Rose Parade (Photo – Staff)).
Whether you are visiting Pasadena or live in the area, here are 20 facts to know about the 2020 Rose Parade.
By Wafic Khalil
1- The 131st Rose Parade will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 1st and will have a chilly and windy weather (by So-Cal standards) compared to last year.
2- The Parade’s theme is “The Power of Hope,’ celebrating the influence of optimism and hope.
3- Close to 750,000 people are estimated to attend the Rose Parade, and the celebration will air live on eight networks to more than 56 million viewers. The parade will also be televised in 174 countries, which will attract an additional 28 million viewers.
4- There will be almost 1,000 of “white suiters” -the ones that wear all-white suits and red neckties- fanning out across Pasadena on New Year’s Day making sure the parade goes smoothly.
5- The parade floats will arrive on-site before midnight, get lined up and then park in the middle of the closed street.
6- “White suiters” get assigned as overnight float protection keeping cars from entering the float formation area, and will prevent anyone in a car from entering –except for brain surgeons on the way to perform brain surgery!
7- The Tournament of Roses has more than 20 committees (935 members of the non-profit Tournament of Roses Association), each supporting a different element of the parade and the Rose Bowl game.
8- The Tournament takes care of its people. Throughout the long night, a van will come around constantly with coffee, hot chocolate and snacks.
9- The line-up will have 39 float entries, 17 equestrian groups and 20 marching bands.
10- In addition to the use of traditional flowers, some floats’ designs will sprout palm tree fiber, kidney beans, orange lentils, crushed sweet rice, and black pepper seed to name a few.
11- Float liaisons (the ones who ride a white scooter, wear a white helmet and escort the floats along the route) spent 10 Saturday mornings between June and December directing traffic so that floats can safely road-test their engines and animation effects.
12- As a native Southern Californian, you should never use the word “cold” unless you want to be reprimanded by visitors from the east coast.
13- Three Grand Marshals, Rita Moreno, Gina Torres, and Laurie Hernandez, will ride in the 131st Rose Parade® and join in the pre-game celebration of the 106th Rose Bowl Game®.
14- The Grand Finale is straight from East LA with legendary rock band Los Lobos; known for their hit single “La Bamba,” the spirited song that held the number one spot in nine countries. In additon to Los Lobos, the Grand Finale will also have Alejandro Aranda (Scarypoolparty), and Chino Hills Dance Team. A mid-parade performance will be presented by the North American tour cast of Disney’s FROZEN.
15- A surprise celebrity guest will throw a team-branded football directly from the parade route that will “magically” soar to the Rose Bowl Stadium (with the help of clever editing) and be caught by another notable personality.
16- The Rose Queen® for 2020, Camille Kennedy, is a senior at La Salle College Preparatory and lives in Pasadena.
17- The 2020 Royal Court members were chosen from a pool of 25 finalists, which were part of a larger pool of almost 900 young women, and few young men. (Maybe next year a young man will make history as the first male Rose Queen!).
18- Ohio State’s senior linebacker Jordan Fuller and Washington’s junior linebacker Ben Burr-Kirven were presented the first-annual Tournament of Roses Scholar-Athlete Award.
19- It will be a 5 1/2mile stretch for the entire parade. It starts at the corner of Green Street and travels north on Orange Grove Boulevard, then it turns east onto Colorado Boulevard, before it turns north onto Sierra Madre Boulevard and wraps up on Villa Street.
20- A lot of volunteers put this incomparable parade together for you. They don’t get paid. Your smile is their pay. They will be cold as you will be too. Bundle up, smile at them, and have a great time!
Useful Links
> 2020 Rose Parade Parking tips and restrictions.
> 2020 Rose Parade WEATHER AND CAMPING TIPS.
> 2020 Rose Parade Safety tips and reminders.
> Getting home after the parade.
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