My visit to Tournament of Roses was truly magical. There were beautiful flowers everywhere, along with little birds and squirrels that made the park feel so alive. Toward the back, I found a charming gazebo and an enormous tree that seemed to have stood there for generations. There was something so peaceful and powerful about it. I especially enjoyed soaking up the sun while admiring the wide, open lawns stretching out in front of what appeared to be a beautiful mansion. If you're looking for a quiet place to unwind and appreciate nature, this park is absolutely worth a visit. 命に感謝。 @FireLordRia read more

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The Pasadena Tournament of Roses Associations opens its doors to the public for guided tours at no cost. By attending these tours you get an opportunity to visit the Wrigley house, otherwise know as the Tournament House. Not only do you get to see the house, but you also get an introduction to the traditions of the Rose Parade and the Rose Bowl game. The information gathered from the tours was impressive, unfortunately most of the original furniture is no longer within the house. To attend these tours, you do need to get tickets online. Tickets are only available during part of the year. Tours are led by volunteer members of the Heritage committee and are approximately two hours long at 2pm. Limited parking is available onsite. Plus, there is street parking on the street- please observe the parking signs as most parking is limited to two hours on Lockhaven Street. read more

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I felt like a kid again! The Tournament House seems so special and magical to me. This is the headquarters for #TofR Foundation. They do so much for the community, like giving grants to local organizations. You can schedule a tour of the house (not in December) or walk about the grounds on your own to admire the roses, landscape, beautiful trees, and the gazebo. You may purchase souvenirs online or in person at the side entrance, there is the official store, open to the public. Built in 1914 and owned by the William Wigley family, it was gifted to the City of Pasadena in 1958. This is a must see in person, the photos hardly capture its beauty, it is worth the drive, enjoy, and don't forget to tell 'em Rosemary sent ya!! . read more

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My review is specifically for the free summer tours of the Tournament of Roses House, also known as the Wrigley Mansion. First off, these tickets get grabbed quickly and are only offered Thursday afternoons, so plan accordingly. Your best bet is the following day on Friday afternoon, check their future tour dates to grab tickets. They are completely free! Born and raised in the SGV, it was a surreal experience to step inside the Mansion and be taken through different rooms and learn about the history of the mansion and fun facts. My history buff of a child enjoyed all the information and facts given by our tour guide. Our favorite room on the tour was the Grand Marshall's Room, where there are pictures of each Grand Marshall of the annual parade. Seeing the room with the Rose Bowl game mementos was a treat as well. The tour takes about 2-2.5 hours and you get plenty of time to roam to read up on history placards and take pictures. And I didn't know there was a small gift shop inside the mansion! read more

Tours are available April- August. The tours fill quickly. Our docent was Bob from Duarte! He's very knowledgeable about the history, property and Wrigley family. Despite not having many questions from the group, our tour was over 2.5 hours. Big thank you to Bob for his time and our tour. There's also plenty street parking available. The only off limits areas were the attic and basement due to safety reasons. We also did not see the kitchen yesterday. :/ Small gift shop at the end of the tour. I wish they carried stuff like rose tea or rose soaps, etc. I enjoy touring historic properties and house museums. The property has a mix of original furnishings and non-original. The garden grounds are open to the public to picnic, etc. The property is clean and well maintained. read more

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Forget the game, the real attraction in Pasadena on New Years Day is the Tournament of Roses Parade. Every float is conceived as an ornate and highly complicated floral arrangement executed against a civic or commercial theme that takes almost a full year to design and build. An approach which may have you reaching out to FTD but more realistically, will leave your mouth agape in a permanent WTF rictus as these floral marvels keep rolling by in an astonishing procession that television has always failed to capture. I was here a few years back and you'll have to get up extra early even with a reserved grandstand seat - so no lampshade headdress for you on New Years Eve. Truth be told I've all but forgotten the game as the parade easily overwhelms whatever is transpiring at The Rose Bowl. Say it with flowers doesn't even begin to do this spectacle justice. A extremely beatific five stars. read more

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2020 TO ALL MY YELP FRIENDS! =========================================== I've lived in cities adjacent to Pasadena for forty something years, however I could never talk myself into going to the Tournament of Roses Parade. I really don't know why, but crowds, lots of traffic and trying to find parking has been a major deterrent for me. We encountered none of those problems this morning when spur of the moment I asked my husband if he wanted to go. He said he would go, but he wanted to take our dog Tucker with us. We left our house by 8:30 a.m. and there was no traffic at all on the freeway. We were only travelling about seven miles to my husband's office to park and charge my car. Then we only had to walk about a half mile and we arrived at Colorado Boulevard and Mentor at about 9:00 a.m.. The parade arrived about five minutes later. Perfect timing and so easy. The only downside was my dog started getting bored about an hour into the parade so we ended up leaving so he could go home and take a nap. Old dogs need their naps ya know. I can see going to the parade many more times in the future if the weather is nice. read more

