The Rose Parade is an event which is held along the Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, California, on New Year’s Day. The ceremony is hosted by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, typically starting at 8 am. The parade features flower-covered floats, marching bands, and equestrian units, with the latter having drawn complaints from animal rights activists in more recent years. The parade is always followed by the Rose Bowl, which takes place in the afternoon and is one of the major bowl games in college football.
The parade dates back to January 1st, 1980. While the first one was relatively small in size, it has continued to grow more popular as time has gone on, becoming one of the most
well-known parades across the United States. The Rose Parade is actually watched in person by hundreds of thousands of spectators who line the streets of the route. The parade is also broadcast live across multiple television networks in the United States, and due to recent advances in modern technology, the parade often features numerous internet live streams so that international viewers can watch if they choose to. The college football game was added to the parade in 1902 as a way to contribute towards the growing cost of staging the event. While numerous smaller companies have paid for small advertising spaces along the parade, in 2011, it got its largest sponsor to-date, with Honda beginning to sponsor the parade. Following that, the first float of the parade is designed by Honda.