The Rose Bowl Parade and Festival

Like many others, I grew up watching the Rose Bowl Parade on television. As a child, I was much more interested in the parade than the football game. The first "Tournament of Roses" was in 1890. The main reason behind the festival was to tell the world about their famous flowers. As the early years went by, motorized vehicles were added to display their attractions. In 1895, the "Tournament of Roses Association" was formed. It had grown too large for the Valley Hunt Club to handle. The first football game was added in 1902. A new stadium hosted the game in 1923. It was nicknamed the Rose Bowl. It has been sold out every year since 1947. It has been nicknamed as ,"The Granddaddy of them all."

The parade has come a long ways since it's beginning. Today many communities are still represented in the parade. However, many of the floats are now made by modern float construction companies. They can take up to a full year to build for just the one day event. The floats are allowed to be viewed following the New Years morning event.

The Tournament of Roses is now a week long event. On December 28th, an Equestrian event is held by the horses and participants in the parade. This year the Equestfest will be held from 11 am to 3 pm at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center. It is located at 480 Riverside Drive in Burbank, California. The cost is $10 per person. Children 5 and under get in free. Parking will cost $5.

Another event that will be held is Bandfest. there will be three different performances by 23 different bands that will be participating in this years parade. Tickets are $10. children 5 and under get in free. The Bandfest will be held at Pasadena City College Football stadium. The three performances will be held on December 29th and 30th. The times for the Bandfest is 2 to 4:30 pm on the 29th. Then on the 30th, there will be two performances. One will be from 10 am to 12:30 pm. the second one that day will be held from 2 to 4:30 pm.

Tickets for these two events can be bought in advance at www.sharpseating.com.

The parade will begin at 8 am sharp on January 1st. This will mark the 120th anniversary of this event. The title of this years event is "Hats off to Entertainment."

Following the parade on January 1, 2, and 3, the floats can be viewed in the viewing area. This area is located at the end of the parade route on Sierra Madre Blvd. On January 1st, the General public can view the floats from 1 pm till 5 pm. On January 2nd Senior Citizens and disabled individuals can view the floats from 7 to 9 am. General viewing is again at 9 am to 5 pm on both January 2nd and 3rd. The cost is $7. Children 5 and under is free. Tickets can be bought in advance at the Sharp seating web site above. It is expected that over 150,000 individuals will view the floats again this year.

The Rose Parade will be carried on ABC, NBC, HGTV, Univision, Travel Channel and seen by over 150 different international territories. Next to the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, it is considered one of the nations premier parades. It is enjoyed by adults and children alike. It was set up to show off the beautiful flowers that grow in the Southern California region, especially the roses. It will continue to be a showcase for the use of flowers for many years to come.

sources;www.tournamentofroses.com