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The 2025 parade was hands down, the worst parade in the current history of bad parades put on by the parade association. Isn't the parade supposed to be pretty floats with lots of flowers going slow enough for the viewing public to see what has just gone by. Stopping the parade for "shows" by questionable entertainers is NOT "the Rose Parade". Why can't we get back to the traditional parade, as it should be. read more

Mij first Parade o Roses, my second new years in LA (20 years later) and my first real home gathering party with new friends in LA. This sweet couple have a lovely house right infront of where the parade kicks off.. how lucky they are, and how sweet to invite us. The parade and it admosfere were magical. And how blessed everybody was with this 'summer like' weather! Great kick off for 2020 read more

Pasadena Tournament of Roses - Local Flavor Near Me - Pasadena, California

11/11/2017 Second time here and I still love visiting this Italian style mansion which was once owned by Wrigley (yes, the chewing gum). This mansion is now the HQ of the Tournament of Roses. This is the place where the Rose Court hangs out upstairs before the New Year's Day Tournament of Roses Parade starts. They have their own restroom which is so cute! Love the décor!! Outside of this room you will see some of the crowns and tiaras. The Rose Court also has an office in the next room where they conduct business and they also do their homework in that office. Another room upstairs has Rose Bowl football related stuff. On your way down the beautiful staircase, you will see a portrait of the current Rose Queen. I prefer the rooms downstairs because that's where they are decorated with furniture. In the living room, the girls wait it out for their turn to be interviewed in hopes of being selected for the next round of questions. Yes, I'm talking about the Royal Court. My eldest daughter was lucky enough to get past the first round. Also downstairs is the "Eisenhower Bathroom". It's called that because he got stuck in the bathroom before the Rose Parade and it took several minutes to find him. Across from that bathroom you will see a small phone room which actually has a working vintage phone! LOVE the dining room because the furniture there is during Wrigley's time. The rose garden is a great place to take pictures when the roses are in bloom. If you happen to be in Pasadena for the parade or Rose Bowl game, take time to visit this gem of a place. Plenty of free street parking. read more

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This was one of my long time things I hoped I could one day do and I did this year to usher in 2017 a day later than normal. In odd years when New Years Day is on Sunday, the parade is moved to Monday. I came with a bus tour so I didn't have to worry about parking, seating, or any of the other things individuals might have to plan for. The parade is magnificent to see in person. Seeing it close up on TV can't compare with the atmosphere and the beauty of seeing the floats and hearing the bands in person. What a great experience! Our busses had sheets taped to the front windows so we were allowed into parking--in our case at Pasadena City College--and our bleacher seats were right there 50 yards from the bus. There are a number of porta-johns (janes) but they have very long lines. Be prepared to wait. As others have said, dress in layers. 2017 was not a sunny, Chamber of Commerce kind of day. It was cold, cloudy, and it sprinkled a small amount at the very end of the parade. Dress in layers for those SoCal days when you warm up with the sun. No one around me took off any layers. The grandstand seating is very tight. Drink only a little coffee that morning unless you want to make some enemies as you try to get through the row to go to one of the porta-johns (janes). I was very impressed with the organization. Police routed people as necessary, volunteers manned parking areas, and all ran smoothly. There is a lot of traffic both in and out so plan to keep your cool and relax. You're about to enjoy a grand parade. I was also impressed in a bad way by the thoughtless people who left tons of trash along the parade route. After it was over, you could tell exactly where the parade had made a left to head to the viewing area just by following the garbage. Pack it in, pack it out you slobs! Do get tickets in advance to view the floats where they're parked after the parade. You can see them up close and ask questions of the float makers or parade officials. If you can stay in the area, I'd recommend going the second day when more people are back to work and there should be smaller crowds. One last gripe--put the selfie sticks up your....well you know what I mean. read more

Pasadena Tournament of Roses - And it begins—2 January 2017. - Local Flavor Near Me - Pasadena, California

We made the decision to make it out for today's parade just last night. And unlike camping overnight like in previous years, when the kids were little and with our church youth group, we left the house this morning around 6 AM and took our chances. Jackie was raised in the Pasadena area and knows the ropes. We didn't even have to pay for parking. But you had better read those street signs well in certain residential neighborhoods, or you could be looking at a fine and tow. We parked off of Los Robles, several blocks north of Colorado and found a perfect spot for our folding chairs approximately an hour before the parade started. The Stealth Bomber flyover is always an awe inspiring start to the Rose Parade, and this year was another outstanding experience you really have to see in person to get the full effect. I don't think I had been since 2001, and I vowed then never to camp overnight again after nearly freezing my butt off! A jacket, sweater, thick socks and gloves, and inside of a sleeping bag were no help. I laid shivering/teeth chattering, praying for the sun's arrival the entire night. But after thawing out it was all worthwhile. And so was today's parade outing which Jackie just had to make it out to. read more

