Rose Parade

The pilot who landed in the Hudson River, Chesley B Sullenberger, will be the Grand Marshall of the 2010 Rose Parade. The theme is 2010: A Cut Above The Rest. This year's Rose Queen is Natalie Innocenzi. The Rose Princesses of 2010 are: Ashley Thaxton, Kinsey Stuart, Katherine Hernández, Michelle Van Wyk, June Ko, and Lauren Rogers.

The Tournament of Roses parade is held each January 1st in Pasadena, California. It features floats adorned with elaborate flower arrangements and the top marching bands from all over the world.

Never on Sunday policy: If January 1 falls on a Sunday, then the Rose Parade is held on Monday, January 2. Until 2006, the local joke was that the Rose Parade organizers had made a deal with God, because it had rarely rained on the Rose Parade. In 2006, the local joke was that the deal went sour -- because the rain poured down in buckets.

When the Rose Parade is held on Monday, January 2, tradition has it that the Occasional Pasadena Doo Dah Parade gives locals something to attend on January 1.

For a $7 admission fee, visitors can watch the Rose Parade floats being decorated. The $7 admission fee is good for getting in twice.

2010 Rose Parade Float Decorating is open:

• 9am to 5pm Monday December 28 2009
• 9am to 5pm Tuesday December 29 2009
• 11am to 5pm Wednesday December 30 2009
• 11am to 1pm Thursday December 31 2009

The float decorating locations that are open to admission are:

• Rosemont Pavilion 700 Seco Street Pasadena
• Brookside Pavilion, Lot I, south side of Rose Bowl Stadium
• Rose Palace 835 South Raymond Avenue Pasadena

Professor Charles F. Holder announced at a Valley Hunt club meeting why he thought they should found the parade: "In New York, people are buried in snow ... Here our flowers are blooming and our oranges are about to bear. Let's hold a festival to tell the world about our paradise."Official Site: Tournament of Roses History

The festival included the addition of a football game in 1902. Stanford University went up against the University of Michigan and gave up in the third quarter, with a loss of 49-0. Football did not return to the festival until 1916.

Three judges score the floats on their artistry, design, craftsmanship, computerized animation, presentation and impact.

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  2007 Rose Parade float
  Creative Commons image by ikkoskinen / Ilpo's Sojourn

• Official Site: Photo Gallery

• CalTech.edu: Rose Parade Photographs

• Flickr: Rose Parade tags

• Google: Rose Parade Images