Pasadena, California, United States
Rose Parade (Tournament of Roses)
Floats covered entirely in flowers and seeds, marching bands, and sidewalk campers on Colorado Boulevard to start the year.
The straight answer
The Rose Parade rolls down Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena on the morning of January 1 every year, except when New Year's Day is a Sunday, when it moves to January 2.
The Rose Parade happens on New Year's Day morning in Pasadena, starting at 8am Pacific, and it has done so since 1890. The one exception is the old Never on Sunday rule: when January 1 falls on a Sunday, the parade and the Rose Bowl Game move to Monday, January 2, a tradition dating to the 1890s meant to avoid disturbing church services.
What makes it different from every other parade is the floats. Every visible surface must be covered in natural material: flowers, petals, seeds, bark, leaves, and dried grasses, applied by volunteers in the last days of December. Seeing them up close, at the decorating barns before or at the float showcase after, is as memorable as the parade itself.
The route runs about five and a half miles, down Orange Grove Boulevard and east along Colorado Boulevard, and takes around two hours to pass any one point. Hundreds of thousands of people line it, many after camping on the sidewalk overnight, and the Rose Bowl Game kicks off in the Arroyo Seco that afternoon.
The event, explained
The lineup is floral floats built by professional builders and a handful of volunteer-built community floats, top high school and college marching bands from across the country and abroad, and equestrian units. The whole thing is televised, which is why the pacing includes pauses at the TV corner near the start of the route.
The surrounding events stretch across the week. Float decorating in the final days of December is open to the public for a fee at the construction sites, and it is where you see the flowers going on and smell them. Band showcase concerts and an equestrian event are held in the days before the parade.
After the parade, the floats are parked for close-up viewing along a stretch of streets in east Pasadena for a day or two, with timed tickets. This is the easiest way to see the detail work without camping out, and it is excellent with kids.
How to play it right
- 01Choose between a grandstand seat and a free curb spot. Reserved grandstand seats are sold months in advance and are the comfortable option; the free curb requires arriving well before dawn or camping out, which is permitted on the route sidewalk from midday on the day before, subject to city rules.
- 02Book lodging early, especially in Pasadena itself. New Year's Eve and the Rose Bowl Game push rates up across the San Gabriel Valley. Staying in Los Angeles and taking the Metro rail line to Pasadena is a practical alternative.
- 03Take transit or park well away from the route. Streets around Colorado Boulevard close overnight, and the Metro rail line into Pasadena runs extra service on parade morning.
- 04Dress in layers. Pasadena on New Year's morning often starts near 40F (4C) and warms to highs near 68F (20C) by early afternoon under clear skies. Sunscreen matters by midmorning.
- 05If you only have one day, skip the parade crush and buy timed tickets to the post-parade float showcase instead. You see every float up close and still get the flowers-and-seeds magic.
With kids in tow
- The Rose Parade is a family classic, and kids love the floats. Grandstand seats are the saner choice with young children, since curb camping in the cold is a long night.
- The decorating barns in late December and the post-parade float showcase are the best kid experiences of the week, with no pre-dawn start required.
- Bring blankets, snacks, and a plan for restrooms; portable toilets along the route have long lines by midmorning.
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Rose Parade (Tournament of Roses), quick answers
When is the Rose Parade?
On January 1 every year at 8am Pacific, unless New Year's Day falls on a Sunday. In that case, the parade and the Rose Bowl Game move to Monday, January 2.
Why is the Rose Parade never on a Sunday?
The Never on Sunday tradition dates to the 1890s and was meant to avoid disturbing church services and the horses tied up outside them. It has been kept ever since.
Can you camp out for the Rose Parade?
Yes. Overnight sidewalk camping along the route is a long tradition and is permitted from midday on the day before, with rules on tents, fires, and furniture set by the city. Check the current rules before you go.
Where can you see the Rose Parade floats up close?
At the decorating sites in the last days of December, and at the post-parade float showcase in east Pasadena for a day or two after the parade. Both require tickets.
What is the weather like at the Rose Parade?
Usually clear and cool. Expect around 40F (4C) at dawn and highs near 68F (20C). Rain is uncommon but has happened; the parade goes on regardless.
Make a trip of it: Los Angeles
The best time to visit Los Angeles
Best: Apr to May and Sep to Oct
The best time to visit Los Angeles is March through May or September through November: warm, sunny days, thinner crowds at the theme parks, and the warmest beach water arriving in early fall.
Also in January
Chinese New Year
China, plus Singapore, Hong Kong & Taipei
Late January or February, on the new moon that begins the lunar year; the date moves with the lunar calendar, and festivities run about 15 days to the Lantern Festival
Venice Carnival
Venice, Italy
Roughly two weeks ending on Shrove Tuesday, so usually within late January and February; the dates move with Easter
Sundance Film Festival
Boulder, Colorado (Park City, Utah through 2026)
About ten days in late January every year
Humpback Whale Season in Maui
Maui, Hawaii
Roughly December to April, with the peak from January to March
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