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IMHO, the Tournament of Roses is the MOTHER of ALL PARADES. What experience do I have? As a Midwest Kid, who participated in countless parades (mostly flute, but a few times cymbals, which was hilarious), in heat and cold (Mostly Cold, since it was the Midwest), I assess crowds, atmosphere, food & sites at parades. This was my second viewing and I can emphatically state that the Tournament of Roses, HAS IT ALL. -Beautiful floats -Marching Bands from all over the globe -celebrity sightings -hot dog vendors (they pay A LOT for their permits) -fun crowds -surprises (this year the bandit Anti-Trump skywriters) -religious zealots (for some reason I enjoy their presence pre-parade) -Stealth fly-over -Usually sunny weather (past 2 years have been cold), but the sun was shining BUT, would I camp out for my seats? Nope. Different people/businesses along Colorado will sell seat tickets, thus you don't have to camp out. I know, I know, I've been spoiled that I haven't camped out and get front row seats (my vendor has snacks & bathrooms which makes it all the better). I would definitely do again. read more

Pasadena Tournament of Roses - Surprise SkyWriters spelled out, "Trump Loves to Hate" - Local Flavor Near Me - Pasadena, California

Happy 2015! It was my first time seeing it live and it was Awesome! I would definitely do it again! Beautiful floats, tame crowds and an overall happy joyous day :) If you have yet to experience it live...you are missing out! It was Brrrrr Brrrrr FREEZING and I'm glad we had assigned seating at the bleachers. (Thanks Bro) I can't even imagine spending the night in the cold, Eek!! We had PRIME seats located at the beginning of the route on Orange Grove and Green St and they hooked us up with complimentary drinks (coffee, hot cocoa, juices), Krispy Kreme donuts and programs (regularly $8.50)...Thx Pasadena! We arrived at 6:30am and parked in the residential area (FREE). You can call me cheap but I'm not paying $30-40 to park in the lots when I can walk a couple of blocks :) It was about 1.5 miles away but seemed to take forever especially when your toes are frozen and you can't feel them, Ahhhhh! There were a few floats parked along the streets for an upclose view which was nice. Port-a-potties were available if you had to go...no water or soap though, just hand sanitizer. Tips: Dress warm and in layers! Bring a camera and snap away! read more

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This year (2014) was my third live Roses Parade in the past 10 years and I still haven't spent a dime for a seat or parking. We love Pasadena! I truly believe all the news BS hype about parking and crowds and camping overnight to see the parade keeps the masses away and allows me to wake up at 5.30 am, get out at 6, drive up to Fair Oaks Blvd in Pasadena via the 110, arrive 6.45, park unrestricted in front of a multi-million dollar home, and walk a mile to Colorado in the middle of closed streets, arriving at 7.45 and stand easily for two hours just a block past the TV cameras, next to the still cameras and have a great time and see everything that starts at 8.10 where we were. Another good place to see it, is near Pasadena College. See it live just one time. It's a whole other world to seeing it on TV. Most of the people attending are from out of town and very nice--it is a dream for them to see the parade live. If you buy the program they sell at the parade (10 this year), it will give you detail on the floats and you can be your own narrator for your partner. Like us, bring a bag with Yogurt, Orange Juice, Breakfast Bars, what ever you like in the AM. Dress warm in layers to take off and you will be fine. You can be back in bed by noon if you like. read more

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This is a little tradition that my family and friends have been partaking in for the last five years. The floats are spectacular and the marching bands are top notch. Usually everyone is in great spirits to see the parade and there is a heavy police presence, making you feel safe. We take the Gold Line in from Azusa and walk to Colorado Blvd. we have been able to find a good place to sit to see the parade on the curb each year. We prefer to come in the AM vs camping or grandstands. We were in the grandstands one year and the nice thing is you have a guaranteed spot with exclusive portapotties and you don't need to get there early. If you choose grandstands, make sure to bring something to sit on and blankets because they are COLD. If you prefer to sit on the street, bring blankets and fold up chairs. Find a spot on behind the blue line that isn't occupied. Some people come the night before to claim spots - they put chairs down, use caution tape or chalk to make their territory. Putting chairs down the night before and leaving is actually against the rules. You are only permitted to sit on the blue line after 11pm the night before. Not sure what will happen if you break the rules. Regardless, we come before sunrise the day of, and have fun while we wait. There are hotdog vendors going up and down, so you also have some options to buy warm food. Please take all trash with you. I was saddened to see so much trash left behind by the family sitting behind us. read more

The Tournament of Roses is the perfect way to welcome the new year. It's an amazing cavalcade of flowers crafted into spectacular floats. Even if you're not into the Rose Bowl (it's University of Oregon Ducks vs. Wisconsin Badgers), the parade is a breathtaking spectacle. The Rose Parade benefits charities, so it's not just a big show. Being able to go to the parade is priceless- it's $20 if you can get it. This year's theme was Hope, with Rita Moreno as the Grand Marshal. It was a glorious parade, filled with pageantry. Burbank's spectacular phoenix float was a tribute to Paradise, inspiring and powerful. Kaiser Permanente did the Wizard of Oz theme. Trader Joe's was whimsical as usual. With the majestic San Gabriel mountains as a backdrop, the Tournament of Roses is a perfect way to start the year. An amazing parade. read more

