More than a parade
The eyes of the world are on Pasadena on New Year’s Day, as the ournament of Roses Parade and Rose Bowl Game dominate the local event calendar. However, the days leading up to Jan.1 are filled with activities of interest to visitors and residents. Here’s a look at some of the events preceding the grand celebration.
By John Sollenberger 12/24/2009
Monday through New Year’s Eve — Those interested in the process of decorating the grand floats in the parade can get a firsthand view at three Pasadena locations. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 28 and 29, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 30 and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 31, visit Rosemont Pavilion, Brookside Pavilion and the Rose Palace. Watch as volunteers apply the seeds, bark, grasses, fruit and flowers in the final stages of decoration. Admission is $7 for any two visits, and free for children 3 and under. Rosemont Pavilion is located at 700 Seco St., Pasadena. Brookside Pavilion is located in Lot I, south side of the Rose Bowl, 1001 Rose Bowl Drive, Pasadena. The Rose Palace is located at 835 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena. Call Sharp Seating at (626) 795-4171 or visit sharpseating.com for tickets or visit tournamentofrosesa.com/events for more information.
Tuesday — Visitors can watch beautiful horses and skilled riders perform drills, dances, trick riding and roping in the annual Equestfest at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank. Some horses and riders will be in the Tournament of Roses Parade. Ongoing performances, demonstrations, exhibits and live music happen from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Guests can tour the stables, talk to the riders and learn about the various breeds and other interesting information. Photos are permitted. Tickets are $12, free for children five and younger. Parking is $5 per car. Food and beverages are available for purchase. The Los Angeles Equestrian Center is located at 480 Riverside Drive, Burbank. Call (626) 795-4171 or visit sharpseating.com for tickets.
Tuesday and Wednesday — Bandfest at Pasadena City College’s Robinson Stadium features the prize-winning bands that will participate in the parade, in three shows over two days. Performances start at 2 p.m. Dec. 29 and 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Dec. 30. Tickets are $12. Pasadena City College is located at 1570 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. Call (626) 795-4171 or visit sharpseating.com for tickets.
New Year’s Eve — The Rose Bowl Game Kickoff Luncheon starts at noon in the Kickoff Luncheon Pavilion Tent at Rose Bowl Stadium. The event serves as a pep rally, with celebrity sportscasters, coaches, athletes, marching bands and pep squads of the teams in the game. The Rose Queen and her court and the 2009 Rose Bowl Game Hall of Fame inductees will be on hand. Admission is $85. Rose Bowl Stadium is located at 1001 Rose Bowl Drive, Pasadena. Advance tickets are required, available through Ticket Master, participating universities and participating alumni travel organizations.
Rose Parade Launches New Year in Style
Jan. 1 — Pasadena’s signature homegrown extravaganza steps off from the corner of Ellis Street and Orange Grove Boulevard at 8 a.m. with the grand style for which it’s always been known. The 121st installment is themed, “2010: A Cut Above the Rest.” Dozens of floats, equestrian units and bands from around the country will be on full display. This year’s Rose Queen is Natalie Innocenzi. The Arcadia resident is a senior at Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, La Cañada Flintridge. This year’s Grand Marshal is the heroic US Airways pilot, Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, who successfully landed the airliner he was piloting on the Hudson River last January after engine failure, with all on board exiting safely. Paid parking is available at various lots along the parade route on a first-come, first-served basis. Reserved parking is available by calling Sharp Seating Co., (626) 795-4171. Overnight parking on local streets starts at noon Dec. 31, for that night only. Post-parade float viewing following the two-hour event runs from 1 to 5 p.m. Jan. 1 and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 2 and 3 at the end of the route, on Sierra Madre and Washington boulevards. Special viewiing sessions for seniors and disabled viewers are from 7 to 9 a.m. Jan. 2 and 3. Tickets are $7, free for children five and under. Call Sharp Seating for advance tickets. Ticket sales end at 3 p.m. Post-parade park-and-ride locations are Pasadena City College, 1570 E. Colorado Blvd., Community Education Center, 3035 E. Foothill Blvd., and Rose Bowl Stadium (Jan. 2 and 3 only), 1001 Rose Bowl Drive. Park-and-ride shuttles are $3 round trip, free for children five and under. Visitors can download on iTunes an audio tour, produced by the Tournament of Roses, describing what they’re viewing. Call (626) 449-ROSE or visit tournamentofroses.com for information.
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Sharp seating sold me $88 grandstand seats for the rose parade that were after the start of the parade route! We missed the beginning floats, bands and even the grand marshal. When contacted they said the first few floats and the grand marshal were only for the t.v. audience. Really? I could have saved almost $400 and saw more of the parade at home. I purchased the tickets almost one year before the parade. I was told by Sharp I was getting great seats! Buyer Beware when buying from Sharp!!!