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Here’s the order of march — including floats, bands and equestrian units — for the 133rd Rose Parade presented by Honda, with the theme “Dream. Believe. Achieve.” Note: Lineup is subject to change, even as late as New Year’s Day when the Rose Parade starts at 8 a.m.
The Pasadena Tournament of Roses will begin the 133rd Rose Parade with a performance by Grammy winner LeAnn Rimes. The Opening Spectacular will feature a re-mixed and re-mastered song, “Throw My Arms Around the World,” which was created specially for this year’s event. Rimes is an international multi-platinum selling acclaimed singer and ASCAP award-winning songwriter who has sold more than 48 million units globally.
Related Articles News | 2023 Rose Parade equestrian units are coming from Hemet, Long Beach, Pasadena and beyond News | Who will be in the Rose Parade Royal Court? Let the interviews begin The float by American Honda, the Rose Parade presenting sponsor, isn’t part of the judging process — but it is still sure to impress. The entry depicts a young girl with a boundless passion for flight. She’s blasting off wearing a rocket pack she’s designed and built. Surrounding her are her tools and a four-legged friend and cheerleader, her pet dog. Judging by the Band-Aids, she’s put in a lot of hard work and overcome challenges and setbacks along the way. The entry celebrates the determination of those who travel the path from dream to reality, and illustrates that anything is possible if you believe in and follow your dreams. The young dreamer has been created using a blend of spices including cinnamon and paprika. Her overalls are designed with blue and purple statice, her jetpack is made up of silver leaf, cranberry seed, flaxseed and white rice. Rocket flames have been created from Christmas red chrysanthemums, red carnations, white mums, white dendrobium orchids, yellow carnations and yellow oncidium orchids.
Another longtime Rose Parade participant — 90 years and counting! — the Sierra Madre Rose Float Association returns with a self-built entry that highlights the importance of conserving and protecting the endangered rainforest. The Toucans are covered in black ti leaves, Chinese black moss, nigella, dried cornflowers and dried marigold petals, lime and orange rind, seaweed and carnations. The float’s four Kapok trees are covered with dry materials including melaleuca bark, commonly called paper bark. The large, oversized passion flowers are covered in ground rice, and various shades of dried statice. The smaller, oversized passion flowers are covered in red carnation petals.
The legendary nature show, “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom,” is once again being enjoyed by TV audiences on Sunday nights — and anytime via streaming services — thanks to a partnership with RFD-TV. The leaping king of the jungle at the front of the float has a face of various spices, whiskers of natural dry Magdalena ting-ting, and a mane of fluffy brown buffalo grass, crème pampas grass, corn silk and red palm fiber. The elephant’s ears flap and the necks of the two giraffes move side to side and up and down.
The Downey Rose Float Association marks a long history with the Tournament of Roses — one that first began in 1913 — with a float celebrating reading for the 2022 parade. The books about space, jungle tigers and underwater exploration depicted on the float are meant to underscore the importance of reading not only to learning but to creativity and imagination. Floral materials on the books and float base include a variety of roses, orchids, anthurium and heliconia.
A proud father rooster starts the day by reading to his family of chicks in this entry — a 35-foot-tall, 55-foot-long animated float that demonstrates the importance of literacy. The large rooster is decorated in a multitude of materials including various shades of strawflower confetti, various seed colors, and white coconut along with orchid florets. The base of the float is decorated with 60,000-plus red roses and accents of orchid sprays. The UPS Store is a relative newcomer to the Rose Parade, and the previous four entries were all prize-winners including the 2020 float, which earned the Sweepstakes Award. Also, The UPS Store is partnering with the Tournament of Roses to distribute 10,000 free books at Floatfest after the Rose Parade.
The City of Alhambra celebrates 93 years in the Rose Parade with a classic yellow school bus that has been modified with race tires, big block engine, custom chrome exhaust pipes and a flame paint job to let everyone know “School Rocks.” Materials decorating the float include yellow chrysanthemums, yellow button mums, with yellow fuzzy cut strawflowers atop the bus and yellow mums trimming the side and rear windows. The flames on the bus are composed of Christmas red mums, dark rust mums and light blue Fall mums.
