Long overdue review for Float Fest, but wanted to add my two cents on this local event. I had the opportunity to attend Float Fest with a group of people and was initially surprised by the fact that this was now a ticketed event. Many moons ago, this was a free event for the community. And though there weren't food and drink options as far as I remember, the concept was the same where you could view the floats up close. I consider this to be the major issue with event. $25+ entry and no real value added to the experience for that price. However, the creativity and craftsmanship continues to amaze me. Many volunteers come together each year to create such memorable works of art that are seen across the world. It seems that my float viewing days will be in the past, but for international visitors I can definitely see the appeal of the event. read more

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I've gone to Float Fest for the past 2 years and have had a great experience rain or shine! I look forward to seeing the hard work up close of these floats. The floats are incredible to see up close with all the detail between the grains and the flowers used. You can easily spend a couple hours there and they have merch and food stalls and live music! It's custom to see the staff at each float and get a card and getting all the cards creates like a puzzle. I have not had the patience to do that but would be a fun activity with kids! read more

Float Fest - Festivals Near Me - Pasadena, California

We came to this event for the first time today, bought tickets online for $26 each person. Kids under 5 are free. Found a parking lot right outside the WestGate for $30, worth it since it's right next to the entrance. We did the 9-11am entry time and arrived around 10:15am, which was perfect. No need for the free shuttle system. Once inside, there is rose parade merchandise on sale and some booths had some swag. Lots of food trucks and vendors plus seating area too. We were fortunate to see the rose parade princess court on site along with a marching band performing. Very cool! No need to attend the parade anymore since you can see all the floats at once at FloatFest! The flowers were still fresh and vibrant! read more

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Since we live near the Float Fest site (we theoretically could walk to it), over the years I have seen this event evolve from a minimal (possibly free) happening to the far more structured venue it is now. The site is in front and on the east side of Pasadena High School along Sierra Madre Villa and Washington Blvds. The event is fenced in with 3 entrances, has much staffing and shuttles, merchandise and sponsor booths, quite a few food trucks, 2 band stages, lots of porta-potties and a $26 entrance fee. This year they were offering complimentary tickets to those who live in the Eaton fire-affected area. For the first time in about 20 years, it rained on the Rose Parade as well as the day we visited Float Fest, but the weather could not entirely dampen the beauty of seeing the floats up close and personal. Yes, it was clear the weather had ravaged some aspects of the float designs, and the lack of sun diminished the brilliance of the rainbow of colours of the all plant-based construction, but they were still beautiful. Some of the floats had their motorized mechanics going as well. The most majestic float for me was the America 250 one with 3 soaring bald eagles. Also notable were the San Francisco, San Diego Zoo, Cal Poly, Santa Fe Springs, UPS, Shrinking, Sierra Madre and South Pasadena floats. Some of the float sponsors had booths next to their floats, some passing out swag. There were also many Rose Parade and Bowl merchandise booths. Porta-potties were plentiful, and they had sinks. There was a game where some of the floats were passing out trading cards. One of the band stages was in action when we were there, playing jazzy music next to the Mississippi float. Although we did not eat there, the many food trucks offered quite a variety of cuisines. We did not use the shuttles to outer parking lots (PCC, Cal Tech + more), but they seemed decently organized. Overall a lovely event, despite the weather. read more

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Floatfest 2026! As an LA native, I had never seen the floats up close, believe it or not. I had chances to work the parade as an NBC Page a lifetime ago, but it never happened. Fast forward to recent years,I always had to work. Not this year! The boyfriend and I drove to Caltech, parked for free and rode the free shuttle (half an hour ride - so time accordingly !) to see the floats parked outside of Pasadena high school. Wear your walking shoes! They were amazing and smaller in person than they appear on TV. The details up close are amazing and Rose Foundation staff are at every float answering questions. There's crowds of people from all over the world in attendance, even on a rainy day. Food trucks were lined up and an eating area under a tent (yay)! I would just recommend that if you're a fan and in the area, see them at least once. I'm glad I did and the poncho worked wonders for the winter weather. read more

