At the Self-Built potluck last spring, Kim Bossley of Burbank Tournament of Roses Association handed me a packet of black-and-white photos of some of the entries in the 52nd Tournament of Roses Parade in 1941. They were taken by Gregory V. Watson and discovered by his great-niece, Catherine Mead. I am honored that they were shared with me, and I have posted them in the album below.
The theme that year was “America in Flowers.” The proliferation of flowers is noticeable on the floats, with proportionately fewer dry materials. J.W. McCall Jr. was president and E.O. Nay, the 23rd mayor of Pasadena, was Grand Marshal. There’s a golf course named after him in the Rose Bowl area.
Sally Stanton (Rubsamen) was the Rose Queen. She, along with Margaret Huntley Main, founded the Rose Queen Club to support the women who have held that honor. She was also present at the ribbon cutting for the Arroyo Seco Parkway, one of the first freeways in the country.
The photos are taken in front of a bank building that has changed hands several times. (It was Lloyd’s of London when I first moved to the area in 1978 and is now Bank of the West.) To the left in some of the photos is a huge radio tower on the roof of the old Pasadena Star-News building.
Enjoy a bit of history! And please add yours in the comments. You have to sign in, only because it helps to avoid spam.
1941 Tournament of Roses Parade: Unknown equestrian
1941 Tournament of Roses Parade: Unknown marching band
1941 Tournament of Roses Parade: Pasadena Water Dept. float
1941 Tournament of Roses Parade: Rose Queen Sally Stanton and the Royal Court
1941 Tournament of Roses Parade: Los Angeles County float
1941 Tournament of Roses Parade: Ontario, Calif. float “Washington Crossing the Delaware”
1941 Tournament of Roses Parade: San Diego float
1941 Tournament of Roses Parade: Glendale float
1941 Tournament of Roses Parade: San Pedro float
1941 Tournament of Roses Parade: “…Sons and Daughters”
1941 Tournament of Roses Parade: Unidentified float
1941 Tournament of Roses Parade: Boy Scouts of America float
1941 Tournament of Roses Parade: “… in Washington”; can’t read the sponsor
1941 Tournament of Roses Parade: Unidentified float
1941 Tournament of Roses Parade: Unknown equestrian
1941 Tournament of Roses Parade: Unknown equestrian unit; possibly Long Beach Mounted Police
1941 Tournament of Roses Parade: Unknown equestrian unit
1941 Tournament of Roses Parade: Unknown entry
1941 Tournament of Roses Parade: Possibly Monty Montana
The biggest celebrities of them all: the 2020 Tournament of Roses Royal Court. L-R, Rose Queen Camille Kennedy, Rose Princesses Emilie Risha, Reese Rosental Saporito, Mia Thorsen, Michael Wilkins, Rukan Saif, Cole Fox.
by Laura Berthold Monteros
At the Tournament of Roses Parade, the real celebrities are the gorgeous floral creations that float along the parade route on New Year’s Day. The 131st Rose Parade, held on Jan. 1, 2020, was no exception. But that doesn’t mean there are no human celebrities! Riding along Colorado Blvd. in flower-bedecked antique vehicles is a tradition for the people that the current president chooses to represent the theme she has chosen, this year, Pres. Laura Farber chose “The Power of Hope.”
You can read more about them by exploring the 2020 Tournament of Roses page on this website. You can see them, nestled in the seats of beautiful vehicles and waving to the crowds, in the gallery below. Information about the cars is in the captions.
Grand Marshal Rita Moreno, actress, singer, dancer, activist, and EGOT winner, rode in a 1910 Pope-Hartford Touring Car, owned by Gary and Sheryl Hunter and driven by Cole Capps.
Grand Marshal Gina Torres, actress and opera singer, is known for her roles Firefly and Suits. She rode in a 1911 Pope-Hartford model W with a seven-passenger touring body. The Gooding family has owned this car for over 50 years.
Grand Marshal Laurie Hernandez, winner of Olympic Gold and Silver medals as a member of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Women’s Gymnastics Team, rode in a 1910 Pope-Hartford Model T. It was restored in the 60's by Bill Harrah from Harrah's casinos.
Grand Marshals Laurie Hernandez and Gina Torres take the turn from Orange Grove Blvd. to Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena City College Tournament of Roses Herald Trumpets usher in the Royal Court.
Tournament of Roses Royal Court for 2020, on a float caped with roses: Rose Queen Camille Kennedy, with Rose Princesses on the left, Emilie Risha, Mia Thorsen, Rukan Saif; on the right, Reese Rosental Saporito, Michael Wilkins, Cole Fox.
2020 Tournament of Roses Royal Court: Rose Queen Camille Kennedy, with Rose Princesses on the left, Emilie Risha, Mia Thorsen, Rukan Saif; on the right, Reese Rosental Saporito, Michael Wilkins, Cole Fox.
2020 Tournament of Roses Royal Court, L-R, Rose Queen Camille Kennedy, Rose Princesses Emilie Risha, Reese Rosental Saporito, Mia Thorsen, Michael Wilkins, Rukan Saif, Cole Fox.
Camille Kennedy, the 102nd Rose Queen.
Pasadena City College Tournament of Roses Honor Band made its 91st appearance in the Rose Parade. The PCC Lancer Band is joined 230 high schoolers who auditioned for slots. Kyle Luck is the PCC Director of Bands.
Pasadena City College Tournament of Roses Honor Band made its 91st appearance in the Rose Parade. The PCC Lancer Band is joined 230 high schoolers who auditioned for slots. Kyle Luck is the PCC Director of Bands.
Pasadena City College Tournament of Roses Honor Band made its 91st appearance in the Rose Parade. The PCC Lancer Band is joined 230 high schoolers who auditioned for slots. Kyle Luck is the PCC Director of Bands.
Pasadena City College Tournament of Roses Honor Band made its 91st appearance in the Rose Parade. The PCC Lancer Band is joined 230 high schoolers who auditioned for slots. Kyle Luck is the PCC Director of Bands.
Pasadena City College Tournament of Roses Honor Band made its 91st appearance in the Rose Parade. The PCC Lancer Band is joined 230 high schoolers who auditioned for slots. Kyle Luck is the PCC Director of Bands.
Pasadena Mayor Terry Tornek (waving with left hand) rode in a handcrafted replica of an 1880 Abbott Downing Hotel Coach. It can accommodate 24 passengers. The eight-horse hitch of rare black and white colored from Express Ranches is owned by Bob Funk of Yukon, Okla.
Pasadena Mayor Terry Tornek (waving with left hand) rode in a handcrafted replica of an 1880 Abbott Downing Hotel Coach. It can accommodate 24 passengers. The eight-horse hitch of rare black and white colored from Express Ranches is owned by Bob Funk of Yukon, Okla.
Rose Bowl Hall of Fame honorees Class of 2019: A representative of Eddie Casey (Harvard), Jacque Robinson (University of Washington), Cornelius Greene (Ohio State), Matt Leinart (USC). In celebration of its 250th anniversary, the City of Monterey, Calif. lent its first mechanized fire engine, a 1916 Seagrave, to the TOR.
