Tournament of Roses Parade

The Tournament of Roses Parade was established, and first held, on January 1, 1890, in Pasadena, California, eight miles (13 km) northeast of Downtown Los Angeles.

Rooted in tradition, this parade is broadcast on multiple television networks, watched by upwards of one million spectators on the parade route, and seen by millions more on television. Starting January 1, 1923, it is traditionally followed by the Tournament's other event, the Rose Bowl college football game.

In 2002 and 2006, when the Rose Bowl Game was also 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 will no longer affect the date of the Rose Bowl Game, even when the title game returns to Pasadena in 2010.

The parade is televised on ABC (as the official network of the tournament and the Rose Bowl game itself), but coverage is also available on NBC, Univision (in Spanish), HGTV, and KTLA (the latter two tout commercial-free coverage, although KTLA repeats the parade throughout the day with commercials). Until 2007, the parade was also broadcast on CBS.

First staged in 1890 by members of Pasadena's Valley Hunt Club, the Tournament of Roses has undergone major changes. The Parade has been held in Pasadena every New Year's Day since, except when January 1 falls on a Sunday. In that case, the Tournament is held on the subsequent Monday, January 2. This exception was instituted in 1893. 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.

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."

And so the Club decided to organize their first New Year's Day parade. Horse-drawn carriages covered in flowers, followed by foot races, polo matches, and a game of tug-of-war on the town lot attracted a crowd of 2000 to the event. Upon seeing the scores of flowers on display, the Professor decided to suggest the name "Tournament of Roses."

Oklahoma Rising Float at the 2007 Rose ParadeOver 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 Tournament of Roses Association was formed. By the eleventh annual Tournament (1900), the town lot on which the activities were held was re-named Tournament Park, a large open area that is directly adjacent 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 Tournament of Roses Parade has followed the same route for many decades. It starts by going north on South Orange Grove Boulevard, beginning at Ellis Street. Twenty-four hours ahead of time, the entire environs of the neighborhood streets are sealed off and reserved for the massive parade marshalling of the dozens of floats that are participating. On parade morning, it proceeds east on Colorado Boulevard (Pasadena's main thoroughfare and a segment of the former US-66), to Sierra Madre Boulevard. Turning north on Sierra Madre, it ends at Paloma Street. On going North, the floats must travel under the Sierra Madre / I-210 freeway overpass, requiring them to collapse to meet a specific height requirement. In total, this route is 5½ miles (9 km) long; the assembled bands, horse units, and floats take approximately 2.5 hours to pass by.

After the parade, all the floats are 'parked' in a large open area known as Victory Park, and are on display for at least 2 days to allow visitors to view them 'up close and personal' after parade day. Of course, none of the float riders and dignitaries / stars who rode on them are present. Admittance to the viewing used to be free, but a fee has been instituted in recent years.

Prior to parade day, for the really adventurous, one can view several of the floats being decked out with their 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. This period of opportunity typically starts about 48 to 72 hours prior to parade day. Last-minute volunteering opportunities are usually available; If you are willing to volunteer, you just might find a crew willing to hand you a box of flowers and put you right to work![citation needed]

Since 1955, the parade has been famously lucky and 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 inches (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. As a result, low television ratings and poor attendance plagued the ceremony. Some floats showed signs of water damage by the end.

Top marching bands from all over the world are invited to participate. Many top high school marching bands from the United States can be found, along with college and organizational marching bands.

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 band and color guard students 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.

Bands that have a long standing arrangement to be in the parade include:

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