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I super highly recommend Float Fest. At least 50% of the guests are local but so fun to see so many out of State football fans here for the big game. This is normally a 3 day event rain or shine (brutal when it is raining but umbrellas are allowed). Tickets can be purchased on the day of the event. I recommend going right after parade is over for the least amount of guests. Float fest will be very very busy for the rest of the time. Tickets last year was $26 per person and there are no discounts out there. Kids 5 and under are free. Parking is around $25 but if you want walk about 10 min there is residential parking available. There is metal detector, security and bag check. Now let's start with the fun event. All these gorgeous floats hand placed with love are so lovely. It soften the heart when you see such a beauty. About 28 floats I saw last year. This can take you 1-2 hours to see everything so wear comfy shoes. There are also tons of activities there like live music, magician and entertainment. Plenty of food/food trucks/bars to purchase. Lots of souvenirs everywhere. There are also tons of swag like float fest cards and sponsors from the parade are there. I appreciate the Rose Parade white coats and others that volunteer there. Thank you for a wonderful experience leaving with a big smile. read more

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My friend gave me her extra tickets and we were surprised how much fun we had. It was our first time viewing floats in person up close. We spent a good two hours there to really admire the details. My favorites being Santa Fe Springs and San Francisco. I also enjoyed the freebies some vendors were giving out. We didn't eat there but food trucks were plenty. There's free street parking a few blocks away. Overall, if you have the opportunity to attend: take it, at least once, to admire the beauty. read more

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We had such a great time here on 1-1-2025 after the Roses Parade. This is a must attend event for everyone. You need 3 hours to really enjoy it and tons of walking. You get up close to all the floats and see the incredible detail and work that went into the preparation. You hear from some of the float managers about how the roses were installed in such short time frame--it is simply incredible. Please check out my float pictures. What is also incredible (in a bad way) was the literally mile long line to get in to the festival which is held at Pasadena High School. Walk a mile and picture standing on the back of a line a mile long. I could not believe what I was seeing! We had timed tickets for 1:30 PM the opening time and showed up at 1:45 and the wait was 2-3 hours to get in for an event that closes at 5 PM. I had to unfortunately employ a rarely used secret method to get in much sooner otherwise they were telling people on the line to request a refund and come back another day. They oversold the event and the entrance organization was poor at best--the worst I have ever seen anywhere, ever. I really don't have a good solution to this other than showing up an hour before your timed entry and getting on line to be the first in. Don't even think about coming late to this event--you probably won't get in even with a ticket. read more

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Last day tomorrow!! January 3rd 2025, go online to purchase your tickets. 9 am to 4 pm. Search for: Visitpasadena.com/event, select your day and time slot. Tickets can be obtained by email or text. $25.00 each, music, food, entertainment and 2 miles of Rose Parade Floats. It will be an amazing and memorable time with friends, family or your special date. You can drive and attempt to find parking in the surrounding neighborhood, or take the Free Float Fest Shuttles. Happy New Year's 2025 everyone! YES! SGV! read more

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Wow ! Floatfest 2024 11am to 1 pm time slot $79.50 for 3 people Note there are no senior discounts Boy we got lucky found parking immediately upon arrival we parked where the boyscout were for $30.00 the price may seem steep well we were within feet of the floatfest entrance. With a walker in tow was the right decision. We were given a paper with the map of the floats nicely organized. There was also a scavenger hunt going on for the children. 9 cards thru out the floastfest were to be collected. I managed to collect 6 out of 9. Which nade this fun for the children that attended. Did I also say the child in me lol. Wicked was a big thing for me so I enjoyed seeing that. It is amazing how flowers can be put together and turn out so beautiful. The city of Torrance was nicely done. Traders joes won an award for Showmanship! Alhambra won the Mayor award UPS store won most outstanding floral design dramatic impact One legacy had a stunning float they give folks a second chance at life there were a few people in attendance who was given that second chance. Honda is the main sponsor and they were right in front of entrance. We arrived a little hungry so we ate before walking around. We scored on seats a pow wow dance going on a stage. California Pizza kitchen was there so we indulged. The walk is a 2 mile walk first time you ever will be able to walk on Sierra blvd without cars. My pictures barley show what you have missed. This is an event you might like to come try once and the walking is a plus. Boy were they not joking on food trucks everything for everyone. Sweets galore read more

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What a way to start the new year by waiting in long lines! You heard that right because that's what this year's Rose Parade Float showcase was like. Tickets have gone up drastically and there's no frills to this event since you're just looking at parked floats. It's $20 a person with $1.50 online fee. Tickets are online only too! Tickets come with a shuttle ride and parking at PCC. PSA: don't bother with the shuttle, just drive to the float location or Uber/Lyft there. There's street parking and small lots around the area for a small fee. Location: which should not be a secret! Set maps to Victory Park or Pasadena High School. It's right there in the neighborhood. Follow the crowd. This year they really oversold the event so it was so crowded that you wonder if you'll be able to shuttle there and wait in line at the entrance just to get in, plus time to see all the floats. The floats were nice but how this event was handled in getting people there and in looked like a disaster. read more