Tournament of Roses Pres. Laura Farber rides with her husband Tomás Lopez and their children Christopher and Jessica in a 1911 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost owned by Gary and Sheryl Hunter.
Tournament of Roses Pres. Laura Farber rides with her husband Tomás Lopez and their children Christopher and Jessica in a 1911 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost owned by Gary and Sheryl Hunter.
Pres. Farber added Honored Guests to the parade this year. Sonia Manzano, “Maria” on Sesame Street, Jaime Jarrin, the Spanish voice of the Dodgers, and Ellen Ochoa, the first Latina in space rode in a 1915 Pierce Arrow Model 48.
Pres. Farber added Honored Guests to the parade this year. Sonia Manzano, “Maria” on Sesame Street, Jaime Jarrin, the Spanish voice of the Dodgers, and Ellen Ochoa, the first Latina in space rode in a 1915 Pierce Arrow Model 48.
Barnstormer and daredevil C.P. Rodgers piloted the first plane to fly over the Rose Parade on Jan. 1, 1912. The plane in the photo is not his usual aircraft, the Wright Model EX Vin Fiz, but a spare Model B.
by Laura Berthold Monteros
Quick question: When did the flyovers of the Rose Parade begin? If you said in 1997 at the 108th Tournament of Roses Parade, with the B-2 Spirit “stealth bomber” in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the US Air Force, you would be…wrong!
The first flyover was 85 years earlier, in 1912 at the 23rd Rose Parade. Broadcaster and barnstormer C.P. Rodgers, after a historic cross-country flight from the Atlantic to the Pacific, flew over the parade in his plane Vin Fiz, a Wright Model EX. He dropped flowers along the entire route; some say they were rose petals; others say it was 10,000 carnations.
Born Calbraith Perry Rodgers, the aviator had undertaken the transcontinental flight to garner a $50,000 prize offered by William Randolph Hearst, but he missed the deadline by 19 days. On April 3, his plane was hit by birds during an exhibition over Long Beach, Calif. and he died in the crash at age 33. This was the first recorded instance of a fatality resulting from a bird strike.
Such an impromptu flight would not be allowed today, of course, what with security and other aircraft taking up airspace over the route.
Nonetheless, he is remembered for his daring flights, his huge personality, and for being the first aviator to fly over the Rose Parade. He was so popular with parade-goers that they gave him the title of King of the Rose Parade, the first in a short line of three. There was no Rose Queen that year, so folks created their own royalty.
Parade-goers still enjoy looking up to see the B-2 and other Air Force wonders fly overhead, as well as the Goodyear blimp and the occasional small planes dragging banners or puffing out ads. Here are some examples.
B-2 Spirit at the 2020 Rose Parade
B-2 Spirit at the 2020 Rose Parade
It’s a marvel of engineering, the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber. The shape makes it difficult for radar detection, but most impressive to parade-goers—besides the sheer beauty of this war machine—is that it can’t be heard until it is almost overhead. It has a wingspan of 172 feet and weighs 160,000 pounds, but for its massive size, it is frighteningly quiet. For the first time in Rose Parade history, the crew of two pilots included a woman: Lt. Col. Nicola “Rogue” Polidor with Major Justin “Rocky” Spencer
Goodyear blimp videos the 2020 Rose Parade
Goodyear blimp videos the 2020 Rose Parade
To residents of the Pasadena area, the Goodyear blimp is a frequent sight when games are held in the Rose Bowl Stadium. On New Year’s Day, it does double duty in taking overhead video the Rose Parade and the Rose Bowl Game. A ride in the blimp is one of the exciting events that the Tournament of Roses Royal Court gets to do.
Pasadena parrots at the 2018 Rose Parade
Annual visitors—the parrots of Pasadena
People local to Pasadena love to come to the Rose Parade, but they aren’t the only ones who enjoy the festivities. Every year, the flocks that make their homes in or near Pasadena make an early morning trek to circle the over the grandstands. This photo is from 2018.
B-2 stealth bomber and F-35 fighters at the 2018 Rose Parade
In Memoriam
The 2018 flyover added two F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters in a tribute to organ donation. The F-35 to the left of the bomber represented giving life (organ donors) and to the right, receiving life (organ recipients). Organ donor USAF Maj. Benjamin “Chex” Meier piloted the plane on the left before he lost his life; it was flown by a close friend for the Rose Parade.
Hawk flies beneath B-2 stealth bomber and F-35 fighters at the 2018 Rose Parade
And yet another feathered flyover
What appears to be a hawk flies below the Air Force formation. After all, the airspace is free to birds!
“Stories Change Our World” sponsored by The UPS Store won Sweepstakes in the 131st Rose Parade with its display of golden lion tamarin monkeys.
by Laura Berthold Monteros
“The Power of Hope,” theme of the 131st Tournament of Roses, inspired floats with different stories to tell, but all with optimism and aspiration. From the humor of dodo birds flying a zeppelin to men and women in a cargo ship crossing the ocean in 1620 seeking freedom, the floats were a panoply of artistry, imagination, beauty, and hope.
Below are three photo galleries with images of the award winners in four categories: Sweepstakes, Entertainment Value, Float Design, Floral Design. There are six self-built winners and floats from professional builders AES, Fiesta Parade Floats, and Phoenix Decorating Company. The captions name the award and give a little information about each entry.
Sweepstakes: The UPS Store “Stories Change Our World.” Tamarin monkeys were created with layers of bronze and golden strawflower, gold and orange marigold petals, and stems of Mokara, Oncidium, and James Story orchids.
Sweepstakes: The UPS Store “Stories Change Our World.” Tamarin monkeys were created with layers of bronze and golden strawflower, gold and orange marigold petals, and stems of Mokara, Oncidium, and James Story orchids.
Extraordinaire: Chinese American Heritage Foundation “American Heroes,” a salute to the men and women who served in World War II on the 75th anniversary of its end.
Extraordinaire: Chinese American Heritage Foundation “American Heroes,” a salute to the men and women who served in World War II on the 75th anniversary of its end.
Wrigley Legacy: Kaiser Permanente “Courage to Reimagine.” The Yellow Brick Road winds through a village where Ozites have access to health care, healthy foods, and a safe community.
Wrigley Legacy: Kaiser Permanente “Courage to Reimagine.” The Yellow Brick Road winds through a village where Ozites have access to health care, healthy foods, and a safe community.
Judges: Donate Life “Light in the Darkness” speaks to the hope that organ, eye, and tissue donation brings to donors, recipients, and families. Floragraphs honor the deceased donors.
Judges: Donate Life “Light in the Darkness” speaks to the hope that organ, eye, and tissue donation brings to donors, recipients, and families. Floragraphs honor the deceased donors.
The Cowboy Channel’s Rodeo New York Gold Buckle Brigade ushers in the Cowboy Channel float. Each rider earned her buckle on the professional rodeo circuit.
Showmanship: The Cowboy Channel “Walk Ride Rodeo” celebrates Amberley Snyder, who returned to barrel racing after being paralyzed from the waist down in a car accident, and the return of the rodeo to Madison Square Garden after 30 years.
