Rose Parade Reviews

I have attended the parade at least 10 times. I was raised in Pasadena and my mom used to make me go every year. For sure, it is a worthwhile experience that most people can appreciate; however, if one is averse to crowds, it can be problematic. Camping out prior to the parade can be a good idea and exciting for youngsters. Remember, it does get cold in Southern California too!!!

The Rose Parade is still the grandaddy of all American parades. The floats are incredible and all the New Years Day pageantry makes it special and a treat for the entire family. If you can, come to Pasadena a couple of days before the parade and view the floats in the pavilions where they are being built.

I went for the unbelievable floats, the flowers, the bands, the equestrian teams, the stage coaches and even the stealth bomber. What I didn't anticipate was the overwhelming excitement, good will and comradery displayed by the parade participants, the thousands of very helpful volunteers and the people watching the parade whether in the stands or standing along the parade route. It was the most positive atmosphere I've experienced almost anywhere. And it was a sight to behold with so much to see and take in. I had watched it on TV for many, many years, but being there in person was exhilarating. If you're unsure about dealing with crowds and traffic, I suggest using a tour company. Al Brooks Rose Bowl Tours knows how to move people around, had excellent grand stand seats right where the parade turns onto Colorado Blvd. They took care of everything.

We have gone to the Rose Parade several times and have winged it every time. This year we took a Lyft not to have to deal with parking. We got there at 8:00 am and found a spot on a corner to stand. We were about 5 people deep, but didn't have to camp overnight. It is still a lovely experience to see the fabulous effort of the flowered floats. Dress warm as it is still chilly in the mornings. Wear layers.

This is a great experience you should not miss. Purchase a ticket to sit in the bleachers - much more comfortable than standing for a couple of hours. The floats are gorgeous. The bands and other participants are fun to see. Even the guys walking behind the horses get into the fun act, sometimes bowing to the applause from the parade observers. Fun day and be sure to go see the floats after, up close and personal.

Think palm trees and flowers in January! We enjoyed every moment of the parade in our bleacher seats. Take a cushion to sit on and some snacks to enjoy and you are set. After the parade walk around Pasadena and enjoy the many shops and restaurants that are open. Take a zoom lens for your camera, but please don't stand up in front of everyone to take pictures, or hold you camera up the entire time to video record the parade. Porta John lines are long, so don't drink too much coffee before the parade. Purchase your bleacher seat tickets well in advance.
You can purchase tickets to see the floats up close after the parade.

It was amazing have always loved anything at the Rose Bowl especially after being able to watch my son play there for a high school football game the Rose Bowl is always so beautiful being such a historic place it's wonderful to sit in the seats and think of all that's going on in that place my hope is to be there soon again...

As a local, the best seats to get are LOW down on the bleachers. Everything seems much bigger and grander that way. Do buy a program so you know what you're looking at, and bring something to sit on because those bleachers are rigid. Young people stay up all night to party and reserve curbside seats, but we're senior citizens and just walk up to the bleachers when the time comes.

The Rose Parade is so much better in person instead of watching it on TV. You just can't get a full appreciation for any of the units unless you have the time to see them live. There is more to see on the floats and more to see in the routines that the bands do. For me the best way to watch is to buy grandstand seats from Sharp seating as close to TV corner (Orange Grove and Colorado) as you can. Sharp also locks up most of the parking in that area so unless you take the Gold Line you will need to buy parking.
A lot of my friends prefer just to go to the east end of the parade and try to find a space. On Colorado Blvd west of the turn at Sierra Madre Blvd you can usually get there later in the morning and still get a good space and street parking can be found for free (maybe with a bit of a walk).
Here is a pro tip. The floats all are parked on Orange Grove Blvd overnight. They start coming in after 9 pm on the 31st. Most should be in place by midnight. They bring in portable street lights so the floats are pretty well lit. You have to park east of Fair Oaks Blvd (or have a friend in the formation area that will let you park in their driveway) but walking up and down the street is free and the atmosphere is pretty festive.

I have seen the parade on TV many times but never in person....what a treat! So incredible to view all the floats up close and see the bands perform right in front of us. We will definitely be back again!

A great experience - and must do. Plan to arrive early - traffic and seating are a challenge. We arranged all in advance and got grandstand seating. (actually not needed you can just bring a chair and sit on the side of the street). We also bought advanced parking at 1st United Methodist Church and they had a pancake breakfast to. Then our grandstand was right at the church.
Lots of pre and post events too. We just did the parade.

I won't tell you how magnificent, amazing, or a must-see the Tournament of Roses Parade is. Just come and see it!!! What I will tell you though is how to do it on a budget and as efficient as possible.

1) Unless you want to be in the immediate area where the parade begins, you don't have to camp the night before just to see the parade. If you made it by 8 AM on the eastern length of East Colorado Boulevard, say passed Hill Avenue, then you got plenty of time and free spot to choose from to park yourself and enjoy the parade.
2) Unless you like to get some tan or stare at the sunlight while watching the parade, be sure to get a spot on the southside (right side of the boulevard when heading east) of East Colorado Boulevard. (This also applies to people who'd like to pay for a spot on one of the bleachers through Sharp Seating Company. Be sure that your grand stand address ends in an even number...for example, 2120 and not 2121.)
3) The parade usually doesn't reach the intersection of East Colorado Boulevard and Los Robles Avenue until 8:30 AM and Allen Avenue until 9:15 AM. So, depending on the location of your grand stand or where you want to see the parade, you don't necessarily have to be there until after 8 AM.
4) If there are 3 or more people in your group, it's more economical to drive to Pasadena. If you're a tourist and decided to park at Union Station to catch the Metro Gold Train, you'll have to pay for parking there. It's $8 for 6 hours. Then you have to buy the mandatory TAP Card, which is $1 for each passenger. Add $1.75 one-way fare fee, then you see my point. Traffic, you ask? Non-existent, at least when I went. Set your GPS to East Walnut Street, east of Lake Avenue, and decide on which one of the numerous parking hawkers to take. Businesses, including public storage companies, along this street make impromptu "parking spots" for you to park your car. And the going rate for 2018 was $20. By driving to Pasadena (Yes, I know the City don't like you to do it.) not only do you conceivably save money but also time.
5) After the parade, instead of dealing with the inevitable traffic or queueing for the mile-long line to ride the metro you might as well hang out in Pasadena and explore the city. Better yet, go to one of the restaurants/pubs lining East Colorado Boulevard and have your lunch or enjoy a drink or two. I personally went to Lucky Baldwin's Trappiste. It's a British pub and they have good food and fast, friendly service. After about an hour, the vehicular and foot traffic in Pasadena is gone.

Lastly, remember, put your wallet in your front pocket. And have a wonderful time watching the Rose Parade!!!

We traveled out from Pennsylvania to see the Rose Bowl game (PennSt vs SoCal which was one of the best games you'll ever see) and of course had to see the Parade. We all enjoyed it immensely and highly recommend this be added to everyone's Bucket List!

We missed the parade but we made it to the post "up close" viewing of the floats...AMAZING! We purchased our tickets ahead of time online, saved ourselves an extra line to wait in (the line to purchase tickets there was quite long).
We arrived an hour before the gates opened to allow enough time to find a parking spot and walk to the starting point. We were there from 1:30-4:15; wear comfortable shoes as there is a ton of walking and we moved at a fairly fast pass to make it by every float to check them out.

Signed up with Al Brooks Rose Parade Package. Package included 3 full days of exciting experiences topped off with fantastic seats for the Rose Parade. Got to visit behind the scenes construction of the parade floats, and a visit to the Getty Museum and gardens on the first day. 2nd day was a morning visit to the Long Beach Aquarium and an afternoon lunch and tour of the venerable Queen Mary, also in Long Beach and very near the Aquarium( Really great ). Third day was the Rose Parade, lunch, and a tour of Warner Bros. studios ( Super fun time). Package included breakfast every day, outstanding guides, nice lunches, and a great hotel, the Westin in Long Beach. Worth every penny!!!!

Nothing like seeing the parade in person. The colors were incredible. We were at 2000 Colorado Blvd about half way down the parade route . The organization of the parking to seating was great. We purchased grand stand seats from Sharp Seating back in September. Needing Handicap Parking and low level bleacher access I was truly thankful that sharp seating made sure the location we picked had both parking was handicap accessible and our seating was on the first row of the bleachers. The parade was outstanding from the beginning to the very end.

What an amazing experience!! The artistry in these floats is extraordinary!! You simply cannot begin to appreciate this until you see them close up. Creativity is off the chart and all wrapped up with some of the most fabulous marching bands in the world. Definitely a Bucket List Must!!

We have helped with the Sierra Madre float 2 years now, for a couple of days. We loved it and it made the parade more meaningful for me. It is great in itself but helping gives you ownership of your work. The city of Sierra Madre is so proud of their work and the people who help them. If you can do this you will enjoy it so much.

Words do not describe the beauty and magnificence of these floats. We loved the bands and horse teams, too. Everyone should see this live at least once in their lives.

We went on a whim and are so glad we did. This is such an amazing expierence. Be prepared that the parade really is a full 2 hours long of standing. If you want front row you must camp out from the day before. The detail on the floats was beyond what I could have imagined.

We purchased bleacher seats a few months prior form Sharp Seating Company. So the day before the parade we had to pick them up in Pasadena which was so easy. Then the day of the parade we parked down near the stadium and walked up towards the parade. This is a bit of a walk but plenty of streets are closed off or packed with parking nearby on parade day morning. Be prepared for getting there super early. There is a security line and you cannot take any travel mugs in or anything of that sort. You can take in bottles of water and a blanket. It is cold that early in the morning, the bleacher seats are metal so a blanket is a big help.
Take time to check out all the pre parade activity. Take photos of the various TV booths. We spotted the motorcycle police who lead the parade and the one let me sit on his bike for a great photo shot. There are a few shops open selling donuts and coffee. Portable toilets are available under the bleachers but there are usually lines. Use them during the parade tho and do not wait until the parade ends as the lines are crazy long then.
Getting the bleacher seating was great cause we had our assigned spots. A bus load of tourists came tho and this older guy sat in front of me who decided he had to stand up in between almost every float which was frustrating. Other than that, we had a great view of the floats, bands and horse groups. Took tons of photos. Our bleachers were on 320 West Colorado which was a really good spot.
Be prepared for lots of religious guys spouting off before and after the parade. Also, immediately when the parade ends there are literally hundreds of protesters who hit the street holding signs on just about anything you can thing of but it is done peacefully. Overall, it was a once in a lifetime experience for me and I'm so glad we went.

We were lucky enough to spend 1st January 2018 as part of an large group watching this spectacular parade. We arrived by 6.30am and had bench seating reserved in the first 1/2 mile of the route.... There were 87 different floats, marching bands and display teams. There are 10's of thousands of people but the event is brilliantly organised.

2022 started out very bad. The parade was lacking so many international floats.The company that does the seating was so completely disorganized.Some bleacher sections demanded vaccine proof,after it was shown multiple times,before.One big authoritarian was going to push my 65 year old body,if I didn't show the vaccine cards,for the 10th time. Some bleacher sections had people to scan your tickets,none had help to seat you.

I booked a tour through Al Brooks tours and it was well worth it! I was able to participate in working on a float, visiting the float construction barn on 12/31 and ticket with a bus ride to the parade and so much more!

I’ve always wanted to go to the Rose Bowl parade as I’ve been watching it on TV for years. However, trying to convince my boyfriend or friends to drive up to Pasadena from San Diego at 4:00 AM on New Year’s Day was not happening. So this year, I decided to go by myself. I met some really nice people as well waited for the parade to start.

The floats were beautiful, the bands were fantastic and the energy from the crowd was contagious. I’m also giving a shout out to the folks walking behind the horses picking up their poop..they were very entertaining.

I wasn’t sure about the logistics of going to a well attended parade, so I read a few reviews on Trip Advisor that provided excellent information on parking, taking the Metrolink and seating. I took the Lake Ave exit which put me at the 2.5 mile marker of this 5 mile parade.

I got to the parade route at 6:00 am and was able to set up my chair pretty close to the front row. Other than the cost of gas, I spent $5.50 (Metrolink ticket) to see the parade live.

I want to thank Trip Advisor Reviewer “RabePaul - Philadelphia PA” as I followed his logistical suggestions and he was spot on…take the 210 fwy, exit at Sierra Madre Villa and park in the Metrolink garage.

It was an AWESOME parade !!!!!

Tips:
- dress in layers; cold in early morning but warms up (typical SoCal weather)
- bring a chair or blanket to sit on
- bring snacks/water…a few places open for but coffee-long lines
- portable potties available/long lines

I've attended the rose parade a few times in my life and every time it has been wonderful. So much in culture is changing but the one thing that can transport you back to a more gracious and elegant time is the rose parade. Such majesty, pomp and unity. It makes me proud to live in Pasadena.

Great experience, sat in the Pasadena City College grandstands, and they had a great view. There should have been better information about local parking and bus/shuttle spots, but it all worked out. I would go again, we were blessed with a cool morning and it got warmer, so great weather. Fun time for the family to see teh parade.

The Rose Parade is a once in a lifetime experience. If you don't like crowds, stay away.
We did an Al Brooks Pacific Rose tour. The itinerary was great although there were 4 groups doing the same tour so that whenever we went to an event, there were approx. 200 people there. The Barn tour was very crowded and didn't get to see as upclose as I would have liked. The best was the Warner Bros tour and Queen Mary Brunch although also too many people at once.
The tour guides didn't seem to be as knowledgeable and well prepared as I would have expected them to be.
All in all, I wouldn't have missed this event.

While visiting the small town of Sierra Madre, we had the opportunity to visit the site where their float was being decorated and even got to participate in the decorating activity. The night before the parade, the float was brought to the center of town for a well attended viewing and photo ops. The next day, we watched the parade in the comfort of our family's home. On January 2, all forty of the floats were on display on the blocked-off streets near Pasadena High School. We could get up close and personal with the floats, talk to people about various types of organic products that were used in the decorations, and could walk around the floats, thereby seeing all sides of them. The following day, the Sierra Madre float was returned to the center of town and people could purchase flowers off the float to begin raising donations for next year. My wife made a beautiful floral arrangement for our daughter-in-law using orchids, lilies, roses, and greenery from the float, and also made potpourri from some leftover roses. We all believe our Rose Parade experience was fantastic - and we never had to fight the crowds.

We were fortunate to see the parade for many years as we lived so close to it, we also saw the day before the parade JUDGING of the floats, fun for everyone so beautiful.

I have been watching this parade from NJ since I was a little girl ... 50 years! It was a delight to see the parade in person. Better yet to see the floats up close at the after show and before hand being made. It was a dream come true! Get yourself some bleacher seats and reserved parking for the easiest parade day!

At least once you must show up to Pasadena for New Year's and the Rose Parade. Come down the night before and hang out for one of the biggest parties you'll ever see on Colorado Boulevard on the parade route. And get out on the parade route early, either bring a chair, Sleep overnight, or get a grandstand seat, to see the parade up close. Everything on the floats are live plants, mostly flowers, seeds, petals, leaves. It is an experience you must do at least once.