Huge shout out to the Hawaii All State Band under the direction of John Riggle. To be a part of the Pasadena Rose Parade is a huge accomplishment and if you're able to witness it in person, jump at the opportunity. It's a major part of California history and is televised nation wide. Make sure you bundle up, because although the weather is always phenomenal, it's still cold for a west coast winter. Parking is crazy! ...just shuttle in super early. They shut down all the streets and shut down parking in the surrounding area. read more

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Having front row seats was a wonderful experience ... truly appreciate the city of Pasadena hosting the roses parade and keeping the community very safe read more

Disappointed with the change of the parade the last few years. We don't need openings or grand finales! Just bring back the old style rosparade!!! I guess the almighty advertising dollar wins out! Sad!!! read more

Seeing the the Tournament of Roses (aka the Rose Parade) live should be on everyone's bucket list. The beauty, floats, pageantry, excitement, crowd, bands, court, horses, shovelers, Pac 12, Big Ten, fly-over, patriotism, live performers, and fun of the Rose Bowl Parade is a one of a kind experience ... and one to be experienced in person. Of course, I know, I know ... You aren't a parade person. Honestly, who is? ... but, this is the Tournament of Roses. It is the Granddaddy of all parades and if you're gonna see one in person, it might as well be the biggest and best, right? I've now seen the Tournament of Roses Parade in person four different ways: 1. Stayed/slept on the sidewalk all night and woke up with the sun (not much sleep) 2. Stayed in a place about a block from Colorado, woke up, watched from the curb 3. Stayed at home, woke up early, found parking, and stood on the curb 4. Stayed at home, got bleacher seats and parking in advance ... still woke up early All had their positives and negatives. No matter which way you see the parade, you'll be waking up early. If you sleep on Colorado note that it is cold, people are friendly, and all the best spots are taken before you get there. If you buy seats and parking, it is really expensive. Even so, if you can afford it, the bleacher seats was the most comfortable viewing. The best pics were from curbside. A few tips: * Sharp Seating sells tickets for the bleachers. I used them for 2014 with no problem * Long lines for port-a-potties, coffee, or food * DVR one or more of the TV broadcasts to see more explanations of what you saw * Sit on the south side of Colorado so Mountains in pics and sun behind you * Parking is $20 and up; Pre-purchasing parking made it very easy * Be prepared for the jet flyover at 8 a.m. no matter where you are on Colorado * Layers is the way to dress. It's cold early, but will likely heat up mid-morning * If you plan to camp out, bring warm clothes & bedding. Plan for little sleep, if any * Traffic is tough getting to/from the parade route. Go early; Bring patience * You can walk the parade route before/after; Lots of religious fanatics do Most importantly, don't forget it's a day of celebration. Have fun. Those floats took months to build and everything on the outside is some form of plant. They truly are beautiful. Celebrate their beauty, the bands, and another new year with a smile at the Tournament of Roses parade. read more

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You can pay through the nose for parking, lodging, and bleacher seating or camp overnight on the sidewalk for a good view of the parade OR pay next to nothing without camping but have a slightly worse view. The cheapest way is to catch the Metro Gold line to Pasadena and take a short walk over to the parade route. You can show up after the parade starts (at 8 AM) and still have a decent view from the street. The parade route, along the historic Route 66, covers over 5 miles, so there are plenty of places you can catch a glimpse of the action. If you stand near an announcer, you can hear the commentary, but if you're not near one, participants (marching bands, people on horseback) carry banners describing who they are or who sponsored the float. The bleacher seating didn't look comfortable. The parade is only about 2 hours, so it's easy to stand and watch. The event was well organized. They had city officials directing traffic, no smoking signs posted, lots of portable toilets/porta-potties, etc. The bleachers (and there are many of them on Colorado Blvd.) are constructed days before the event. I wasn't sure how crazy things would get during the parade and I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't that crazy. Sure the hundreds of people who camp out starting the afternoon before the parade are crazy, but they weren't that crazy during the actual event. People were respectful (they left a path open on the sidewalk for walkers) and enthusiastic. They did leave a shocking amount of trash behind but it seemed like all the trashcans had disappeared during the parade. * Negatives: Hard to find a trashcan, hard to find a clean bathroom, most Old Town businesses are closed during the parade and on New Year's Day, traffic makes it difficult to get in and out of the area * Positives: Feels like a special event, people are pretty respectful, if you show up you should be able to see something, King Taco is open 24 hours, several bacon wrapped hot dog vendors on hand If you miss the parade, you can see the floats later that afternoon on New Year's Day and the next day. You'll need tickets ($10) and they'll also charge for parking. I thought I also saw a sign for a free float viewing from 1/3 - 1/5 in downtown San Gabriel at a church (close to Factory Tea Bar). The floats are in big white tents, so you can't see them unless you buy tickets. read more