Showmanship: The Cowboy Channel “Walk Ride Rodeo” celebrates Amberley Snyder, who returned to barrel racing after being paralyzed from the waist down in a car accident, and the return of the rodeo to Madison Square Garden after 30 years.
Float Design
Theme: Pasadena Celebrates 2020 “Years of Hope, Years of Courage” marked the centennial of the passage of the 19th Amendment. One hundred women in suffragette dress followed the float.
Theme: Pasadena Celebrates 2020 “Years of Hope, Years of Courage” marked the centennial of the passage of the 19th Amendment. One hundred women in suffragette dress followed the float.
Theme: Pasadena Celebrates 2020 “Years of Hope, Years of Courage” marked the centennial of the passage of the 19th Amendment. One hundred women in suffragette dress followed the float.
Bob Hope Humor: La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Assn. “Dodo Bird Flight School” celebrated the hopes of flightless birds. Dodos cluster aboard a dirigible, led by an emu trying out a whirlybird.
Bob Hope Humor: La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Assn. “Dodo Bird Flight School” celebrated the hopes of flightless birds. Dodos cluster aboard a dirigible, led by an emu trying out a whirlybird.
Bob Hope Humor: La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Assn. “Dodo Bird Flight School” celebrated the hopes of flightless birds. Dodos cluster aboard a dirigible, led by an emu trying out a whirlybird.
Director: Cal Poly Universities” Aquatic Aspirations.” Undersea explorers chance on a sunken ship that has become a home to a treasure of sea life. Bubbles float from the submarine.
Director: Cal Poly Universities” Aquatic Aspirations.” Undersea explorers chance on a sunken ship that has become a home to a treasure of sea life. Bubbles float from the submarine.
Crown City Innovator: Trader Joe’s “It Takes a Flight of Fancy.” The Fearless Flyer jets out of the clouds in barrel-rolling pickle barrel. Trusty crew members and the Fearless Flyer puppet come along for the ride.
Crown City Innovator: Trader Joe’s “It Takes a Flight of Fancy.” The Fearless Flyer jets out of the clouds in barrel-rolling pickle barrel. Trusty crew members and the Fearless Flyer puppet come along for the ride.
Grand Marshal: Chipotle Mexican Grill “Cultivate the Future of Farming.” Many of the 51 fresh ingredients served at Chipotle restaurants are used in the decoration of the float. The riders are young farmers, a reminder that as older farmers retire, younger ones are needed,
Grand Marshal: Chipotle Mexican Grill “Cultivate the Future of Farming.” Many of the 51 fresh ingredients served at Chipotle restaurants are used in the decoration of the float. The riders are young farmers, a reminder that as older farmers retire, younger ones are needed,
Fantasy: Northwestern Mutual “Spend Your Life Living.” A family of llamas tube down a Llazy River, with coats of ivory carnations and strawflower for their legs and faces.
Fantasy: Northwestern Mutual “Spend Your Life Living.” A family of llamas tube down a Llazy River, with coats of ivory carnations and strawflower for their legs and faces.
Animation: Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day “Plant a Garden…Believe in Tomorrow.” Dancing fruit and flowers remind folks that a garden is full of hope as small seeds grow into beautiful and healthy plants.
Animation: Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day “Plant a Garden…Believe in Tomorrow.” Dancing fruit and flowers remind folks that a garden is full of hope as small seeds grow into beautiful and healthy plants.
Americana: General Society of Mayflower Descendants “The Voyage of Hope—1620” memorializes the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the Pilgrims in North America. The bright colors worn by the riders are accurate for the time.
Americana: General Society of Mayflower Descendants “The Voyage of Hope—1620” memorializes the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the Pilgrims in North America. The bright colors worn by the riders are accurate for the time.
Golden State: Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens “Cultivating Curiosity” depicts some of the iconic landmarks at The Huntington. Mary Cassatt’s “Breakfast in Bed,” Edward Hopper’s “The Long Leg,” and the Ellesmere Chaucer represent the collections.
Golden State: Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens “Cultivating Curiosity” depicts some of the iconic landmarks at The Huntington. Mary Cassatt’s “Breakfast in Bed,” Edward Hopper’s “The Long Leg,” and the Ellesmere Chaucer represent the collections.
Mayor: South Pasadena Tournament of Roses Assn. “Victory at Last.” A huge straw hat, ballot box, and plenty of purple, green, and gold—the colors of the Women’s Suffrage movement—celebrate 100 years of federal voting for women.
Mayor: South Pasadena Tournament of Roses Assn. “Victory at Last.” A huge straw hat, ballot box, and plenty of purple, green, and gold—the colors of the Women’s Suffrage movement—celebrate 100 years of federal voting for women.
Floral Design
President: Sierra Madre Rose Float Assn. “Ka lā hiki ola” (“The Dawning of a New Day”). Tropicbirds soar around a lush floral island with rotating tikis and Hawaiian dancers on and around the float.
President: Sierra Madre Rose Float Assn. “Ka lā hiki ola” (“The Dawning of a New Day”). Tropicbirds soar around a lush floral island with rotating tikis and Hawaiian dancers on and around the float.
Isabella Coleman: AIDS Healthcare Foundation “Hope for the Homeless.” Tiny homes call attention to two crises: homelessness and affordable housing. AHF has lent its voice to several different causes with its floats over the years.
Isabella Coleman: AIDS Healthcare Foundation “Hope for the Homeless.” Tiny homes call attention to two crises: homelessness and affordable housing. AHF has lent its voice to several different causes with its floats over the years.
Queen: Dole Packaged Foods “Sunshine for All.” A brilliant sun packed with 60,000 roses in shades fading from orange to yellow to white greets the new day. An additional 20,000 roses fill the deck gardens.
Queen: Dole Packaged Foods “Sunshine for All.” A brilliant sun packed with 60,000 roses in shades fading from orange to yellow to white greets the new day. An additional 20,000 roses fill the deck gardens.
Leishman Public Spirit: Burbank Tournament of Roses Assn. “Rise Up” honors the courage and spirit of hope that arise out of the ashes of California’s most deadly and devastating fire season in 2018. Beneath the phoenix, a waterfall and renewed growth create a haven for wildlife.
Leishman Public Spirit: Burbank Tournament of Roses Assn. “Rise Up” honors the courage and spirit of hope that arise out of the ashes of California’s most deadly and devastating fire season in 2018. Beneath the phoenix, a waterfall and renewed growth create a haven for wildlife.
Princess: City of Torrance “Our Garden of Hope and Dreams” recreates the Pine Wind Garden at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center. At the front is a pond with leaping koi and a sunning turtle.
Princess: City of Torrance “Our Garden of Hope and Dreams” recreates the Pine Wind Garden at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center. At the front is a pond with leaping koi and a sunning turtle.
Princess: City of Torrance “Our Garden of Hope and Dreams” recreates the Pine Wind Garden at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center. At the front is a pond with leaping koi and a sunning turtle.
Past President: City of Hope “City of Hope.” The Tree of Wisdom at the center symbolizes the different branches of science and care at the 107-year-old research and treatment facility. The lush floral decoration uses 85,875 roses, orchids, delphinium, and other flowers.