Float Fest - Festivals Near Me - Pasadena, California

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My wife and her family previously came here every year to see the floats after the parade. We decided to go this year to see them. While the floats did not disappoint, the event overall did. Let's start with the parking. They wanted people to use the shuttle buses to come to the event, but did have parking lots nearby that you could use and pay $20. The problem here is that the local police were stating it was handicap parking only when it was not. So we got to park within a 5 minute walk of the event. Tickets. This is where it got really bad. They had a QR code that you were supposed to use if you needed to get tickets. It did not work at all. I tried like 6 or 7 times and nothing then 2 of the people at the gate tried to help and we tried some more and it did not work. Floats. They were lined up and in various places with select floats part of a picture scavenger hunt. No prize for the hunt which was disappointing, but it kept you busy. The souvenir stands were in some weird places, but it was okay. Got some Ohio State merch so it made the day. Didn't try any of the food at the food trucks. Overall it was ok, but they need some help getting it together better. read more

This is one of those things to do once in your life just to say you've done it. It's cool to see all the floats up close but the event is so crazy crowded that it was not enjoyable. Imagine the most crowded time at Disneyland and that's what it's like. There's some food trucks (Cinnabon, Wetzels, CPK etc) and some kiosks selling official merch. Some of the companies sponsoring the floats are also there with kiosks giving out trinkets too. But all in all $25+ pp is steep to walk around in wall to wall people. Also to note , there are only porto potties there and the shuttle is convenient- just park at the extension campus and take the shuttle from there - waaaay less crowds and on our way back to the lot, we had no line to catch the shuttle, whereas all the people going to the regular PCC lot were in a massive line. read more

We spent $100 for a family of 4, parked at the PCC lot well before the last shuttle, waited in the shuttle line over an hour, and then were told to go home and that there were just too many people to let in. My kids had such a hard time waiting and later we were told it would've been another hour waiting to get in once we got there. I'm really surprised and also wondering how to get a refund since no one at the shuttle explained how to do that. How crappy :( Can't believe we thought we could take our kids to this it was insane. This is a copy of my email requesting a refund: I want to request a refund for the $106 we spent to see the floats yesterday. It was an absolutely miserable experience- we arrived at 2:20 and after parking got into the shuttle line at PCC parking garage with two small children, waited until 3:45 to try to get onto a shuttle bus, and then were told to go home because it we would not be able to get on the bus that takes 25 minutes to get to the floats, then wait over an hour to get inside and have time to see the floats before our tickets expired at 5:30. Waiting in line with two small children for this amount with my current health condition also going on was a nightmare. We still held on because there was NO COMMUNICATION with the people wearing white who worked for the parade and we had spent over $100 for our family to see the floats. Besides a refund I would also like to find out how to file a complaint. I have also learned people in front of us got on the bus, waited in the hour long queue at the float event, and NEVER got inside. That's what we would've experienced if we had made it onto a bus. My friend is a recent leg amputee and also had a nightmare experience going with her children and only made it inside after complaining and getting help to access the floats. She was only helped after showing her leg was gone!!!! I think what happened to all of us was against the Americans with Disabilities Act and something drastically needs to change for the safety of Los Angeles residents attempting to view these floats. When I tried to talk to the man in the white outfit who worked for the Rose Parade at the PCC garage about what happened (after he announced we all had to go home) he was incredibly rude and unkind to me. I described our situation (my health condition, two small kids in line for an hour and a half) and he refused to make eye contact with me AT ALL and treated me as if I was not a human being. I asked him if our tickets would work at a later date or if we could have a refund and again he REFUSED to look at me, announced "Please call the Sharp Seating number to find out if you can get a refund or use your tickets" and shooed me away. It was disgusting. I called the number and there is no one to talk to. What happened was wrong and not okay for all of the families, elderly, disabled people waiting in line. No one should've been treated that way. SHAME ON YOUR COMPANY FOR SELLING TOO MANY TICKETS for a poorly planned event in your greed. read more

Over 3 hours to just get in. No organization. It's a mad house. Horrible if you got young children. We rushed to see all we could. The scavenger hunt was just okay. Disappointed but the floats are spectacular. read more

