There’s nothing quite like watching the Tournament of Roses Parade in person, seeing the colors and textures on the floats as they skim along before your eyes, hearing the best high school bands in the country, and seeing the pageantry of costumed equestrians as they ride past.
This brief guide to the Rose Parade has tips that will help you plan ahead and have a glorious time at an event that has been going since 1890.
And don’t forget that the parade is on Monday, Jan. 2 this year!
Getting there
Driving: Bring a map or use GPS, as some streets and freeway ramps will be closed. Try to stay a half mile or more above or below the parade route for as long as possible, and allow around three times as much time travel as you normally would.
Parking: In addition to commercial parking vendors, there are plenty of spaces available from churches, businesses, and schools in the vicinity. Park on the same side of the route that you are coming from to avoid having to cross Colorado Blvd. Street parking is available for free if you don’t mind walking three-quarters or a mile or more, and the no-overnight-parking rule in Pasadena is suspended within a certain distance of the parade.
Public transportation: The Metro Gold Line has several stops within walking distance of the parade. West to east, these stations are Del Mar, Memorial Park, Lake Avenue, and Allen Avenue. Metro runs additional trains and more frequent Gold Line service from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on parade day.
When to get there and where to sit
The parade starts at Orange Grove just south of Colorado Blvd. promptly at 8 a.m. and takes about two hours to get to the end of the route on Sierra Madre Blvd. Grandstands provide the assurance of a reserved seat and a place to sit and the vendor will let purchasers know when to arrives. Parade-goers who don’t mind standing can usually find a good spot up to an hour or two before the parade arrives, especially further east on the route. Viewing is best from the south, or “camera side” of the Colorado Blvd.
Travel light Take a tote bag to stash snacks, beverages and the layers you shed. Keep money or your wallet in a front pocket and limit valuables to cash, ID, car keys, and tissues. Food, beverages and souvenirs are sold along the parade route.
Camping out Who: Adults and children with adults. No one under the age of 18 may stay overnight on the street without a parent or guardian. Curfew is in effect from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
What to bring: Travel light, but bring enough layers to keep warm, including a sleeping bag. Chairs and small professionally made barbeques (such as hibachis) that stand at least one foot off the ground are allowed. Tents, couches, ladders, scaffolding, boxes, alcoholic beverages, and bonfires or open fires are prohibited.
When & Where: Chairs and bags can be placed beginning at noon the day before the parade. No one is allowed to stand, sit, or have gear in the street until 11 p.m.
Don’t rope off any public area, including the sidewalk, curb, gutter, and street; sell items without a permit; throw anything onto the parade route at any time, including tortillas, marshmallows, and spray string; walk in the street; or block the sidewalk so people cannot easily pass.
When the parade is over Getting home from the Rose Parade can take even longer than getting there. Some people grab a bite to eat at a local restaurant or pack a lunch to eat in their cars while they wait for the traffic to disperse or the lines at the train station to go down. Please remember to stash trash in the receptacles provided.
Audio and Braille A free audio tour of the floats can be downloaded to a cell phone by calling (626) 321-4768. A special version of the Rose Parade program guide is available in Braille and on a 4-track cassette by calling (800) BRAILLE.
