Summary
Over a few days just before the annual Pasadena Rose Parade, thousands of workers put those elaborate floral creations together by hand, gluing and sticking on whole flowers, petals, and all kinds of other natural materials.
Some groups do their work in secret; however, others let you inside to get a fascinating peek behind the scenes. It’s a fun way to see the floats up close before they make their television debut, thus enhancing your dream trip to witness the parade in all its glory.
In fact, if you want to see the Rose Parade but prefer to avoid crowds, observing the float decorating is a great part of how you can see the Rose Bowl Parade the easy way.
The viewing location for the float decorating is at the Rosemont Pavilion near Rose Bowl Stadium at 700 Seco Street, Pasadena. Another location is available but is open only for group tours.
How to Get Float Decorating Tickets
Float decorating (officially called Decorating Places) is open to the public for four days before the parade. Hours vary, but viewing ends by 1:00 p.m. the day prior to the parade and is by advance purchase only on that day.
Tickets are quite affordable—costing less than an evening movie. You can buy tickets at any viewing location; nevertheless, it’s simpler to order them online in advance.
Children five years old and under can attend for free; however, they may become bored and restless since they are not allowed to touch anything.
Note that parking costs near the pavilion are not included in your ticket price.
Tips for Viewing the Rose Parade Float Decorating
To reduce your waiting time for a brief viewing experience, arrive about 30 minutes before opening time. Lines to watch the float decorating can get long very quickly; thus, at opening time, you might wait around 30 minutes, whereas arriving later may require a wait of 90 minutes or more.
Set the right expectations. Most floats you will see being made are completed by smaller organizations, and you are unlikely to witness the large show-stoppers.
On the day before the parade, most of the decorating will be finished. You can see completed floats ready for the parade at that time; however, plan to go a day or two earlier if you want to observe the decorators as they hastily add every last piece of fruit, seed, bark, grass, and flowers to their floats.
Visitors will enter the decorating area in small groups. You may stay as long as you wish, but your overall time spent there is likely to be about half an hour or less.
While information from previous years suggested viewing the floats only from above, that was when the Rosemont Pavilion offered access, which is no longer available for public viewing. At the Brookside Pavilion, ground-level access is permitted, but you must stay out of the way, viewing the floats from behind barricades and scaffolds.
How to Get to the Viewing Locations
You can drive to the location, and traffic tends to be manageable even the day prior to the parade. Numerous parking lots are available near the pavilion; however, street parking may be challenging to find, especially close by. Depending on your group size, a ridesharing service might be a more convenient and cost-effective alternative.
If coming from another part of town, consider taking the Metro Rail to Pasadena, then transferring to a bus that stops near the pavilion. Use the Metro trip planner to determine your route.
How to Participate in the Float Decorating
The Rose Parade would not be possible without the help of numerous volunteers who assist in constructing the floats. They require substantial assistance; it can take around 60 volunteers working 10 hours a day for 10 days to decorate just a single float.
If you happen to be in town before the parade, you have the opportunity to volunteer and contribute to this remarkable tradition.
Some organizations welcome walk-in helpers; however, others require advance registration. You must meet minimum age requirements and sign a waiver. Float decorating tends to be a messy endeavor, so prepare accordingly.
Volunteer decorators are typically organized directly through the float builders. Find all the details here.