Float Fest - After twenty minutes of standing just to get in - Festivals Near Me - Pasadena, California

Time for new leadership at flistfest: We have been coming here for more years than I can remember and have always touted the event and the staff Jan 1 - We attended flistfest after the parade and this is what we have found A. Attitude by some of the staff it volunteers giving out flistfest collecting cards - We had a white woman at the army float area tell us we could not get a card for our grand daughter and this Card Nazi even had the nerve to tell us to go back and get our granddaughter B. $25 dollars is way too high and prohibitive to many low income families - This is not a nice way to start a new year with greater focus on increasing profits versus compassion for families - all families of all income C. Process to Enter - The li e to enter was ridiculous and by the time we got in line after the parade was mimes away from the entrance and only 30 minutes after being able to access the floats - an announcement comes on telling us that the park closed at 5pm / really? This is not what FloatFest is about Shame on you and get new leadership to run this event read more

Float Fest - Festivals Near Me - Pasadena, California

My family and I had a great experience today. Our time was between 11-1pm. We arrived at the PCC parking lot at 10:30am. There were already a lot of cars but there was plenty of parking. The shuttles moved fast. We got in right away. It was beautiful to see the floats from up close. We took a lot of pictures. They weren't allowing umbrellas at the time we went in but by the time we left it seemed they were allowed. You had to be more careful with the people that had them open. The 9 cards you get at certain stops are a nice souvenir. We didn't had to wait for the shuttle that returned back to our parking lot. There's only one day left, if you are planning to attend do take a raincoat. read more

I have decorated Rose Parade Floats for over twenty years and have been watching the parade for as long as I can remember. Attendance in person has always been fun. But for most of you want to see the floats us close this is the best way. Floats are brought to the Pasadena High School site for viewing. Cost is twenty a person and parking is on street or in paid lots for about thirty dollars with the Money going to scout troop 31. The floats are close enough to see the detail. We saw all 39 of the floats. They also had food trucks on site. This is very crowded event and is limited to two days. Bring comfy shoes because you will walk about two miles to see all the floats. read more

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Worst experience. Long lines long wait and extremely overcrowded at the display area. Very disappointing and time better spent elsewhere.

Up close and personal view of the famous Rose Parade floats. Well worth the price of admission in my estimation! Float Fest offers a great opportunity to see the high level of detail and craftsmanship displayed by each float. I especially loved the opportunity to talk to the Rose Parade volunteers and hear their stories (the organ donor stories were moving, to say the least.) I'd recommend going as early as possible to maximize the chances of finding free street parking. Be careful to read the temporary street signs! Tickets can be purchased online. Wear comfortable shoes and enjoy. read more

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I watch the annual Pasadena Rose Parade on tv but I've never seen it in person. I've never ever seen the floats in real life except for the Burbank float which goes on display in Downtown Burbank a few days after the parade. I was fortunate to finally see the floats in person this year. You can tell by the large number of pics I uploaded here how much I enjoyed it. I love flowers and to see them used as decor for the floats, it was such a surreal experience for me. Pics don't even do justice because it's a lot prettier in person. You can see in details how each and every petals and leaves were used artistically and aesthetically in the floats. I believe that the $20 fee is fair enough considering how much each float costs from start to finish. We were fortunate enough to find free residential parking a short distance from the venue. I do understand that others had to pay parking fees in some areas but a free shuttle is provided to and from Pasadena city college. read more

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Great experience! I wish they can lower the entrance fee ($25), but it's nice to see these floats up close. read more

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I remember coming to see the Floats after the Rose Parade many years ago when I was a child with my mom and grandparents and it was free back then! I was excited because I distinctly remember the smell of fresh flowers and it was just nice to see all the amazing hard work that goes into creating the floats we see on TV! My husband's never been before and we decided to purchase tickets for New Year's Day so he could finally see some floats in person for the first time. The floats themselves were great (though they didn't smell as floral as I remembered as a kid, bummer). Tickets are $20/pp and parking is a bit inconvenient since the website stated they're expecting 150k people to attend on the two days of this event...we decided to park at a shopping plaza (though I don't recommend) nearby and walked over to avoid taking the shuttles. Definitely arriving right when the event began was super crowded and the line going in was ridiculously long with no order (people kept walking on the sides to pass those actually waiting in line respectfully). It kept moving, but the staff scanning the QR codes were inundated with everyone trying to scan their codes, I think people could've just walked in behind other guests and honestly gotten away with it. Though they have security and fenced off the sections of Washington Blvd. and Sierra Madre Blvd., they added some vendors and food trucks, etc., I don't think the event was worth the $20 fee. They didn't even end up doing security checks for bags (even though online stated only clear bags, I did see plenty of people with regular purses & bags, etc.). Definitely felt that the event was oversold as getting any good pictures of the floats without a huge crowd in them was next to impossible, and getting in was disorganized...but the floats themselves - BRAVO to the designers/creators, volunteers, etc. who made them come to life! read more

