Pasadena Prepares For Rose Parade Festivities Amidst Rising COVID-19 Cases
PASADENA (CBSLA) - In just a few short weeks Pasadena will be paraded by tens of thousands of people - quite literally.
The Tournament of Roses Parade, often referred to simply as The Rose Parade, or as "America's New Year Celebration," is set to take place on New Year's Day, has been a yearly occasion since 1890, canceled only four times - 1942, 1943 and 1945 due to World War II, and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Scheduled to return in 2022, The Rose Parade is, as always, partnered by The Rose Bowl.
Rose Bowl Stadium is just three miles from Colorado Boulevard, where most of The Rose Parade takes place, as just as many people will flood the stadium to watch the Utah Utes face off against the Ohio State Buckeyes. After a year away, taking place at a neutral location (AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas), The Rose Bowl, with it's 90,000+ capacity, will fill once again, as it returns to it's rightful place in Pasadena.
After the parade comes Floatfest, a two-mile long showcase of all of the floats that took part in the parade, allowing spectators to appreciate the beauty and detail put into each float. This is, yet another event that brings tens of thousands of people to the streets of Pasadena.
Despite being cancelled last year, many residents are still apprehensive about joining the festivities, especially as case numbers continue to rise, and reported Omicron variant cases appear on the daily. They do however welcome the tight restrictions being put into place ahead of the parade, as an estimated 700,000 spectators are expected to line the streets.
This year's rules, for all three events, include:
- Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination OR Proof of a negative COVID-19 test, at least within 72-hours of the event;
- All guests aged 2-years and older must wear a mask;
- Ticket-holders aged 18-years and older must provide a photo ID when presenting either the COVID-19 vaccination, either digitally or physically, or the negative COVID-19 test.
Pasadena City Spokeswoman Lisa Derderian clarified, stating that Tournament organizers are just following the health orders already in place in Pasadena.
She did indicate that non-ticketed spectators lining the streets to watch the parade won't have to show proof of vaccination or a negative test, but they will be encouraged to wear masks.
Derderian urged attendees to do their due diligence ahead of time:
"Where we know there will be confusion is (that) some people, will be staying outside of Pasadena - it may be L.A. city jurisdiction, L.A. County, or if they're staying in Pasadena, all three jurisdictions have different health directives. So, it's imperative that they call ahead of time, whether it be the hotels they're staying at, the restaurants they'll be frequenting, the entertainment venues they'll be attending... because it will vary."
As always, the Parade is slated for January 1 and will begin at 8:00 a.m. continuing several hours. The Rose Bowl game is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. the same day and FloatFest starts after the conclusion of the Rose Parade and goes through January 2.
This year's theme, originally planned for 2021 is "Dream. Believe. Achieve." As the Rose Parade's website states, the theme centers around "celebrating education's ability to open doors, open minds and change lives."
The parade will run over five-and-a-half miles, featuring the traditional four categories of entries: floral-decorated floats entered by a participating corporation, non-profit organization or municipality, equestrian units, bands, and Tournament Entries.
LeVar Burton will be serving as the Parade's Grand Marshal. Burton is an actor, director and children's literacy advocate. He is known for "Reading Rainbow," "Roots," "Star Trek: The Next Generation," and "Ali." He has been awarded an Emmy Award, 12 Daytime Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award for his work. In recent years he began writing children's literature, and has two published books in this genre.