News

136th Rose Parade kicks off new year

By Yusra Farzan and Dana Littlefield

Updated Jan 1, 2025 2:55 PM

Published Jan 1, 2025 5:00 AM

A float with two pandas atop a wooded forest travels down a street as people in the foreground look on.

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It’s the start of a new year, and in Los Angeles County that means (at least) one thing for sure: It’s time for the Rose Parade.

Now in its 136th year, Pasadena’s most widely-known spectacle — officially the Tournament of Roses — gets underway Wednesday morning, with its signature floral-festooned parade floats, marching bands and equestrian teams.

This year, the parade’s theme is “Best Day Ever!” and kicked off at 8 a.m. The theme, according to organizers, celebrates life's best moments, "those unexpected times that bring a smile, warm our hearts and fill us with joy."

Tennis legend Billie Jean King was this year's grand marshal.

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A woman with light skin and short, dark brown hair sits in the back of a car with an open top. She is wearing glasses, a black shirt and red jacket as she waves to the crowd. The old-time car is a shiny powder blue and decorated with bouquets of flowers in pinks, purples and yellows.

Hundreds of thousands of people watched the event along its 5.5-mile route, most of it along Colorado Boulevard, and millions more watched from home, according to the parade's organizers.

A colorful parade float rolls down a street. The float features depictions of two smiling black and yellow bees. They are surrounded by larger flowers and bee hive, all made of organic materials including flower petals and seeds. Two people sit at the front of the float and several people are seated on one side of it.

It took an estimated 80,000 hours of work by more than 900 active volunteers to make it all happen.

Who made those floats?

A brightly decorated float moves down a street a Pasadena. The float features a base covered with red, blue and pink flowers. Arising from the base are two trees with beige trunks and limbs adorned with yellow and pink flowers. Two giant lion cubs made of flowers and other natural materials are seated on the base of the float. They are brown and tan with rosy circles to indicate their cheeks. A woman in black pants and a blue jacket walks alongside the float.

Thirty-nine floats were featured in the event, including the one carrying the 2025 Rose Court, entries from local cities including Alhambra and Burbank, the two football teams playing in the Rose Bowl Game — The Ohio State University and University of Oregon — and organizations including Lions International and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

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One of the standouts included the float from Louisiana, which showcased several aspects of that state's food and culture, including a regal-looking alligator and a floral depiction of a seafood boil. Another was the entry from the San Diego Zoo, which had two giant black-and-white pandas overlooking a scene filled with other animals.

A parade float decorated with the lead of a giant alligator turns a corner during the rose parade. The alligator has a crown on it's head and is surrounded by other images from Louisiana, including a large dragonfly and a crab coming out of a pot.

Erik C. Andersen told LAist he designed the float from the city of Burbank, which features a group of colorful and smiling dinosaurs playing together near a fire-spouting volcano. He said he also designed floats in 1989 and 1991.

"Actually I designed this float in 1991 for the parade theme of Fun and Games, so our dinosaurs are playing and having fun together," Andersen said. "So when this theme came up, Best Day Ever, it's like wow it fits. So I resubmitted it and it got picked."

Sixteen equestrian units from several states, including California, Colorado, Texas and Washington, were also in the procession as were 20 marching bands, including the Kyoto Tachibana High School Green Band from Japan.

Four men in military uniforms sit atop four tan and brown horses. Two of the men are holding flags, one of which is the U.S. flag and the other the Marine Corps flag. They are passing in front of a set of bleachers filled with people. A sign above the seats reads, "Rose Parade" in big, red letters.

Excitement from spectators

Pat and Sheryl Davis traveled from Amarillo, Texas to see the parade. They said they arrived at the route at 5:30 a.m. to get a good spot.

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"This has always been a bucket list-type thing we wanted to do," Pat Davis said. "We watch it on TV every year and we thought we'd do it in person this year."

A dancer in a white leotard decorated with red fabric roses leaps into the air and smiles while marching band members play instruments in the background. they are dressed in uniforms with white pants and red jackets, red hats with white feathers on top.

Angela Butler from Victorville, Calif. and April Criner Shaw from Wichita, Kansas said they were excited to attend, particularly for the music. Butler said she came out mostly to see and hear the marching band from Jackson State

"We came mostly for Jackson State, the Sonic Boom. I am an avid marching band person, I played the flute in marching band, I lettered in flute as a matter of fact. I just love watching the marching bands. Jackson State marching band, knows as the Sonic Boom of the South.

"They're very exciting. I love the drum majors, so that's why I'm here. We do a whole week of festivities for the parade," Butler said.

Butler said she comes to the parade every year. Back when she first came to California in 1983, she used to camp out on the sidewalk, like many other parade-goers do, to get a good viewing position. Later, she said, she passed that experience on to her son

"I've kind of matured to the seats," she said with a laugh, referring to the chairs and bleachers along the route.

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Safety measures in place

Noting safety concerns, the city of Pasadena acknowledged an incident in New Orleans in which a pickup driver plowed into a crowd on Bourbon Street during New Year's celebrations, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens of others.

Two New Orleans police officers were shot during an ensuing gunfight and are said to be in stable condition.

In Pasadena, the scene Wednesday morning remained festive, and there did not appear to be any major safety issues. Around 8:30 a.m., a group of protesters calling for an arms embargo on Israel jumped in front of one of the bands, causing a brief delay in the procession. Fourteen people were detained.

A city spokesperson said Pasadena prepares for months leading up to the parade and the Rose Bowl Game and coordinates with county and state authorities.

"We continually train throughout the year with our Tournament of Roses and Rose Bowl Stadium partners for various scenarios," the statement from Public Information Officer Lisa Derderian read. "The Parade is a top level Federal event and we have (the) ability to call in additional resources if the need exists."

The statement noted that "robust" vehicle barriers were set up at intersections and along the parade route, and more than 1,000 members of law enforcement were working both the parade and the football game.

LAist will bring highlights and reaction from the parade, and update this story throughout the day.

Updated January 1, 2025 at 9:37 AM PST

This story has been updated to include more information about the parade.

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