The Tournament of Roses Parade: A Century of Beauty, Community, and Renewal
Every New Year’s Day for more than a century, the Tournament of Roses Parade has unfolded down Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, offering a promise of beauty, color, and continuity. I have watched the parade for many years now, and like countless others, I’ve come to associate it with fresh beginnings, winter sunshine, and the quiet comfort of tradition.
This year, however, was different.
Despite the steady rain—a rarity for Southern California—the parade felt especially alive and deeply personal. My oldest son, Dodie, and his wife Ruth were part of the story, not as spectators along the curb, but as participants behind the scenes. Through a three-day vacation package in Pasadena, they joined hundreds of volunteers who help decorate the floats—applying flowers, seeds, leaves, and natural materials by hand, just as the tradition demands. Their reward: front-row seats on parade day and the satisfaction of knowing they helped bring one of the floats to life.
That personal connection brought me back to the origins of the Tournament of Roses itself.
How It All Began
The Tournament of Roses Parade began in 1890, when members of Pasadena’s Valley Hunt Club wanted to show off California’s mild winter climate to friends back East. While much of the country was buried under snow, Pasadena was blooming with flowers. Their solution was both simple and inspired: a parade of horse-drawn carriages covered in roses and other flowers, followed by outdoor games like polo and tug-of-war.
The idea caught on quickly.
By the early 1900s, the parade had grown into a civic event, complete with elaborate floral floats and national attention. The Tournament of Roses Association was formally established to oversee the event, ensuring it would remain noncommercial, community-centered, and rooted in volunteerism—values that still define it today.
The Art and Labor Behind the Floats
What many viewers don’t realize is that every float must be entirely covered with natural materials. No paint is allowed. Every color, every texture, every detail is created using flowers, petals, seeds, bark, grains, and leaves. This requirement transforms float decoration into an act of collective artistry and patience.
In the days leading up to the parade, thousands of volunteers—locals and visitors alike—gather in decorating barns across Pasadena. Families, friends, retirees, students, and travelers work side by side, often through the night, placing flowers one by one. In that sense, Dodie and Ruth’s experience places them squarely within the heart of the parade’s tradition: ordinary people creating something extraordinary together.
A Parade That Endures
The Tournament of Roses Parade has survived world wars, economic depressions, pandemics, and now another rainy New Year’s Day. Rain may dampen the street, but it never diminishes the spirit of the event. If anything, it highlights the resilience of those marching, riding, playing music, and yes—those who labored quietly beforehand to make it all possible.
For me, watching the parade this year carried a new layer of meaning. Knowing that my son and daughter-in-law helped bring one of those floats to life reminded me that traditions endure not just because they are beautiful, but because each generation finds its own way to participate.
A New Year’s Reflection
The Tournament of Roses Parade is often described as a celebration of hope and renewal. This year, I felt that more deeply than ever. In the rain-washed streets of Pasadena, amid flowers carefully placed by many hands—including those of my own family—I saw a living reminder that history is not something we only watch. Sometimes, it’s something our children help build.
And that, to me, makes this year’s parade unforgettable.
Here are some of the photos, I took from My TV this morning:
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