Past President: City of Hope “City of Hope.” The Tree of Wisdom at the center symbolizes the different branches of science and care at the 107-year-old research and treatment facility. The lush floral decoration uses 85,875 roses, orchids, delphinium, and other flowers.
Founder: Downey Rose Float Assn. “On the Wings of Hope.” “Paper” cranes winging over a Japanese garden bring happiness, wisdom, health, and hope. Downey queen and princesses grace the float.
Founder: Downey Rose Float Assn. “On the Wings of Hope.” “Paper” cranes winging over a Japanese garden bring happiness, wisdom, health, and hope. Downey queen and princesses grace the float.
International: China Airlines “Dreams of Flying, Wings of Hope.” A cheerful airliner bursts out of a music box, along with other icons of Taiwan, from noodles to lanterns to spinning tops and a skyscraper.
International: China Airlines “Dreams of Flying, Wings of Hope.” A cheerful airliner bursts out of a music box, along with other icons of Taiwan, from noodles to lanterns to spinning tops and a skyscraper.
Tournament Volunteer: Rotary Rose Parade Float Committee “Hope Connects the World” is joined by Optimist International. A floating penguin is guided on an international journey by a crew of Rotarians and Optimists, tethered to common ideals.
Tournament Volunteer: Rotary Rose Parade Float Committee “Hope Connects the World” is joined by Optimist International. A floating penguin is guided on an international journey by a crew of Rotarians and Optimists, tethered to common ideals.
For The Rose Examiner, the week between Boxing Day and the Showcase of Floats is packed with preparations for the Tournament of Roses Parade and visits to the barns to see the floats in the final stages. We especially like being able to talk to some of the people who are working on the floats.
It’s hard to believe that it’s been a couple weeks since we spoke with folks during Deco Week. We had conversations with Linda Cozakos and Erik C. Andersen at Burbank Tournament of Roses Association, and Harry Gill and Maninder Minu Singh, creative director of the Sikh American Float Foundation, in the Phoenix Decorating Company barn.
Be sure to check out the photos in the gallery below for the two floats in progress
Burbank “Rise Up”
Erik C. Andersen and Linda Cozakos explain the various choices of botanicals for the beak of the phoenix on “Rise Up.”
Burbank’s 88th Rose Parade entry won the Leishman Public Spirit Award for most outstanding floral design and display from a non-commercial participant. In keeping with the parade theme “The Power of Hope,” the float depicted a giant phoenix being reborn from the ashes of the 8,527 wildfires that destroyed 1,893,913 acres of homes, businesses, farmland, and wildland in California 2018. A waterfall in front, surrounded by lush vegetation, offered hope that the land will be renewed.
Named “Paradise” in honor of the town that was nearly wiped out in the Camp Fire—two of designer Lisa Long’s nephews battled the fire there—the bird’s body rose and fell and head turned side to side. In a first for Burbank, three fireballs shot out of the tail feathers.
We talked to Cozakos and Andersen about the florals used for the colors and textures on the phoenix. Floral decorators always keep an eye out for new materials or ways to use old ones, and the beak of the bird had a rather unusual choice.
Cozakos said the frilly acorn caps lining the top of the beak can only be found in Griffith Park on one particular tree. One of the members of BTORA discovered them and has returned to collect them as needed. Mustard seed, fava beans, dried mango, and two purple potatoes for nostrils completed the beak, with vermilion Chinese lanterns around the eyes.
The feathers on the face and body were whole magnolia leaves and palm leaves that had been torn into thin strips. The leaves were covered with ground yellow and orange marigolds, sumac, and paprika to simulate the fiery colors of the phoenix.
Remembering a different kind of tragedy, roses with the names of the Saugus High School shooting victims attached were on the float, as well as dried agapanthus from the school. The roses will be returned to the parents after the parade.
Sikh American “Planting Seeds of Hope”
Harry Gill and Minu Singh stand before the Sikh American float.
The theme of the Sikh American float was realized with a fanciful garden and rotating carousel filled with children of various ethnicities. Through selfless service to humanity with love, respect, compassion, and humility, Sikhs hope to nurture an environment in which children can grow and thrive.
A sculpture of Bhai Ghaneya Singh sat at the front, pouring water out of a leather bag. Bhai Ghaneya was a compassionate man who carried water to the troops in the 1704 war of Anandpur Sahib. Harry Gill told us the story behind the image.
Bhai Ghaneya gave water to both the Sikhs and their Mughal enemies, thus planting seeds of love. For this, he was brought before Guru Gobind Singh. Bhai Ghaneya’s defense was “I see God in every one of them.” The Guru replied, “Give everyone water and also apply medicine on their wounds,” Gill said. “He’s the forerunner of the Red Cross, more than 300 years ago.”
Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, said “there is only one God of the whole world; the same light shines in every person,” Gill said, regardless of color, creed, or gender. “Even emperors are born of women.”
South Pasadena does not have a float barn, and builds the float under the only concrete bridge designed by architects Charles and Henry Greene.
by Laura Berthold Monteros
Your Rose Examiner spent three consecutive days walking the float barns, and came back with tons of photos. For these galleries, I’ve chosen one of each float, shots I particularly like, just to give a flavor of the process and introduce readers to the floats that will glide along the Tournament of Roses Parade on Jan. 1, 2020.
The barns and decorating sites were pretty packed and the decorators were working furiously to get the dry dec on. I managed to fit in two conversations, one with Erik C. Andersen and Linda Cozakos at Burbank Tournament of Roses Association., and one with Harry Gill and Minu Singh at the Sikh American float in the Phoenix Decorating Company barn, which can be read here.
Photos in Gallery A were taken on Dec. 28 and 29, and include AES and five self-built floats (we didn’t go down to the Downey float barn). Gallery B was taken on Dec. 30 at Phoenix Decorating Company. Gallery C was also taken on Dec. 30, at Fiesta Parade Floats.
Deco Week Gallery A
Sierra Madre Rose Float Assn., La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Assn., AES, Cal Poly Universities, South Pasadena Rose Float Assn., Burbank Rose Float Assn.
Sierra Madre Rose Float Assn.
La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Assn.
A plethora of flowers ready to be put on the Rose Parade vehicles that will carry Tournament of Roses celebrities
University of Oregon cheerleader float (Wisconsin is similar, in red)
China Airlines
Pasadena Celebrates 2020
Blue Diamond Almonds
Amazon Studios
American Honda Motor Company
Cal Poly Universities
South Pasadena Rose Float Assn.
Burbank Tournament of Roses Assn. This is the first time Burbank has used fire on a float.
Deco Week Gallery B
Phoenix Decorating Company
City of Alhambra
The Cowboy Channel
City of Hope
Western Asset Management Company
Opening show mobile platform
Lutheran Laymen's League
Wescom Credit Union
Trader Joe's
Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
The SCAN Foundation
Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day
Rotary Rose Parade Float Committee
Lions Clubs International
Shriners Hospitals for Children
Kiwanis International
Tournament of Roses Royal Court
Odd Fellows and Rebekahs Rose Float
Sikh American Rose Float Assn.
