Since 1890, the Rose Parade has been an American tradition for welcoming the new year with a display of beauty and abundance.
In 2022, more than 28 million people across the country tuned in to watch sunny Southern California’s parade. If you’ll be among them in 2023, the staff at The Pasadena Star-News compiled a list of everything you need to know as you watch the floral extravaganza.
The basics
Traditionally, the parade takes place on New Year’s Day. This year, it’s on Jan. 2. Here’s why.
The parade kicks off at 8 a.m. PST on Monday. Here’s how to watch on TV, apps or stream it. Also, if you’re on Twitter, be sure to follow @PasStarNews for live behind-the-scenes tweets or answers to your questions!
Want to see a specific float or band march by? Here’s the full parade line up in order of appearance. And here’s more about every float, every band and every equestrian unit.
The people
This year’s theme is “Turning the Corner.” No one represents that better than former U.S. Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who survived an assassination attempt in 2011. She’ll be leading the parade as grand marshal.
Guiding you through the 2023 parade, Leeza Gibbons and Mark Steines are back as announcers.
Rose Queen Bella Ballard will be heading to Yale soon. Rose Princess Salia Baligh is the first to represent the deaf community. Here’s more on 2023’s Rose Court.
The Rose Parade wouldn’t be the same without its musical performances. This year, Fitz and the Tantrums will perform at the start of the parade and Tanya Tucker will give the grand finale performance this year.
Behind the scenes
The traditional flyover by the B-2 Stealth Bomber at the start of the parade and bowl game won’t happen this time. Here’s what spectators will see instead.
As the extravagant parade floats move across your TV on Monday, you might wonder what one costs. The answer: A lot. And inflation hasn’t helped.
They’re not easy to drive, either. This man has done it 50 times and has some stories to tell.
Also, we asked an author and baker to come up with brunch recipes for viewing the parade or the Rose Bowl game at home. Here are the recipes.
The game
Penn State will face Utah in the Rose Bowl this year, with kickoff at 2 p.m. PST, Monday, Jan. 2.
You can read more on Penn State here, and more on Utah here.
Happy New Year, and happy viewing!