The Brief

Emma Scott’s Altadena house survived the Eaton Fire, but almost every family she knows lost a home or faced so much fire damage they had to relocate for the time being.

“I mean, it feels like a ghost town,” Scott said. “Honestly, it's hard. It's really eerie.”

One bright spot has been Altadena’s main library on the historic Christmas Tree Lane, which Scott returned to for the first time Friday. The building reopened this month, the largest public space in the fire perimeter where Altadenans can meet and resume their old patterns at a time of intense upheaval.

To lure more patrons back, a grand reopening event will be held next Saturday featuring actor and Reading Rainbow host LeVar Burton.

A steady trickle of patrons came through the library Friday morning. Scott pushed a stroller with her infant daughter — born the week after the fire — as she helped her two older kids search for YA titles.

“Thank God for the library,” Scott said. “We don't have our normal places, routines, parks, so we're grateful.”

One of the library's most popular offerings are computers for browsing.

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Josie Huang

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LAist

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As part of unincorporated L.A. County, Altadena doesn’t have a city hall or a town square, so the main library acts as an important hub.

The light-filled, mid-century modern building has always had something for everyone: storytime, chess nights, club meetings, puppet shows.

It’s where thousands gather every year for the Christmas Tree Lane lighting celebration, then follow the high school marching band down the boulevard of glowing deodar cedars.

After the fires, the role of the main library has evolved to meet residents’ most pressing needs, hosting architects and staffers from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Small Business Administration.

Nikki Winslow, director of the Altadena library district, welcomed back patrons to the main branch on March 4.

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Josie Huang

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LAist

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The library has also been fund-raising to buy personal hotspot devices for people who lost their homes so they can have consistent access to the Internet. A distribution event was scheduled for Saturday.

“We've been pretty busy since we opened,” said Nikki Winslow, director of the Altadena Library District. “There's days I come in and I can barely get a parking spot already.”

Getting ready to reopen

Not only did the library survive in a burn zone that saw more than 9,400 structures destroyed, including the senior center next door, it saw relatively little damage.

“Luckily for us, when the smoke hit our HVAC vents, they closed,” Winslow said. “We didn’t circulate any of the fire air in the library. Our air filters were clean.”

A wall in Altadena's main library features award-winning photography, including the Davies Memorial Building at Farnsworth Park which was destroyed in the fire and Eliot Arts Magnet, which was heavily damaged.

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LAist

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Crews came to clear ash and soot from the roof, while others did a deep clean of the interior that included washing the carpets. Rented air scrubbers and fans circulated the air inside.

The area has lacked potable water, so the library re-opened March 4 with portable hand-washing stations outside the bathrooms — the only visible change to the library since the fires. But as of Friday, it was safe again to use the water, said Winslow.

The fiber optic cables system providing internet service to the library was damaged in the fire and will not be restored for another couple weeks, Winslow said. But high-speed internet is still available at the the library which is running on two different hotspot systems, with a third one to be installed next week.

Dozens of patrons passed through the re-opened Altadena Library Friday morning.

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Josie Huang

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LAist

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While many regulars are no longer living in the area, Winslow said there was urgency to reopen the library as quickly as possible. It is the only library open in town as a smaller branch, the Bob Lucas Memorial Library, remains under renovation.

“With so many structures damaged, there's only so many buildings, especially public-facing buildings, that are available for people to like, come up, meet and connect to resources,” she said.

Among those in town affected by the fires were the library district’s own staff. Out of 31 employees, 10 had to evacuate and two of them lost homes.

How safe is it? 

For many residents, questions remain about contaminants in the air and soil around the burn zone.

The library performed air quality and surface testing inside the library and “we feel very confident that the inside of the library is very safe,” Winslow said.

Altadena resident Dani Pedersen and her 3-year-old son Ace visited the library Friday for a taste of normalcy."

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LAist

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She said the library has not paid for soil testing because of the high cost. Out of precaution, programs for now will not be held in the grassy area of the library.

Next Saturday’s reopening celebration with LeVar Burton will be held in the library’s parking lot, able to accommodate hundreds.

There’s no need to register for the morning event, which will also feature food giveaways, crafts and games. At 11 a.m. Burton will read from his children’s book “The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm.”

“We wanted to have a really big carnival feel,” Winslow said. “People can come inside the library and check that out as well. The more the merrier.”

Coming back home 

On Friday, two to three dozen patrons were visiting the library at any given time. Some used the library’s computers. Other sat in pairs at tables in the atrium speaking quietly.

Yvette Casillas, a youth and family librarian, says those coming back are a mix of residents still living in the area and others who have been displaced.