Farmers Insurance
Deco Week Gallery C
Fiesta Parade Floats
Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente
City of Torrance
Donate Life
Chinese American Heritage Foundation
Chipotle Mexican Grill
Underground Service Alert of Southern California (DIGALERT)
“Spend Your Life Living” in the S.S. Elephie by Northwestern Mutual won the Bob Hope Humor Award
by Laura Berthold Monteros
In anticipation of the upcoming 131st Tournament of Roses Parade on Jan. 1, 2020, The Rose Examiner has put together a collection of photos of the award-winning floats that glided along the Rose Parade route in 2019. Take a look at the stunning and gorgeous creations that won in 24 contests.
We’ve split the photos into two galleries to avoid overwhelming our readers. Each photo is captioned with its award, sponsor, title, builder, and designer. Comments on the winners and descriptions of the awards in table form are in the article “Rose Parade 2019 float awards; The UPS Store takes Sweepstakes.”
All photos are copyrighted; contact The Rose Examiner for permissions.
Gallery A: Sweepstakes and Float Design categories
Sweepstakes: The UPS Store, Inc. “Books Keep Us On Our Toes” Fiesta Parade Floats, Charles Meier
Sweepstakes: The UPS Store, Inc. “Books Keep Us On Our Toes” Fiesta Parade Floats, Charles Meier
Sweepstakes: The UPS Store, Inc. “Books Keep Us On Our Toes” Fiesta Parade Floats, Charles Meier
Animation: Burbank Tournament of Roses Assn. “Stompin’ Good Time” Self-built, Brian Cozakos and Adam Ostegard
Animation: Burbank Tournament of Roses Assn. “Stompin’ Good Time” Self-built, Brian Cozakos and Adam Ostegard
Tournament of Roses President Laura Farber surrounded by the Royal Court: Princesses Rukan Saif, Mia Thorsen, Emilie Risha, Queen Camille Kennedy, Princesses Reese Rosental Saporito, Michael Wilkins, Cole Fox
by Laura Berthold Monteros
With a snip of oversized goldens scissors, Rose Queen Camille Kennedy and the Tournament of Roses Royal Court opened the 36th Annual Visitors Hotline phone bank on Dec.11, two weeks earlier than usual. The Pasadena Convention and Visitors Bureau hosts the hotline to provide fast and accurate information about the 131st Rose Parade, 106th Rose Bowl Game, and the City of Pasadena.
Christine Susa, Director of Marketing and Communications for the Pasadena Convention and Visitors Center, told The Rose Examiner that the earlier calls are “less hectic” and more about hotels and the Rose Bowl Game teams than those that come after Christmas. “It’s more, ‘We just got our tickets, now what,” she said.
Lined up behind the wide red ribbon, the girls on the court grinned widely when Queen Camille cut the ribbon to officially open the hotline. Each station has a phone and bound book with all—or at least most—of the information volunteers need to help visitors to the 131st Tournament of Roses. The phones started ringing immediately, but we had a little time between calls to speak with the young women. One thing that is evident in watching and talking with this court is the way they enjoy each other. There was a lot of laughter this morning. Be sure to check out the gallery below!
College dreams and special birthdays
We started with Princess Reese Rosental Saporito, the youngest and tallest member of the Royal Court.
“She just turned 17 yesterday,” Queen Camille piped up. Reese said that she “doesn’t feel super different;” after all, she isn’t heads above the others (nor very much younger, though Dec. 31 is the deadline for Royal Court members to be at least 17.). She did acknowledge that sometimes she has to squat a bit for photos.
Camille has a birthday of her own coming up. She will turn 18 on Dec. 22. While she had traditional birthday celebrations growing up, despite being so close to Christmas, her last two birthdays were in Tokyo with her host family. They went out for sushi, then came home to traditional Japanese cakes. They’re very small, she said, each slice is a quarter of the cake.
We asked Princess Rukan Saif about her application to Yale College. (A disclaimer here, one of the offspring of The Rose Examiner attended Yale.) She said she will hear on Monday. She plans on studying history with an eye to law school and a professorship.
“All of us are finding out very soon,” she said, sounding pretty excited about it.
Princess Mia Thorsen is also waiting to hear from the many colleges to which she has applied. Her first choice is Brown University in Providence. Princess Emilie Risha said she had applied to schools in California, and has already been accepted to Saint Mary’s College of California in the Bay Area, and has received the highly competitive Presidential Scholarship.
Covering all her bases for the Rose Bowl Game, Princess Cole Fox has been accepted to the University of Oregon and is waiting to hear from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The Ducks and Badgers will face off in the 2020 Rose Bowl Game. Cole applied to colleges all over the country that have outstanding biology programs, in preparation for going to med school.
“I’m open to whichever school has the best opportunities,” she said.
We asked Princess Michael Wilkins if she was a celebrity at her school. “I get a few ‘Hey, Princesses,’” she said, and sometimes applause when she enters a classroom. She says she and her parents talk about her role on the court all the time.
Both Reese and Mia attend Marshall Fundamental High School in Pasadena, and shared that they get have fun together after school. Reese reminded us that the last princess from Marshall was Queen Madison Triplett in 2015. In honor of the two, the school is putting up a display in the hall. The official Tournament of Roses photos have just been sent over for the display.
“It’s exciting,” Reese said. “It’s a special experience for the school and for us.”
An innovative president
Laura Farber has expanded the boundaries of the Rose Parade. Her tenure has seen the inclusion of more women and Latinos than in the past, matching the diversity of the Pasadena area and the Tournament of Roses Association, and she has added a brand-new half-time show to the parade.
“It’s the largest international stage that exists,” she said in her introductory remarks. “This year is really spectacular,” It’s the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote in federal elections, and a woman will pilot the B-2 in its flyover.
We asked her about the half-time show, “Frozen 2,” which will occur at the mid-point in the parade. Some followers of our Facebook page, All Things Rose Parade, have expressed concerns that the show will only perform for the video cameras on Orange Grove and Colorado.
“It’s been off-the-charts positive,” she replied. The performance will continue all along the parade route, not just for the cameras. “We want to give everyone a treat.”
“We’re trying to appeal to a broader audience,” she added, to balance the traditional and the innovative. “We have something for everybody, to appeal to everybody.”
In addition to Farber, officials attending were Pasadena Mayor Terry Tornek and Vice-Mayor Tyron Hampton; Pasadena Convention and Visitors Bureau CEO Michael Ross, Executive Director Jeanne Goldsmith, and Director of Marketing and Communications Christine Susa; and Tournament of Roses Executive Director/CEO David Eads.
Subscribe to “The Rose Examiner” to get news and articles throughout the year.
David Eads, Christine Susa, Tyron Hampton, Laura Farber, the Royal Court, Jeanne Goldsmith, Terry Tornek, Michael Ross
The Tournament of Roses Royal Court at the Visitors Hotline ribbon cutting. L-R: Princesses Rukan Saif, Mia Thorsen, Emilie Risha, Queen Camille Kennedy, Princesses Reese Rosental Saporito, Michael Wilkins, Cole Fox
Queen Camille cuts the ribbon, officially opening the 36th Annual Visitors Hotline
Each station has a phone and an information book to help visitors to the 131st Tournament of Roses. Volunteers and employees assist the young ladies.
