2012 Rose Parade Equestrians are: All American Cowgirl Chicks, Arizona Mini Mystique, Broken Horn Ropers, Calgary Stampede Show Riders (riding with the Calgary Stampede band), Calizona Appaloosas, Cowgirls Historical Foundation, Escondido Mounted Police, First Cavalry Fort Hood (US Army), Kings County Sheriff's Posse, LAPD Mounted Unit, Long Beach Mounted Police, Los Hermanos Banuelos, Medieval Times, Merced County Sheriff's Posse, New Buffalo Soldiers, So Cal Peruvian Pasos, Spirit of the West, War Horse Militia, US Marine Corps, Valley Hunt Club, Wells Fargo.
Bands
The bands participating in the parade have also developed traditions. For example, Pasadena City College
Pasadena City College
Pasadena City College is a community college in Pasadena, California, USA, located on Colorado Boulevard. PCC is the third largest community college campus in the United States. PCC was founded in 1924 as Pasadena Junior College. In 1954, Pasadena Junior College merged with another junior...
's Lancer Marching Band always marches in the Rose Parade, along with high school bands and color guard members from all over Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
, who are selected by audition the previous autumn. The Tournament of Roses Honor Band is a coveted position, and those selected are among the best student musicians in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Nine of the high school trumpet players, selected by performance on their auditions, and the best snare drummer, are selected as the Herald Trumpets, who march directly before the Rose Queen's float and play fanfares.
University Marching bands from the two schools participating in the Rose Bowl are invited to march in the parade. They typically accompany the float that represents the school and conference.
Bands that have a long standing arrangement to be in the parade include:
- The Official Tournament of Roses Honor BandTournament of Roses Honor BandThe Pasadena Tournament of Roses Honor Band is an honor marching band hosted by Pasadena City College. The band consists of hand selected high school students from all over Southern California, and select Pasadena City College Marching Band and Color Guard members. The ensemble consists of about...
hosted by Pasadena City CollegePasadena City CollegePasadena City College is a community college in Pasadena, California, USA, located on Colorado Boulevard. PCC is the third largest community college campus in the United States. PCC was founded in 1924 as Pasadena Junior College. In 1954, Pasadena Junior College merged with another junior...
consisting of the college's band and talented high school musicians from throughout California. - The Los Angeles Unified School District All District High School Honor Band
- The Salvation ArmySalvation ArmyThe Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
Tournament of Roses Marching Band consisting of local and visiting Salvation Army musicians (90th appearance in 2010) - The United States Marine CorpsUnited States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
West Coast Composite Band
In 1998, the Washington Township High School Minutemen Marching Band from Sewell, New Jersey
Sewell, New Jersey
Sewell is an unincorporated area within Mantua Township in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States. Sewell also refers to part of Washington Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey, which is not part of Mantua Township. Locals refer to the Sewell part of Mantua as Old Sewell...
became the first band in the history of the Rose Parade to decorate its entire ranks with live flowers, in keeping with the practice of decorating the parade floats. Designed by Todd Marcocci, this unique concept and design approach received tremendous support from all major media around the world. Since then, several bands have followed suit.
Additional to the parade, the bands participate in a two day, three shows Bandfest at Pasadena City College's Robinson Stadium, usually take place on December 29 and 30 each year (December 30 and 31, 2011).
Related events
- Equestfest, Los Angeles Equestrian Center, December 30, 2011
- Bandfest, Pasadena City CollegePasadena City CollegePasadena City College is a community college in Pasadena, California, USA, located on Colorado Boulevard. PCC is the third largest community college campus in the United States. PCC was founded in 1924 as Pasadena Junior College. In 1954, Pasadena Junior College merged with another junior...
, December 30 & 31, 2011 - Kickoff Luncheon, Rose BowlRose Bowl (stadium)The Rose Bowl is an outdoor athletic stadium in Pasadena, California, U.S., in Los Angeles County. The stadium is the site of the annual college football bowl game, the Rose Bowl, held on New Year's Day. In 1982, it became the home field of the UCLA Bruins college football team of the Pac-12...
