Rose Parade (Photo – Staff)).
Whether you are visiting Pasadena or live in the area, here are 21 facts to know about the 2016 Rose Parade.
By Wafic Khalil
1- The 127th Rose Parade will have a mild weather (still cold in SoCal standards) compared to last year.
2- The Parade’s theme is “Find Your Adventure’ inspired by a unique partnership with the U.S. National Park Service.
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, 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 92 entries with floats, marching bands and equestrian units. The marching band lineup includes groups from Denmark, Japan and Mexico.
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- Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns will serve as the grand marshal.
14- Burns and his family will ride a 1925 Yellowstone Touring Bus from the No. 17 position.
15- Well loved broadcasters Bob Eubanks and Stephanie Edwards will make the 2016 edition their last.
16- The Rose Queen for 2016 is named Erika Winter -an appropriate last name- and along with six Rose Princesses consist of the Royal Court.
17- The Royal Court was chosen from a pool of 31 finalists, which were part of a larger pool of almost 900 young women, and few young men!
18- The parade is digital with the Official Digital Rose Parade Program App for mobile tablets (available for free download in the iTunes Store (iPad version), (iPhone version), and in (Google Play) plus a digital version for desktop browsers (here).
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!
21- This year’s Rose Parade (and the Rose Bowl) will be a NO DRONE zone, a sign of the times!
We Recommend:
– Free Metro on New Year’s Eve
– Pasadena Visitors Guide: Everything to know!
– Easy Rose Parade Parking
– What to do After the Parade
– 2016 Rose Parade Weather
Questions? Call Visitor Hotline: 877-793-9911
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