It must have been a surprise when the caller was greeted with, “Visitors Hotline. This is Queen Camille.”
Princesses Mia Thorsen and Emilie Risha on the job
Princesses Mia and Emilie having fun on the job
Princess Michael Wilkins working the Visitors Hotline phone bank
Princess Cole Fox working the Visitors Hotline phone bank
Princess Rukan Saif working the Visitors Hotline phone bank
Queen Camille Kennedy and Princess Reese Rosental Saporito take a minute to pose
Rose Princesses Rukah Saif, Mia Thorsen, Emilie Risha, Reese Rosental Saporito, Michael Wilkins, Camille Kennedy, and Cole Fox are introduced by KTLA News anchor Lynette Romero
by Laura Berthold Monteros
Queen Camille Kennedy, wearing the Mikimoto crown featuring more than 600 cultured pearls and six carats of diamonds and the white gown designed by Tadashi Shoji.
On the patio of the famed Pasadena Playhouse, gathered friends, family, Tournament of Roses members, and media bustle in anticipation of one of the most exciting annual events in the city. Inside, after the chatter dies down, the 102nd Rose Queen will be announced. Chosen from seven young women on the Tournament of Roses 2020 Royal Court, the queen will preside over the 131st Rose Parade on Jan. 1, 2020. But who will it be?
The story is really in the pictures in the gallery below, so be sure to take a look and read the captions to learn more about the women of the Tournament of Roses Royal Court.
Amid servers carrying plates of hors d’oeuvres, the music of The Mariachi Divas, and snapping cameras, we were able to identify the parents (the dads wear white rose boutonnieres) and talk with a few. They had lovely memories of their daughters, and were happy to share with The Rose Examiner. For more about the Royal Court, check out the Royal Court page on this website.
ON THE PATIO
Princess Rukah Saif must have set the record for the family member who traveled the farthest. Her grandmother, Shamsun Nahar, flew all the way from Bangladesh and just arrived a few days earlier. Rukah’s mother, Rumana Rashid, said her daughter had been going to the Rose Parade since she was a child perched on her father’s shoulders.
“She enjoyed it through her whole youth,” Rashid said. She described Rukah as quiet and very kindhearted. “She is our only child. She grew up with us.”
Her mother and father, Saif Haroon, were graduate students—she in molecular biology and he in civil engineering—when Rukah was born. She was still a preschooler when they moved to California, and has been to the parade very year since. She even marched with the Arcadia High School Band in one and helped to decorate a float.
Princess Michael Wilkins—“Mike” to her family and friends—is also an only child. He father, Overton Wilkins, said, “She’s my little sunshine,” and related how he sang “This Little Light of Mine” to her.
“She always made us proud,” he said. “She’s a nice young lady and we enjoy her.” Indeed. Her father said that in addition to being quite an athlete, having won in CIF tennis tournaments, “She’s just as good in speech and debate.” She’s been on the Maranatha High School team for four years, and went to the NAACP oratory finals in Detroit last July.
“I told her if you practice long enough, good things will happen,” Wilkins said. “She’s been a blessing to us.”
Princess Reese Rosental Saporito’s father, Chris Rosental Saporito, said, “I am so proud of her. She is fantastic.” She has handled her position on the Royal Court with grace, he said. Reese is on the soccer team with fellow Marshall Fundamental School Princess Mia Thorsen.
INSIDE THE PLAYHOUSE
It was pretty much an all-female and heavily Latina cast, with Pres. Laura Farber leading the way as the first Latina (and only third woman) leading the 2020 Tournament of Roses. She was joined by the chair of the Queen & Court Committee, Ruth Martinez-Baenen, emcee Lynette Romero from KTLA News, and of course the Divas. Farber welcomed the audience, thanked the sponsors, and introduced the Pasadena Playhouse director of development Nancy Griffith Baxter and emcee Romero.
Each of the seven princesses was introduced with a short slide show featuring photos from early childhood and teen years. Voiceovers by her parents mentioned accomplishments, character, and personality. When all seven were onstage in their diaphanous champagne gowns, it was time for the announcement. Farber stretched out the announcement with several teasing false starts, then opened the envelope to announce, “Camille Kennedy!” After hugs and photos, the girls left to be fitted with their tiaras and for Queen Camille to change into her white gown.
In the interim, Farber asked the former princesses and queens in attendance to stand up, and she introduced the 1940 Rose Queen, Margaret Huntley Main, attending her 80th coronation. Queen Margaret, who wrote the book A Rose Queen Is Forever, advised, “Enjoy every moment. You are making memories for the rest of your life.”
There was a slideshow of the Royal Court at community events and their retreat in Solvang, a Danish community in Central California. The Mariachi Divas gave a spirited performance of mariachi favorites. When the set was done, they walked off the stage playing “Everything’s Coming Up Roses.”
As each Rose Princess was led back onstage on her father’s arm, she received a bouquet of red roses from two former princesses, Maya Kawaguchi Kahn (2017) and Helen Rossi (2019). The previous Rose Queen usually presents the bouquet to the newly-announced queen, but due to a calculus midterm in Chicago, Queen Louise Deser Siskel could not make it. She sent a video promising to take Queen Camille out for a deep dish pizza to make up for it, and Martinez-Baenen presented the roses.
OVER BUT STILL GOING
After the program, there were rounds of still photos and interviews with the media for the members of the Royal Court. We were able to get a few words with Queen Camille and some of the other members of the court. Quotes from the princesses are in the captions below; they are amazing young women, so be sure to read them! We asked Queen Camille, who is fluent in Japanese and wants to attend college in the country, if she learns languages easily and what she learns about others from knowing their language.
“I do!” she replied. “That’s what I’m proud of.” Math and science are more challenging for her, she said. In addition to Japanese, she is “fascinated with Korean.”
“The best way to learn a culture is to learn the language, and if you’re interested in [learning about] a culture, learn the language.”
OFFICIAL TOURNAMENT OF ROSES BIO
Camille is a senior at La Salle College Preparatory and lives in Pasadena. She is currently a member of her school’s drama/musical theater troupe and has been featured in three productions, including a lead role in the spring 2019 musical, “City of Angels.” Camille is a member of the afterschool choral group and the Support Our Troops Club. Camille enjoys listening to music, performing in theater productions with friends, cooking, and hitting the gym with her dad. She plans to pursue a liberal arts degree in Japanese linguistics, social sciences, or culture and media studies. Camille is interested in going to college in Japan, with Waseda University in Tokyo and Asia Pacific University in Kyushu as her top choices. Camille is the daughter of Tim and Jennifer Kennedy; she has two younger sisters, Ava and Esmé.
2020 Rose Queen Camille and the Royal Court will attend numerous community and media functions, serving as ambassadors of the Tournament of Roses, the Pasadena community, and the greater Los Angeles area. The grand finale will be their appearance on the Royal Court float in the 131st Rose Parade® presented by Honda and attending the 106th Rose Bowl Game® presented by Northwestern Mutual, both on Wednesday, January 1, 2020.