, January 1, 2012 - Hall of Fame ceremony, Pasadena Convention Center, December 31, 2011
- Decorating Places (for float viewing), various "barns", December 29, 30, and 31, 2011 and January 1, 2012
- Post Parade (for float viewing), Washington and Sierra Madre Boulevards, January 2 and 3, 2012
- Coronation Ceremony
- Royal Ball
Tournament of Roses Parade themes
The newly elected President of the Tournament of Roses has the duty of picking a theme for the forthcoming festivities. Most of the floral floats in the parade are inspired by this theme.On January 20, 2011, Rick Jackson was confirmed as President of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association
Pasadena Tournament of Roses
Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association, created by the efforts of Charles Frederick Holder and Francis F. Rowland, is the non-profit organization that has annually produced the New Year's Day Tournament of Roses Parade since 1895 and the Rose Bowl Game, since 1902...
. He chose Just Imagine... as the theme for the 2012, 123rd Rose Parade and 98th Rose Bowl Game.
Grand Marshal
The Grand Marshal for the 2012 parade is J.R. Martinez
J.R. Martinez
Jose Rene "J. R." Martinez is an American actor, motivational speaker and former U.S. Army soldier. Since 2008 he has played the role of Brot Monroe on the ABC daytime drama All My Children, and was the winner of Season 13 of ABC's Dancing with the Stars...
, announced on November 1, 2011 at Tournament House.
Food Network
Food Network
Food Network is a television specialty channel that airs both one-time and recurring programs about food and cooking. Scripps Networks Interactive owns 70 percent of the network, with Tribune Company controlling the remaining 30 percent....
star Paula Deen
Paula Deen
Paula Deen American cook, cooking show host, restaurateur, author, actress and Emmy Award-winning television personality.Deen resides in Savannah, Georgia, where she owns and operates...
was the Grand Marshal
Grand Marshal
Grand Marshal is a ceremonial, military, or political office of very high rank. The term has its origins with the word "Marshal" with the first usage of the term "Grand Marshal" as a ceremonial title for certain religious orders...
of the 2011 parade. Captain Chesley B. Sullenberger III was the 2010 Grand Marshal and actress Cloris Leachman
Cloris Leachman
Cloris Leachman is an American actress of stage, film and television. She has won eight Primetime Emmy Awards—more than any other performer—and one Daytime Emmy Award...
served as the 2009 Grand Marshal, the 10th female grand marshal in the history of the parade.
Repeat Marshals of the Tournament of Roses Parade
- Shirley TempleShirley TempleShirley Temple Black , born Shirley Jane Temple, is an American film and television actress, singer, dancer, autobiographer, and former U.S. Ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia...
, 1939, 1989, 1999 - Charles Daggett, 1900, 1901, 1914
- Dwight D. EisenhowerDwight D. EisenhowerDwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
1951, 1964 (note that Cpl. Robert S. Gray filled in for him in 1951) - Bob HopeBob HopeBob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
, 1947, 1969 - Richard M. Nixon, 1953, 1960
- C. C. Reynolds, 1902, 1903
- Dr. Francis F. Rowland, 1890, 1892, 1894, 1904, 1905, 1910, 1916
- Dr. Ralph Skillen, 1907, 1908, 1911
- Edwin Stearns, 1896, 1897
- Martin H. Weight, 1898, 1899
- Earl WarrenEarl WarrenEarl Warren was the 14th Chief Justice of the United States.He is known for the sweeping decisions of the Warren Court, which ended school segregation and transformed many areas of American law, especially regarding the rights of the accused, ending public-school-sponsored prayer, and requiring...
