Put away the gloves and gardening shears because there will be no Rose Parade on New Year’s Day in 2021. This is the first cancellation of the annual parade of flower-covered floats since World War II — specifically during the years 1942, 1943 and 1945.
The reason, of course, is no surprise: COVID-19.
“The health and well-being of our parade participants and guests, as well as that of our volunteer members, professional staff and partners, is our [No. 1] priority,” said Bob Miller, 2021 president of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association on Wednesday. “Obviously this is not what any of us wanted, and we held off on announcing until we were absolutely sure that safety restrictions would prevent us from continuing with planning for [the] 132nd Rose Parade.”
Some people spend the first morning of the new year making up new year’s resolutions, while others tune in to watch the Rose Parade. The tradition dates back to 1890 and continues to make headlines with its elaborate floats and performances. While modern viewers are wowed by all the intricate mechanics, vintage floats from early Rose Parade celebrations are just as impressive.
Scroll through to check out some of our favorites, and learn about how this iconic event was born.
This float from 1967 looks straight out of a fairy tale.
CONFUSING NAMES? Sometimes you will hear people say “Tournament of Roses Parade” and just “The Rose Parade.” So, which is it? Technically, both work.
The Pasadena Tournament of Roses is the parent organization that runs two events: the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game. Both events take place on January 1st of every year.
Here are some more vintage highlights…