10 things to know about the 2025 Rose Parade in Pasadena ...Middle East

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

Sure, but no other rose bush can boast 39 floats, 16 equestrian teams and 24 marching bands. And a century and a half of history.

Yes, the Rose Parade returns to the streets of Pasadena on Wednesday, Jan. 1.

We all know it’s a mammoth undertaking. The Tournament of Roses Association boasts 935 volunteer members who contribute more than 80,000 hours to stage the event each year, according to parade officials. And, thanks to them, you’re about to get just shy of two hours of floral fabulousness.

Ready for the roses? Here are 10 things to know about the 2025 edition of the biggest petal pusher of them all.

The key details

In case you’re searching for the basics, let’s start there: The 136th Rose Parade starts at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 1. The 5.5-mile parade route begins at the corner of Green Street and Orange Grove Boulevard in Pasadena and concludes at Sierra Madre Boulevard and East Villa Street. You can watch on on KTLA-5, KABC-7, KNBC-4, Great American Family, RFD-TV and, en español, Univision. It will also stream on Christmas Plus, Fubo and Pluto.

For lots of other such applicable tips and tricks, check out our 2025 survival guide.

That’s one big band

Ever made sandwiches for the band? How about 500 hundred PP&Js, please?

More than 500 local high school band members, all from schools near the 605 freeway, will march and play as the 605 All-Star Band.

Students from Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, John Glenn, Gahr, La Mirada, Mayfair and Norwalk high school bands represent three school districts – ABC, Bellflower, and Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School Districts.

After the pandemic downsized the music programs of many individual high schools, the idea to combine the bands into the 605 All-Star Band was the concept of Mayfair High’s longtime band director, Tom Philips, before he retires in 2025.

The 605 All-Star Band will be one of the largest bands, if not the largest, to ever march in the Rose Parade.

And, no, Philips doesn’t have to carry their water bottles.

Pop goes the parade

Speaking of music, there’s a ton of pop music in this year’s parade — in the start, the middle at at the end.

In the opening spectacular:

Kiesza: Canadian singer and dancer. Pronounced KAY-zuh. Fun facts: She’s double-jointed, was trained as a ballerina, competed as a synchronized swimmer and can walk on her hands.

Aloe Blacc: Singer and rapper from Laguna Hills in Orange County, whose parents were from Panama. Pronounced Ah-LOH Black. Fun facts: Born Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III, he started writing songs at age 9.

In mid-parade performances:

Timothy Wayne: Twenty-one-year-old country music up-and-comer is Tim McGraw’s nephew. Pronounced: Gimme a break. Fun facts: Named for his famous uncle, Wayne has country cred. He worked his family farm during the summer growing. He milked cows, groomed horses, mowed and engaged in a practice called bush-hogging that we researched only briefly, but looks difficult and dirty.

Brian Culbertson: The Grammy nominee delivers a musical nod to “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” Fun fact: Born and raised in Illinois, he now lives in L.A. Unlike Mathew Broderick, who was born in New York and stayed there, though he visited Chicago at least once.

And in the parade finale:

Betty Who: Aussie singer who belts out’ 80s-style synth-pop and ’90s-flavored dance-pop. Pronounced: OK, one more. Betty HOO. Fun fact: Born Jessica Anne Newham, her first hit, “Somebody Loves You,” was released as a free download.

Debbie Gibson: A sensation at age 16 — remember when “Shake Your Love” was the earworm of the moment? — she’s hung in there in the music world and has worked steadily ever since. Pronounced: We’re done with that. Fun fact: With “Foolish Beat” 16-year-old Gibson became the youngest artist to write, produce, and perform a No. 1 Billboard hit.

Debbie Allen: The “Fame” start is an actress, dancer, choreographer, singer, director, producer and lots of other titles. Fun fact: The Emmy, Tony and Golden Globe winner is the younger sister of Phylicia Rashad. She’s bringing students from the Debbie Allen Dance Academy to perform in the finale.

A truly grand marshal

She’s a sports star, sure. And the queen of Wimbledon. And part owner of the Dodgers.

But, perhaps above all, she’s an inspiration.

From her history-making “Battle of the Sexes” victory to her battles for equity for all — in and out of the sports world — Billie Jean King is cited by countless people around the world as a role model. Among them: Tournament of Roses President Ed Morales.

“Her trailblazing work has elevated women in sports and inspired countless best days ever for athletes and fans around the globe,” said Morales.

True that. She’s got cred galore. She’s one of Life Magazine’s “100 Most Important Americans of the 20th Century” by LIFE magazine, was the first woman athlete to snare the Presidential Medal of Freedom and was the first individual woman athlete chosen for the Congressional Gold Medal.

She’s already provided a defining moment, months before the parade. Back in October, King made her entrance as grand marshal to the sounds of “Philadelphia Freedom,” the pop hit written in her honor by Elton John.

Skip school, enjoy Illinois

Bueller. Bueller. Bueller.

Only one float in the 2025 parade encourages parade-watchers to cut class.  Titled “Play Hooky in Illinois,” the float from the Illinois office of tourism hearkens back to the classic John Hughes comedy “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”

Remember when little Matthew Broderick pretended to be sick so he could spend the day in Chicago? Give that a try, this float urges.

The city’s skyline has been reconstructed with strawflower, statice and buffalo grass, which while lovely, would not meet codes for building a real skyscraper.

The root cause

There will be more than 3 million flowers used to decorate the 19 floats in Wednesday’s parade.

But wait… Why all the roses in the first place?

Well, for that you’ve got to go way back to 1890, when the parade’s early sponsors were mesmerized by the area’s flower blooms.Members of the Valley Hunt Club first sponsored the parade. They were quite enamored by the abundance of flowers in the area – even in winter.

By then, the “Tournament” was all about chariot races, jousting, polo and even tug-of-war.

But the flowers bloomed amid all of it.

So, it prompted the Hunt Club to start a parade before the competition — a parade of carriages. Those carriages were adorned with all kinds of flowers.

Watch for the Hunt Club, which still appears in the parade each year, at entry no. 10.

Hope that helps you win a bar bet — just don’t try it in Pasadena. Try Ventura County.

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