Stocked with lots of fresh ingredients, this whimsical entry features a watermelon balloon with a teacup gondola, a cauliflower sheep and a gondolier guiding a pizza oven. Sharing food together is nourishing on many levels — that’s the idea behind this entry from Trader Joe’s, a frequent award-winner including each of the past six parades. One of the dominant characters, the moon made of cheese, incorporates a chef’s hat of white chrysanthemums; goggles of brown palm bark, black seaweed, hot pink fine cut statice, medium pink fine cut strawflowers, purple fine cut statice, white powdered rice and red fine cut strawflowers; a mustache of black seaweed; and body of yellow, gold, light rust mums.
The Donate Life float for the Rose Parade features stylized Venetian colonnades, inspired by the Palazzo Ducale in Venice, with ornate porticos adorned with memorial floral portraits, honoring organ, eye and tissue donors. The center of the float features a majestic lion enhanced with shades of gold, bronze, rust and creamy white strawflower petals. Thousands of velvety purple carnations will complete the saddle with accents of gold clover seed, yellow marigold petals and white button poms. The float’s 44 “floragraphs” are integrated into the column designs and crafted with an array of natural materials including crushed walnut shell, cinnamon and ginger spices, sweet rice, and cress, red millet and nigella seeds. The floralgraphs were shipped throughout the United States and decorated by donor family members. Among the float riders is Gerald Freeny, past president of the 2018 Tournament of Roses and a two-time kidney and liver recipient.
Founded in 1952, the Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation is a nonprofit biomedical research organization with 400 researchers working on hundreds of projects, including multiple COVID-19 clinical trials. This float, which celebrates those efforts, features a pair of scientists amid molecules, vibrant floral test tubes and an oversized microscope. The tubes, flask and connectors are designed with green button chrysanthemums, hot pink carnations, purple statice and silverleaf. The microscope is adorned with millet seed, orange lentils and flaxseed. The float base is designed with a vibrant array of red, orange and yellow roses, as well as blue and purple irises.
Fitting the theme of the Rotary float, a wise old owl oversees the world — portrayed here as an oversized red apple with yellow continents, made with green ti leaves; red, dark and medium pink fuzzy cut strawflowers and pale-yellow coconut. Owl’s face features white pampas grass, tan uva grass and black hyacinth root; the eyes are decorated with gold “win” and light rust chrysanthemums, light tan/reddish light palm fiber, dark grey buffalo grass and dark beau mums. The owl’s mortarboard is covered with black seaweed and blue fine cut statice.
Making its Rose Parade float debut, Wetzel’s Pretzels travels back to a 1950s day at the beach, with a picnic basket, ball, sand pail and a “pretzel mobile” convertible with a boom box playing tunes from the back seat. The design was realized using 100,000 flowers and natural elements including blue statice and yellow split peas for the beach blanket; and silverleaf, orange and blue lentils and blue statice for the car. Founded in 1994, Wetzel’s Pretzels is headquartered in Pasadena and has more than 340 bakeries around the world.
Rose Queen Nadia Chung and the 2022 Rose Parade princesses are presented beneath a decorative bejeweled crown — with coverage of shiny grey silverleaf and dark grey poppy seed — and they’re sitting amid decorative steps designed with white chrysanthemums, hearts and gems of elfin pink mums. The elegant robe cascading the length of the 30-foot float has red roses, red carnations and Christmas red mums, with a trim of white mums.
Featuring Jesus teaching 12 modern-day disciples from many walks of life, the Lutheran Hour Ministries is making its 71st Rose Parade appearance. The trees at the rear are made with green springeri, plus hot pink and pink roses, and the trunks have tan eggplant seed, crème pistachio shells and dark brown hazelnuts. The floral waterfalls are made with dark blue and white iris, white baby’s breath and white dendrobs.
The Ohio State University float features a large football and will sport the Buckeye colors. Traditionally, university cheerleaders and pep squad members ride on or march near the float, which appears in tandem with the school’s marching band.