Family and youth librarian Yvette Casillas has seen a mix of patrons returning -- from those still living in the area to those who have been displaced and living afar.

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Josie Huang

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LAist

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“We've had people coming from Topanga and Ontario, South Pas, Arcadia,” Casillas said. “People have shared that they've lost both their homes and the school, so it's been really rewarding to be able to have a hub or a space for community here at the library.”

Dani Pedersen was back at the library for the first time Friday, chasing after her 3-year-old, Ace. Their family had evacuated for a little over a month. Asked why she had returned to the library, Pedersen started out saying she wanted her son to enjoy himself. Then she cut that thought short.

“Honestly?” she said. “I wanted to come back just to be with our community and just to feel that normalcy and go back to some place that we've known prior to the fires, you know? And that's what I feel like we've gotten today.”

Library district’s future 

More change is afoot. The main library is scheduled to undergo a major renovation later this year that will last 15 to 18 months, and involve some layout changes and earthquake retrofitting and fireproofing.

By then, renovation of the Bob Lucas branch on Lincoln Avenue should be completed.

When that smaller library re-opens, scheduled for May, it will be able to absorb some foot traffic. There also are plans to reopen a satellite branch at Loma Alta Park, also in May.

The main library is expected to undergo a major renovation at the end of the year.

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Josie Huang

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LAist

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Winslow said the park’s “social hall” could be furnished shelves of books, a computer lab, and other equipment found at the main library including a 3-D printer.

This location could be set up in the park for the duration of the main library’s renovation – and possible longer.

“I don't know if down the road we’ll continue to have a satellite site there or not, but I do think it will be important to the recovery efforts of the community,” Winslow said.

About the Altadena libraries celebration

When: Saturday, March 22, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
What to expect: Readings, arts & crafts, games, music and more. At 11 a.m. LeVar Burton will read from his book The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm.
Where: 600 E. Mariposa Street, Altadena

Bandfest is an opportunity to see marching bands from around the country — and Mexico and Japan — before their 2026 Rose Parade performance.

“This is the granddaddy of them all,” Tournament of Roses Honor Band Director Peter Huerta said of playing in the parade. “It is viewed all around the world. Everybody is watching you. Every little detail has to be perfect.”

Adriana Del Toro lined up outside Pasadena City College’s Robinson Stadium on Monday to watch her niece play the trumpet in the Los Angeles Unified School District All-District High School Honor Band.

“I'm living my childhood dream through her,” Del Toro said. ”When I was in high school, I always wanted to try out for a band, but I never did it because I was too shy. So I told her, as long as I can, I'm going to be here and support her.”

Some performances incorporated the 2026 Rose Parade theme, “The Magic in Teamwork.”

For example, the Tournament of Roses Honor Band’s performance includes the Beatles’ “With a Little Help From My Friends” and High School Musical’s “We’re All in This Together.”

The Pasadena City College marching band and musicians from 62 local high schools make up the ensemble.

The 250-member Tournament of Roses Honor Band includes the Pasadena City College marching band and musicians from 62 local high schools.

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Mariana Dale

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LAist

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Drum Major Orlando Garcia said the teamwork theme makes him remember the smoky skies and power outages that followed January’s wildfires.

“We can come together and make great music,” Garcia said of his bandmates, students from Pasadena City College and local high schools. “Just as we always come together and get through everything.”

The Rose Parade is right around the corner, and thousands of people are already preparing to flock to Pasadena for the New Year’s Day festivities.

In its 137th year, the parade theme is “The Magic in Teamwork,” with Laker icon Earvin "Magic" Johnson as the Grand Marshal. It kicks off at 8 a.m.

Whether you’ll be camping out the night before, or heading over with blankets in tow in the early morning hours, keep in mind that the weather is currently forecast to be rainy. Yes, that's rare. If it does pour on the parade it will be the first time in 20 years and before that it had been 50 years since the last rainy parade day.

Here’s what you need to know this year.

Parade details and closures

The Rose Parade route lasts two hours, with its 5.5-mile journey starting at Green Street and Orange Grove Boulevard.

The floats, bands, and horses will head north along Orange Grove at a slow but steady 2.5 mph pace before turning east onto Colorado Boulevard for a majority of the show. It’ll then head north onto Sierra Madre Boulevard, wrapping up at Villa Street.

Police and city officials will start closing off part of the route to cars as early as 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 31, through 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 1.

That includes Colorado Boulevard from Orange Grove Boulevard to Sierra Madre Boulevard, and Sierra Madre Boulevard to Paloma Street. So if you’ll be hosting viewing parties or are overdue for a delivery, Tournament of Roses officials recommend telling everyone to arrive before the closures kick in Wednesday night.