You can go to rose bowl on 12/31 afternoon to see how people decorate the floats, so detail, make everything like pice of art. Then be Colorado Blvd in Pasadena no later than 8am on Jan. 1 to see the parade. It’s really worthy to stand there more than two hours to see this world famous parade.

Our daughter's high school marching band was invited to march in this parade. As chaperone's we were in bleachers to watch the parade. Not quite at TV corner, but still enjoyed the experience of being there for the parade. What an awesome opportunity for our daughter and her band family. These kids worked really hard to get to march in this parade, and I am fortunate enough to have been able to attend with them. This is one of those things that you should try to do at least once in your lifetime. Don't expect everything to look the way it does on tv, that is only about a 2 block area. The area we sat in was definitely not the "pretty area" of Pasadena. Be sure to go to the restroom before you get there or you'll pay a $1 to use one. The streets were somewhat dirty, but I imagine that is to be expected with the huge crowds.

Sat in grandstand with sun in face. Otherwise best thing ever. Want to go back. Soon. Parking pass a must, made it sooo much easier. Just no big partying New Year's Eve. Got to get up really early

Diamond Travel came highly recommended by friends who had also used them for the Rose Parade. Our expectations were exceeded. From start to finish we received first class five star service – it was a total care experience. The hotel we selected (Crowne Plaza Redondo Beach) from the three on offer was excellent, with great amenities and within easy walking distance of several restaurants at the beach. Diamond maintained a desk in the lobby throughout the events and we received all of the information we needed from their written material and staff on site. The three main events (pre-parade float assembly viewing, the Parade, and post-parade float viewing) were extremely well organized and came off without a hitch. The Diamond staff and the local operator were obviously very experienced at delivering this package in a setting which would be chaotic for any ordinary individual to navigate. Particular thanks go to Eldon Diamond who was very easy to communicate with and answered all of our questions during booking and prior to travel, and to Mark Goldberg, the local tour wholesaler used by Diamond. We were fortunate to have Mark as the agent on our bus both days and he was superb. We highly recommend this company and this tour package.

Get there early to find a place on the curb and see the parade, take a folding chair. The people, the floats, the bands make this a worthwhile way to greet the New Year. It is also fun to walk along CO Blvd. the night before the parade to see all the families camping out on the parade route having fun and slumbering. On Dec. 31st in the later evening the floats are lined up along Orange Grove getting ready for the morning. It is a great chance to see them up close and note all the work that goes into creating them.

Over two hours of beautiful floats, horses and bands. Seeing this event on television does not do it justice. Over two million flowers are used on the floats and all decorations must be organic- like coconut, seeds or leaves. Amazing attention to detail. While all the money spent to make the floats is, of course, a terrible waste of resources, it is a sight to see.

All floats are available to be seen cheap and up close THE DAY AFTER THE PARADE on the local college campus. Plan to visit the rose pavilion the DAY BEFORE to see the floats being constructed.
Traffic and parking are rough, plan to arrive as early as possible for events - perhaps tailgate. This is a good tour to take with a group, but I do not recommend Holiday Vacations- too much downtime at the hotel, no excursion options.

Was able to go see floats on January 3rd the day after this years parade 2023. Was a steady rain, and we lost some of the smells of the fresh flowers, other than a bear float that one could still smell the honey lol. However, they lost nothing of their beauty, such beautiful displays and designs. I've never seen the parade in person but second time and well worth the 20 dollars to see these up close though i do believe not all were there as the walk felt shorter than last time. In any case, highly recommend.

For some reason the awful presenters of the parade cut away from the OHIO STATE marching band to an irrelevant B roll clip. What a shame and disgrace to them. Do better for 2026!

I have watched this parade on TV all of my life and finally pulled the trigger to travel to CA and see it LIVE! I am SO glad that I did!!!! We got out to CA early and signed up with Petal Pushers to volunteer and help decorate floats. You get to see them up close, learn about the process and be a part of it! Then we watched the parade from the Grand Stands, it was absolutely Amazing!!!!! Pictures and television can not do this justice!

Pasadena has this parade down to a fine art. They get people in and out very efficiently. The grandstand seats are tightly packed, but since it's usually quite cold, the concentrated heat from the mass of people is appreciated. The Pasadena police manage before, during and after very efficiently -- and their presence keeps things orderly.

Reserved Grandstand Seats are a MUST. And still, you should be parked and on your way to your seat no later than 7 am. And allow plenty of time to park and clear security. Be sure to note items not allowed -- no umbrellas, large bags, banners, . . . Security will search all bags before you enter.

Our biggest complaint was the port-a-potties were too few for so many people, and the "lines" were super long and totally inefficient. The signs say "line up for each toilet," which means you may have a line of 6 toilets, but there will be a separate line for each toilet. They should take a lesson from banks, etc, where they have one line that feeds to "next available."

Overall we loved our first and only Rose Bowl Parade. We will not be back, but we highly recommend it to all our friends as a ONE TIME experience.

Looking for best route to take to rose bowl from Sherman Oaks and also decent options to park.

We are also going to the game. Do we park at a different spot for the game than the parade?

thanks for advise!

It's January 2024, and I didn't have a choice. I heard it was a very famous parade in Los Angeles, so I went to see it. The day before, floats were moving on nearby streets, and you can see them when you go out into the street in the evening. It is a great sight to see as the float moves in the shape of a doll to prevent it from hitting traffic lights or trees outside. The photos are from the day before. Watch this and see it on the day, and you might get a great deal!

Reserved parade through tour (Al Brooks). They handles everything, including shuttle to/from airport, as well as buses to attractions. The parade package included visiting the flower 'barns', seeing some of the band practices, the actual parade (240 seat-range); and other locations beyond parade. The viewing at parade was spectular, we were just
8 rows up on grandstand from street with no obstructions. One comment tho - seating was tight front/back/side-to-side. (We chose to spend extra $$ on additional seat for some side room - but back/front was still very close). Every age group was there: couples, families, friends, solo. Not sure about business, but maybe. Wheel chair accessible as well. There was a trek from where buses parked and the walk to stands. but not too bad. This trip was a bit chilly (temps in the low 60's and overcast. But no rain. Many of us were bundled up with coats, scarves, hats/gloves. But it could be worse if it was hot and sunny.

Great from beginning to end, had seats in the grandstand at the beginning, on Colorado Blvd! Go with a tour if you are out of town.

Wife and I were on a AAA tour for the Rose Parade. Started at one of the fload barns and was really neat to see the floats being decorated. Did not realize the amount of scaffolding need to decorate one.

Next to the Battle of the Bands, which was good, except for the pouring rain. Stayed for the first half of the bands, but then my butt got wet and retrated to the tour bus.

The parade itself was great, we were in the 400 grand stand section, right after the trun on to Colorado Ave. Hearing the bands in person made the sound seem much brighter. Floats were incredable, the bands great, and hores units interesting.

After the parade on to the float view area. Kind of crowded, but really great to see the floats up close.

We were on a AAA tour that used Al Brooks, which was great, since all we had to do was get on and off the bus. Would highly recommend doing this as tour if you can afford it.

Our seats at 155 Orange Grove would not have provided us viewing of all the Floats ahead of these seats had we not walked the street before the parade started. Also our side of the street had several trees which prevented one from taking a complete picture of the floats.

The Rose Parade doesn't disappoint! With so many beautiful floats, marching bands, horse riding groups and carriages you can't beat this to start the New Year! It's better seeing it live than on TV. Our family sat near the beginning of the parade route this year, in the bleacher seating and it was definitely a nice, quick way to view the experience. I would highly recommend it to anyone with children and its a great pre-game tradition. The floats are beautiful and the parade program does a great job explaining the theme for all of them. I love this event and don't mind getting up extra early to arrive. I recommend spending the night before and getting there 2-2.5 hours before the start of the parade so you can beat some traffic.

Our son's high school marching band was selected to march in the January 2023 Rose Parade, so we decided to make the trip as well. So fun! We drove from Tucson, AZ to Pasadena and stayed in Monrovia, CA. (and no, Mark Kelly was NOT the Grand Marshal, as another reviewer mentioned, it was his wife Gabby Giffords.) It was the perfect location to hop on the Metro to get down to the parade. We got on at the Arcadia Station (super close hotels next to the station as well, with loads of restaurants you can walk to in a nice safe neighborhood!) Our hotel was just a bit far to walk, although, we probably could have. We left for the Metro super early, 5:30am, because we weren't sure how busy it would be or how hard it would be to park. LOTS of parking spaces available and not busy at all! We probably could have left an hour later and still been just fine. It was about a 15 minute ride and we got off at the Del Mar station. It was a good 8 blocks walk from there to our reserved bleacher seats. (450 Colorado) We got to our seats with LOTS of time to spare. When the parade was just about over, we left our seats and started the walk back to beat the crowds. Super easy and we were back on the Metro and back to Arcadia Station.

Even if you've watched this event on television, it doesn't compare to seeing it in person. We were pleased to have purchased tickets to one of the many viewing stands set up along the parade route. The seating is very tight -- prepare to be thigh to thigh with your neighbor, the it's worth having the advantage of some height to better see the parade entries.

The floats are much more spectacular and impressive in person than on TV - you just can't get a reasonable sense of their size without being there in person. Not only are the floats bigger than the look, but the bands are huge as well with some numbering over 300! If you have the chance to attend this event, do it. You won't be sorry.

I made a couple mistakes in my planning. We decided in the summer to go to California for the Rose Bowl parade and stayed at the Marriott Newport Coast timeshare. We wanted to drive to Pasadena to see the parade and the construction barns so I began my research. I called Al Brooks first since I had read good things about their tours and asked if they could do a custom small group tour for us, to get us to the right places the easiest way. No, they said they couldn't do that but they could sell me tickets to the parade. I asked for 10 tickets and not too high in the bleachers with aisle seats due to disability issues. They said that could be done, but when I got my tickets 3 weeks before the parade, I only got 9, they were 24 rows up in the stands and we did not get aisle seats. Needless to say I was disappointed! And to top it off they charged my $165 for $100 tickets! I am pretty sure I could have gotten seats just as good in the same sections from SHARP SEATING. They are the ones who sell all the parking, seats, and construction barns. I bought my construction barn tickets directly from them with no problems ad no up charge. I did buy my parking through Al Brooks and they charged an extra $10.00. Of course it's not their fault, it's mine for not checking more thoroughly.
I also recommend reading the Sharp Seating tip sheet on their website. It has very helpful info for arrival times. We made it in time but barely. I wish I would have read that website before we went.

Everyone should experience the Rose Parade at least once in their lives. Being able to see the intricacies of the floats and hearing the performance of the great bands, is exhilarating. I suggest that you go over and watch them stage in the morning on Orange Grove Boulevard. If you have seats or want to spend time on Colorado Boulevard watching the parade it is worth the time. When the parade is finished, go to the park where is the floats are on view to the public. Going to the Rose Parade is almost a religious experience. You will enjoy the excitement and the incredible color. The joy of the day is contagious.

The rose parade is an old tradition of the city of Pasadena where hundreds of thousands of people attend and more than 40 institutions share their activities through the rose show, people tend to over sleep from the night before to reserve a good spot for watching, very nice rose cars designed in a perfect way.

My husband & I and my parents decided we wanted to attend the Rose Bowl Parade. I looked at about 20 tour companies before going with Al Brooks Rose Bowl Tours and they certainly did not disappoint! There are several tour options to choose from, and we chose the Ocean Rose Tour. Once we arrived at the airport, there were Al Brooks representatives in yellow vests waiting in the baggage claim to point us in the direction of the bus to take us to our hotel. Once at the Hotel Maya in Long Beach, we had an easy check-in process, and then checked-in with the Al Brooks table located right at our hotel, which made it easy to ask questions and get information regarding the days ahead. Al Brooks Rose Bowl Tours (ABRBT) arranged a shuttle to go to Belmont Shores for shopping/dinner and you could come and go as you pleased. There were ABRBT representatives at the drop off location at Belmont Shores to give us recommendations, etc. We joked that there were yellow vests everywhere! (which was very nice--it made it nearly impossible to get lost, etc.). Each of the following days started with a breakfast buffet at the hotel. The food was really good, which we were not expecting since it was a buffet. The food was fresh, hot, and they had a variety of everything. ABRBT planned several activities for the next couple of days leading up to the Rose Bowl Parade, including Paramount Studios, the float barns, band fest, San Antonio Winery, city tours via bus, Huntington Museum & Botanical Gardens, and Hollywood. The only negative I have for this entire trip is that we did not have enough time at the Huntington Museum & Botanical Gardens. There is a lot to see there and we could have used at least another 1-2 hours. If you do go to the Huntington Museum and Gardens and only have a short time, I do not recommend the guided tour--just go off on your own and enjoy the museums and gardens. Lunch was also included in our tour and there was so much food offered at each lunch that we did not eat dinner--just had some dessert at a restaurant near our hotel in late evening. The food and atmosphere was fantastic at each location. Our tour guide, Mark, was amazing--he knew about several points of interest in the LA area, and made the drive to Pasadena and surrounding areas very interesting with his commentary and stories. If we were to go on another tour where Mark works, we would certainly request to be in his group. ABRBT also made the day of the parade very easy--they told us and gave us maps about how to get from the bus to the seats (which was pretty much a straight shot). Our seats for the parade were fantastic--right across from the NBC booth at the very beginning of the parade. We were able to see the bands perform, as well as the fireworks/movement on the floats. After the parade, ABRBT representatives were spread out along the route we had to walk from the seats to the bus. Again, they made it nearly impossible to get turned around or not know where to go. My husband and I chose to add-on the Rose Bowl Game to our tour package. This was also a very smooth process. When we arrived at the parade, our tour guide moved us from the bus we took to the parade to the bus we would be taking from the parade to the game, so that we could put our belongings on that bus. After the parade, we simply went to the "game" bus and after a short drive, we were at the Rose Bowl! We arrived at the Rose Bowl about 2 1/2 hours before game time, which was nice, as we were able to see the teams arrive, walk around, and watch the pre-game festivities on the field. After the game, the bus was parked in a nearby parking lot, so it was just a short walk to the bus. The following day was time to head home. There were ABRBT representatives at the hotel and making sure we got on the correct shuttle to the airport. ABRBT were so professional, fun, organized, and a pleasure to spend our vacation with. We would certainly book another trip with them, if given the opportunity!

Great experience. We had seats in the grandstands with a tour company and that was great. Very snug seating and we were grateful for our seat cushions we brought. Once in a lifetime in person event. Weather here is gorgeous but cold in the morning. Floats and bands phenomenal (even though one close to end had some major issues that were not resolved and held up the ending).