ABC’s The Bachelor float presents a stage for romance with a scaled down version of the exotic Villa De La Vina, with its circular driveway and tiered fountain nestled among red roses and lush tropical gardens. Flowers and dry materials adorning the entry include annatto seeds and crushed walnut seeds on the roof tiles and stucco. Across the float, parade viewers will find lunaria and iris petals, palm and banana leaves and birds of paradise with the ground’s urns and steps featuring thousands of red Freedom roses.
Helping sail the seven seas is a wise man studying his astronomy book, a green serpent dragon, black crow with a treasure chest key and a bespectacled owl with eyes facing forward in this entry from Western Asset, which is making its 15th Rose Parade appearance. The majestic bird that leads the float has gold flaxseed, gems of green ground parsley, pink gems and elfin pink chrysanthemums, with eyes of black seaweed, powdered rice and coffee; yellow fuzzy cut strawflowers top the bird’s head.
The University of Utah float features a football aloft and will sport the Utes’ colors. Traditionally, university cheerleaders and pep squad members ride on or march near the float, which appears in tandem with the school’s marching band
For the 2022 Rose Parade, AMC Theatres offers its vision of an upgraded state-of-the-art movie theater flanked by giant bags of popcorn. An estimated 50,000 flowers on the float include Christmas red chrysanthemums as well as gold mums, and red and orange carnations on the popcorn bags. Floral sprays atop the float feature Magdalena natural Ting-Ting with powdered rice and fine cut yellow strawflowers.
Continuing a Rose Parade tradition that began in 1914, the Burbank Tournament of Roses Association’s all-volunteer team this year offers “An Unlikely Tale,” the story of friendship between a young knight and a dragon who make their dreams come true by spending time together and reading in harmony. The oversized dragon is covered in ground green split peas with a design made out of green doodle cushion chrysanthemums. The young knight is covered in bright yellow strawflowers; the helmet is decorated in silver tree leaf and lettuce seeds. The trusty dog is decorated in black and silver buffalo grass with highlights using pampas grass. The blanket is covered in red and white cushion mums. The float’s base is accented with pink, yellow, orange and lavender roses.
After going two for two with award-winning floats (Americana in 2019 and Animation in 2020), Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day returns with a fantasy garden featuring oversized sunflowers with eyes of black beans and white navy beans, cheeks of elfin pink chrysanthemums, a face of yellow mums, petals of white button mums, and stems and leaves of green ti leaves. The trellis at the rear is made with green small english needlepoint ivy; yellow, hot pink and white carnations; and the big sculpted roses are hot pink roses with faces of white fine ground rice, hot pink fine-cut statice and black onion seed.
Representing a world-renowned cancer research and treatment organization, the City of Hope float, “Garden of Hopes and Dreams,” highlights the stories of cancer patients who did not let a cancer diagnosis take away their dreams of long, happy lives. The animated butterflies on the float represent hope and transformation, while the whimsical mushrooms represent rebirth after a chaotic time. The butterflies feature Magdalena ting-ting antennas, and yellow fuzzy cut strawflowers, black beans, orange whole lentil seeds and blue fuzzy cut statice, among other materials. One of the float riders is Fox 11’s “Good Day LA” entertainment reporter Amanda Salas, a former City of Hope patient who survived non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Salas’ high-energy and positive attitude helped bring levity to her situation; she even threw a “buzz” party when it was time to shave her head.
Showcasing the Pelican State as a travel destination, this entry features the wonders of Louisiana, from the rolling hills and lakes in the north to the bayou swamps and Gulf of Mexico in the south. The bodies and wings of the two oversized pelicans are decorated with brown carrot seed, plus tan and brown sesame seeds with accents of protea leaves. Sculptured magnolias, the state flower, and fresh magnolia leaves are sprinkled throughout the float, which is adorned with an estimated 135,000 flowers. Singer and Baton Rouge native Laine Hardy, who won Season 17 of “American Idol,” will be performing at the front of the float with the Hot 8 Brass Band.