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@~)~~~~ @~)~~~~ My First Review of 2014 @~)~~~~ @~)~~~~ I decide to pick Rose Parade. It is my first time attending this very popular event, living here so long yet it is my first time. This year rose parade is the 125th anniversary. It has a lot of variety of float from local city, Nonprofit, University, to Private Corporation. One of my concern is the parking, surprise it was not really an issue. Our group didn't get there until after 7am, we were able to find a good parking spot about 3 blocks away which is about five minutes' walk. It was a lot easier compare to the site when they park their float after the parade. Which is far harder to finding street and they charge money for nearby parking and admission. While the parade is, free! Even though we only got here one hour prior the parade, it was not too hard to find a good spot to see the parade. Advice brings a [portable folding chair. Don't bother bring a mat is quite dirty in the street thanks to many camper who often do not take care of their own mess. Make sure bring a camera and a tripod if you really into photography. Camcorder would also be handy. This year float was overall average; the only stand out float that I was impress is the Honda one. Huge bullet train alike got a giant camera too. The one thing you do not see in close up float is that there is marching band and of course, the military planes fly-by. I wish they would add some speaker or a least an apps that allow you to hear the live coverage so you would get to know the history of the float while it passed by. There is one thing you do not see in the TV is the army of cleanup crews after each group of horses pass by. Some of the float equip with music was a nice touch. The reality show Voice also got a voice, which was a surprise. There was several winner singers present in the float but none of the judge. Vin Scully the voice of Dodgers was this year Grand Marshal. Overall, I do think it was worth my time and was long overdue seeing the rose parade. It was not as crowded and actually pretty well organized in most part. I think the grand park downtown countdown has something to do with reduce crowd. Anyway, this is a one thing you must do to when you visit or live in L.A. or in SoCal. It is only kind in the world in this scale. @~)~~~~ read more

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They say the best parade seat is right in front of your own TV. It's true! Especially with those 4K sets everyone is talking about (they display in 4K and cost 5K). You see, without your TV, you miss all the color commentary, which is half the fun. This year, my gang decided to brave the sub-degree Los Angeles temps (it was in the 60s) and do the parade live. We pooh-poohed the idea of paying for seats as too confining, opting instead to roam Colorado Boulevard, searching for the just-right non-obstructed view. My favorite viewing spot adjoined a woman enjoying one of those long plastic bugle-type parade horns, for which she delighted all passers-by with repeated honks. The floats are awesome, everything is made entirely of flowers. KC & The Sunshine Band! Marching bands and horses! The parade is a hit but next year, it's back to the sofa. read more

This is a reminder to get your tickets. We went this past January, and bought the $80 per ticket bleacher seats near where the parade begins. Worth every penny. Bring gloves, hat, coat, and cushions. It''s cold at 6:00am. There are also plenty of no charge standing areas along the parade route(2 hours long), and lower priced tickets bleacher seats are available. Lots of private parking areas close to most seats-$10-20. It was fun roaming the closed parade route streets in the early morning before the parade began. Lots of vendors-and it's still dark! The Parade- Live and personal-GREAT! And you can volunteer to help decorate a float within a week of the parade. We did. A real learning experience. The next Parade will be on Monday, as New Year's day is Sunday. So there is no (hangover) excuse for not going (Mon. is the legal holiday). read more

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I've lived in SoCal my whole life, and I only recently decided I'd check out the Rose Parade. I always thought the people who camp out the night before were just a bunch of crazies, but let me tell you...it's really necessary if you want to have front row seats without having to pay for the grand stand seats. My husband and I were lucky enough to find 2 square feet that allowed us a decent view of the parade, but it was a few feet downwind from the nearest port-o-potty. Not exactly the greatest few hours of my life, but the parade itself was so entertaining and beautiful. The high school bands are always my favorite. Battling traffic and parking is never fun, but you must check out the parade! It's much better in person than sitting through the annoying banter of the commentators on TV. read more

For anyone who lives in Southern California the tournament of roses Parade is a must! We all see videos of people camping for days to get the perfect spot... Not necessary! We live in orange county and we always leave around 7:30 AM. If you park towards the end of the parade route you can always see the entire parade. Our street of choice is always Adams. I grew up on the East Coast watching the parade on television and I'm still amazed that I get to watch it every year in person now that I live here. read more

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Good parade, I have not seen it on person but this is the only thing that appeals to me in Southern California. I really like how people I know want to volunteer for such things. If you watch it on TV it repeats itself multiple times. If you have trouble waking up on New Years Day, you are in luck. There is something for everyone whether you watch the Parade on TV or in person. I have been to many different parades and I must say this is a must watch for as long as you been in the US. If you love or the color of the floats then watch. I usually watch to see the dignitaries in the parade. If you go in person please have your camera fully charged and take a look a lot of photos. The university teams that play in the Rose Bowl are also a major hit Drawback: if you volunteer or see the parade in person please arrive early read more