Every year when my wife and I watch the parade on tv, I say we need to see that in person one year. Last year, I decided no more talk and it is time for action. I immediately found sharpseating. com online and bought our tickets the first day they were available. The best seats fill fast so be prepared! I would definitely recommend grandstand seating unless you like to camp out in the cold. I would recommend seating near the front of the parade when the participants are not tired from walking the 5 miles. The parade starts at 8 am and is finished at 10 am if you are near the front. Being near the front put you out early so you have time to eat and get over to Victory Park for the post parade close up viewing. The earlier you are in line for this the better because the line eventually reaches for many blocks. I sat at 320 West Colorado which were excellent seats but had a slightly obscured view from a tree. In retrospect I would have like to have sat where the tv cameras were on Orange Grove Blvd where it intersects with Colorado. However, if you are in the tv zone you must go through security screening. If you are sitting on Colorado, it is critical that you sit on the South side of the street; in other word your address must be a even number. You want to be sitting on the same side of the street as Ralph's and not on the side of the street with the Jaguar dealership and the Norton Simon Museum. The north side of the street people have to stare in to the sun. It is also important to bring your own stadium seating which will make it much warmer and comfortable for you while you sit the two hours before the parade and the recommended hour before.
We stayed at the nearby Residence Inn hotel so that we could walk to and from the parade. Traffic patterns are completely different at parade time. Large trucks block off multiple streets for security and two way streets may become one way streets. Parking is a total mess. You end up paying about 3 times the usual hotel rates for this area, but is was worth it to me to avoid the traffic congestion of up to 700,000 people in five miles. That is the equivalent of 7 Super Bowls with 5 miles. If you are driving in, I would purchase parking with your grandstand seating from Sharp. I would also pay the money to stay in a nicer multi-story hotel rather than a motel. The college kids stay in the less expensive motel and don't plan on getting any sleep the night before as they party!
It is well worth the visit to the decorating barn. My advice would be to get there at least 30-minutes early by uber. By doing this, we were able to simply walk in to the decorating barn. We were able to leisurely stroll through the crowded area When we came out a hour later, the line was for many blocks and was ten people wide. The viewing tents were on the Rose Bowl Parking lots. It is about a mile walk to the Residence Inn.
To me the most pleasurable part of the parade is the post viewing at Victory Park. I would definitely Uber there because parking is a disaster. I was in line at 1pm and the viewing lots open at 2 pm. They do not open until cleared by the Fire Marshall so sometimes it may open up to 20 minutes early, but this year they opened 10 minutes late. By opening time, the line stretched for very many blocks.
It is critical to get your ticket to both the decorating barns and post parade viewing in advance from Sharp online. Otherwise, it is just another long line to stand in for tickets. You can get these the night before viewing. Decorating barn tickets are $15 each and post parade viewing is the same price. There is no need to buy the souvenir book in advance. You can get it any time or place at your convenience.
What you see day before is amazing as the massive floats are being lavishly decorated. You will see ladies gluing individual rose pedal on by hand. The parade itself is spectacular as seen on tv, but much more impressive in person. To me, the most amazing part is post parade where you can stand beside each float and see the amazing detail work and be intimidated with their massive size. A number of floats are over 30 yards long. God is in the details and the detailing on the floats is beyond belief. The artistry, engineering, and creativity is so exquisite! The rich vibrant colors are striking and breath taking! Where else in the world can you see this many floats so beautifully decorated with over 18 million blooms? Absolutely no where . That's why the 129 year old tradition lives on as the granddaddy of all parades!

Booked this many months ago as part of the Diamond Travel Package. Wanted someone to handle the logistics but wanted choices. This worked perfect. Included transportation to the area (Stayed in Redondo Beach) New Years Eve visit to one of the float staging areas, Day of the Parade Transportation, tickets, Lunch and post parade viewing at Victory Park. Included quick bites for breakfast each morning and options to extend rooms nights. Best way to go, my tractorman even had a good time.

They can include options to do city tour and the game too. Eldon is the contact and will make your trip great.

There’s nothing like being at the actual Rose Parade going down the streets of Pasadena. The floats are beautiful and very creative. Every aspect of the floats must be covered with roses other live plant material. The colors are spectacular. It’s definitely a good experience to wake up early on a New Year’s day morning and go to the Rose Parade.

Very well organized with beautiful floats! Would go again in the future. Getting tickets for the grand stands is well worth the money. We did at the Presbyterian Church and it was an amazing view.

Even growing up in SoCal and seeing the parade both live and on TV most New Year's Day's for all my life, this year's in person viewing was stupendous. First time in bleacher seats was well worth the expense and I highly encourage this advance purchase for those unable or unwilling to sleepout on the sidewalk to save your free seats. Parking anywhere near the Parade route can also be a challenge so think of transportation alternatives or arrive really early to park and start the party. Another advance arrangement to make is actually working on a float--too much fun--and any job is important to the finished float, even glueing on leaves or seeds rather than actually flowering. Most pro float builders and all the self-builds need hundreds, maybe thousands, of volunteers even if you only have 1/2 a day to offer. This year the Cal Poly float had many last minute no shows so really needed extra help. I cannot say enough about Bandfest, small price ($15 this year) to see a portion of the parade bands give a field performance at Pasadena City College. It sells out most years and seats fill up fast when they open the gates to non-reserved seating but just wonderful to see all the hard working and delightful young musicians, North side of the field is best viewing. Check out possible equestrian pre-parade events too. Information on all next year's events will be found at The Tournament of Roses Association webpage in the coming months. I highly recommend finding your way to Pasadena for New Years at least once in your life.

My wife and I had never seen the Rose Parade live. This was quite an experience--to include a visit to a float barn where we viewed the many volunteers working on the floats and later viewing the Rose Parade which was attended by over 700.000 people. The floats were very impressive, particularly the detail and the intricate flower arrangements displayed. Equally as impressive were the several marching bands that took part in the parade. This was an event we will never forget.

I have watched the Rose Parade four times and it never gets old. The beauty of the floats is astonishing. I worked on one of these floats and everything in each float is made from something natural. The Parade begins at the Rose Bowl. It continues through W Colorado Blvd and turns on Sierra Madre. Along the way there are bleachers that have seats for sale. Typically they cost $200.00 to 300.00. I find the best area to buy seats is on W Colorado Blvd and Craig Ave. The floats have to turn and they stop there longer. The marching bands are great and come from many states. Afterwards, you can go see the floats that are exhibited for two days at a holding area. Many just find seats on the curbsides all along Colorado Blvd. It begins at 8 am and if you wish to do curbside, be there early and bring some hot tea or coffee since it is usually cold. The Parade is never held on a Sunday. If the first of the year is on a Sunday, it will be done on Monday the second.

We found a spot along the route about 30 minutes before it started...for free. We stood for two hours to watch the parade, but it was well worth it! As an aside, the float decorating area we went to the day before enhanced our appreciation for the floats!

Great experience. Had great grandstand tickets and parking bought from Sharp Seating. Worried about adequate restrooms, there were clean port-a-potties everywhere.

Incredible experience to sit in reserved seats in elevated bleachers along the Rose Parade in Pasadena. The expensive reserved seat gives you a crowded, but guaranteed, view of the floats, but you can be a ways away from the floats, and with no room whatsoever. The sidewalk was full of people who staked out their places overnight and some slept there to reserve their space over New Years Eve. However, there was much space on the sidewalks right next to the parade where you could stand and watch for free. be advised, there is a lot of space between the floats and bands. You wait more than you see things along the route. They are not back to back like it looks on TV.

Went on a tour for the parade and think it was a wise choice not knowing the ins and outs of the area. Went to the warehouses where the floats were being made (this could be done before and after the parade), toured the Queen Mary as well as various parts of LA. To arrive at the parade and get into our seats necessitated a real early start. We were not rushed and arrived at our seats in plenty of time. The police and volunteers did a great job with the traffic. Our seats were in bleachers about ten rows up and about fifty yards from the spot where the parade started. As such, we got to see all the participants perform and all seemed very excited to be just beginning. Seeing the floats days earlier with no flowers attached and now witnessing the final product was amazing. Kudos to those volunteers. Have seen the parade many times on tv and it does not compare to being there in person. The atmosphere and the crowd reaction made this truly a great event. Felt so sorry for floats and Swedish band that got stuck behind the float that broke down. They did a good job trying to remove the damaged float but every thing that could go wrong seemed to go wrong in this instance.
The only negative was the lack of sufficient port a potties. I have no idea about the logistics of getting this accomplished but with lineups of twenty five to fifty people for each they didn’t succeed.

Post parade on 1 - 2 January 2017 at Pasadena High School parking lot on Sierra Madre Blvd after the floats have concluded Rose Parade. $15 to enter. Good place to check out the floats up close. You will spend at least 3 hours here. Parking is super tough. Organisers offer shuttle bus to those who park at Pasadena City College.

When we discovered we were too late to procure bleacher seating, which goes on sale ten months before the event, we elected to simply stand on street to watch parade. In our opinion this is a better option than the $90-100 bleacher seats for several reasons.

1. You are closer to action than many of those high up in stands.
2. You have the flexibility of moving to where sun provides best option for pictures.
3. Accessing portable restrooms is faster though you will encounter a line.
4. You can arrive anytime you wish rather than needing to be seated an hour or more before parade begins.
5. Departure is possible whenever you wish.

That being said you must be prepared to stand for several hours since most places where you can use own chair are occupied by those that camp out overnight. If camping is your thing be prepared for cold. It was 34 degrees on 01 Jan 2019 and probably only reached 45 by end of two hour parade.

Based on my experience would recommend being near start of parade when bands still energetic, floats mechanics are still operational and float participants are excited by experience.

If you go, it is well worth it to go on-line and get grandstand seats. Our seats cost $100 each and there were four of us (two adults and two nine year old boys) and worth every penny! I grew up watching the parade on television and always said I'dI enjoyed every minute. You have to get there early (by 6:30) and the parade starts right at 8:00 but the wait wasn't bad. Everyone there was in a good mood, feeling festive and friendly so it was easy to talk to your "bleacher mates" while you wait for the parade to begin. I bought cushions for all of us because those metal bleachers are COLD and hard but you can buy cushions for $15 a piece and it makes the whole experience more comfortable. It may be southern California but bring a blanket. It gets cold sitting there. The view from the grandstand is great and the bleachers are steep enough that your view isn't obstructed by the guy sitting in front of you. I personally wouldn't want to stand the whole time so I think getting grandstand seats is the way to go. The parade itself is everything you ever imagined a parade could be and the trip is worth the time and expense. Don't miss it!

My daughter marched with her band in the parade. It was a beautiful parade and went by quickly for there to be so many participants. They keep it going very smoothly. The street (1630 section of E Colorado) we had grandstand seats was filthy though! There was trash and tortillas all over the street! I think the city should have cleaned up before the parade came through. I assume it was from the people camping out the night before. I hated to see the beautiful floats drive over so much trash. I heard many complaints about the bands having to walk through human feces... not sure what section this was in. The bomber flyover was awesome! We bought tickets through Sharp Seating and had convenient parking.

Bucket list item for my wife. We had great seats for the parade. We sat next to some folks that had been coming to the parade for over 30 years. This trip was our first time to the Rose Bowl parade, and it was well worth the time we spent. The floats are great to see. It is overwhelming when you learn about the amount of time, details, and number of people that it takes to build each float. The parade is well organized and runs smoothly considering there is no chance to practice except for the bands and horses. The parade is a one-shot deal for the floats. I recommend buying a ticket if you don’t have the time to claim a spot the night before. We had tickets, which made the experience a lot more enjoyable. FYI… the bleacher seats are cold so pack something to sit on to keep your rear end from freezing. The temperature was in the 40s when the parade started, so dress accordingly. The parade began at 8:00 AM and finished around 10:00 AM.

We applied for the disabled viewing and got 4 free tickets. We chose Sierra Madre and East Villa because it is farther from Colorado Blvd meaning that the parade will arrive here an hour and half later. So no need to wake up at dawn. it is closer to the Metro Gold Line and we didn’t know if we could park our car in this area. Turns out that because of Covid, streets were empty and there were lots of available street parking. The walk from the Metro to Sierra Madre Blvd is 1.4 mi. You have to bring your seating (chairs stools, blankets etc) but there are bathroom accessible. We had front row seats and because not a lot of people were there, we were able to have good viewing. We saw everything clearly and we were so close to the marching bands. The weather was wonderful. All in all a very enjoyable experience.

The parade is amazing but dont ever purchase parking which sale by sharp. They sold you a parking lot in block street and you cannot acess in anyway.
You can find alot public parkings around with cheaper price .

We had (free) curbside seats for the Rose Parade near the end of the parade route, at the corner of Sierra Madre and N Altadena. We drove in from Simi Valley with very light traffic, even near Pasadena. (We exited the freeway on the north side of town, and avoided the 210 near town.) We parked street-side in a residential neighborhood just a couple blocks to the north of that intersection. We parked at 7:30, walked down to Sierra Madre and easily found a spot. It did fill up quite rapidly after 7:45. The parade arrived at this spot around 9:40. Surprisingly, most of the bands still played after walking 5 miles! The floats were fully functioning. They did begin to lower tall extensions as they approached the traffic light on our corner, and in preparation for going under the underpass. I wouldn’t recommend sitting any further East than Altadena for that reason.
This location also made it very convenient to walk over to the Post Parade float viewing, which we did from 1-4 pm. Very worth the $20 admission. The line was massively long to get into the show but it moved quickly and we were soon inside the show area.
So...no need to buy expensive stadium seating, pay 2 arms and a leg for parking, get up in the middle of the night to arrive in your seat by the recommended time of 6:30, and freeze to death in the dark. Enjoy all the benefits of the parade with a lot less hassle like the locals do.

I've been in Los Angeles for 14 years and this was my first time ever to attend the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, CA. I would say it's one of the best parade ever. The floats and marching bands are awesome and beautiful. Despite the cold, traffic, crowds, weather nothing beats watching it live. People from all walks of life camping at the sidewalk just to watch this annual festivities. If you want to avoid the crowds and at the same time find a place to park you should go towards the end of the parade route where there are fewer crowds. We went to the intersection of Sierra Madre Ave and San Gabriel Blvd and were able to find parking easily as well as a good spot to watch the parade. The only kinks towards the end some of the floats were already worn down and you don't see the special effects and some floats having to navigate an overpass has to put down their top attractions. Nevertheless it was well worth our time. Truly one of the best experiences.

I have had a dream to attend the Rose Bowl Parade for many, many years. I finally did it and had a great experience! I had the full experience by seeing the floats get ready the day before at the Rose Barns, attending the parade the next day and then seeing the floats up close at Victory Park the day after the parade. I enjoyed every aspect of the parade! I went with Al Brooks Tour group and they are highly recommended for a great full experience. It was a dream come true!

We lucked out and were gifted tickets to the Rose Parade this year. So we went for the first time, and our seats were in the grand stands at the start of the parade. The shows/dances were right in front of us, the bomber jet flew passed us overhead, and the free donut and hot chocolate was below us. So our overall experience was great.
The parade itself, all the floats and bands etc are amazing.
The start time is pretty early, and moreover the recommended arrival time is even more so (be at your seat by 630 am). But we did it and we enjoyed it. Our 5 year old got a little bored/tired about an hour into the show but stayed quiet till the end.
The tickets were pretty expensive (they were gifts given to us) but for the price I don’t think it’s something we would do again (if we had to pay out of pocket).