The Lions Club International “Quest for Kindness” float depicts three boats of students, educators and Lions coming together on a quest to help young people develop their social and emotional skills. The first of two larger-than-life lions is casting a net to capture kindness and social and emotional education for others; at the back of the float, a second lion uses a telescope to look for those in need. The lions are decorated with black beans, white soybeans, pink fine cut strawflowers, white fuzzy cut strawflowers, natural Magdalena ting-ting and crème darker pampas grass. Their faces, ears and bodies are covered in light rust chrysanthemums; completing their regalia are chests of white mums, manes of reddish light palm fiber, and paw-pads of pink fuzzy cut strawflowers.
This year’s Blue Diamond Growers float celebrates the multi-generational legacies of many of the families who make up the 3,000-strong almond grower-owners cooperative. Vibrant almond tree blossoms symbolize the very beginning of each almond’s journey during blooms in February. And the rustic truck filled with sacks of almonds destined for markets around the world represents a successful fall almond harvest. Floral and dry decorations include coconut, green split peas and parsley flakes with yellow rose accents on the blooming almond tree. The bees in the tree are decorated in yellow strawflowers, black onion seed and lunaria petals.
The work of the San Diego Wildlife Alliance is illustrated through the lion, rhino and bird at the front of this 55-foot-long entry. The lion represents the founding of the San Diego Zoo more than a century ago, the rhino is a stand-in for the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and the Nikita Kahn Rhino Rescue Center, and the bird highlights the work to save the California condor and other threatened birds, including the ’Alalā (Hawaiian crow) and the African penguin. Each of the animals will be animated; the condor’s wings will move up and down and the lion’s and rhino’s heads will move gracefully.
Presented by an all-volunteer organization that has been constructing and decorating floats since 1893, the goal behind this entry is to promote community spirit and volunteerism. It features Theodore the ostrich jumping off the top of a mountain believing he can fly, all the while receiving encouragement from other ostriches. 150,000 flowers went into the making of this float, including black and grey buffalo grass, pampas grass and corn husks (legs and feet) for the, let’s say, here-to-fore flightless birds, assuming Theodore succeeds. Pine cones and liquid amber pods, collected by the community, decorate the mountain and deck sides. The South Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association is a frequent award-winner, including most recently the Mayor’s Trophy in both 2019 and 2020.
Paying tribute to achieved dreams and those who never stopped believing, the 2022 Farmers Insurance float depicts moments of accomplishment and individual achievements. Float riders include employees and agents from across the country who took a moment to dream, believe and achieve greatness in their own unique ways. Floral styling includes white roses, carnations, phalaenopsis, baby’s breath and dendrobs on the big waves, with water composed of dark blue and light blue irises, white roses and white baby’s breath. Other materials include the use of tan uva grass and pampas grass for the surfer’s hair; crème coconut for beach sand; yellow whole split peas and a background of red fine cut strawflowers for the finish banner, and blue fine cut statice, various spices, white fine ground rice and purple fine cut statice for the hang glider.
This float — which raises awareness about the importance of music and the dedication of America’s band directors — also is a tribute to Michael D. Sewell, a much-loved music teacher who brought bands from two Pickerington, Ohio, high schools to the Rose Parade four times during a 34-year career. Less than two years after retiring in May 2015, Sewell died at the age of 59. His wife, Karen, then established the Michael D. Sewell Memorial Foundation to provide financial support to arts programs and projects in the Pickerington area. The float will be accompanied by a band of 275 band directors from all 50 states and Mexico and will be led by Jon Waters, former director of the Ohio State Marching Band. That makes this parade entry the first to incorporate both a float and a marching band, according to Rose Parade organizers.
For its 66th Rose Parade appearance, the City of Torrance and the Torrance Rose Float Association depicts endangered animal species including the African elephant, black-footed ferrets, pangolins and the Lear’s Macaw. High school students in the city submitted concept designs, and the winner, Melany Perez, who now is a student at UC Berkeley, will be riding the float on New Year’s morning. The majestic elephant’s body was decorated with chopped ming moss and has chive and poppy seed accents. Lunaria helped create the ivory tusks.