, 1943, 1955
Queen and Royal Court
Each year, a selection process is held in late September and early October to find out which Pasadena-area girls (ages 17 to 21) will have the honor of being crowned Queen of the Tournament, or in substitution, one of the members of her "Royal Court". Each year more than 1000 girls try out. Six princesses and one queen are chosen. The winners then ride on a float in the parade, and carry out duties in promotion of the Tournament, mainly during its duration and prelude. Their duties include attending over one hundred events in the Pasadena area. They usually receive scholarship money and a 30 piece wardrobe; the 2005 Court also received a Mikimoto pearl necklace. During the time that they attend Tournament events, usually from October to January, each girl usually attends school a few times a week for only a few hours at a time. One Tree HillOne Tree Hill (TV series)
One Tree Hill is an American television drama created by Mark Schwahn, which premiered on September 23, 2003, on The WB Television Network. After its third season, The WB merged with UPN to form The CW Television Network, and, since September 27, 2006, the network has been the official broadcaster...
actress Sophia Bush
Sophia Bush
Sophia Anna Bush is an American actress, director and spokesperson. She currently stars in the CW television series One Tree Hill where she portrays Brooke Davis. Bush is additionally known for her film portrayals in the 2007 remake The Hitcher, John Tucker Must Die and The Narrows.-Early...
was Queen in 2000.
Evanne Elizabeth Friedmann, 17, of La Canada Flintridge, and a student at La Canada High School
La Cañada High School
La Cañada High School is a high school located in La Cañada Flintridge, California. It sits at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, below the Angeles National Forest, in the City of La Cañada Flintridge...
, was named the 93rd Rose Queen on October 19, 2010 by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses
Pasadena Tournament of Roses
Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association, created by the efforts of Charles Frederick Holder and Francis F. Rowland, is the non-profit organization that has annually produced the New Year's Day Tournament of Roses Parade since 1895 and the Rose Bowl Game, since 1902...
Association. Her Royal Court includes Tatyane Anaid Berrios, Sarah Christine Fredrickson, Jessica Michelle Montoya, Tenaya Miyoko Senzaki, Kathryn Morris Thomson, and Michelle Kaye Washington. The new queen was crowned at the Coronation ceremony on October 28, 2010 at the Pasadena Convention Center.
Natalie Innocenzi, 16, of Arcadia, and a student at Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy was the 92nd Rose Queen. The princesses were Katherine Hernandez, June Ko, Lauren Rogers, Kinsey Stuart, and Ashley Thaxton.
Drew Helen Washington of Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy was selected as the 2012 queen on October 18, 2011. The Coronation Luncheon is scheduled on October 27, 2011. Other members of the 2011-12 Royal Court are Sarah Nicole Zuno, Benjamin Franklin High School; Cynthia Megan Louie, LaSalle High School; Morgan Eliza Devaud, La Canada High School; Kimberly Victoria Ostiller, Flintridge Preparatory School; Hanan Bulto Worku, Pasadena High School, and Stephanie Grace Hynes, Maranatha High School.
Attendance
More recent attendance figures are followed by the predicted attendances in parentheses. Most estimates are conducted by the Tournament of Roses and the Pasadena Police DepartmentPasadena Police Department
The Pasadena Police Department is the police department serving Pasadena, California. The headquarters of the Pasadena Police Department is located at 207 North Garfield Avenue in Pasadena, just a few blocks from the Pasadena City Hall and Paseo Colorado. The department employs 241 sworn officers,...
. Number of studies were conducted by the Anderson School of Management at UCLA on attendance and economic impact to Southern California.
The Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
ran a study in 1980 that said the actual attendance at the parade was actually about 60% of what is claimed each year.
- 1890 - 2,000
- 2002 - 800,000 (1,000,000; drop blamed on 9/11September 11, 2001 attacksThe September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
) - 2004 - (1,000,000)
- 2009 - 700,000 [1,000,000 visitors during the week of the parade]
- 2011 - 700,000
Television and website
The parade is televised on ABCAmerican Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, Univision
Univision
Univision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
(in Spanish), HGTV
HGTV
HGTV , is a cable-television network operating in the United States and Canada, broadcasting a variety of home and garden improvement, maintenance, renovation, craft and remodeling shows...
, The Travel Channel, RFD TV, and KTLA
KTLA
KTLA, virtual channel 5, is a television station in Los Angeles, California, USA. Owned by the Tribune Company, KTLA is an affiliate of the CW Television Network. KTLA's studios are on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson...