2012 Parade...good one 123nd Tournament of Roses Parade- "Just Imagine"- January 2nd, 2012 read more

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Diversity. Community. Music. Roses. Welcome to the city of Pasadena and the pageantry of the city's Tournament of Roses Parade! The Rose Parade is more than just florally-decorated floats; it's a harmony of volunteers, equestrian units, and top notch bands from across the United States and the world. This guide is meant for those planning to attend the parade with personal tips on how best to enjoy the festivities. ARE YOU CAMPING OVERNIGHT? Overnight camping is allowed starting noon the day before the parade. Arrive at Pasadena before sunset to scope out the area you want to set up camp. Parking is not an issue until sunset. Once nightfall hits, don't bother driving along Colorado Blvd. Your vehicle will likely get pelted with tortillas, silly string, and/or marshmallows. It's become part of the tradition. Dress in layers as it will be cold all night until 9 am the following morning. Bring everything that will make your next 12 hours pleasurable (e.g. sleeping bag, water, camp chairs). Tents of any size are not allowed. Overnight spectators are allowed to set up camp without spilling their belongings over the curb. This rule is in effect until 11 pm, at which time people can spread out to the blue line on the street. Do not bring valuables, horns, mattresses or alcohol. Ring in the New Year responsibly. Maintain situational awareness of your belongings and your surroundings, you will be among thousands. The crowds and noise simmer down by 2 am; activity picks up again at 6 am. DO YOU WANT CURBSIDE VIEWING WITHOUT HAVING TO CAMP OVERNIGHT? Ideal for groups of 10 or less- Bring a roll of electrical tape as you walk along the route and find a curbside area with an adjacent overnight group. Use the tape to mark your viewing area. You can have people keep vigil of your spot by introducing yourself and winning them over with your charm. As a courtesy, offer to bring them coffee or donuts in the morning. As long as you arrive early in the morning, you just secured yourself prime curbside real estate. ARE YOU AN EARLY BIRD THAT DECIDED LAST NIGHT TO SEE THE PARADE? Ideal for groups of 5 or less- If you and your party don't mind standing for most of the parade but want to enjoy the bands, equestrian units, and pageantry at their liveliest, make your way towards Old Town Pasadena. Otherwise, your best bet is anything east of Lake Ave. DID YOU DECIDE TO SEE THE PARADE THE DAY OF? Find a viewing area anywhere from Allen Ave to the Sierra Madre Ave/Villa St intersection, the latter marking the end of the parade procession. The crowds along this stretch are not as condensed as you would find in Old Town Pasadena. A light jacket or sweater should suffice along with sunglasses. The beginning of the parade procession reaches Sierra Madre Ave/Villa St by 10 am. Tall floats retract in order to go under the 210 Fwy overpass. Once retracted, the float's animation components are shut off. Further up Sierra Madre Ave is Victory Park, where the floats are lined up for public viewing. See TOR website for details. PREFER TO WATCH THE PARADE FROM THE GRANDSTANDS? Provided by Sharp Seating, grandstand seating is cheaper as you make your way down the parade route. See TOR website for details. Grandstand seating offers a great view of the parade, but has drawbacks: 1- Aluminum bench seating is uncomfortable. Bring a seat cushion or a blanket for padding. 2- Hard to stretch or even move. Best bang for your buck is seating around Pasadena City College. The reason is because friends and family of the PCC Honor Band typically congregate here, insuring a lively crowd! TRANSPORTATION: Personal vehicle- On the morning of the parade, make sure you arrive to Pasadena no later than 6 am. If you are viewing the parade east of PCC, arrive no later than 8 am. Keep in mind that you will likely park a mile from your viewing spot because all parking adjacent to Colorado Blvd will be taken. If you cannot find street parking, lots typically charge $10. Metro Gold line (light-rail)- there are a few stations within walking distance of the parade route: Del Mar, Memorial Park, Lake, and Allen Stations. See Metro Gold line's website for full details. FINAL ADVICE: -Military flyover takes place at 8 am -Floats do break down every year and long breaks in the parade are common due to various issues -If you are on the north side of Colorado Blvd, the sun will hit your eyes -Every restaurant in the vicinity of the parade route will be busy following the conclusion of the parade -Participants of the Rose Parade have all made great lengths to prepare for this day. Keep this in mind as the procession makes its way. Cheer and wave to all of them. This includes the equestrian clean-up crew; they literally have a lot of crap to deal with for the next two hours. read more