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I've always loved seeing all the floats of the Rose parade on TV but I was never willing to go through all the work and hassle required to actually attend the parade. Well apparently there IS a way to see the floats up close and personal at your own leisure without having to stake out a spot and sit in the cold for hours or pay a fortune for a grandstand seat. Its called Float Fest! Its held the day after (January 2nd) on Sierra Madre and Washington Boulevards in Pasadena. We were able to park at Pasadena City College in their parking structure and take a shuttle bus to the floats. (its about 20 blocks so its not exactly walkable). Let me just say that it is AMAZING to see these floats up close! To see the details and the workmanship is incredible and to see all the stuff you can't see on TV is really cool. They have a bunch of food trucks of all types in the center of it all so you won't go hungry either as there are no real services in that area. Highly recommend!! read more

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Went on Jan 1 to view, visiting from out of town thought this would be fun to do since we are hardly in the area. Everything logistics wise was maddening. Parked at the City College to go on the shuttle, the line to get the in the lot wasn't too bad, but then you had parking attendants let other cars cut in from other lanes to enter. Bad sign already. In the parking lot there is no rhyme or reason to parking so people are trying to find any spot open which leads to traffic jams in the garage itself. You find parking and think you've made it. Getting in line at 1:30pm there should still be plenty of time to enjoy. Next go to the floor for the shuttle (mind you there are no signs directing you where to go) there is a whole half floor dedicated to the line. You get in line, thinking it wouldn't take too long, maybe 30 minutes as you do see a constant flow of shuttles coming. 1.5 to 2 hours later, now it is about 3:15pm. Wow, almost at front of line, get on shuttle. Should be easy from there right? Something posted about priority line if you take the shuttle..so staying on shuttle should make sense. Get on shuttle, no announcements or anything, not a peep. Get off shuttle and you see about 200-300 people just waiting as a crowd like sardines. No word on what people are waiting for, others are cutting on the sides, guests getting angry with each other. I can't imagine why this is called a priority line, people were walking in that didn't have shuttles. There's also people buying tickets on the spot, which again no line for and adding to chaos. Once you get in there's no noticeable information booth. The trading cards advertised felt a little bit odd, there was one volunteer that said he was running low on them and it was for kids. I asked for one for my son (who was with me) and asked if we are collecting cards. I said we just started and he said I'll give you a different card from another float pulled out from his pocket that was bent. However, he handed the low stock card to some random girl (she wasn't even collecting cards) but then not others. If this event is going on for a few more days....how can they run low on cards the first day!!??? At this point we are rushing through, noting last shuttle is at 5:30. Didn't get to relax and enjoy, they closed down food area due to festival closing. Where the majority of floats are, nowhere to sit, the fence is barricaded/blocked where you can't sit on the curb. Getting the shuttle back, wasn't an issue, noticed that due to lack of communication the first shuttle had a long line, while shuttles in the back hardly had any. Shuttle ride back you hear others with the same experience and how it ruined the event. For an event that holds a parade this size, it is frustrating and disappointing how this post event is organized. The only upside: shuttle line was inside in the garage vs being out in the sun. read more

TIP: -DO NOT BUY tickets to view the same day as the Rose Parade, or you'll be stuck in a Line-Armageddon. -DO NOT USE this event's inept shuttle service that takes 3 hours to get on the bus + ride time to the event. Drive there yourself or Uber. -BRING Water & Snacks because the waiting lines at everything is ridiculous. The event should be aptly titled "Three-Hour Line Fest," as it has transformed into a thoroughly disappointing experience. Pasadena ought to feel embarrassed for turning what could have been an enjoyable outing into a pay-to-view ordeal. After enduring a grueling two-hour wait in line merely to board the shuttle bus, I found myself crammed in a standing-room-only situation for the twenty-minute ride to the venue. To add insult to injury, there was yet another agonizing twenty-minute wait just to disembark from the bus. As if that weren't frustrating enough, we arrived at the gate only to be met with the grim news from event officials: they were no longer allowing anyone inside. They claimed to have communicated with the staff at PCC to halt the inflow of new attendees, but the message had evidently not reached them. Instead, the workers at PCC continued to accept more guests, leading to a chaotic and frustrating queue that snaked through the parking structure like some sort of maze. SHARP SEATING Company, the organization responsible for this dismal affair, seems primarily driven by greed, relentlessly selling tickets despite the evident overcapacity. I'm so enraged by how poorly this event has been orchestrated that it's difficult to express just how awful the entire experience has been. It's a shameful display that has left many of us feeling frustrated and cheated. read more