After reading numerous reviews about how to do the Rose Parade, it sounded like it would be very stressful to handle all the logistics for 1st timers. So we decided to go w/ Al Brooks. AWESOME choice! They do all the driving which is worth every penny!! They own the Colorado bridge for that morning...which was 1/2 mile walk to our seats! Plus you get a seat cushion, program, and hot chocolate. Prime seats in bleachers! We went to the pre-parade on Dec 31 and post parade on Jan 2, so we missed the “herding.” Yes, we paid for the tour, but we didn’t feel it costs any more than if we did it on our own! They have several packages to choose from, and this is ALL they do! They are so informative! So treat yourself for that “bucket list” and go w/ Al Brooks for a memorable experience.

Every year I watch the rose Parade on tv from Pennsylvania and am horrified by how channel6 covers the event of 18-20 floats in the parade. The newscasters talk over the floats as they praise each other for coming out in the mild southern California weather and talk about each other's outfits and weekend etc as floats pass behind them and they ignore them, floats are cut out for the sake of commercials, tweets are across the fronts of floats you can't see them because someone is saying 'wow, look at that one. I like it.' why do we need this stuff tweeted? great, so I can't see the floats, STAR of the show, because that person tweeted something?

This was THE year that all ended ! We bought tickets in February and attended the Rose Parade in person.

We saw all 42 floats (forty-two, not eighteen as seen on tv). And watched them being built for another couple bucks a ticket (think $10) in the preceding days before the parade. The floats were gorgeous ! The bands were superb (all 22 bands) , equestrians (all 19 groups). One ladies group even had the horses 'toenails' painted sparkly blue to go with the outfits. People on East Colorado ave section 550 cheered and shouted Happy New Year and we did 'the wave' several times during breaks in the float line when some group left too much space in between. (I could have done without the 8 types of specialized hand waving because that blocked camera lenses).

The only big negative I saw at the event was lack of enough portable toilets. Across street from starbucks coffee shop were padlocked set of a dozen units at 7am long before the parade start and were still locked at noon as we left. On coffee shop side was a long line of people waiting for 6 toilets and as luck would have it, no toilet paper in my stall so I'm glad I know to expect this and bring my own. Local grocery store had 4 outdoor toilets and their inside restrooms were closed all day. Most businesses were closed along the route too. If you need a toilet you are most certainly out of luck or waiting in a very long line to use a stall without paper and is probably very full (in the well). Knowing that thousands and thousands of people will attend the organizers could have planned for more toilets or at least unlock the ones that are there.

I attending the rose parade with a girlfriend this year as a bucket list trip for both of us. We both loved it and recommend seeing the parade in person at least once. There were so many magnificent floats, bands, horses. It was a Fantastic event. We purchased grandstand seats online early in 2016 to view the parade. Crowds were large but friendly and well bahaved. There was plenty of security and rose parade officials onhand for the parade. We also preordered tickets to see some of the floats being made the day before the parade. The lines for this tour were extremely long (2.5 hours) and the tour, though not very expensive ($15) was not worth the wait. The floats were already constructed by the time we got thru the line and into the building! We skipped the post parade activities in Victory park as the lines were so long. We had lunch after the parade in the area to wait for the crowds to thin out. We watched an encore presentation of the parade on local TV from the comfort of our hotel room and enjoyed that just as much. It was a great experience.

My husband and I were visiting for the Rose Bowl and heard amazing things about the parade! We decided to purchase stadium tickets from a person at our hotel for a discounted rate. We are very glad that we did since I had a fractured running foot. If you are hurt or can't stand around very long, I would recommend doing the same thing. The stadium seating tickets stated on them that we needed to arrive by 6:30 AM since the road would close. My husband and I bundled up since it was surprisingly chilly (high 50's). When we arrived we were greeted by people sleeping on blow-up beds along the sidewalk and fire pits going full-force. We were the only ones in our stadium seats by 6:30 AM. So my advice, if you have a stadium seat, you do not need to show up very early since your seats will be reserved. I did like having these seats because we also had our very own row of portable toilets, which were so much more pleasant than the public ones of the street (thousands and thousands used these...bluck). If you do not have stadium seats, be prepared to stand farther back along the sidewalk so wear comfortable shoes. The parade itself was breathtaking to say the least. The floats were beautiful and so amazing to look at. The people behind us purchased a program, which was wonderful because they read it to their small children when each float passed by our section. It gave information on what types of flowers/plants were used to create the float. Once the parade was done, my husband and I thought we had hours to spare before the Rose Bowl. Do not be fooled! The stadium is in the middle of nowhere and requires the entire in-between time to get there. I'm glad we decided not to stop for a quick lunch because we got to the game right at kick-off. FYI-leave right after the parade because there's TONS of people.

Americans love parade, dont they? I am really glad that i attended to this show and saw how it looks like. I saw it few years ago on a TV and I didnt believe that I will actually be among the crowd one day. It was quite long and sorry but Iowa stole the show with the sky letters

If you think you've experienced this grand old Pasadena tradition because you've seen it on tv, boy are you in for a surprise! Like Carnaval in Rio or Day of the Dead in Oaxaca, the excitement doesn't translate well. Go!

We’ve been going to the Rose Parade for 17 years and it never gets old!! The best Parade with the best atmosphere in the Country!

If you're coming to Los Angeles to see the game you have to add in the parade! Always sit on the south side of the parade. This is where the cameras are and this is where all the money spent on the parade floats.I've never camped out but I've heard it's lots of fun and that you need to bring tons of things to do all night! Because nobody sleeps LOL Enjoy

I love the Rose Parade, I have been going most of my life. Television does not do justice after seeing it in person.

We traveled to California to see the 2023 Rose Parade and had a wonderful time. We were staying in Santa Ana so this meant a very early morning where we drove to Union Station and took the Metro light rail train into Pasadena. We were on the train a little after 5 am which gave us more than enough time and avoided the crowds. We had reserved seats and thought we had to arrive really early. This gave us plenty of time to walk along the parade route and even walk around the first 2 floats that were parked at the start. The weather had been a concern but as the parade started the sun came out and everything went well. Our seats were in front of the Norton Simon Museum and afforded a great view. Highlights were the flyover, San Diego Zoo float and the dragon float. The Norfolk State Band put on a great show and was a crowd favorite. The train back to Union Station was very crowded but still an efficient and easy way to go. Attending the Rose Parade was a great experience and something we would love to do again in the future.

Beautiful parade!! My family and I enjoyed it very much. I would definitely come back again. I love the city of Pasadena. And it has many places to visit

We attended the Rose Parade live for the first time. We have watched on TV for many years but always wanted to attend in person so we did that this year and we were not disappointed. We went with a tour group and had reservations for front row seats and it was fantastic. Would recommend this adventure for everyone to go at least once in their lifetime..

I've watched this Parade on TV for years. To see it in person is an incredible experience. The excitement of the people around you when you see a float and the vibrant colors is amazing. My tip - it's worth it to purchase a seat in the grandstand as well as a post-parade ticket. You can walk around to see the floats up close and see how and what they are really made from.

My wife has said for years that she wanted to go to the parade. We went this year and I was surprised how amazing it is in person. We planned ahead and stayed at the Residence Inn Old Pasadena and got grandstand seats at 235 West Colorado. It was only a 10 minute walk from the hotel so we left the hotel after 7 and we there early.

If you have the privilege of being in the Pasadena/LA area around New Years, make sure to plan ahead, purchase grand stand tickets to the parade and maybe even book a tour of the float final preparation facilities. The floats are stunning and the craftsmanship that goes into them is incomparable to any other float design.

Probably everyone has seen the Rose Parade on Television. And I suspect most watchers marvel at the beauty and intricacy of the floats. But what you don't grasp watching the parade on TV is how much more wonderful it is in person. First, on TV you don't get a sense of how huge some of these floats are. Many are enormous. Second, the radiant colors exceed what you see on TV. And third, the mechanical animation is more impressive in person.

If you do come to Pasadena to see the parade, here are a couple tips for getting up close. Beginning about 11 pm on New Year's Eve the floats start to arrive on Orange Grove Blvd to take their position for the parade. All night long they slowly arrive. The public is free to walk up and down the street and watch the floats arrive and take their position. At about 6 am, the bands and equestrian units take their positions on the side streets. It's really quite fun to watch all this come together. And it's free. Then following the parade, the floats all line up at the other end of Orange Grove for public display. This, however, will cost you an entrance fee and parking is very difficult. Better to take the bus from Old Town.

If you are one of those people (like me) who religiously watches the Rose Parade on TV year after year, you must, at least once, go to Pasadena to see it in person. You do NOT have to go with a tour, but do splurge for the grandstand seats near the corner of Orange and Colorado. We stayed in an apartment (Air BnB) in South Pasadena and caught a Lyft ride to the neighborhood near our seats. You could also take the Gold line Metro. You do have to be there by 7 AM (parade starts sharply at 8 AM). Be sure to go to the Post Parade exhibit of floats on the day after - you can get right up close to the floats to appreciate the detail. If I had it to do over, I would have participated in the float building in the days leading up to the parade. We purchased our tickets through Sharp Ticketing.

We just returned from the Al Brooks Sterling Rose Tour, and it was wonderful. The tour guide, hotel, driver and bus were all first class. All the staff we met were very helpful. This was a bucket list trip, and it fulfilled our wishes in every way.

We spent 4 nights at the Renaissance hotel in Long Beach, and had no complaints. The tour company maintained a desk at the hotel from the Sunday before the trip to the Friday ater, and were there to answer any questions and smooth away any potential problems.

We saw Bandfest (a real highlight), the decorating barn, San Juan Capistrano, the Queen Mary, and the floats the day after the parade. Trip was so good, we will be back in a few years. We didn’t talk with anyone who wasn’t more than happy with the tour. The lunches were served buffet style, but the restaurants knew how to handle the groups, and the guides knew how to handle the groups so all went smoothly.

Our seats for the parade were great. The only issue were the people who thought they could just stand in front of everyone so their pictures were the best. Not the problem of the tour group, but several of Al Brooks staff did their best to keep the views clear.

We live in Southern California but had never attended the Rose Parade because we were intimidated by the crowds, cold, early morning, etc. I am so glad that we finally decided to experience this wonderful parade in person. I appreciated the advice from the reviews on TA, so this is my detailed review.

We purchased grandstand seating, parking, and post parade tickets directly through Sharp Seating. I had difficulty online with being able to see exactly where each grandstand was located and choosing which row to sit in, so I called them directly. The representative on the phone was very helpful in talking through the options and trying to find something that worked for what we wanted. Because it was a late decision to go to the parade, I was very happy to get seating in zone 1 near the beginning of the parade. We were able to splurge on the more expensive tickets, and we felt they were worth the additional money. We were on Orange Blvd before the turn onto Colorado Blvd. and across from the large bank of TV cameras. The sun did shine in our faces, which was nice to warm us up, but did cause some issues with pictures. The larger grandstand on the opposite side of the street would have had better viewing, because a street light and tree partially obstructed our view. However, we were very happy with our grandstand for a few reasons. We were on the back row of a 5 row small grandstand. We were able to see the bands & floats so close up. There were some people in our grandstand that had children in the bands and they were able to see them very clearly. If you have difficulty walking up large flights of bleachers, one of the smaller grandstands might be a good option for you. We were also very near the main t.v. cameras so we saw all the bands play and there were also a few musical performances at the beginning and end of the parade that happened there. We liked being on the back row because we could lean against the back and stand up when needed. The seating is extremely tight (knees hit the back of the person in front of you). We had considered getting the front row but were concerned about possible obstruction of views - in the grandstand we were in, this would not have been a problem at all. If we were across the street, it could have been a problem because there were cameras also on the ground (but a few rows up would have been fine). A few other tips: you can only bring chair pads, not stadium seats that have metal on them. We had to return to our car after waiting in the security line after we learned this. You can only bring in sealed water bottles, many people had to leave their expensive water containers at security. Bring in water/snacks unless you are part of a group that is providing you refreshments. We found no vendors to purchase drinks from until after the parade. There are long lines for the portable toilets, but they moved pretty fast. These were located right near the large grandstands, but there did not seem to be as many port-a-potties at the end of the parade route.

Parking: We purchased parking through Sharp seating and it was a short 10 minute walk to our grandstand. All of the parking is "stacked" meaning that your car is trapped until the other cars before you leave. This sounded like it could be a big problem, but luckily for us it worked out fine. We arrived Very Early to the parking area & grateful that we did because we were one of the first group of cars out of the lot (we sat in our car for a while and stayed warm while killing time). The parade ended for us at 10:00 a.m. and we were out of the stands, to our car, and onto the freeway in 45 minutes. We were all very happy with that. However, we did see some side streets that were packed with cars trying to get out of the area. I had read quite a few reviews suggesting using the metrolink, but as we left the area, there seemed to be a lot of people waiting at the station. Not to say this isn't a good option, just something to be aware of.

Post-parade float viewing: We also pre-purchased our tickets to see the floats after the parade. We had to vacate our parking area right after the parade, but the floats are not available for viewing until 1:00 p.m. We were able to get free street parking at 11:00 a.m. nearby to an entrance. We were near the front of the line, and this again worked out well. It was a long wait to enter, but once we were in, it was interesting to walk around and view the floats up close & talk to some of the float volunteers. However, within 30 minutes, the area was packed with people. The floats are very spread apart and there is a lot of walking required. We ended up leaving after an hour because of the crowds and because we felt like we had seen the floats pretty well from our seats at the parade.

All in all, it was a great one-time experience for us. Hearing and seeing the bands & floats up close is so much more impressive than watching it on t.v. The energy of all the spectators is fun too. However, when we got home we watched the parade on t.v., and we do like the commentary and background on the floats/bands.

If you’re like me you may have thought “it’s no big deal it’s a parade”. Well, until you’ve been in person you have no idea how spectacular it truly is! One of the best ways to view the parade is from behind the scenes. Of course you can buy tickets and sit in the bleachers but you will miss the logistics and fine details that make this the most complicated and fantastic parade in the world. We walked and toured the lineup of the parade floats on South Orange Grove Blvd and it was free. Many people don’t know that starting around midnight the day of the parade all of the floats must take their place and lineup. Here you can get extremely close to every float and see the details and talk to the folks that built it. The line up is on South Orange Groce Blvd from Colorado Blvd south to Glenarm. You can find parking in the surrounding neighborhoods and walk in. Orange Grove Blvd is blocked off to traffic but not to pedestrians. If you’re their in the early morning you will witness the arrival of the famous Budweiser Clydesdales and many other delights. Come and get the behind the scenes experience.