125th Rose Parade Live!!! This is the first time I've been to the Rose Parade where I watched the whole parade and it was AWESOME! It was a beautiful warm winter morning and we arrived around 7 am and found a spot near the middle of the route near Pasadena City College. Find yourself a spot on the south side of the street so the sun won't be in your eyes the whole morning. It's not as crazy as you would expect considering there are almost a million people on the streets of the 5.5 mile route. Lots of security via Sheriff and Local police. It started out with the fighter jets fly by at 8 am. They then proceeded to do sky writing for about an hour into the parade. The floats are as beautiful and detailed as I've remembered. When I was in high school, our club used to volunteer a few weekends each year to help decorate the floats. Those were fun times. It really takes sooo many man hours per float to make it work. There are designers, builders, electricians for the moving parts, the decorators of the dry organics and a few days before, everyone scrambles to make sure the fresh flowers are on. The bands are amazing and fun! They look so great and organized. The horses are beautiful to watch along with their riders! Natalie Cole was there this year! The only bad thing about watching it live is you don't get to listen to the commentary, they give lots of good info on tv via KTLA. Dog friendly, but be sure they are calm enough to sit for at least 3 hours and can handle being around LOTS of people. Lots of portapotties around. We thought it was funny to see signs for "$1 for clean portapotties". Go during the parade, not before. Everyone is too busy watching & there are no lines. Bring your own tp/wipes as they run out early. Parking is crazy as you can expect. There are lots around the area that charge $20 or find street parking. They also have lots of bleacher/stands seating that go from $40 up. I'm so glad we live close enough that we just go early and not have to camp out the night before. All in all, you have to go at least once in your life!!! One more thing, expect LLLLOOOONNNNGGGGGG lines for any restaurants that are open. It is CRAZY but controlled!! We got our Starbucks before we headed on the Gold Line! :D Note to self: next time bring a chair!!! :) read more

Fail float! We really didn't like the Farmers Insurance "Conveyer of Hope" float with their large TV screen advertising images of Farmers insurance. Please don't allow this in future floats! Leave the digital images out of the competition. Natural elements look best. read more

I have a Love/Hate relationship with the Rose Parade. ::::::::::LOVE:::::::::: The Rose Parade is truly a California tradition, rivaling that of the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade in NYC. All the beauty that is produced from the hard work is outstanding. Now that I'm an adult, my NYE drinking prevents me from attending the Parade, but I still get to watch it on TV. People spend countless hours meticulously decorating each float for the world to see. ::::::::::HATE:::::::::: Many moons ago, I was in the Rose Parade. Yes I was a Band Geek (a talented one). That 6 mile march was DEATH. OMG it was horrible. From the 4am call time, I almost died from frost bite. Then having to walk through horse poop, silly string and tortillas....I thought my life was OVER. Ive never been the same. I still Love it more than I Hate it, but I have flashbacks like it was War. read more

This was the second year hitting up the Rose Parade. I'm a bit spoiled because my fiance lives three lazy minutes from the parade route .... three! Eek, so there's usually a new-years-crash-out-party at his abode. I'm not sure what it's like to camp out, but it's gotta be pretty cold! Please bring extra blankets and some kind of heat pad if you do this. I saw a bunch of people falling asleep during the parade because they didn't get a good night sleep before (probably because it was so loud and such). Spritz foam cans are highly popular. Aside from all that! The floats themselves are awesome blossom. It by far exceeds anything you see on TV. Plus you get to see and feel the boom of the jets flying overhead. I typically WALK the route instead of waiting for the parade to come to me. It's a fantastic way to see the craziness up + down the route, plus you don't have to wait a long time to catch the next float because it stalled. The only downside is getting out after the parade is done. Everyone's headed to the game or home or what not. It's not a pretty sight. Moving 3 miles probably took 1/2 hour. Bleh. Be smart and walk the route and try to ditch the crowd early or anticipate walking/biking a lot if you don't bring your car. The traffic lightens up probably 1-2 hours after the parade ends. read more

I haven't missed a parade in my 24years of living and if im ever late for the show I try to catch as much as possible on tv. My alma mater Cal Poly is a perennial float winner, so i got to show support. I agree with lisbeth in that as i grew older the tradition with the family was getting old as i was staying out later and later at night. Waking up gets harder, its cold outside, or your battling a hangover. Whenever I've overslept the start of the Rose Parade I can always thank the Blue Angels for getting me out of bed as they annually fly over the beginning of the Rose Parade, one of the special things of living so close by is that personal alarm clock in the form of fighter jets. read more

Going to the Rose Parade was on my list of things to do in my lifetime. My husband and I only live an hour away and were both on vacation so we figured we would give it a try this year. I'm mainly doing this review to give tips based on my experience that I wasn't able to find anywhere before our trip. I've watched the parade on t.v. for as long as I can remember. Nothing has been better than seeing it up close and live. It was an amazing experience that I will always remember. Now for the details. If you want curbside seating and get the best view possible, get there no later than 2:00 in the afternoon the day before the parade. You can go when the sun goes down and get decent seating but your chances of getting a piece of the curb are majorly decreased. if I had it to do over I would go even earlier and find a place that will let you use their restroom and is open 24 hours for the parade and pick a place nearby. The port-a-potties will have long lines. Next, it helps to make friends with the people around you. They can watch over your things while you go get food or use the restroom. One thing I would not recommend- Don't arrive to the parade 10 minutes before it starts and expect a good spot to see, especially if you have small children. Most importantly though- don't get there right before the parade starts and then decide to stand in front of the people at the curb who have spent the night there. It gets ugly- very ugly. All in all it was worth it to camp out over night. My husband and I really loved the experience of seeing it all in person. read more