Unless you have a need to be in the area during the parade, you might want to avoid this stretch of the city until it's all over.

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CityOfPasadena.net

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If you’ll need to drive to or through the downtown Pasadena area, you can use:

• Walnut Street or the 210 Freeway for east-west travel north of Colorado Boulevard
• Del Mar Boulevard or Cordova Street for east-west travel south of Colorado Boulevard
• There will be limited crossing for north-south travel during the closure (see map for details)

Please note: There will be a 5K race at midnight to celebrate the New Year from Pasadena Avenue to Hill Street. Several intersections will close to cross traffic at 11 p.m. Dec. 31 and re-open at the end of the race event at about 2 a.m., including Pasadena, Fair Oaks, and Marengo avenues (see full list on map.)

Tickets

You can still snag grandstand tickets — we found ones from $80 to $130, depending on where you want to sit. You’ll need to have your ticket handy.

The Rose Parade of 2022 represented a long-awaited return to Pasadena's New Year’s tradition.

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Alborz Kamalizad

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LAist

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The parade is scheduled to begin promptly at 8 a.m. Organizers recommend that ticketholders aim to be seated by 7 a.m. In order to do that, you should plan to arrive in the area by at least 6 a.m. to give yourself plenty of time to work through the crowds and traffic.

Note that there is a "clear bags only" policy in place for grandstand seating at the Rose Parade, the Rose Bowl game and several other events. You can find details here.

Curbside seating and camping

Curbside seating is free, and lots of people will set up shop and camp overnight, which is only allowed on Dec. 31. If you’ll be bringing your kids or teens along, they need to be with an adult during the overnight hours.

There are plenty of ways to enjoy the parade without paying for seating. You just need to plan. And plan to arrive early!

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You can grab your sidewalk spot starting at noon Dec. 31, but all your blankets and chairs have to stay on the curb until 11 p.m., at which point you’ll be able to move up a bit closer to the blue “honor-line.” Tents, sofas, unoccupied chairs, and boxes that can be used as stools or seats are not allowed along the route.

You can warm up with a small elevated barbecue, but it needs to be away from buildings and you have to have a fire extinguisher available. Bonfires and fireworks are banned, period.

Most importantly, don’t forget to drink water and dress for cool temps and the possibility of rain. (You can always sit on that extra jacket).

Given the weather conditions, it's important to note that the rules call for no umbrellas. The City of Pasadena advisers parade goers to use rain jackets and ponchos, which they optimistically describe as "a great alternative so everyone can enjoy the show!"

Pasadena city officials are reminding people than umbrellas are not allowed along the Rose Parade route ahead of a forecast of rain on the parade for the first time in 20 years.

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LAist's Sharon McNary, a longtime Pasadena resident who has offered great tips on making the most of the parade in the past, points out this might be a very popular year for what she calls "The People’s Grandstand.”

That said, Sharon notes "it’s kind of a locals-only institution. Fans create their own little wooden seats that fit nicely into the notches in the stones lining the sloped wall of the 210 Freeway overpass over Sierra Madre Blvd. In the rare rainy year, they have shelter, and in the more typical warm years, they have shade. And they get to view the spectacle of the taller floats folding themselves down to fit under the overpass and opening back up on the other side."

Local craftspeople make small wooden seats that fit in the mortar notches in the sloped wall under a the 210 Freeway overpass at Sierra Madre Blvd.

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Parking

There is no parking allowed on the parade route, but you can purchase reserved spots. Pasadena recommendations include Sharp Seating, the city itself, and LAZ Parking. Parking at Metro rail stations are another option you can check on before you head out.

Authorities urge that you pay for parking in advance to guarantee your spot. Otherwise, parking is on a first-come, first-served basis and of course that supply is limited.

Once again: Arriving extra early is your best bet so you can avoid the traffic hassles and any unintended GPS glitches. Authorities warn: "Please do not rely upon your GPS as road closures will be in effect and may not reflect on the GPS application."

The last time it rained, in 2006, the bleachers were far less packed than usual.

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Anne Cusack

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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

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All parking meters are free and time limits will not be enforced on New Year’s Day, and overnight parking restrictions will not be enforced until 2 a.m. Jan. 4, according to the city. But keep an eye out for red curbs, “No Parking” signs, fire hydrants, and driveways, as the usual restrictions still apply. You don't want to risk getting your vehicle towed.

Public transportation

Where possible, public transit might be your easiest way to go, and Metrolink will be offering special early morning hours on the San Bernardino, Antelope Valley, Orange County, Ventura County, and 91 Perris Valley lines for the parade. (Note that Metrolink’s Riverside County Line is not running on New Year’s Day.)