Viewed the 2017 Rose Parade from grandstand section 406, Row 31 which was at the start of the parade route on Colorado Blvd. It was the best seats I could buy when I called Sharp Seating in November 2016. The location was good because all the floats and bands performed their routines. The row 31 viewing distance was far, but still more exciting than watching the parade on TV. It is awesome to have the B-2 Stealth Bomber flyover at the start. I recommend ordering grandstand seats earlier than November and you may be able to get a row closer to the street level and experience the scent of roses as the floats pass by.

One of the best parades. Beautiful Floats and great bands. Also very well organized. I was afraid that it would be a mess and hard to get in and out. I got there at 6:30 and the parade started at 8, we had plenty of time to find a place to watch the parade. Going home was a bit slow, but you have to expect that.

Attended this for wife's bucket list. Booked thru a travel agent, who used Rose Parade Experiences.

First, went to the Rose decorating 'barn' along with a LOT of others, so you could not get good pictures. The real kick, if you wanted to 'volunteer' to decorate, you could pay $200-300 each. No thank you.

Understand that the Rose Parade Experience had 600 people just at our hotel (Hotel Irvine) so everything was 10-12 busses.

We had no idea about that from our travel agency - so any future travel will likely not be with them or with a lot of questions.

The Rose Parade actual event was a dangerous and frustrating experience. There are over 1,000 busloads of people attending as part of the 1 million viewers of the parade. Our parking lot was close to our grandstands, but they gave us the wrong directions to our seats and we waited in line to get into the grandstands for 20 minutes, and were then told to get in a different line.

We finally got into the grandstands and found we had OBSTRUCTED views, no mention of that from the travel agent.

The grandstands themselves have tiny seats, which coupled with 25 levels up and the fact that this is a bucket list item for a lot of people with limited mobility, makes for a dangerous and uncomfortable viewing. You are scrunched in your seat, with someone's knees in your back, and you need to help strangers get up, down, walk, not what we had in mind.

The only saving grace, the day after, float viewing. You got to see floats up close and talk to the reps for the floats.

I can see what many locals skip the decorating barn and the parade and spend the $15 to see the floats the day after.

Picture 1 from the grandstands, 2-3 at the day after.

I have watched TV for so many years until this year. Luckily the weather is not too bad. I took more than thousand photos. Shown below are the bests to represent the spirit of Rose Parade by my opinion.

The Pasadena Rose Parade is the experience of a lifetime! Best view is on Colorado, just past Orange Grove. All of the bands and floats perform in this section here because this is where the television cameras are. Also less chance for float breakdowns/delays. For real people / band fun, get a seat by Pasadena City College (PCC). Most of the band fans sit here so the bands tend to let loose and show out in this section. Wherever you sit you will have a wonderful opportunity to see and smell the flowers - literally! There is no other event like it!!

Our family didn't fancy camping out to get a good viewing spot, paying hundreds of dollars for seats or waiting long periods for the Rose Bowl Parade to begin so we opted for a tour of the floats being constructed a couple of days before the Parade. At $10 a head it was an excellent choice that came with opportunities to have our photos taken by helpful staff against a backdrop of Rose Bowl signs. We were able to spend as long as we liked in the assembly building and enjoyed a rehearsal drumming session by the large music group party that rode atop the China Airlines float. The float builders were also happy to share their insights into the process and those from the Cal Poly float were especially good in this respect. Moreover, once outside we could roam at will around the Sip and Savor portion of the area and listen to very creditable rock musicians perform. After a couple of hours we had seen enough and retired well pleased to sample the cuisine of downtown Pasadena.

There is a reason the Pasadena Rose Parade is world-famous. The floats are the most beautiful of any parade. Every surface on every float must be covered with plant life. Certainly roses are the most common pedal used. Also leaves and seeds are used. The Rose Parade is natural beauty riding down the street.

What a great experience, even though you have to arrive a few hours before the parade starts, it is worth the time. Just to see the floats and the flowers is awesome. The bands and horses just ad to the excitement, then you throw in the B2 bomber. WOW

After many years of watching the Rose Parade on TV from our snowy weather, we decided to travel to Southern California for the Rose Parade. We researched the trip for nearly a year. All of our reading mentioned huge crowds. In truth, if you plan well, it's not that expensive or overwhelming. To save money, we didn't book a tour. A company called Sharp Seating sells tickets to most if not all events including parking. We chose bleacher seats about halfway down the parade route. Near parking. Make sure the seat you choose is facing away from the sun. Arrive a bit early to avoid crawling over others to get to your seat. There are so many activities going on that you would never see on TV! Can't wait to do it again!

If you have wanted to attend the Rose Parade this is how you do it at no cost. Arrive early. We got there at 630 AM. We parked for free about four blocks east of the end of the parade. We took camp chairs and cheese and crackers for snacks. We wanted to sit to view the camera side of the floats so we were in the shade on Sierra Madre for a while. Take jackets/blankets. Getting there that early we had seats in the 3rd row of spectators. Awesome. We were close to a first aid station and near a Starbucks at a Vons. We were in direct flight if flyover and could see Rose Bowl blimp. Amazing experience.

We have viewed the parade numerous time from the street, and this year it didn't rise to the level of previous years. The floats were just okay. There were large gaps due to breakdowns and performances.

We attended the parade this year, and even though the weather was not the sunny day we always have seen on TV, was a great time. Even better was the chance to volunteer to work on the floats prior to the parade. Seeing the amount of effort that goes into the floats gives you a much greater appreciation of this parade. If you are going to be in the area on the 29 - 31st of December, take a few hours and volunteer for your chance to not only see but participate in the parade!

One warning - you can purchase tickets to view the floats the day before the parade. The day before is open from 9am - 1pm. We arrived at 10:30am and the line was over 2.5 hours long. You also go up to a catwalk and walk over a few floats. We did not even make it through the line, but Sharp Seating (the company selling the tickets for the Rose Parade) was kind enough to refund our purchase price. Try the couple days before that when you can walk among the floats by the Rose Bowl itself.

I have just returned from an amazing trip to LA with Al Brooks Rose Parade Tours. The tour company, tour guide, and bus driver were all exceptional. Our tour was called the Pacific Rose and included a 4 night stay at the Hyatt Long Beach. Each day we were treated to wonderful sights and tours including Warner Brother’s Studio, the Queen Mary, Huntington Library, and a Long Beach Harbor cruise. The cherry on top was a visit to a float construction barn and the excellent grandstand seats at the Rose Bowl Parade. Our tour also included transportation to these fabulous places, breakfast and lunch each day. I would recommend Al Brooks Rose Parade tour company to anyone looking to sit back, relax, and enjoy the historical parade and beautiful Southern California.

The Rose Bowl was always something I thought I would never see in person but when my UGA bulldogs were named to the Rose Bowl I knew I had to make the trip. We took the light rail to Pasadena from downtown and arrived around 8 am. We didn't have that hard of a time finding a good viewing spot. The parade was excellent and seeing the floats up close truly added to the experience that you cannot grasp on tv.

I have always watched this parade on TV but there is nothing like seeing it in person! All the fans were so fun and seeing the floats were amazing. So much work was put into making this the "granddaddy of them all"

As we drove east on the 210 Freeway at about 6am (ie, two hours before the parade even started), we drove by the huge backlog of cars trying to exit at Pasadena, probably planning on paying $20 to $30 to park their cars -- but we kept right on driving. Our plan was simple: exit east of Pasadena, at the Sierra Madre Villa Exit. After doing so, we turned right at the first light (Foothill Blvd, with Kaiser Permanente at the intersection), right again at the next light, onto Halstead, and then right again into the free Metro parking lot. There are 800 parking spots in this garage, and almost all were available, even those on the fourth floor. That's the floor you use to (1) buy your tickets to ride the LA Metro for the day ($5.50 per person), and then (2) walk onto the waiting area for the Metro. A police officer gave a sense of security, and ticket sellers were available for assistance. The light rail Line A for Long Beach (west, back towards Pasadena) arrived within ten minutes, we boarded with several other passengers, and rode two stops before we got to the Lake Station. Exiting there, we walked less than ten minutes to Colorado Blvd, and took our seats there. One could also exit at Allen, Memorial Park, or Del Mar; depending on where you expect to watch the parade. Walked back to the Lake Station, used our day ticket to return right to our car, got back on the freeway in about a minute, and drove by more traffic exiting from Pasadena.

Saved time, money, and aggravation doing it this way. The number of fellow passengers and the presence of police made this choice no less safe than driving a car & fighting for a place to park. There was a person sleeping on our rail car, but this is not (for me) a major problem.

Sure, you can watch it on TV, but it's a zillion times better in person. The tickets are easy to get on line if you want to sit in the grandstands, or just bring a folding chair and watch on the street. Either way, you'll smell the roses (literally!), see the colors, and feel the excitement of the crowd.

I've watched the Rose Parade ever since I was a kid. This was a bucket list trip for me. It certainly did not disappoint. I was incredibly impressed by the organization of the event - getting 100,000 people to find their seats is not easy!! I would recommend you do the parade through a tour company. Everybody should do this once in their lives~!!!!

Ok we just went to the parade and it was AMAZING! But here are some helpful things I wish I knew:

The Pre-Parade decorating of the floats has a crazy long line if you go the day before the parade so get their early to make sure you can get through it. We got there 30 minutes early and still had to wait an hour to make it in. It was really cool to see them decorating and it's only $15 a ticket. They do have other days to go so if you are staying in Pasadena it might be best to go a couple of days before.

The Parade: we stayed about 15 minutes away in San Gabriel and it was super easy to get to the parade because we just took an uber and there was no traffic. We bought grandstand tickets for area 4 near the Chick fil a and right in front of Pasadena City College. So we could get to the parade a little later because it took the beginning of the parade about an hour to get to our section. If you have seats at the beginning of the parade you have to be there super early. So it was nice to roll up at 7:30am and we still had tons of time since you have saved seats. It was nice having seats because otherwise you we would have had to stand because people sat out their chairs the day before and camped out. The seats are cold so bring a blanket or something to sit on - or they have seat cushions you can buy.

After the parade is when the traffic gets crazy! They block off so many streets that is gets chaotic. It wouldn't have been so bad if we were just going back to our hotel but we were going to the Post Parade float viewing so getting over there took awhile. If I had to do that again I would have gone the next day instead of right after because the line to get in was also super long! There are 3 entrances but each one had a long line. The parade ended about 11am from where we were sitting and you need to kill time until the Post Parade stuff opens at 1pm. There is a free shuttle near Pasadena college but we just decided to Uber and it was about $9.

We went through pretty fast because we were just exhausted after a lot of walking. But totally worth it to go see the floats up close. Also its great to have your ticket in advance because there is an even longer line to get your tickets. The tickets are $15.

I know a lot of people say Public Transportation is the way to go but taking a Uber wasn't too bad and wasn't too expensive. I would say parking is terrible just because getting out after is the hard part.

You should definitely go!!

I was so excited to go to the Rose Parade. We got seats through Sharp Seating so that we were guaranteed a seat and good view. All we got was a seat. our view was blocked by palm leaves and a chain link fence. We saw the back corners of the floats and bands. We had fun anyway merely because the experience is what you make it. But I would never ever recommend Sharp Seating.

Not a tourist since we live just 5 mins from the place where the parade ends. We wait at the same spot every year to enjoy the beautiful floats and the bands. We go a day before the big parade at the Rose Bowl to see the preview of the floats and see how they are judge for the special awards.

It is a fun way to begin the New Year. Go come see it once in your lifetime :-)

We left our hotel in south LA at 4am! We were parked and on the streets by 5.30am ready for the parade. It was very cold and people had camped out all night with stoves and soup. However, when the sun came up the atmosphere changed and we made lots of friends sharing coffee and donuts. My daughter (aged 17) and I loved it and then we went to watch the game...brilliant!

We did an all inclusive package with A La Carte Tours for the Rose Parade. For one price we visited the float barn construction area, had grandstand seats for parade, and visited the post-parade viewing area of floats. Included in our package as well were a Hollywood/Los Angeles tour, Santa Monica Pier, and a tour of the Queen Mary. Several wonderful lunches were included as well. The tour guide, David, and our bus driver were fantastic. The tour was very well organized and the entire trip was amazing. Would highly recommend A La Carte tours for this "bucket list" trip!

We viewed the floats that were in the Rose Parade on January 2, 2018. The viewing was open to the public on January 1 from 1-4 p.m. and on January 2 from 9 a.m. til 4 p.m. We were able to walk the 2.5 miles and have an up close view of all the floats in the parade. There were volunteers there with the Rose Parade to answer viewers questions. We found it very enjoyable and informative.

We had always wanted to see this live and we finally got there. What an experience! We were with a Globus tour which got us seats in the fifth row and a perfect view. The floats are beautiful and the imagination that goes into their production boggles the mind. The bands were great as well. So glad we did it and I would highly recommend it.

Tournament of Roses Parade
Everyone we know has the Tournament of Roses Parade on their bucket list. They have watched it on TV and think it is beautiful. They are a little off on their estimation of what this is actually like. First of all, it is moving (I am in tears) as the B2 and two F35s conduct a fly over. This is followed by a spectacular rendition of the Halls of Montezuma as played by the Marine marching band.
Then the floats begin. I know they were originally just carts, carriages and wagons that were decorated with flowers and moved down Colorado Blvd in Pasadena (the Rose City). But, it has come a long way and is now not just gorgeous floats but also major works of technology. Many are animated; have waterfalls; provide explosions and fireworks; and support entertainers and celebrities. But the stars of the parade are the large variety of plant materials that bring phenomenal images that look real. Seaweed, stamen, fruits, nuts, grasses, bark, and all sorts of flowers are some of the plant material that cover all surfaces on these floats. But to see this detail you will need to go to the building tents before the parade and/or the display of floats after the parade.
And there are also the bands. Incredible performers and synchronized movements with fabulous uniforms present the best bands in the nation. Many HS, regional, and international bands are represented. They play a variety of music selections approved by the Tournament.
This parade also makes a statement about the role of horses in this part of the country. From native Hispanics to miniature ponies, the four-legged contributors to society and history are acknowledged.
Whatever you are thinking about the Tournament of Roses Parade – it is so much more.

Talk about spectacular! We signed up with Al Brooks Rose Bowl Tours and had amazing pre-parade, parade seats, and post-parade!

We were able to see some of the floats the day before at one of the construction barns. Admission is $13. The only "downer" part of the trip was the fact that the parade judges were delayed in their judging and we had to wait outside standing in line for 1.5 hours before being admitted. We walked up a couple flights of stairs to a catwalk in order to view the floats. Unfortunately we were a day late to see them being constructed. But it was still interesting to get a little "teaser" on some of the floats.

We got up VERY early on parade day. Because we were with a very established tour company we were able to park as close as possible to the entrance of the parade. Otherwise it would be a very long walk in the still dark, early morning.
We arrived very early and enjoyed hot chocolate (provided by the tour company) before passing through security and finding our way to our reserved grandstand seats.

