Spectacular, flower-bedecked floats glide down the street. More than a million spectators cheer as each float comes into view. Marching bands serenade the crowds with lively tunes. This is New Year's Day in Pasadena, California, during the annual Tournament of Roses parade. Millions of people watch the two-hour spectacle on television and then stay tuned for the Rose Bowl game, the famous college football contest.

The first rose parade, featuring horse-drawn carriages decorated with flowers, was held in 1890 to show visitors from the East how warm and sunny Southern California could be on the first day of the year. The Tournament of Roses became an annual event. In 1902, Stanford and the University of Michigan clashed in the first Rose Bowl Game. Every year since, the Pacific Coast college champion has played the Big Ten champion on New Year's Day in the Rose Bowl.

 

Over the years, the Tournament of Roses has become famous for amazing floats sponsored by communities and businesses. According to the rules, all parts of the float must be covered with flowers or other natural products, such as seeds, leaves, or bark. Sponsors spend millions of dollars to design and build the elaborate floats.

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