126th Rose Parade Inspires Pasadena and the World

The 126th Rose Parade went off as scheduled with over 700,000 spectators braving the bitter cold and seeing quite an impressive display of floats, bands, and equestrian units.

The crowd cheered very loudly when the Pasadena Police drove down the Colorado Boulevard to start what would be a memorably outstanding edition of the Rose Parade.

Then the show:  memorable floats included the Singpoli group’s effort which won the Grand Marshall’s award, the City of Alhambra honoring the Japanese Americans who served for our country, and the Farmer’s Insurance groups thanking a million teachers.

One of the bigger draws was the “Princess Cruises” float honoring the original cast of TV’s “The Love Boat.”  All of the original cast was reunited and rode on the float to cheers from the adoring throngs of parade goers.

Rose Queen Madison Triplett and her court shined during the day’s festivities and clearly were enjoying themselves.

Grand Marshall Louis Zamperini was chosen as the Grand Marshal but unfortunately passed away on July 2nd. Rather than choose a new Grand Marshal, Tournament President Rich Chinen chose instead to celebrate his life and have his family ride instead. A wise choice and in his words, “Mr. Zamperini’s courageous story will continue to live on.”