Margaret Huntley Main, 1940 Rose Queen and cofounder of the Queen’s Club
The Mariachi Divas
Family of Princess Rukan Saif, father Saif Haroon, grandmother Shamsun Nahar, mother Rumana Rashid
2020 theme, “The Power of Hope”
Rumana Rashid with fellow Royal Court parent, Overton Wilkins, father of Michael Wilkins
City of Downey Rose Parade princesses, who will ride on the 2020 float.
Building blocks for the future
Rukan Saif, in the photo taken at the tryouts
Princess Rukan being interviewed by Lynette Romero
Cole Fox in her ski gear
Princess Cole being interviewed by Lynette Romero
Mia Thorsen was destined to be a Rose Princess!
Princess Mia being interviewed by Lynette Romero
Camille Kennedy in an early Halloween costume
Princess Camille being interviewed by Lynette Romero
Emilie Risha, holding up an entire building
Princess Emilie being interviewed by Lynette Romero
Michael Wilkins as a happy witch
Princess Michael being interviewed by Lynette Romero
Reese Rosental Saporito in AYSO gear
Princess Reese being interviewed by Lynette Romero
The 2020 Royal Court: Rukah Saif, Mia Thorsen, Emilie Risha, Reese Rosental Saporito, Michael Wilkins, Camille Kennedy, and Cole Fox with KTLA News anchor Lynette Romero
Queen & Court Committee chair Ruth Martinez-Baenen presents the envelope to Pres. Laura Farber
The young ladies squeeze together, waiting to hear whose name will be read
It is Queen Camille! The six princesses react in joy, while Camille processes the announcement
The traditional knot of ball gowns and roses as the Rose Princesses gather around their Queen
Back in line, the 2020 Royal Court is flanked by two members or the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association and backed by the JROTC cadets who escorted them to the stage.
Lynette Romero talks with past princesses Maya Kawaguchi Kahn (2017) and Helen Rossi (2019)
2019 Rose Queen Louise Deser Siskel sent a video from Chicago congratulating the new queen
The Mariachi Divas have women from Japan and Egypt as well as several Latin American countries
Pres. Farber crowns Queen Camille. There was a little difficulty getting the Mikimoto crown centered, and Camille later noted that it is quite heavy
The 102nd Rose Queen Camille and her Royal Court, Princesses Rukah, Mia, Emilie, Reese, Michael, and Cole
Backstage quotes: Reese doesn’t think she’s completely ready for whirl, but “we have each other”; Michael said, “I’ve grown as a person”; Cole said “One of my teachers bowed down to me! It’s an honor for me and South Pasadena.”
Backstage quotes: Rukah told us she has been to her family’s home country, Bangladesh, through the JAAGO Foundation, which works with people below the poverty line. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the opportunity to speak with Mia and Emilie.
Queen Camille Kennedy, wearing the Mikimoto crown featuring more than 600 cultured pearls and six carats of diamonds and the white gown designed by Tadashi Shoji.
The Royal Court huddles around the real queen bee, Candy Carlson, Senior Manager, Communications for the Tournament of Roses.
The Royal Family: Queen Camille with her father and mother, Jim and Jennifer Kennedy, and sisters Ava and Esme
Hints. There are always hints. The hints started a little early with three Instagram posts, which can be seen on Facebook at All Things Rose Parade. At the announcement on Tuesday of the Grand Marshal of the 2020 Rose Parade, the hints were cinnamon apple empanadas (as American as apple pie), Mexican hot chocolate, and a band playing Latin American favorites—rhumbas, flamenco, Brazilian and Caribbean dances—and a red cloth covering the table that hold the bouquets. More than one, then?
More than one. The Grand Marshals of the 131st Tournament of Roses Parade, which will be held on Jan. 1, 2020, are gymnast and author Laurie Hernandez, actress, producer, and vocalist Gina Torres, and a woman who has more credits to her name than the Wrigley Rose Garden has flowers, Rita Moreno. She is one of only 15 EGOT winners (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) and has been honored with two presidential medals. At ages 19, 50, and 87, the women span three generations of talented Latinas. All three had stories of the Rose Parade and “The Power of Hope,” this year’s theme.
Be sure to check out the gallery below for photos of the big event!
Tournament of Roses President Laura Farber opened the event with “It’s a beautiful day in Pasadena!” She shared why she chose “The Power of Hope” as the theme. Born in Argentina to students who left everything to escape oppression, she said that the United States offered hope to her parents. He husband Tomas had a similar situation, with his family leaving the Dominican Republic to escape the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo.
Hope makes anything is possible, she said. “El poder de esperanza. Hope means so much.” It brings joy, aspiration, inspiration. “Hope never quits.”
Number 1
With that, Farber launched into her introduction of the Grand Marshal. The GM is a Latina, Farber related, who was born in New Jersey in 2000 and is an Olympic gymnast, author, and contestant on Dancing with the Stars, among other accomplishments. “Laurie Hernandez!” she announced.
Hernandez came through the thick silver curtain, and was presented with a bouquet of red roses. At the lectern she related that she has watched the “Rose Bowl Parade” since she was a kid. Her charm and enthusiasm made up for that slip of the tongue. “Keep spreading that message,” she said. “The Power of Hope.”
“It’s a dream come true!” she told reporters after the announcement. She said that she wanted to be part of the Olympics when she watched it on television, and she felt that same desire when she watched the Rose Parade. She said she was surprised when she found out she would actually have that opportunity. She spoke of the “chemistry” the three strong Latinas developed when they met prior to the announcement.
Number 2
The usual program order is that after the speech by the GM, there are photo and interview ops. But this time, Hernandez went to the side of the stage and Farber again stood at the mic to announce the second Grand Marshal—a mezzo-soprano who sang opera and jazz, acted in The Matrix and television series such as Firefly and Suits, and is the first Afro-Latina to have the lead in her own series. Pearson. Gina Torres stepped through the curtain.
Her mother loved parades, she said, so she saw a lot of them. “Parades are about teamwork…So I’m honored to be a part of this team.”
Afterwards, she told a radio journalist that the invitation had come through her manager. He forwarded the email and wrote, “Scroll all the way down. I think you want to see this,” she said. “It took me 25 seconds to say yes!” Asked what her favorite operatic role is, she said that she hadn’t been a lead, but that she learned so much about Mozart, Handel, and other composers. Opera singers are really athletes, she said.
Number 3
Farber was not done. The third Grand Marshal is from Puerto Rico, a Broadway star, and best-known for singing “America” in West Side Story. “She is a hero of Puerto Rico and an American legend,” Farber said. Who else could it be? Rita Moreno!
Moreno came through the curtain and down the steps dancing. She took center stage, and told her story. Her mother left Puerto Rico to create a better life. She worked in a New York sweatshop until she could go back to Puerto Rico and fetch her 5-year-old daughter. Even at that age, Moreno said her uncle was impressed with her dancing.
“All I ever wanted in life was to be a movie star,” she said. “I am so grateful to the Rose Parade, but especially to Laura…and representing with two astounding women.”