(the latter three offer interruption-free coverage, although KTLA repeats the parade throughout the day with commercials). WGN TV in Chicago will carry KTLA's uninterrupted coverage of the 2009 parade (WGN and KTLA are both owned by Tribune Broadcasting
Tribune Broadcasting
The Tribune Broadcasting Company is a group of radio and television stations located throughout the United States which are owned and operated by the Tribune Company, a media conglomerate based in Chicago, Illinois and named for the flagship Chicago Tribune newspaper.- History :Tribune Broadcasting...
). Until 2007, the parade was also broadcast on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, and KTTV
KTTV
KTTV, channel 11, is an owned-and-operated television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in Los Angeles, California. Serving the vast Los Angeles metropolitan area, KTTV is a sister station to KCOP , Los Angeles' MyNetworkTV station...
also televised the parade for many years until 1995. Joining the broadcast in 2010 will be the Hallmark Channel
Hallmark Channel
The Hallmark Channel is a cable television network that broadcasts across the United States. Their programming includes a mix of television movies/miniseries, syndicated series, and lifestyle shows that are appropriate for the whole family...
.
The 1954 edition of the parade was also the first program ever televised in the NTSC
NTSC
NTSC, named for the National Television System Committee, is the analog television system that is used in most of North America, most of South America , Burma, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and some Pacific island nations and territories .Most countries using the NTSC standard, as...
color television
Color television
Color television is part of the history of television, the technology of television and practices associated with television's transmission of moving images in color video....
format nationwide on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
.
- The 2009 Parade was broadcast to 217 countries (79 countries live) in over 20 languages.
- The Tournament of Roses website had approximately 13 million hits during the week of the 2009 parade.
- The website was viewed in 150 countries.
- The 2010 Parade was watched via TV in 127 countries including China.
- The 2011 Parade had a total television reach of approximately 47 million television viewers in the U.S. and was seen by approximately 28 million viewers internationally.
Leadership
Each year, the newly elected president announces the following year's Theme in January and chooses a Grand Marshal shortly thereafter. Preparation and construction of the floral floats theoretically begins after the Theme is announced. The selection of marching bands is already well under way except for Rose Bowl participant bands which aren't selected until 4 weeks before the parade. In 2005, Libby Evans Wright was elected as the first female president of the Association.The Pasadena Tournament of Roses appointed former Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
executive P. Scott McKibben as its executive director in 2010, replacing John M. (Mitch) Dorger, who had served as CEO since 2000. On September 8, 2011, he resigned for personal reasons. Chief operating officer William B. Flinn was named interim executive director.
Operations and the parade
The Tournament of Roses has become such a large event that it requires 65,000 hours of combined manpowerManpower
Manpower may refer to:*Human resourcesOrganizations:*Manpower Inc., an international employment agency, headquartered in the United States*Manpower Incorporated, a criminal enterprise in the Honor Harrington science fiction series...
each year, or the equivalent of roughly 7.42 years of combined manpower. Fortunately for the Association, the group has 935 members, each whom is assigned to one of 34 committees, and 38 student ambassadors. Responsibilities include:
- Selecting Parade participants
- Inspecting and testing floats for safe and reliable operation
- Assembling the parade elements
- Conducting the parade through the streets of Pasadena
- Directing visitors on New Year's Day
- Assisting the public and the media in viewing the parade
- Giving presentations about the Tournament to community groups
- Supervising elements of the Rose Bowl Game (and also the BCS National Championship Game when held in Pasadena)
During the Parade, many Tournament members are required to wear white suits with red ties, name tags, membership pins and official ribbons. Because of this, the volunteers are commonly referred to as "White Suiters." In December each year, a fleet of white vehicles with special "ToR" license plates are seen throughout the San Gabriel Valley
San Gabriel Valley
The San Gabriel Valley is one of the principal valleys of Southern California, United States. It lies to the east of Los Angeles, to the north of the Puente Hills, to the south of the San Gabriel Mountains, and west of the Inland Empire. It derives its name from the San Gabriel River that flows...
. The use of these cars is currently donated by American Honda for use by high-ranking Tournament members.
Each year, an honor troop of Eagle Scouts
Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
from the San Gabriel Valley Council, and "The Tournament Troop" of Girl Scout Gold Award recipients of the Arcadia
Arcadia
Arcadia is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the administrative region of Peloponnese. It is situated in the central and eastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. It takes its name from the mythological character Arcas. In Greek mythology, it was the home of the god Pan...