If you buy tickets on your own ($95) you should try to get tickets on the south side of Colorado Blvd. We were under some broadcast booths and had the sunshine at our backs- perfect! We were also at the beginning so we got to hear and see all of the performances. That was well worth it!
The city of Pasadena and the Tournament of Roses do an amazing job. They have things running like a well oiled machine.
Immediately following the parade we were so close to the tour bus that we were basically the first to get away from the traffic and on our way.

The afternoon of the parade we returned to Pasadena for the post-parade viewing of the floats. AMAZING to see the artistry up close. The admission is $15. Tournament members are at almost every float to answer questions and tell you details about how the floats are made. If you linger and take pictures like we did, you will want to be there the whole time. It is open from 1-5. Be warned that it is VERY crowded. It would be difficult to take small children or strollers...but they would likely enjoy seeing some of the floats. Fortunately we were with the tour company and able to park very close by. The police closed an entrance we had made plans for- but we ended up in better position anyway.

Kudos to Al Brooks Tours. I can imagine the planning complexities of getting so many folks in place at just the right time- this was a trip of a lifetime!

We purchased tickets to see Decorating Places (viewing of floats during final stages of decorating) on 12/30. On arrival at the designated location, we saw a line going down the sidewalk and wrapping around to the next street. I would estimate the wait time to be atleast 2 hours, perhaps more as the line appeared to be at a complete standstill. Little did we know when we booked a particular entry time, we would need to tack on a couple hours line time. We forfeited the money spent on tickets and drove on. Oh, did I mention we drove 2 hours to get there? Very Disappointed to say the least. Rose Bowl folks, you need to figure out a better way.

Everyone should go to the Rose Parade once in their lifetimes! The floats are spectacular especially if you get a chance to see some of them being assembled. The time and effort it takes to put them together is amazing. After the parade we went to see the floats up close. Be advised- everything is very very crowded. We also got to the Bandfest held a few days before at Pasadena Community College. The bands from various cities put on quite a show.
People start holding their spots for the parade days in advance. Some camp out on the street. Parking is a premium. I would recommend scouting out your parking and viewing points well in advance. The parade route goes about 6-7 miles. Bleacher seats are available but should be researched and need to be purchased well in advance. Spectators start arriving at 6:00 am.

Highly recommend purchasing grandstand seats as they are assigned seating and you don’t have to camp out the night before.

Be prepared to wake up early as you have to park by 6am (with grandstand tickets).

They do not allow drinks greater than a certain size into the secured area and there are no concession stands within. Go to Ralph’s for coffee/snacks.

Restrooms - go early as the lines are insane.

The floats and bands are so much better in person...the tele does not do them justice!

This had been on my bucket list for year. It surpassed my expectations in every way. The detail and size of the beautiful floats are not done justice on a TV screen. Also, many more bands and horses than on TV. Go in person! You will be amazed!

Very disappointing, Mark Kelly for grand marshal come on? Ever since Hubanks and Powers retired the parade had gone down hill, I have friends who said they wouldn't even watch it on tv anymore. They wanted vaccination cards for bleachers. California has become crazy insane. As soon as we got 5 miles from Pasadena I felt very unsafe

For years I had seen the parade on TV. We just moved here and have seen it two years in a row. The floats are exquisite and all made of flowers, moss , fruits and coconut shavings, etc. It is amazing to see all the carriages made with natural things and how creative they are. It is one the 1st of year except if that day is Sunday. Then it will be on the second. Horses are not allowed to parade on a Sunday because of the church bells in olden times. The same day the floats go to this viewing place and you can take a good look and photos with them. Sitting is done but Sharp seating but a lot of people find good spots to use on Colorado Blvd. I finally have seen it...twice! And loved it.

I’ve attended the Tournament of Roses parade for a while now and it’s the most enjoyable feast for the eyes! Besides the amazing floats - all miraculously made from flora & vegetation, the delightful aromas from all those fresh flowers makes you feel transported to paradise! One caveat — It does get quite crowded, arrive early, get your spot, then close your eyes as the floats go by, and don’t forget to send out your well wishes for the new year!

Visited Pasadena to participate in decorating flowered floats and attend the famous Rose parade. The process of decorating floats was fascinating. Stripping rose stems, inserting them in vials, placing them on the float itself was certainly team effort.
The parade itself viewed from either a grand stand or standing on the street is a must see event. The adrenaline infused enthusiastic marching bands raised goose bumps.
One criticism - this beautiful city did not provide sufficient trash receptacles or portable toilets to accommodate the enormous crowds along the parade route.

Our tour experience with Al Brooks was great. They delivered all they promised in our package. We stayed at the Hyatt in Long Beach and the hotel was excellent - clean, great staff, good food, plenty to do near by when off site. Our tour guide was Greg - a home grown guy that was funny with lots of stories to tell but most important knew a lot about where we were going and fixing to do or see.
Our tour group was very diverse but we made friends quickly and everyone was willing to help eachother..

I’ve lived here five years and enjoyed seeing the parade live and in-person. Chalk out your area 24-36 hours before and work in a team to hold down your area to ensure a great spot and experience.

We loved the parade. It was beautiful and so amazing to see the floats in real life.

Tips for a great experience:

Park at Union Station and take the metro.
Get to parade route by 6:30
Dress warmly in layers and bring some snacks.
If you have folding chairs or a blanket bring those along.
Buy the $10 program.

After the parade, either go straight back to the metro - as quick as you can or plan to stay around town for awhile.

Amazing and so glad to check this event off my bucket list. Would love to be able to come back one day.

Once a year on New Years Day (Jan 2 if New Years falls on a Sunday) the Pasadena hosts the Rose Parade! A wonderful parade featuring floats made from natural materials, various bands and equestrian groups.

I'd recommend while attending to book a reserved seat on the bleachers ... while this costs $$ (you can stand on the street for free) ... you don't need to claim your spot multiple nights before, and you will have a nice, elevated view of the parade. There is normally a vendor who is aligned with the Rose Parade to sell seats -- book early for the best seats!

Also - it will be recommended to arrive early which is a good idea! If you do arrive early - and are near the beginning of the parade - you can get morning food/coffee, etc at Ralphs Grocery on about the 300 block of W. Colorado!

Would recommend this if you've never done it before --it only takes about 2 hours for the parade to complete -- so if you're near the start ... you're done by 10:30 local time and have plenty of time to enjoy the rest of the day OR to head over to the Rose Bowl for a great afternoon football game!

An annual tradition in Pasadena. This New Years Day parade is 2.5 to 3 hours long and features colorful floats, marching bands and choreographed spectacles all featuring materials from nature. Taking place on a 5 1/2 mile stretch through the center of town, people line the streets and camp out overnight to get the best views. Vendors serve food along the route. Witnessed by millions annually around the world it is truly the best way to welcome the New Year!

This year I got the chance to see the floats being made for the Rose Parade and it is magic. It is unbelievable the transformation flowers can make on a basic constructed frame just waiting to be enlivened by the addition of plant life.

The final outcomes were magnificent as they changed into visual long memories that stay with you long past the day of the parade,The Bands were excellent and the whole parade is a loving tribute of nature and the all that which sustains us.The performers were all excellent also.

The Parade is something that should be seen in person by everyone as a reminder of why nature is so important and why we need to do more to save the earth because we have a symbiotic relationship with it.

I bought tickets for the grandstand and it was well worth the price. If you can, do the same.

We made reservations for seats and parking through First United Methodist Church . The church first offers the seats and parking to parishioners and then the public. We had a pancake breakfast for $9, listened to piano and organ music in the sanctuary until parade time. We had front row seats and really saw the floats, the marchers,and the horses.

Hotels near the parade root were VERY expensive for 2 nights. We stayed in an M6 about 15 miles away and it was so much better.

We purchased grandstand seats, got section 320 W. Colorado Blvd. If this is a first time to see the parade and you can afford it, I say spend the $95 for the grandstand! There was a large, overhanging tree that partially blocked our view of the street as you looked left. It was a challenge to shoot photos and not have the tree in the shot. I would recommend section 318 or 316 so you can see more of the parade "coming at you".

Other than that, it was fabulous to see the parade from the elevated viewpoint of the grandstand. It was also nice to know we had reserved seats and didn't need to worry about where to sit. We were cozy with our seatmates, but not nearly as cozy as you are at the Rose Bowl for the football game! Because they are bleachers, if you put things at your feet, you risk them falling through to the ground below.

If I went again, I would do the grandstand seats. The only thing I missed was not having an announcer but the program gives plenty of information.

Jay and his staff are outstanding! Liz was great this year on the White Rose tour as was Linda on the Yellow Rose last year. The Reagan library with lunch under the wing of Air Force one was outstanding. Full day to visit and a great on-site guide.

Al Brooks is the top tour for the Rose Bowl Parade and Game. The total tour was top notch from check-in to conclusion. Our tours of the Huntington Library, Float Barn, Hollywood, first home in Los Angles and the game where wonderful.

Excellent meals and such a positive group of staff.

Thanks for a great experience!

I would Highly Advise going in person, TV is great, but so much more
when you are there.
It starts with the people from all over the world being there, most times sharing food and drinks, snacks, just like a big Family, that really makes a lifes impression.

Would refer you go the night before to choose a good spot, you will find some great folks to share with that way, bring coolers, drinks and food.
Dress warm, or bring jackets, its California, but can get chilly or cold, this time of year.

The excitment begins again as the parade draws close, Unreal Beauty to be right there up close, hear the bands from all over the world, you and your guest will never forget this event, Unlike Any other, you wont ever Forget !!!

You can Also view the Floats at the Park close by, real close for pictures
Colorado Blvd Pasadena California

This is a beautiful parade of handmade floats full of flowers. People come from all over the Country to see it. Super recommended

There are certain things you should do at least once and not just watch on TV. Going to a major sports event is one. Going to the Rose Parade is another. You get a much better perspective as to the size of the floats, the brilliant colors and the excitement of the parade. If you only go to the parade you miss half of what you should see. You should visit a couple of the float assembly sites in the days before the parade. This is the only way to truly appreciate the time, detail and effort that goes into the floats. This was almost as rewarding as the parade itself.

This was a dream come true and thanks to my son who made it possible for me to go... I booked with Al Brooks Tours.... They were amazing... can't thank them enough, from check in to the Marriott LA Airport to the actual parade... it was 3 days of adventure. We got to see where the floats are built and meet some of the works, the seats on Parade day were amazing... Our guide Steve was absolutely a fountain of information and kept us entertained for 2 complete days...

After watching the parade every New Year’s Day, what an amazing delight to be able to experience it personally! The work that goes into the floats by throngs of volunteers is truly impressive! We were blessed to secure front row grandstand seating and what a treat it was! I was concerned that there would b people standing in front of us blocking our view but I was wrong... it is very civilized and just delightful!

Bandfest and Equestfest before are highly recommended if you are able to fit them in. We had tickets to view the floats before, but the wait was at least 2 hours so we skipped it.

What a wonderful way to start off 2019!

We watched this parade many times on tv, and decided to visit and experience it in person, but we didn't want to camp out along the route the night before to get a good location. Checking online, we found that reserved seats in a grand stand, with reserved parking nearby, was available through an organization called Sharp Seating at reasonable prices. We booked our tickets and were not disappointed. Tickets for other related events were also available, which we took advantage of.

The organization of the event, the directions supplied with our ticket package, and the parking arrangements were all excellent. We arrived at our assigned parking location about 2 hours early, as directed, and although the traffic was a bit heavy we found many others had already arrived. We only had about a 2 block walk to our assigned seats and found them very easily. The local police and security personnel were all very helpful in getting us to our grand stand location.

We booked seats close to the starting location of the parade, not knowing where the best viewing location would be. We were not disappointed! At a few minutes past 8 AM, the leadoff motorcycle police escort came into view, and the bands and floats followed closely behind. Very prompt start and very well organized. There were about 22 high school and university bands in the parade, all of which were excellent performers. The qualifications and requirements for a band to be entered in the parade are very stringent, and it is a great honor to be selected by the committee.

The flowered floats, are, of course, the highlight of the parade. The colors and design of each of the floats was amazing to see in person. Even though the main decorations are the flowers of all sorts, every inch of the floats exterior must be covered with organic materials like poppy seeds, vegetables (potatoes were used a cobblestones), and numerous other materials. Truly an exceptional experience to see the detail design and workmanship that it takes to make these floats. Thousands of man hours and hundreds of thousands of flowers are devoted to each of the floats, with some being more elaborate and larger than others. But none were disappointing.

The parade ended in exactly 2 hours, to the minute, and exiting the location was so well organized that we were back in our hotel in less than an hour, which was a 30 minute drive from the parade route. Very well organized crowd control.

We would recommend this experience to anyone and would definitely do it again.

My husband and I debating "doing" the Rose Parade on our own or going through a company. We're very glad that we selected Diamond Travel. It was a 3 day package which included 3 nights in one of 3 hotels (different price points), possible tour of the LA area, seeing the floats the day before the parade in the "barn", excellent seats for the parade ($100 apiece), and seeing the floats afterwards in Victory Park. It was wonderful not to have to drive or find a place to park! The parade was great, but even more interesting, was seeing the floats up close afterwards. The detail is just incredible. Each float takes about 300 people and 3,000 hours to build.... and most of the flowers are attached in the last 48 hours! Highly recommend!

Our visit occurred in January 2009, but the date field below does not go back that far and is required.

Since my father-in-law never completed this item on his bucket list, my wife and I decided to honor him by making the trip to see this remarkable event. You should do the same at least once. Locals and tourists stake out their positions on the parade route the day before and spend the night on the street. The police do not allow them on the curb until a certain time so they hug the walls of businesses until being allowed to set up camp near the end of the business day.

You can also view the floats in storage for a few days prior to the parade. If you do this, pay for a tour or pass that gets you down on the floor with the floats, not up on a catwalk looking down. Your pictures will be much better. Check Rose Parade websites to find tickets.

I recommend calling Sharp Seating Company after studying the parade seating on their website. They were not allowed to recommend the "best seats", but I explained that I wanted to hear bands playing. What they could do was tell me where the TV cameras would be, so mission accomplished. Make sure to buy a parking pass! The lady answered all my questions and made sure I had everything in place to enjoy the parade.

We were also told to get there very early to avoid the traffic jams on the interstate exits, so we were there several hours before the start and drove right to our garage where we napped until time to head for the seats. Bring warm clothes and plenty of coffee to avoid the long lines.

Experienced the 2017 Parade and well worth it.

Notes of Advice: 1. You can do this on your own by buying tickets online 2. Get grandstand tickets somewhere along the parade route as it elevates you and you can sit in comfort to watch 3. Try parking away from parade route and use Uber to get you close for only about $5.00 4. Know your weather before hand and be prepared for the outdoors at the parade 5. To view floats a day or two before the parade in the construction barns, you will need tickets. Best to get them online ahead of time. 6. PreParade viewing of floats is not up close and personal - you enter the barns via stairs and then walk a cat walkway above the floats along a far wall. You can see some of the floats clearly but not all from the walkway vantage point. Also, expect long lines so get there early. 7. The better option is the post parade viewing of the floats after the parade and the next day ... much better views!

