The Rose Parade in Pasadena JANUARY 1,2011 There are only a couple of parades that will make me get out of bed early, and fight the traffic and parking of our beloved City of Angels - of course, any Lakers Championship parade, and the staple of our city (or neighboring city) the Rose Parade in Pasadena, New Year’s day. This tradition was started in 1890 by The Valley Hunt Club, with the addition of the “Rose Bowl” football game in 1902, to help supplement the costs of the parade. Today it is all just part of a fun, celebratory day, filled with pride and Americana (football). What started as a tradition to show off our beautiful winter weather, by flaunting our blooming flowers, turned into the Tournament of Roses. Over the years, the floats have become more and more detailed and advanced. With everything on the floats having to be covered in natural materials, such as flowers, seeds, plants, seaweeds, nuts, vegetables or bark, makes for some challenging ideas, yet every year seems to exceed the last. Major sponsors have raised the bar, and the level of clever designs is off the chart.Completed by volunteers of all ages, these floats seem to come together overnight, and can be viewed up close in the days following the parade. This is a great chance to see the amount of pride and effort exuded each year by these tireless volunteers. Colorado Boulevard fills up fast, with reveling nightowls filling the streets in sleeping bags and tents to get the best seats for the early morning action. The parade features many top level marching bands, color guards, and stables-full of beautiful horses. The traditions of the Rose Parade seem to kick the New Year off perfectly, almost re-registering our “Americana” for the impending year. So, whether you’ve got tickets to the big game, or you just want to ring in the new year in a fun and exciting way, get out to Pasadena this New Year’s day. The city is blooming, and the energy in the air is uplifting. There are plenty of great bars in the area to enjoy the games afterwards, so get there early, park the car, and enjoy walking the streets with all the other partiers.
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