Service Unit of the Girl Scouts Greater Los Angeles, is selected to carry the parade banners down the route. Each year, for the last 35 years, more than 100 scouts have participated.
The Tournament of Roses Radio Amateurs (TORRA) provided audio communications and video co-ordination for the parade officials through the use of Amateur radio
Amateur radio
Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
from 1968 until 2005. With over 300 ham radio operators
Amateur radio operator
An amateur radio operator is an individual who typically uses equipment at an amateur radio station to engage in two-way personal communications with other similar individuals on radio frequencies assigned to the amateur radio service. Amateur radio operators have been granted an amateur radio...
in TORRA there were several ham radio sites
Amateur radio station
An amateur radio station is an installation designed to provide radiocommunications in the amateur radio service for an amateur radio operator. Radio amateurs build and operate several types of amateur radio stations, including fixed ground stations, mobile stations, space stations, and temporary...
along the parade route equipped with amateur television
Amateur television
Amateur television is the transmission of Broadcast quality video and audio over the wide range of frequencies of allocated for Radio amateur use. ATV is used for non-commercial experimentation, pleasure and public service events...
as well as 2-way ham radios. Several mobile units - including motorcycles and pedestrian units (creepie-peepies) provided the video coverage. With modern technology and cell phone service, TORRA was no longer needed.
Thousands more volunteers help cover the floats in those beautiful flower and seed mixes during "Deco week," Dec 26- parade day. Many of these come back year after year, some even camp nearby to help all week long.
Weather
For the 2006 Tournament of Roses Parade on January 2, winds with gusts up to 45 mph (72 km/h) and five inch
Inch
An inch is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including Imperial units, and United States customary units. There are 36 inches in a yard and 12 inches in a foot...
es (130 mm) of rain in the Pasadena area were predicted. Unfortunately, the forecast proved accurate; despite the parade's good luck for 51 years, it rained continuously and heavily throughout the entire 2006 parade. The President of the Tournament, the Grand Marshal of the Parade and the Executive Committee, deliberated into the early morning in the Tournament House. With street rumors circulating of the parade being canceled or postponed and restlessness of the crowd further east along the parade route, the parade commenced (with a vote of 10-4 with two abstaining), despite the inclement weather. Low television ratings and poor attendance plagued the ceremony. Some floats showed signs of water damage by the end. (The Parade was held as scheduled—it is always held on January 2 when January 1 falls on a Sunday.)
See also
- CavalcadeCavalcadeCavalcade may refer to:*Cavalcade, a horseback procession, parade, or mass trail ride*A huge parade*A huge procession*Suzuki GV1400 Cavalcade, a Suzuki luxury touring motorcycle available from 1985 to 1988 in North America...
- Doo Dah ParadeDoo Dah ParadeThe Pasadena Doo Dah Parade is a popular farcical and flamboyant parade held in Pasadena, California about once a year, usually in the fall or winter...
- Employers GroupEmployers GroupEmployers Group was founded as the Merchants and Manufacturers Association in 1896 in California. It has become a worldwide organization advocating for employers and giving guidance about employment laws and regulations, professional development, consulting projects, and compensation and workplace...
, as the Merchants and Manufacturer Association, founded the precursor to the Rose Parade - Portland Rose FestivalPortland Rose FestivalThe Portland Rose Festival is an annual civic festival held during the month of June in Portland, Oregon. It is organized by the volunteer non-profit Portland Rose Festival Association with the purpose of promoting the Portland region...
- ProcessionProcessionA procession is an organized body of people advancing in a formal or ceremonial manner.-Procession elements:...
- Rose Bowl GameRose Bowl GameThe Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
- Rose Bowl (stadium)Rose Bowl (stadium)The Rose Bowl is an outdoor athletic stadium in Pasadena, California, U.S., in Los Angeles County. The stadium is the site of the annual college football bowl game, the Rose Bowl, held on New Year's Day. In 1982, it became the home field of the UCLA Bruins college football team of the Pac-12...