Rose Parade Viewing tips

If you are thinking of heading out to Pasadena to view the 2010Tournament of Roses Parade- here’s a list of tips to make it a fun and comfortable experience

 1. Layer up- The high for New Year’s Day is supposed to hit a high of 70 degrees- but it is very chilly at night and in the early morning. Dress in layers so that you can easily remove a layer or two when it starts to warm up. If you’re bringing little ones I would also bring scarves, gloves, a blanket and mittens
. 2. Overnight camping is permitted only on the night before the parade. Do not arrive before noon the day before the parade.
 3. If you plan on camping – bring plenty of blankets, sleeping bags and pillows. You are also allowed to bring a small barbecue. You may not bring tents or start any form of bonfire.
 4. If you are camping be prepared for a sleepless night. I’ve camped out a couple of times with my family and didn’t sleep a wink. The crowd also gets a bit rowdy. I really wouldn’t recommend camping out if you have small children.
 5. If you would like to view the parade in style and be as comfortable as possible- splurge on grandstand tickets. For more info click here- Tickets are still available.
6. If you are light sensitive make sure to sit on the west side of the street
 7. The Tournament of Roses Parade follows the same route every year: Starting on Ellis St., it heads north on S. Orange Grove Blvd., then east on Colorado Blvd, north (left turn) on Sierra Madre Blvd., and ending at Paloma Street.- Plan ahead to determine where you would like to seat- also there is no public, curbside parade viewing on Orange Grove Blvd. from Del Rosa to Colorado Blvd. and on Colorado from Orange Grove to Terrace. Grandstand ticket holders only.
8. If you would like to see the parade live in person, but have small children or the idea of camping out seems like a nightmare- this might be for you- Our friends suggested to leave about 30-45 minutes before the parade starts and head over to the end of the parade – on Sierra Madre blvd. You can easily find a spot without having to camp out.
9. Parking can be a nightmare. You can park in residential areas but be prepared for a walk. You can also pay anywhere between 10-25 dollars and park close up to the parade route in any of the private lots. If you are planning on this make sure you bring cash.
 10. The parade starts at 8am sharp and is approximately 2 and a half hours long.
11. Bring plenty of water and snacks. If you have little ones- bring them along in a wagon and store your supplies in the wagon.
12. If you would still like to view the floats close up but can’t make it out to the parade don’t worry- Buy tickets for the best and most interesting part of the Rose Parade: float viewing. You can get closer to the floats and talk to their builders here. Crowds will be smaller if you can arrive immediately when they open on the morning after the parade. Use an area park-and-ride lot, or if you have a carful of people, try for one of the paid lots near Pasadena High School. I will be covering this in a later post.

6 comments

  1. Allison says:

    So what exactly do your friends mean about leaving 45 mins before it starts? I'm coming from Riverside so it would be more useful for me to know what time to arrive if I want to watch at the end of the route.

    I'm thinking I need to get to the end of the route on Sierra Madre by 8 a.m. when it starts, and then we'll probably have to wait about 2 hours for it to get there.

  2. Aracely--Daytrippingmom says:

    Hi Allison,
    I would plan to arrive around between 830 and 9. You still have time to find a spot and not have to wait two hours for the floats to arrive. By the time you are situated you should only have to wait about half an hour.

  3. *THE Disneyland Mom* says:

    We usually go before the parade and see the floats just before they are finished at the Duarte float lot. Free parking and not a lot of people. Great piece, Aracely!

  4. My3boys says:

    THE Disneyland Mom….

    I am going to take my family this year to the parade.. i would like to get directions of how to the Duarte float lot…
    THanks my3boys

  5. IzzysMa says:

    If you are camping out make you have a potty bag. With a flashlight lantern, wipes, toilet seat covers, tp, and hand sanitizer.

    If you have kids don't even bother camping out in front of the main stores, head down towards the end where the grocery store is. It's nothing but drunks and party people towards the front.

    And if you are camping out find the locked porta potties, every year they we went they kept at least one set locked during the night and opened it first thing in the morning and trust me you will want that nice clean porta potty.

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