We booked our parade experience late due to team making rose bowl. Used Sharp Seating 3 weeks out to get grandstand seats and parking. Seats were 235 W Colo which were north side over closed Long Beach Fwy for $100 ea. They got us 5 seats in row f which were good. Yes sun was slightly in our face to southeast but parade comes other direction. Also we had earlier sun heating whereas south side was in shadow longer. So temp got very nice. Started out w ski hat, gloves, sweatshirt, jacket. Shed down to sweatshirt by parade start.

Stayed by LAX so left at 430am per Sharp recommendation. Took I5 to Hwy 2 to Hwy 134 to get around parade setup south of Colorado Blvd. Little traffic so got to Parsons Garage north of parade by 515am. Prob could have left hour later as trfc was ok til after 6am.

Took food and sat in car til 730, then went to seats. Biggest problem was few porta pots so expect long lines. Take seat cushions as seats are metal and cold. Wear layers.

If we did it again I would try for hotel in Pasadena or hotel along Gold Line subway which runs from downtown LA to Pasadena. Overall great experience, well done Pasadena!

A must for everyone to see. Parade starts on time and moves efficiently. The floats were gorgeous and to see them live gives you a greater appreciation for the work and design today goes into the floats.

Good seats all along the route. Bleachers are worth the price.

Reservations for parking and seats can be made on line.

I generally dislike and avoid parades but having been to the Rose Parade three different occasions now, I must wholeheartedly recommend this as a must see event. My family of four attended the most recent (2019) parade and were impressed with everything from the organization of the event down to each individual float, band or equestrian group! TV does not do the parade justice so if you ever get the chance to attend do not hesitate to do it!

Finally crossed this experience off the bucket list this year. Well worth getting up early, waiting in the cold, and dealing with the crowds. Even the teenager had a smile on their face during the parade. Everyone should experience this in person at least once in their lifetime.

It is quite the spectacle. People started lining up for spots on the sidewalk 36 hours BEFORE the star of the parade. So many people. Great parade.

Everyone should try to see this Event in person at least once in their lifetime. We're so Glad we DID & we're 70!!!! Definitely a Bucket List experience shared in a tour group with friends, and neighbors from the RV park where we stay in Tucson, AZ. We had Mid way up the Bleachers reserved seating, but unfortunately the map that was provided showed # 87 (for example) would be an end seat in that row. But in reality, it was actually seated next to seat 1 of the section to it's left, if one was facing the street. For me, it was disappointing, as I tend to get Claustrophobic in tight spaces. Fortunately the folks in those seats vacated early, once their fy member's band passed by, so we could space out just a little. As an additional Bonus, the Parade staff is very helpful in helping you find your seats. Plus the stands cleared out fairly quickly for the amount of people. The crowds that hang out on the between the sidewalk & the streets can be a bit of an issue once one is trying to leave. Plus for seniors there are a certain amount of stairs to get up into the bleachers. Plus, you might have to walk a considerable distance from where you park your car or bus. *It's still worth it!!!

Absolutely wonderful with Al Brooks Tours! Went to Hollywood, toured the Dolby Theatre, Queen Mary, Paramount Studios, day after parade tour, etc.

Thoroughly enjoyed the parade - it is worth the early wake-up to get there at the required time. Had grandstand seats. When we arrived, an official event person said that we would have to re-Uber about 5 miles away, when in fact it turned out that we just had to walk about a block to our seats (as we had assumed/planned). This caused much un-needed stress (with a small child in tow as well in the dark, at 5:15 a.m.). Later another event staff mentioned a long walk to the bathrooms when in fact there were much closer ones (again, not helpful with a small child in tow). Overall, the parade is first-class and truly memorable.

A spectacular colorful adventure full of creative creations. A family friendly fun adventure to share with the ones you love.

Going to the parade in person was a bucket list item for me. It lived up to my expectations! I had bleacher seats just beyond the turn that I purchased a year in advance. So worth it. The floats are amazing and the best thing we did was go to the post-parade display. We were able to see the fantastic detail on the floats up close. There is a lot of walking. Food vendors were along the parade route and we had a delicious hot dog wrapped in bacon. I highly recommend the parade and the post!

We lived in Pasadena for more than a decade and attended the Tournament of Roses Parade several times. It's a lot of fun -- and much more impressive than seeing it on TV (even if you're watching KTLA -- LOL). We recommend paying for seating in the bleachers along Colorado Boulevard. You have a confirmed seat and you don't have to spend the night on the street leading up to the morning of the parade.

My Mom's had this on her bucket list for years and 2019 was the perfect year to do this! We arrived at the float decorating just prior to judging and talked to several volunteers. They begin the actal decorating on thanksgiving weekend and continue on weekends until Christmas at which point it's every day until New year's eve at 3. Volunteers are welcome from anywhere and they'll gladly put you to work if you come! Floats are prepared at 3 different locations we learned and we could have seen any of them with our tickets but went to the main location at Rosemont (along with thousands of others).
The parade weather was fantastic, although the local news made it sound miserable, we were happy to sit in 55 degree weather with our coats on rather than be in NYC standing up in the rain at 48!!!
Mom reserved hotel, float decorating, parade seating and post parade tickets in February. Our seats were perfect - at the corner of Colorado and Sierra Madre and a block from the hotel. A nice cafe for our arrival dinner, Denny' s and a cute kabob place for dinner after the parade were all within walking distance.
You can't imagine how beautiful the floats are until you see them live - TV just can't do the Rose Parade justice! The bands, dancers singers,, horses, (& pooper scoopers) all add to the experience of joyful celebration. Everyone is there to have a FUN and we certainly did!
The post parade was again another party and I'd highly recommend including this in your plans as well!
Travel tips: allow at least an hour waiting in line time for pre and post parade events. Spend an hour walking the parade route New year's eve. Use Lyft to get around Pasadena and Midwil Shuttle to and from airports. Stay in a hotel near parade route.

First of let me say this: I loved the parade. Something I have wanted to do my entire life as I watch it every year on TV.
I decided his year to take my granddaughter who was graduating as a family time together. We splurged and even rented an expensive jaguar for the week.
I highly recommend buying ticket for the float decorating- that is an amazing thing to witness the craftsmanship and camaraderie that goes together to get these floats finished and on the streets in a very short window of time. We even had the honor of seeing Gary Sinese in person as he showed up just as we were at the vintage car section. That was an experience!
If you buy grandstand seats or even if you at going to find a place to stand on the sidewalk, don’t make the mistake we did and get seats down the parade route. There is a reason the seats are more expensive and that is because the acts don’t perform the entire route. None of the musical guests or celebrities were in attendance by the time the floats got to our section halfway down the route. My granddaughter was bumming about that!
We decided to drive over to the grandstands the night before to get an idea on where to park etc. little did we know what goes on the eve of the Rose Parade. We noticed hundreds of families camped out along the sidewalks with firepits going. When I had to stop at a stoplight we came to realize why they camped out with firepits- to trash moving vehicles along the street. When I stopped, our car was immediately surrounded by a bunch of kids that started covered my expensive rental car with shaving cream. We couldn’t see out the window and I was terrified I may hit one of them trying to pull to the side of the road, or, what do I do? Is this a set up for another larger group of grown people to then hold me up? Being from out of town we didn’t know what to think!!! I reluctantly opened our windows to try to lo k out and see where it could drive to and a cop pulls up, looks over and laughs and drives off. I have since learned the Pasadena police are passionately prejudiced against Caucasians and African Americans. If you are Hispanic or Armenian I am told you can do anything you want and their heads are turned so don’t expect assistance if you are an old White grandma like me. When he drives off the kids come back- now hurling roast d and plain marshmallows at the car and in the windows. Now the carpet on this extremely expensive car is damaged from shaving cream and marshmallows goo.
At this point I can not contain myself and I jumped out of the car and start yelling at the grownups standing on the curb yelling in Spanish at the kids . I hollered that they have no love for their children to sad them out in the street like that- you never know who could be behind the wheel of the car and pull out a gun or knife or anything or even charge the car at them!
Visibly upset the kids ran back to the curb laughing hysterically at me and throwing stuff as they ran and I turned on the wipers and slowly got out of that very frightening situation.
The following day after the car was cleaned up and I talked s to locals I discovered this is a very very dumb and very dangerous tradition that he Hispanics send heir children out to do and yes we could have been robbed if we had both jumped out of the car .
Am I happy I went? Yes because I have always wanted to witness the parade in person. But I do know this: I will never go back and after finding out how much hate the police department of this city holds in their hearts, not another penny of mine will ever be transferred from my wallet into that corrupt city again.

We had wonderful seats across from the NBC booth, as the parade turned onto Colorado Avenue. The floats were exquisite, decorated with many kinds of flowers. We enjoyed the bands and all the groups of horseback riders.

I grew up in the area so I have seen the parade in many ways. You can watch volunteers putting flowers on in the buildings near the rose bowl the week before the parade. One of my favorites is to walk the staging area on Orange Grove & California between midnight and 6 am. You can watch most of the parade from the sidewalk once it starts but the bands are not playing. You can camp out along the route in the places allowed. You can buy a ticket and sit in the stands. This year we watched from a building along the route but you have to know somebody. And the floats are on display at victory park for several days afterwards. Enjoy.

Having grown up in the city of Columbus, Ohio, the Rose Parade was always on my list. This is a very long day depending on where you stay. There is plenty of activity and atmosphere, so bring your comfort clothes for the experience. Local food and tours can be done while you also go to the Santa Monica Pier. A great time.

A few things to plan in advance....must have a parking spot...maybe get some tickets in the grandstand.....You must arrive very early!!! Lots of people and lots of security!!
Most of the restaurants are open...but bring some snacks...The colors and pageantry is amazing!! Some years are outright chilly..this year the weather was outstanding...a blanket never hurts in the early am hours. Be prepared...have a wonderful time!!

What an amazing thing to see up close after watching it on TV for many years!
As we live out-of state, we traveled with a tour group that included a pre-parade visit to one of the float barns during last minute construction, as well as a visit to the post parade parking grounds for up close views.
Dress in layers, and bring a blanket, and some (water in sealed bottles only), bring your camera and a seat cushion, and arrive early. Our tour provided Grandstand Seats so we could sit in the shade, but the aluminum seating would have been cold without the seat pad.
We planned well in advance for this tour, since hotels and restaurants fill up quickly, traffic is heavy, and parking is hard. For us this was the only way to do this.
We enjoyed the float barns and the post parade parking area to really see up close. Expect long lines and a County Fair type atmosphere.
The Parade was well-organized and there were volunteers in White Suits all over to help with questions. The restrooms are Porta-Johns and located under the Grandstands.

Beautiful, imaginative, exciting, the best parade you will ever attend! It can take a while to get to your seats, as there is security and crowd control. You might bring a cushion and/or blanket. Sun screen recommended.

Oh my!!! What an amazing experience. This has been on our family’s bucket list forever, and I’ll say that it didn’t disappoint. I booked our trip 6 months out and that really helped. We had seats halfway down the parade route and sat two rows up on the bleachers. What made it cool was the fact we could see all of the natural materials used to create the floats.
I was a little concerned beforehand about how we were going to get there in the morning. The day before we drove out to see where our seats were (they had already put out the bleachers on the route). We ended up parking 3 streets over from the route. We paid $30 for parking. Across the street and nearby it was $20, but we liked there was someone on the lot the whole time we were gone. (I think if you ask around the day before, someone may know about the parking). We did leave our hotel about two hours before, parked and grabbed a Starbucks and got to our seats about hour and a half before the parade. Worked out great. Leave plenty of time to get there as the highways back up early in the morning.
As far as weather, layers are your best bet. We also brought a blanket and ended up shedding it and a couple layers towards the end of the parade.
Overall, if you like parades, this one you don’t want to miss!!

Ya gotta do it at least once! But tickets, don't try to stake out a free spot. And buy tickets to all the pre-parade activities too. Fun, fun, FUN!

So cool to go to the post parade event where all the floats are lined up and you can walk right up close to them. Amazing feats of construction and design ! Must see if in the area !

This is the second year my wife and I have flown to California to see the Rose Parade. Here are some of the things I have learned.

The Sharp Seating Company handles tickets for all of the events, including parking. They do a great job.

1. Buy seating on the south side of the street, but get your parking on the north side of the parade route. Choose your seats so your
parking is close to an Interstate entrance.
2. Tickets go on sale early in the year so plan accordingly.
3, Use the street view of Google Maps to check for obstructions where you want to sit.
4. I would suggest picking a spot away from any type of restaurant
so you aren't smelling grease but rather the flowers on the floats.
5. If you want to see the floats before the parade or after, go early. Long lines form after the area opens to the public.
6. I highly recommend the Equestrianfest because you get to see all of the horses and riders from the parade doing their routines.
7. While the cheaper seats are fine, the more expensive seats put you closest to the arena and they are reserved. This seating also has backs on them.
8. You can get up close and personal with the performers both before and after the event.

If you are planning a trip to the rose parade and don't want to deal with 20 hours in the trenches camping on the street, stop looking any further for a GREAT Rose Parade tour company. Al Brooks Rose Bowl Tours is THE BEST!! Cannot say enough good things about Al Brooks. I truly felt like family with every representative in the office and onsite. Our Guide Jim was AWESOME! We did the Orange Rose package and added float decorating the day before. Highly recommend if you have a chance to volunteer to help with float construction. You will truly understand the dedication, scale and detail put into these floats as well as the monstrous amount of work. We had great seats at the parade in the grandstands on Colorado blvd, watching them round the corner then come past our seats! The Rose Parade is something everyone should experience at once in their lifetime, and Al Brooks was the right choice to make it easy, affordable and fun!

Everyone should go at least once. It is an amazing production. I remember how families could walk down to the corner of Colorado and Orange Grove and watch the parade. Now, it is solid bleacher seats. No more room for anyone who does not want to buy very expensive seats. The parade moves to the beat of TV commercials and the marchers play and perform to the cameras. If you are sitting near the broadcast cameras, you will hear all the bands play and see all the mechanical and acrobatic stunts performed on the floats. If you are just a regular family wanting to walk to and watch a great parade, then go a couple of miles from the start, where the cameras are, and look for a place. My favorites are the Marine and Salvation Army bands.The stealth fighter and bomber flyovers at the beginning are awesome.

Pasadena is beautiful on New Years Day. If you have never visited Pasadena, this is the most exciting time and memorable event to experience if you have not done it before. Be prepared to walk quite a distance from whatever parking place you can find.

Went to the Rose Parade to celebrate my daughter's 50th birthday! It was all we expected it to be. The weather was nice. Our seats were in a great spot for viewing the floats. The view from our bleacher seats was excellent. All the floats, all the bands, all the performers were just great. The walk from Union station was only a few blocks. After the parade was over we went to the viewing of the floats which was even more exciting. It was definitely worth the trip!

