It is time, once again, to test the mettle of those petals.
The 136th Rose Parade is set to kick off at 8 a.m. PST on New Year’s Day and roll along 5.5 miles of Pasadena streets before an anticipated crowd of hundreds of thousands.
Celebrating this year’s parade theme of “Best Day Ever,” some 32 floats, 20 marching bands and 16 equestrian groups will traverse Colorado Boulevard, through the heart of Old Pasadena.
“The 2025 theme celebrates life’s best moments — those unexpected times that bring a smile, warm our hearts and fill us with joy…. Together, we celebrate where we’ve been and what we look forward to. It’s about family, friends, and community and what we have to celebrate — and to be thankful for,” Tournament of Roses President Ed Morales said in a statement.
This year’s parade grand marshal is Billie Jean King, the tennis icon and gender equality activist who won 20 Wimbledon titles, 39 Grand Slam titles, and drew an audience of 90 million people worldwide for the televised 1973 “Battle of the Sexes” match in which she beat onetime national tennis champion Bobby Riggs.