Well I'm waiting in line right now for the return shuttle after NOT going inside to see the floats. We waited in lines to get into the parking structure and then 2 hour in line to get on the shuttle. Then we arrive at the gate and guess what .. more lines but more like a herd of people trying to enter the ticket kiosk. So we couldn't wait any longer (being hungry and tired at this point ) and we now are going back on the bus to parking lot. We bought tickets in advance and it was so poorly organized that there was no order at all. We waited our entire afternoon just in different lines and had nothing left to take us the rest of the way to keep waiting . Do not recommend this for the first of the month maybe it's better later in the week but it's an absolute nightmare for us. read more

Float Fest - Festivals Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Don't waste your money on this if you want to experience a relaxing event. They sell too many tickets and don't provide the promised shuttles. Very stressful experience--they are fleecing their customers. When we arrived at the shuttle stop, we found that the shuttle wait was 90+ minutes. Staff were unapologetic about the wait and told us to just Uber after we drove all the way to PCC, parked in the lot they told us to park in, then walked across the campus to the shuttle spot. I was shocked by how poorly organized this was and how little the organizers cared about the experience. We saw families and elderly people walking around the parking lot, confused about where to go because there weren't any signs and the directions on the event website were inaccurate. We ended up taking an Uber to the event. Such a waste of money and time when we could have just Ubered from my home in the area had the event not encouraged guests to use the shuttles! Once you arrive, there are very long lines to get in. The event is so crowded that there isn't enough room to turn around without running into someone as you view the floats. It was honestly a really horrible viewing experience. I regret giving this organization money and bringing friends/family to this overpriced, low quality event. Don't make my mistake! So embarrassing to have brought people to this and wasted their time and money. read more

Extremely overcrowded, took us 1.5 hours to get in after parking for shuttles. Do not do free shuttles! Very poorly organized, it is one way shuttles only & the thousands of people in line (literally) are not worth the 1 way ride (you are on your own to get back). Tons of people waited in line & are not guaranteed a ride to the fest. We walked instead, after seeing the small amount of buses for the large demand. Once there, thousands more in line to get in, over a block long, ultimately funneling to 5 ticket scanners at the entrance. It is way too many people & not enough infrastructure to handle it. Once in, everyone goes in different directions, road is too small to handle the amount of pedestrians. Minimal food offerings. If you must go, drive or uber & try to get a spot a half mile away to walk. Pack light, its nuts. read more

When I was a child, I remember going to a large park in Pasadena to see the floats the day after the parade. I wanted my kids to have the same experience. Unfortunately, while the Tournament of Roses can host a parade, they don't know how to manage crowds for the post parade float viewing. We bought $20 tickets online weeks ago. When we arrived at the Pasadena City College park and ride, there was a long line to board the buses after lines to park. We decided to drive to the location not realizing it's a distance and on the other side of the freeway. We arrive at the West Gate side to find another longer line to get in. Parking was limited but we found free street parking. We were willing to pay. Got in line and there was no communication with the event organizers if this was the right line. We saw lots of luxury buses which made us think this was the shuttle drop off only to be told later it's the East Gate. The long line wasn't moving much. It looked like an hour to 1.5 hours at least to get in. It was about 1:45 and the event was supposed to close at 4pm with last entry at like 3:30. We can't wait that long with our kids. At $20 each or a bit over $80, we thought about giving up. We left the line to see if it was a free for all at the entrance and sure enough it was. There were about five entrances and we could walk right in without any issues. There was also a loud war protest. Upon entering, it was overcrowded. It's hard to walk around with so many people around each float. They oversold the event and made a fortune. It's held next to Pasadena High School. The event website had rules about no dogs allowed and bag search. We saw several non working dogs and our clear bag wasn't searched. It was nice to get closer to the floats but we don't see ourselves ever going again. Maybe an event management company could help fix this mess in 365 days to make 2025 better? read more