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this review is based off of the post parade. my boyfriend and i have made it a mini tradition to go. 2013 was our 3rd year going. 2011, nice. very pretty. learned a lot. cold weather. purchased tickets @ sharp seating office. long line. hectic. 2012, better. blown away. purchased tickets on the sharp seating website thinking that it'll be faster and that we'll be able to skip out on going to their office. after paying all of the processing fees, etc. you have to go pick it up at the office. no printing option. 2013, bored. not that many floats. finished in like 2 hours. purchased tickets on the day of new years at the ticket booth @ PCC parking lot. ticket price: $10 per adult. tips: *pay extra for the shuttle it's worth it. $3 bucks for round trip. plenty of shuttles. *you can't check into yelp because for some odd reason its not located any where near where you're walking. *private designated areas for you to park. but you can street park as well if you choose. parking is free. *there's vendors that sell, kettle popcorn, burgers, frozen lemonade, hot dogs, cotton candy, ice cream bars, etc. of course its overly priced. they also sell the tournament of roses pins and sweaters, tshirts, etc. *bring one water bottle. save it and refill it from the free water station provided by the city. that's a good way to save $$ *wear comfortable walking shoes. you'll be walking for miles. *sunglasses may be helpful *bring a camera because pictures are allowed. *be prepared for it to be packed and having people step on your shoes. get into your pictures. etc. *wear sunblock *theres port-a-potties spread around for those that needs to go #1 or #2 *feel safe because there is police roaming around to keep things orderly. *at each float there are staff standing around that can answer your questions about the floats. I would highly recommend it. i think that when you watch it on TV, it doesn't do it any justice. when you go, you're able to see the detail, the thought, the creativity, smell the fresh flowers, burn calories, and just be in awe of the greatness that is before your very eyes. It is really well organized. Signs everywhere. Although 2013 was the least favorite for my bf and I, we would definitely go back. read more

Pasadena Tournament of Roses - 2013 bird close up - Local Flavor Near Me - Pasadena, California

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First review of the year and what more memorable way to start then the famous Rose Parade. After many years of residing in LA, finally hit this spot and saw my first Rose Parade. To be honest I should have done this sooner, the floats are marvelous. Although there was one that broke down and had a 30 minute intermittent. The route stretches for 5 1/2 miles down Colorado Blvd. It was astonishing seeing how much hard work went into each float. What was even more impressive was the large crowds of people, cannot imagine the clean up. And for those wondering how crazy traffic is, well if you plan it well it should be a great experience. You honestly don't have to be there the night before, yes there are some maniacs who sleep on the street for their favorite spot. But if you get there around 6 am, you should be golden. Its a complete different experience seeing it live than on television. You feel the energy of the crowd. The smell of cotton candy and the nice breeze. It was a perfect day to a new year. Take the family or a friend, its a must if living in LA. read more

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Spend a few bucks, get bleacher seating and nearby reserved parking, and you have no worries. Awesome parade, in every detail. Fun to watch, especially with our eight year old grandson. Watching the scurry when a float breaks down adds to the excitement. This was our second Rose Bowl Parade. The previous one was when Illinois played in the Rose Bowl in 1984. We've given up on waiting for their next appearance. read more

Okay, First time we ever attended the Rose Parade. We chose to buy bleacher seats located at 1350 Colorado Blvd. The parade starts at 8 am but took about a 50 minutes to reach us. This is important as if you get there too early, your butt is gonna be sore from sitting in those metal bleachers! Okay, we were coming in from Torrance so we had decided ahead of time to take the Gold line metro into Pasadena. A smart idea indeed! We left Torrance at about 615 am. Got to Union Station at 645 am. Parking was in a building and cost us $6. We were able to board the Gold Line at a cost of $4 per person round trip. We caught the first train and were able to stand from there. As we got closer, of course, the train became much more crowded leaving people at the station to wait 6 minutes for the next train. From the time we finally got off at Allen Station to the approximately 1 mile walk to our bleacher, we were seated at around 730 am! Perfect in my opinion! We had thoughts of leaving at 5am, which would have been way too early. Anyway, we sat on the South side which was great to stay out of the direct sun. there was a tree in our line of sight which kinda sucked, but was okay. Be forewarned, those bleachers ARE PACKED. If your neighbors come late, its a major task letting them thru. Parade was awesome, we brought our own little snacks. Had a great time. Only issue with sitting this far down the parade route is that the bands are a little winded by the time they get to you, so many were simply marching without playing. If I did this again, I would pay the extra and get the seats closer to the start so we get the full bands impact. Had a great time. Check off the Bucket List! Enjoy! read more