From the Metro website: "On New Year’s Eve and early New Year’s Day (Dec. 31 to Jan. 1), we’ll be running service all night on the A, B, D and E Lines with additional early morning service to help get you to Pasadena on time for the parade, which begins at 8 a.m. sharp." Metro will also have buses traveling to areas near the route and Rose Bowl game.

You can find more information here.

These are the A Line stations in Pasadena that closest to the parade: 

• Del Mar Station (walk .3 miles north to the parade route)
• Memorial Park Station (walk .2 miles south)
• Lake Station (walk .4 miles south)
• Allen Station (walk .4 miles south)

Metro will also have buses traveling to areas near the route and Rose Bowl game, which you can find more information on here

Metro is offering free fares on buses, trains, Metro Bike Share and Metro Micro from 4 a.m. Dec. 31 until 3 a.m. Jan. 1. For Metro Bike Share, use code 123125 on New Year’s Eve. For Metro Micro riders, use promo code RING26.

Accessible viewing

Three street-level viewing areas are reserved for people with disabilities and up to four of their guests.

Each of those areas along the parade route will have a section with audio descriptions for visually impaired people and another with sign language interpreters.

Diane Gagnon among Rose Parade floats on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023.

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Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag

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Los Angeles Times

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Tickets to all these viewing areas are free! But to request space, you’ll need to complete a form. The 2026 form is already marked closed, but for future planning, here is the Jan. 1, 2027 form.

Please note: no seats are provided, so you’ll need to bring your own arrangements.

There’s also limited wheelchair accessible grandstand seating sold through Sharp Seating.

Rose Bowl game

The Rose Bowl game, the oldest of bowls dating back to 1902, immediately follows the parade. The Rose Bowl Stadium parking lot opens at 4 a.m. Jan. 1 and the stadium gates open at 10:30 a.m. The game starts at 1 p.m.

A quick scan turned up tickets that are still available for the Indiana vs. Alabama matchup for a little as $130.90 and as much as $2,683.13.

General parking is available in certain lots at the stadium, with spots going for $69 that you buy it in advance.

For public transportation, you can take the Metro A line and exit at the Memorial Park station. You can find more information here about getting to the stadium.

Please note: the stadium has a clear-bag policy, which means backpacks, purses, and camera cases are not allowed.

If you want more info

If you’re dying for more details, you can download the official Rose Parade app here or here. You’ll be able to see the full line-up, maps, and get more information about the participants.

If you skimmed over the rules and your car gets towed on New Year’s Day, you can call (626) 577-6426 from 5 p.m. Dec. 31 until 6 p.m. Jan. 1.

And if you still have questions that have not been answered here, you can try the visitor hotline at (877) 793-9911.

L.A. shoppers could see an additional 0.5% sales tax that would help fund the Los Angeles Fire Department.

A petition to get the sales tax on next year’s General Election ballot was approved by the City Clerk on Dec. 26 for signature gathering.

If approved by voters, the money gathered from the tax would help pay for hiring firefighters, equipment, facility upgrades and more. The ordinance would be to “supplement, not replace,” the department’s current funding, according to the ordinance.

In a statement, the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City said the LAFD is half the size needed to keep LA safe.

"Due to decades of underinvestment, our fire department currently operates with the same number of firefighters as in the 1960s, six fewer stations, and five times the call load,” the union representing the city’s firefighters said.

What we know

The petition must gather more than 139,000 petition signatures by mid-April for the initiative to be on the upcoming November ballot.

If voters approve the ordinance, the funds generated by the tax would be kept in a separate account. It would also require annual audits and a citizens’ oversight committee to monitor spending.

More on the fire department’s needs

An LAist report found the department is one of the smallest for a big city in the U.S.

According to the department, there are 106 fire stations — six fewer than in the 1960s — and 3,412 sworn firefighters — only 33 more than in 1965.

In 2024, the International Association of Fire Fighters conducted a “Standards of Cover” report on the LAFD. It found that the department had overwhelming needs, according to the union.

The report concluded that for L.A.’s current population, LAFD should have 7,360 firefighters – 4,000 more than its current force. It also identified that the department needs 52 new fire stations, dozens of new dispatchers, EMS stations and more.

What about the city's budget?

In June, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass signed a $13 billion budget that included cuts to LAFD's street medicine teams. The department's budget is $76 million —higher than last year's to allow fire officials to hire more firefighters and buy new fire trucks. The 9% increase in the fire budget is the highest among departments.