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Very fun family activity. This year they had a scavenger hunt of cards for the kids that when added to a card holder formed a poster. Many beautiful floats to examine and photograph. The artistry and detail of some were truly phenomenal. The entry fee, however in my opinion was a little pricey at $20 per person. Perhaps it stems from the need for extra security these days? read more

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First time back since 2015 and there are a few changes for the worse. It's now $20pp instead of $10 (inflation adjusted to 2024 it should be $13). The shuttle is included but you don't get any $$ back if you don't use it (we found free street parking a 15 min walk from the west entrance). The Tournament of Roses organization has good money-spinner, charging floats to enter the parade and then charging us all to gawp at them after. Unfortunately it's the only thing they do well - the viewing site is poorly managed. There is no online info. on the entrance locations, rideshare drop offs, or amenities. Some online info. is straight up wrong (like the Jan. 2 opening times). There are lots of rules online but the good news is that none of them are enforced. Bring you bags, backpacks strollers, yappy dogs - no-one cares. You can also buy tickets at the entrances, despite what it says online, but not for cash. Most people lined up diligently but yes, there are some people who cut and the staff can't organize the lines to avoid it. But it's not bad enough to make it suck for the rest of us. But shoddy organization wasn't enough to spoil the afternoon. The floats are creative and amazing and we spent almost two hours checking them out. It's easy to take a few steps back, away from the crush, and enjoy the sights. Five stars for the floats; one for the Tournament of Roses grift. read more

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This was an unexpected find! Like Many my age, I grew up watching the Rose Parade on New Year's Day. Mostly born out of my parent's tradition but one of those few things I remember from being a kid. To actually see those floats, in person, and see the care and detail taken to creat bring a whole new level of meaning to watching the parade. We discovered randomly that we could see the floats after the parade so why not? $20pp it's almost cheaper than going to the movie. Arranged on the Pasadena High School complex, you can see each of these floats up close. See the amazing detail and materials used to and met the creators of these amazing floats and hear them talk about the many hours of hard work spent conceptualizing, designing and then building these animated, three-dimensional wonders. Roses. Flowers of every kind. Vegetables. Fruits. Nuts. Beans. Seeds. Organic materials of all types are used to create the necessary colors and textures that bring these floats to life. So cool and fun too. All self propelled as well, they open the doors to see inside and you can see what a tiny space they have to Operate these big floats. Many have a driver and a spotter and possibly a third person inside in different positions to provide extra safety in vehicle operation. As for the event, it was well staffed and we went in through the north blue gate. That's the key. Low crowds there. Everyone else goes in the south and west gates. Lots of food and beverage vendors. Popcorn. Trinkets. Music. Mariachi bands. Enough to keep you happy for the two hours or so you might spend here. Definitely worth a go!! read more

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It was my 2nd visit ever to the showcase of Rose Parade floats and I still feel a-okay to this date. It was one of few outdoor activities I could do on New Year's Day so I was like sure why not check this place out. [Time]: The showcase is typically opened on the day and the day after the end of the Rose Parade regardless of weekday or weekend status. [Price]: $20 per person, but I saw a long line so I bought ticket on the website while I was standing in front of the East entrance (most crowded entrance). There's an additional $3 online handling fee. [Parking]: Paid parking is $20 for the lot right next to the entrance, but I came here at 12 PM so I was able to find a free street parking on Mountain St (couple blocks away form the East entrance). Please note that there's another North entrance (via E Washington Blvd) and there were less people entering from that direction - so maybe easier parking near E Washington Blvd? [Atmosphere]: The security check is the same as going to a sports game - they will check vaccination status, check bags upon entry, and check for masks. I guess everyone had the same idea on New Year's Day activities and it got REALLY crowded close to 2 PM. The door opens at 12 PM so try to come early. [Duration]: It took our party close to two hours to see all of floats and it was more of an opportunity to practice refresh my camera skill. Wear comfortable shoes or else you'll not have an enjoyable experience. Cool floats, but it is an one-and-done activity and it will be hard to convince me to come back again unless I go there with someone who really wants to go and hasn't seen this before. read more

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The shuttle parking will take hours, thereby severely limiting the time you can actually spend looking at the floats. Between trying to get into the shuttle parking garage, then finding a spot in the garage, and waiting in the never-ending line to get on the shuttle bus, you will lose any time you might have had to actually see the floats. This is so poorly organized, and especially frustrating given how much the thousands of attendees are paying for tickets. I would not recommend this to anyone any more. read more

