Rose Parade®: A Heritage to Celebrate

Program Registration: 2:00 p.m. After you check in and have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table in the lobby to register with the program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived. Orientation: 4:00 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the program theme, the up-to-date daily schedule and any changes, discuss safety guidelines, emergency procedures, roles and responsibilities, and answer any questions you may have. All program-related transportation will be via private motorcoach. Lunch at the Getty Center on Day 4 is on your own. If you wish to eat at the Getty Restaurant, reservations are recommended. Make reservations for the restaurant by calling (310) 440-6810 or through OpenTable. Reservations should be made between 12:00 Noon and 2:00 p.m. We have set aside some free time in the schedule for your personal independent exploration. Group Leaders will be happy to offer suggestions. If you plan to attend the Rose Bowl Game® during your free time on Day 5, participants must make arrangements in advance. Please inform your group leader that you will be attending the game when you arrive. Program activities, schedules, and personnel may need to change due to local circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

In the hotel banquet room.

Introductions: time for getting to know one another better and what we may have in common beyond a love of learning. Then settle in, relax, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.

In the hotel banquet room.

This is what you’ve been waiting for: experience the magic that goes into actually creating the Rose Parade® floats! We’ll transfer you in your color groups by motorcoach to one of the "float barns" to work alongside experienced professionals and help apply materials under their guidance. Rose Parade® rules require that every inch of each float be covered with flowers or other natural materials such as fruits, vegetables, leaves, seeds, or bark. Our participation will be a significant factor since parade officials estimate that it takes 60 volunteers working 10 hours a day for 10 days to decorate just one float.

At your float decorating site.

Continue decorating a float/floats at your designated facility. Afterwards, we will return to the hotel.

At the hotel.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

From the hotel, we will transfer by motorcoach to a local auditorium for a series of morning presentations. We will hear from members of an equestrian unit that will appear in the Rose Parade®. They will share information about the application process and what it takes to participate in the very special tradition. The equestrian talents are a unique aspect of the parade entertainment. Next will be a talk given by a member of the Community Relations Committee of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses® Association. We will learn about the parade and, in particular, the 935 “White Suiters”. These volunteers wear clearly distinctive uniforms and work tirelessly to ensure the success of the parade and football game. We will then meet a former Rose Queen who will share her personal story about the Rose Queen selection process and responsibilities. Through an intensive selection process, the Tournament of Roses® “Queen and Court” committee seeks participants with the best combination of poise, personality, public speaking ability and scholastic achievement. Approximately a thousand young women from over two dozen area high schools apply each year. They are required to complete a detailed application and meet age and academic requirements. Those selected meet in person with the committee members over the course of a month. Approximately 250 are invited to return for further interviews, then 75, then about 25 finalists. The committee selects the Royal Court from this group.

Boxed lunches will be distributed before boarding the bus to Bandfest. We will arrive to Pasadena City College (the site of Bandfest) early in order to be one of the first to enter the stadium. A boxed lunch provides you with the flexibility to eat while we wait for the afternoon performance (either inside or outside of the stadium). You may choose to eat your lunch while waiting in line or you may opt to enjoy your lunch while sitting on the grass - Pasadena City College does not have any formal picnic areas on campus. There are few benches outside the stadium.

Marching in the Rose Parade® is a coveted honor, with bands from all over the world as well as some of the nation's top high school, college, and organizational marching bands participating. While a few of these bands are invited guests, most compete for a limited number of spaces. The winners take part in Bandfest — a two-day event that displays each band and its auxiliary performers in their victorious routines. We will watch these talented musicians, dancers, and auxiliary performers in action. Event occurs rain or shine, bring rain coats or ponchos in case it rains.

At a local restaurant.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

For a change of pace, we will board the motorcoach and take a field trip to the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center in Los Angeles, which houses European paintings, drawings, sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, decorative arts, and European and American photographs. Jean Paul Getty was an American industrialist, who was named the richest living American and the world’s richest private citizen by the Guinness Book of World Records. An avid collector of art and antiquities, he established the J. Paul Getty Trust, which remains the world's wealthiest art institution. The Museum is accessed from the parking structure by a 3/4 mile hovertrain. The Getty Center is one of the most visited art museums in the United States and presents Getty's collection of Western art from the Middle Ages to the present against a backdrop of dramatic architecture, tranquil gardens, and breathtaking views. This stunning collection features works by Titian, Rembrandt, Manet, and Monet. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration of the Getty Center.

This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like on the grounds of the Getty Center. Make reservations for the restaurant by calling (310) 440-6810 or through OpenTable.

Continue your free afternoon exploring the Getty Center. After the Getty Center, we’ll return to the hotel for dinner.

At the hotel. Ring in the New Year with a champagne toast.

New Year's Eve! We will celebrate together according to Eastern Standard Time. Get a good night's sleep, as tomorrow will be an exciting day! We will be departing the hotel early in the morning.

Early at the hotel.

The Rose Parade® is an unequaled spectacle and celebration of flowers, music, and sport. Pasadena greets each new year with spectacular pageantry. This is the 136th time this magnificent parade has rolled. As you watch the beautiful floats — including ours! — glide by, marvel at the brilliance and imagination that went into creating each and every one. After the parade, we will return to the hotel. The parade occurs rain or shine, bring rain coats or ponchos in case it rains. If you are planning to attend the football game after the parade and will not be returning with the group to the hotel, please inform your group leader.

In the hotel banquet room.

Free time. This period of time has been set aside for your personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Please note that the period scheduled for free time is subject to change depending on local circumstances and opportunities for independent exploration. If you are interested in attending the Rose Bowl Game® during your free time, make arrangements well in advance.

At the hotel. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.

At the hotel, we’ll enjoy live musical entertainment just for us! Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

Early at the hotel.

After every Rose Parade®, the floral masterpieces are parked and on exhibition for the public to examine the design and workmanship that goes into these floats in close detail—a Pasadena tradition for more than a century. You can walk almost within arm's reach to appreciate the imagination and work that created these floral displays. Bring your camera! The event occurs rain or shine, bring rain coats or ponchos in case it rains. We will return to the hotel by approximately 11:00 a.m. This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!