Nothing compares to viewing these beautiful floats in person and the organic materials used to make these . It is definitely one trip to make on your bucket list. If you have the chance to actually work on the floats like I have; DO IT! It is so rewarding.

Off and on for the last 10 years I have been going to Pasadena for New Years Eve. His family still has a house in South Pasadena and they throw a party every year. There house sits about 3 blocks from the parade route and every night the floats start to come in and line up on the streets. At around 11 pm the night before the parade we walk down to the parade route and you can see all of the floats up close. It is like a party out there because of all the people camped out on the route and the locals that come out to see the floats and friends they haven't seen in awhile. I have more fun doing that than actually standing in one spot waiting for floats to go by. It is so impressive to see the detail of each float up close and personal. A certain percentage of each float has to be organic and contain a certain amount of roses. If you are ever in LA on New Years Eve, check out the floats along the parade route. You wont be disappointed.

After years of watching the parade on TV, we were finally able to attend in person! We were pleasantly surprised, with research and prior planning, how easy this trip was to schedule and arrange. We made our hotel arrangements early January 2017 and purchased our grandstand seating the day they went on sale. Unlike the Macy's parade that we attended in 2016, there was nothing obstructing our view and it was an easy walk to and from our hotel. Scheduling did not allow us to see the floats prior to or after the parade, but will certainly try to do that if we get to go again. if this is an item on your proverbial bucket list, don't be intimidated. It is one of the greatest trips we have taken and one of the easiest to plan!

This was a bucket list item for us. We travelled from Canada and were totally delighted . We had a volunteer opportunity to work on one of the floats so truly appreciated the work that goes into the floats. It is incredibly detailed work and the results are spectacular. Actually being in the crowd to watch the parade with so many others just added to the excitement.

We happened to be visiting friends and family for Christmas 2017 and New year 2018. We happened to live in Pasadena, CA. We went there for the parade by 8:30 and it was over by 10 am. Was really superb to see the excellent work by artists with roses. Check out the pictures!!

The annual Rose Parade in Pasadena, CA is something EVERYONE should do at least once in a lifetime. This is the FIRST TIME we have actually seen the Parade --- we live nearby and used to walk up to the staging area where you can get up close and personal to each float. However, the full Parade includes the bands and equestrian participants and the animated floats are in their full glory. You can either stand along Colorado Blvd. or get tickets to the Grand Stands which are located at the beginning of the Parade (that's what we did --- was well worth it). For any large event you can be concerned about security. We were impressed that at the check-in for the Grand Stands there were trained dogs sniffing at backpacks and other items being carried to the seats. I was impressed ---- and happy that they had thought about that. To be honest, traditionally I am not much of a parade fan but the Rose Parade is amazing in every way.

With all the "do bad, feel good behavior" that I thought America was coming to, it was so nice to see this excellent parade. Everyone is so polished and proud to be in parade. The theme this year about hope and giving was so inspiring and it just shows we should all strive to be our best at whatever we do in the New Year. I did not think cold, coming from a cold climate. Just need windbreaker. You can reserve seats in stands as we did but get early. Otherwise, people camp out on street and I'm sure it was fun too.

I have traveled to 7 continents, and have had the opportunity to do some awesome things in my life, but going to the Rose Parade three times has been a highlight. If you love bands, make sure you attend at least one of the Bandfest events (and get there early to get a good seat, or you'll find yourself on the visitor's side of the field). There is also an event for horse lovers, too. You can tour the floats while they are getting built, but the highlight is the excitement of the parade itself. We ordered our tickets ourselves from Sharp Seating, and got a parking pass from them, as well. You have to get there early (like 6 am), and sometimes you have to use a ports-potty, but the magnificence of the parade is worth it. While in the area, you can visit two presidential libraries, Huntington Library (which is really a beautiful garden), the sights of Hollywood, etc. And one more thing: Southern California can be really cold in the winter, so dress in layers: it is not unusual for morning temperatures to be in the thirties.

We’ve been coming to the Parade for over 30 years, and each year is a renewed experience of wonder. Truly an event on everyone’s bucket list. The floats are huge, colorful, animated and wonderful. The bands come from all over the world. What you experience on TV is nothing compared to seeing it in person. NOT TO BE MISSED!!

This one really wobbled and nearly stumbled near the end, with another hop hopish production number that felt like finale, but then more floats. Bumbling! Let me say I like the hosts, but can't help thinking the glorious voice and sunshine of Stephanie, the perfect partner in Bob --- both of fine articulation. Your corner guy seems obsessed with being super cool and pushing BLM, no? I loved the Mark who preceded him, I assume the Mark now with Leeza?. The tone (at the corner and opening and closing production segments), is much more Afro urban, out of sync with the overall atmosphere, and I am left with little desire to watch it next year. Never thought I'd feel that way. Next year, may tune out of KTLA and tune into one of the major networks. The thrill is fading. This parade staggered down the final frames.

For the last several years, I have camped out at the corner of Fair Oaks and Colorado for the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade, one of the world's premier New Year's Day Events. Go here now! It's your duty.

Be sure to dress in layers, bring and chair and blanket, bring cash to buy programs and also lunch and dinner, and some noisemakers to ring in the New Year. Make sure you also ask anyone that has already reserved a space with chalk if they are generous enough to give you a good spot. Another pro-tip, get some coffee at the nearby Starbucks, get a couple of camera to take photos of the entire parade, and use public transportation.

I recommend Colorado Boulevard between Fair Oaks and Raymond, near Memorial Park Station on the Gold Line. It's great for the family, you get some silly string through at you on New Year's Eve, and you get to see some of the world's finest bands, floats and equestrian units. As well as some religious picketers. Don't forget to take photos of them too, if you so wish.

The most expensive parade ever but worth the money. We bought a wonderful bleacher seat in section 235 expensive but you can see and hear everything up close. Also I recommend a relatively cheap ticket the day before to review some floats as the teams put on the final touches.

The Rose Parade is a wonderful experience. Beautiful scenery and fabulous floats. Not to mention the talented young musicians marching in the parade. We booked our seats and parking through Sharp Seating and it was hassle free. The grandstand seating was well worth the expense because the free spots along the side of the street fill quite fast and before you know it, people are standing up to 6 deep which would have made it difficult to see. If you go, be prepared for the cold. I was glad we had our winter coats and hats. 50 degrees is not as warm as you would think even if you traveled from a state where it was much colder at the time!

A must do! Fantastic floats, bands, Amy horses. Well organized and a lot of fun to see. Only problem is partial view obstructions by trees. Do not know if there is a way to select tickets with this in mind.

This was our first trip to the parade and we had a great time overall. We bought reserved grandstand seats at 500 E Colorado, and everything pre-parade was organized flawlessly. They mailed directions to our parking lot, which was conveniently located just around the corner from our seats. The floats and bands were all great and the crowd was excited to be there which made the experience even more fun. Our seats were good for viewing, but not the best for photo taking due to the large shadow from an adjacent building.

We were disappointed in the end, however. One of the floats apparently broke down but that wasn't communicated to the crowd so everyone thought it was over and started to leave. Parade officials couldn't control the crowd in the streets so they just ended the parade with around 5 more floats/bands still left to go. Besides that, we loved it and would come again (with a blanket!)

Side note, if you're seated in this area take advantage of the annual pancake breakfast at the Methodist Church. Good food, nice people, and a great place to keep warm before you go to your seats!

Our tour was one miscue after another, from problems with the bus to poor timing management for the lunch. The tour guide was a wannabe entertainer with one bad joke after another. That was tolerable, however the tour bus had broken air conditioning and the driver could not reduce the temperature in the passenger compartment. By the time the tour was over, the bus was like a mobile sauna and EVERYONE was complaining about the heat. The lunch was terrible, but not the fault of the restaurant. The tour guide brought us in along with 3 other busses at the same time. Dumping 3 bus loads of people will overwhelm any restaurant staff. By the time we were seated all the food was gone or ice cold. Eventually, additional food was brought out, but it was just room temperature. Al Brooks needs to take a serious review of their practices and make sure that EVERY paying customer is treated like they are important and not simply a source of revenue. We have 2 more days remaining on our Parade Tour, so check back for additional updates.

Do it once in your life...Unless you can afford a limo and expensive seats in bleachers..it is just too much trouble, traffic and people..watch it on TV..

Took a tour bus from Orange County to Pasadena. This is the ONLY way to go! Parked within 2 blocks of our bleecher seating. Used the restroom on the bus, did not stand in line for port-a-potty. The parade was fabulous. Bus driver had very nice boxed lunches waiting for us as we boarded for return trip. Took 30 minutes to get the bus back on the freeway. Finished the day with a few hours at Disneyland. Glad to be back home!

I went with Road Scholar tours and had an amazing experience. For one inclusive price we got to work at a float barn, helping to prepare roses, and see "behind the scenes" making of floats; we got to see Bandfest, where select bands who have been invited to march in the parade perform for an audience at Pasadena City College; we saw the Parade on bleacher seats; and we went to the Post Parade; Festival of Floats where you can view the floats up close. We also had lectures by one of judges on how the floats are judged, a former Rose Queen who talked about how the queens are chosen & what they do for the year they represent the Tournament and a demonstration by one of the equestrian teams. We also had a trip to the J.Paul Getty Center which was fabulous. We stayed at 5 star hotel in downtown LA, close to several attractions, and all meals were included except 1 or 2. I learned so much and really came away with an understanding of the year long process to produce the parade. It was well worth the cost for a bucket list trip. (The Rose Bowl game was not included in the price.)

Create a memory to last a lifetime....go see the Tournament of Roses Parade in person, you can see the rerun loop on tv the rest of New Years Day.
You can get tickets for seats in the bleachers months in advance online, or you can camp out all night before the morning event to save a spot on the designated curb areas. We just go for standing room New Years morning an hour before the parade starts. Dress in layers but it’s usually comfortable with a sweater as winter temps are mild. For metal bleachers, bring a cushion to sit on. A thermos of Hot coffee or hot chocolate and breakfast rolls make for a warm festive start to the New Year among the fun crowd of parade-goers enjoying the fantastic floral floats and magnificent marching bands from all over the country. Some travel from around the world take part in this historic parade. Not to be missed, it should be on your bucket list!

We have seen many Rose parades over the years. The parade itself is well worth seeing in person at least once. If you are young, spending the night on Colorado Blvd with friends/family is a good way. If you are more mature (or hate sleeping on the street) then reserving seats in the bleachers is the best bet. The best bleachers are on the Southeast corner of Colorado and Orange Grove (as that is where the TV cameras are), but just about any on the route are good.
If you want to see the floats up close, they are parked on Sierra Madre Blvd after the parade (and this is why I only gave it a 4) and you have to pay admission and be herded like cattle. Years ago, they used to park the floats in Victory Park and not charge for viewing - you could just stroll around and see the floats up close without being herded.

I have been attending this event on annual basis for many years and am always awed by the creativity, volunteerism and history that go into each performance and float.
This is a must see for all ages!

You will not be disappointed here, the most fantastic floats you will ever see. Book your reservations early. A lot of fun to be had beyond the parade too.

After years of watching on tv, we made it to the parade via a tour group. Watching the floats being built the day before the parade was one of the highlights. With a huge number of visitors on parade day, going with a tour group is the easiest way to enjoy this event. Hotel room, shuttle bus, parking, grandstand tickets, very much needed seat cushions etc. are all provided with tours, and well worth the price. Seeing the floats come by our grandstand that we saw being built the day before on our tour was impressive. The only negative aspect was the grandstand seating itself. The seat numbers and rows are very close to each other, resulting in "sardine" closeness for the 2-3 hour parade. But, since it was cold, we all kept warm at least...

We have been to the Rose Parade twice with the Bands of America Marching Band. We had grandstand seating both times. Tickets are $100. Dress for cold weather because you will need to get to the parade at least two hours early. Make sure to take a seating pad, water, and a snack. Food and porta potty lines are long and are very challenging to navigate during the early morning hours. No large backpacks or umbrellas are allowed ( safety/security). This is not just a parade, but an experience. Amazing bands, beautiful floats and equestrian groups entertain you for two hours!

It was our first time to view the Tournament of Roses parade and were thrilled with the experience. We booked seats with Sharp Seating and has an excellent view of the parade. The city of Pasadena had the entire event organized extremely well and even though it was packed with people all ran smoothly. A must see event.

Great time beautiful floats and the parade was outstanding would recommend take family. If you have children i recommend a sleepover your children will enjoy

Wow! This is the most beautiful event that you must see to start the year. The floats and bands are phenomenal. Beautiful!

This parade is beautiful! I've seen it from the stands and from the sidewalk, but it's always great. And sometimes really cold. Regardless of that everyone who can should see it at least once. It's such a fun event to experience with your family or friends. I know people who wont start the new year any other way.

I did quite a bit of traveling in 2019 but my best trip was my first trip of the year! My husband and I traveled from Connecticut to sunny California to spend 5 days/4 nights with Al Brooks Tours to see the Rose Parade. Our package included 2 visits to the float barns to see the floats under construction, a visit to Huntington Museum and Gardens, the Bandfest, of course the parade and much more. We had incredible seats at the parade after only a short walk from the bus. The entire trip was a “once in a lifetime experience”. I would definitely recommend Al Brooks for this trip as they offer several different packages with different types of extra activities so you can do things that interest you.

Attended this bucket list event with 4 of my “sisters”. Have watched the Tournament of Roses parade for years on TV. We opted for the Al Brooks Red Rose tour as we didn’t want to hassle with all of the logistics on our own. A bit pricey but we had excellent seats in section 414 on Colorado Blvd. just as the floats turned the corner. Our seats were just below the KLATV broadcast stand on the south side of the street. So all of the floats, equestrians and bands performed right in front of us. The tour company parked their buses on the Old Colorado bridge which provided us with a short walk including hot chocolate and a seat cushion for the cold metal seats. Dress in layers as it starts out cool In the early morning And then warms up. Glad I went it was even more impressive in person rather than TV

We parked down by the Rose Bowl and walked to Colorado Blvd to our reserved seats. Sat right under the KTLA booth. Great view of all the floats! A must do!

Experiencing the Tournament of Roses is much more sitting in the bleachers for two hours. During the week between Christmas and New Years, you can volunteer at any of the 10 float building companies attaching roses and other organic materials to the floats. BandFest is a amazing showcase for the bands that will be marching in the parade. EquiFest (cancelled this year due to a horse virus) provides an opportunity to see the horses perform. The day after the parade, all of the floats are available to see up close. Often, it's possible to talk with the people associated with their float.

I have attended this parade numerous times standing curbside and having Grand Stand seats. The nice thing about standing curbside is that you don’t have to be there as early (6:30-7am) as you do with grand stand seats. You can go New Years Eve and really check out the floats as they start lining up from 10pm on. If you go on New Years morning you should go early as parking can be nightmarish but we live walking distance. To see this parade is something that everyone should do once. It’s absolutley amazing and to see the detail of the floats is something one cannot fully appreciate viewing it on tv.