Float Fest - A part of the line to get on the shuttle bus to the floats. - Festivals Near Me - Pasadena, California

Uh...can you say super spreader event? I will say definitely the floats, flowers, and up-close viewing was beautiful and stunning. The artisanship was gorgeous and something that can only be appreciated in person. And for someone - self and family - who opted to stay home and sleep through the Rose Parade on TV- this was a nice proxy for the parade. Before I launch into why three stars, I will say that I am thankful for the tickets that were given to us. If not for this I might not have ever experienced seeing the Rose floats in this way. Okay...so the three stars has nothing to do at all with the floats but with the judgement of organizers to move forward with such a large scale event. My two cents is that the event could have still been put on, but to a substantially lesser capacity in light of recent COVID numbers. (I also realize that I could have just stayed home). The good is that we did have to present vax cards or negative COVID tests, and there were plenty of testing stations on pre-entry. So I guess that aspect mitigates my underlying anxiety about being around SO MANNNNNY PEOPLE for the first time in a pandemic. When I wasn't worried about transmissibility, things did feel normal at the event with freebies, demonstration stations, music, dance, street hot dogs and that was really nice. We got in a good stroll, the kids had a blast, and we saw some stunning floats. Now to hurry up and take a rapid test read more

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We entered via the West Gate and found free street parking in a nearby neighborhood. We were able to enter slightly before our 9am ticketed time because doors actually open at 7am for seniors. We walked right in, and did not experience huge crowds (we had a stroller, too), but we were out of there by 10:30 AM. Floats were GORGEOUS. True works of art to admire! Plenty of bathrooms (port a potties) inside and outside the fest. Kids ran around at the playground at Victory Park afterward. Victory Park also offered parking for $20. read more

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Horrible, horrible, horrible. Waited in a very long line with my 9 year old for what seemed like an eternity! Got there at 2:20 and we were close to the front when they decided to shut down the lines at 3:45 with no explanation! 25 per ticket, and saw people who are part of the rose parade having conversations with certain people but could not inform us that we might not get to see floats? There were still hundreds of people waiting in line and this was such a huge disappointment since I also brought my 86 year old friend who also waited with us! Never again. Emailed company to request refund. This company should be ashamed of themselves for not having better communication and selling way too many tickets with no guarantee of getting in. Never again!!!! read more

Did we just experience Fyre Festival, but for families? We purchased tickets to the Float Fest earlier this week as my husband has fond memories of seeing the floats in person with his grandparents as a child. The tickets were $25 each, which is a huge mark-up considering that it used to be free. We bit the bullet thinking that this would be our big holiday activity. A paid event should mean better organization, right? Our tickets included parking at Pasadena City College and a free shuttle ride to the floats. It didn't take us too long to find parking as we arrived at 1pm. However, the line to get on the shuttle bus was 1.5 hours long. The shuttle ride itself was 17 minutes (I timed it). When we finally arrived, we were excited and relieved to finally see floats in the distance. But, wait! We were then corralled into another area to actually get into the Float Fest, which took another 30 minutes. Once we were inside, instead of enjoying the floats, we searched desperately for some water stations for our daughter as we came ill prepared for the long wait. Our intention was to purchase lunch as advertised, but all the food trucks had long lines yet again. After finally purchasing some water, we turned around and left. As we left, we saw people being turned away after arriving from the shuttles. I guess we were one of the "lucky" ones. I am only giving an extra star because all of the staff and volunteers were working hard and trying their best to handle a situation that was not their fault. The only silver lining is that in future years we can just spend New Years Day in our pajamas without guilt. read more

Last minute decision to go see the floats! Rain or shine, Floatfest is on! $20 gets you in and there is free shuttle service from Pasadena City College. There are lots of parking spaces and shuttles! It was misty the whole time we were there, but seeing those floats up close is just incredible! You just can't see the enormity of all the floats on TV. It really is a labor or love. There are a lot of volunteers and port o potties, but it is located at Pasadena High School so the building is open so you don't have to use them!!!! My main goal was to see the Trader Joe's lobster! But all the floats are just amazing! You can take your time and go up and down the 2 mile radius as many times as you want. Sunkist was there giving out all different oranges and Tajin! Bonus! If you can swing it, it's worth the trip! read more

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