Planning for 2022 Rose Parade Already Well Underway

The Tournament of Roses Association is already busy preparing for the return of the Rose Parade on New Year’s Day next year, with organizers confirming the parade theme, the board president and many of the floats and bands scheduled to appear in the canceled 2021 parade will be back for 2022.

The Tournament of Roses formally announced Thursday that the same floats and marching bands that missed the opportunity will be invited back, along with Tournament of Roses Board of Directors President and Chairman Robert B. Miller. The 2021 theme, “Dream. Believe. Achieve.” will remain the theme for the upcoming event.

Although the event is still more than 11 months away, Tournament of Roses Executive Director and CEO David Eads said staff is wasting no time.

“Every year, once we wrap the parade and our final activities, usually on Jan. 2, with our post parade, we immediately go into planning for the next year,” Eads said. “The planning starts immediately, and it really does take a full 12 months to really plan and organize, and then ultimately produce the Rose Parade. So we have started that process… and we’re, obviously, looking forward obviously to a parade on Jan. 1, 2022.”

Preparations were taking into account the possibility that, despite the ongoing COVID-19 vaccine rollout, the pandemic may still prompt restrictions and complications.

“We know that in our planning for the parade, there will still be some restrictions most likely on Jan. 1, 2022,” Eads said. “So our planning, as we move forward, is really taking into account what various scenarios could be and how we can prepare and adjust for those as we do our regular planning for the parade.”

Staff was already working with the 2021 marching bands and float participants to confirm returns and determine how many additional posts in the parade may be available.

“Typically, we don’t invite our equestrian units or extend an invitation to our equestrian units until mid-summer,” Eads said. “So there was no rollover with our equestrian units. The equestrian committee will start their process to evaluate applications for this year’s parade, and then we’ll extend invitations along our normal timeline.”

“All of our 32 committees will, if they haven’t started already, begin planning here in the next month or so,” he added.

Tim Estes, owner of Fiesta Parade Floats in Irwindale, said he couldn’t wait to get back to building. Fiesta is one of three companies that build the iconic, flower-covered floats.

“Since I started decorating at age 8, I have enjoyed working the Rose Parade for the past 56 years. I greatly look forward to getting back to normal in the Rose Parade cycle,” he said.

“As for all three of the current professional float building companies, we all have to be prepared to move forward as needed as the overall status of our nation moves through this unique and difficult time,” Estes said. “As a country, we all desire to get back to what is normal for us all. The biggest challenge is trying to stay in business and keep our creative work staff intact. We do hope to start construction in about four to six weeks.”

Change is part of the Rose Parade’s long-standing tradition, according to Eads.

“For 135 years, the parade has continued to evolve and change. With the horse-drawn carriages to motorized vehicles in the ’40s and ’50s that went to much more elaborate floats with hydraulics and moving parts,” he said. “That’s nothing new and it’s something that we always look at: How do we continue to increase the entertainment value of the parade?”

“2020 was a difficult year for everybody,” Eads said. “While we did not want to cancel the 2021 Rose Parade, it was the right thing to do. And we’ve obviously seen that with what’s happening in our community right now with the spread of COVID.”

“But we are excited about the possibility of the new year, obviously, with vaccines now starting wide distribution, that we’ll be able to hold our parade on Jan. 1,” he added. “It might look a little bit different based on health and safety guidelines, but we’re excited about the opportunity and we are working now to bring that hope and joy of the new year to people across the country and around the world on New Year’s day with the Rose Parade.”

Rose Parade Rolls Over Theme, Floats, Bands from Cancelled 2021 Event to 2022