She called for music—the sound techs put on “We Are the Champions.” Moreno called out, “We don’t have any Latino music?” At that, they put on Latin dance music, and the three Grand Marshals joined in a dance. It has to be a first in Tournament of Roses history. Then the confetti cannons blasted, “America” began playing, and the three Latinas radiated joy.
Later, when West Side Story was mentioned, Moreno enthused about the new adaptation Steven Spielberg is making. Moreno will both executive produce the film and star as Valentina, a reimagining of store owner Doc. “It’s full circle,” she said.
Asked about how she feels about being a role model, she responded, “It’s great. It’s not something I started out to do. I became a role model by accident.” And the message? “I’m still working at 87. That’s great!”
Followers of All Things Rose Parade had a good time guessing who the Grand Marshal would be. Only one thought it might be Gina Torres, and he, along with several others, pinned Rita Moreno. Be sure to “like” that page to stay up to date on Tournament of Roses happenings, and subscribe to The Rose Examiner to get email notifications as articles are posted. No spam will be sent to you.
Here are the official Tournament of Roses bios
Rita Moreno has received four of the most prestigious awards in show business; an Academy Award®, a Tony Award®, two Emmy® Awards, and a GRAMMY® award. Her credits span more than six decades, beginning on Broadway at age 13. A recipient of the Kennedy Center Honor for her lifetime contributions to American culture, Moreno was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush and the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama. In addition to her film, stage, television and concert accomplishments, Moreno gives her voice to important causes, including racial equality, hunger, early childhood education, as well as health issues like HIV, breast cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Moreno was among many celebrities to take part in the historic March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963 and has since been involved with many civic, cultural and charitable organizations, including the Jackie Robinson Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts and the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities.
Well-known for her roles on Suits, Alias, Firefly and Westworld, Gina Torres was born in Manhattan to a close-knit Cuban family and raised in the Bronx. Gina’s character, Jessica Pearson, on USA Network’s hit original series Suits garnered award-winning success which lead to the spinoff series, Pearson. Currently she is staring in the lead role and executive producing Pearson, which sees her Suits character take on the world of Chicago politics. The role of Jessica has been a life changing one, earning Gina the National Hispanic Media Coalition’s Award for Outstanding Performance in a Television Series and the Visionary Award from the LA Femme Film Festival. Before entering the world of acting, she studied opera and jazz as a vocal major which lead her to appear in plays and musicals on Broadway, being directed by such legends as Tommy Tune and Pete Masterson in Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public and Jerry Zaks in Face Value. In addition to her work on television and Broadway, Gina’s film credits include The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions and Sundance Film Festival Critics Choice, Don’t Let me Drown. Gina enjoys giving back through several philanthropic organizations; Heifer International, Dress for Success, Planned Parenthood and Save the Children.
Laurie Hernandez earned Olympic Gold and Silver medals as a member of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Women’s Gymnastics Team. Laurie is a second generation American, her grandparents are Puerto Rican, making her the first U.S. born Latina to make the U.S. team since 1984. Following her win at the Summer Olympics, she earned another title, champion on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. In 2017, Laurie became an inductee into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame and was recognized as the 2018 Nickelodeon Kids Choice Sports Biggest Kid. Most recently, Laurie served as a cohost of America Ninja Warrior Junior, and as the voice of Valeria on Nickelodeon’s Middle School Moguls. Laurie is the author of two books; I Got This: To Gold and Beyond, chronicling her journey thus far and a children’s picture book She’s Got This, each appearing on the New York Times Best Sellers list. When not in the gym, Laurie serves as Global Ambassador for Stomp Out bullying and travels the country inspiring young gymnasts and speaks to the next generation about following your dreams. Laurie will go for the gold again at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Tournament House porch all decked out for the annoumcement of the Grand Marshal of the 131st Rose Parade
Hint: More than one rose bouquet
Hint: Cinnamon apple empanadas
Hint: Mexican hot chocolate
Hint: Band playing Latin American music
Tournament of Roses President Laura Farber
Pres. Laura Farber introduces the Grand Marshal of the 2020 Rose Parade
Gymnast and author Laurie Hernandez
Laurie Hernandez shares what it means to be chosen as the Rose Parade Grand Marshal
Gymnast and author Laurie Hernandez
Surprise! Gina Torres is a Grand Marshal, too!
Actress, producer, and vocalist Gina Torres talks about “The Power of Hope”
And one more: EGOT winner Rita Moreno
Rita Moreno dances down the stairs as she is welcomed by applause
At 87, Rita Moreno still has moves!
Rita Moreno recounts her life as an immigrant and living out her dream
“We don’t have any Latino music?” Rita Moreno and Laurie Hernandez
This must be the first time we’ve been treated to three Rose Parade Grand Marshals dancing onstage. Rita Moreno, Gina Torres, Laurie Hernandez
This must be the first time we’ve been treated to three Rose Parade Grand Marshals dancing onstage. Rita Moreno, Gina Torres, Laurie Hernandez
This must be the first time we’ve been treated to three Rose Parade Grand Marshals dancing onstage. Rita Moreno, Gina Torres, Laurie Hernandez
This must be the first time we’ve been treated to three Rose Parade Grand Marshals dancing onstage. Rita Moreno, Gina Torres, Laurie Hernandez
This must be the first time we’ve been treated to three Rose Parade Grand Marshals dancing onstage. Rita Moreno, Gina Torres, Laurie Hernandez
This must be the first time we’ve been treated to three Rose Parade Grand Marshals dancing onstage. Rita Moreno, Gina Torres, Laurie Hernandez
This must be the first time we’ve been treated to three Rose Parade Grand Marshals dancing onstage. Rita Moreno, Gina Torres, Laurie Hernandez
This must be the first time we’ve been treated to three Rose Parade Grand Marshals dancing onstage. Rita Moreno, Gina Torres, Laurie Hernandez
This must be the first time we’ve been treated to three Rose Parade Grand Marshals dancing onstage. Rita Moreno, Gina Torres, Laurie Hernandez
This must be the first time we’ve been treated to three Rose Parade Grand Marshals dancing onstage. Rita Moreno, Gina Torres, Laurie Hernandez
This must be the first time we’ve been treated to three Rose Parade Grand Marshals dancing onstage. Rita Moreno, Gina Torres, Laurie Hernandez
This must be the first time we’ve been treated to three Rose Parade Grand Marshals dancing onstage. Rita Moreno, Gina Torres, Laurie Hernandez
Rita Moreno holds her bouquet like an Olympic torch, as confetti showers her and sister Grand Marshals Laurie Hernandez and Gina Torres
2020 Rose Parade Grand Marshals Laurie Hernandez, Rita Moreno, Gina Torres
2020 Rose Parade Grand Marshals Laurie Hernandez, Rita Moreno, Gina Torres with Pres. Laura Farber
With a snip of oversized goldens scissors, Rose Queen Camille Kennedy and the Tournament of Roses Royal Court opened the 36th Annual Visitors Hotline phone bank on Dec.11, two weeks earlier than usual. The Pasadena Convention and Visitors Bureau hosts the hotline to provide fast and accurate information about the 131st Rose Parade, 106th Rose Bowl Game, and the City of Pasadena.