The idea behind this entry from Medically Home — a technology company that works to help patients recover from acute illness, surgery or cancer treatment in the comfort of their own homes — is to honor the researchers, scientists, clinicians and others who fought countless dragons of obstacles to make the hospital coming to the home a reality. Green anthuriums color the head of the dragon and much of its body. Scales running down the center of its back are yellow and gold chrysanthemums and black beans. The knight’s armor is shiny grey silverleaf, and the horse’s face covering is Christmas red mums, straps of gold mums, dots of Christmas red mums and tassels of red fuzzy cut strawflower.
While the saying may be, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” the 2022 La Cañada Flintridge float begs to differ. “Who Says We Can’t?” celebrates a quest for an older generation of dogs to dream, believe and to learn new tricks. The skate-park effect is created by a roller-coaster mechanism concealed beneath the shaped and decorated park. Decorating the float are more than 50,000 flowers, including red, orange, yellow and purple roses, carnations and irises which are matched with fruits and vegetables. Parade viewers might spot bright green apples, oranges, eggplant and Brussels sprouts nestling among the flowers! The bottom border of the float is an intricate pattern composed of a variety of beans. A segment of the pattern may contain more than 10,000 beans with each placed individually by La Cañada Flintridge volunteer decorators.
This year’s Rose Parade theme of “Dream. Believe. Achieve.” is a reminder that anyone is capable of making a difference and helping the world become a better place. Kaiser Permanente’s float, “A Healthier Future,” celebrates the devotion and dedication of healthcare heroes in a scene that features four children exploring, imagining and daring to dream. With open hearts and curious minds, these children represent doctors, nurses, scientists, researchers, inventors and policymakers who work to create a healthier future for everyone.
Kiwanis International underscores its mission to improve children’s lives with its 2022 float featuring a turtle piloting an all-terrain vehicle towing a “dream boat” filled with Kiwanis youngsters and friends. Together, they navigate a floral marsh with rabbits, butterflies, fish and a dragonfly with a signpost guiding them to dream, believe and achieve in their futures. The turtle’s body is decorated with green ground parsley flakes and Brussels sprouts, with nails of sliced limes. The shell is of brown coffee, crème paper bark and tan fine walnut shells, and the turtle’s back is all light green ground split peas with designs of pink “wish” chrysanthemums, “rumba” button mums and “falma” orange mums.
The California Physical Therapy Association float presents inspiring stories in which physical therapy teams have made an impact in the lives of people of all ages and abilities. Of the larger-than-life figures on the float, the athlete using prosthesis leading the scene is adorned with purple statice flowers, split peas, red strawflowers, ground rice and poppy seed. Skin areas are covered with cornmeal and a blend of spices including cloves and cinnamon, and his hair is made up of onion seed. The senior runner in center is decorated in peach lentils, blue statice, cranberry seed and ground coconut; her hair has been carefully coiffed with pampas grass. Among the float riders is Willie “Three” Young III, a child hit by a stray bullet in a drive-by shooting and paralyzed from the chest down at the age of 6. In Three’s words, physical therapy helped him “exercise, stay physical and stay active.” He is currently in school, doing everything on his own and playing wheelchair basketball. Also riding on the float is Yajaira “Yaya” Duran, an individual who has amputations of both feet and hands and walks with the aid of prostheses. She has overcome tremendous obstacles and continually demonstrates it is possible to live life fully and actively after a life-changing event.
The China Airlines float for 2022 pays tribute to Taiwan’s love affair with cycling with a depiction of an enthusiastic family setting out to take in the sights, smells and beauty of Taiwan. Mom, dad, two children and the family pup glide through the gorgeous scenery of Tung blossoms, cherry blossoms and ornate orchids. Adjacent to the riders are miniature versions of the Alishan Forest Railway. Float base florals include a variety of orchids and a vibrant display of colorful roses. From front to back, the dog is covered in various grasses, and the family is decorated with purple statice, green split peas, strawflowers and orange lentils. The bike is covered in ground yellow split peas, and the tires are covered with black onion seed. The train has been decorated with red cranberry seed, blue statice and ground rice.
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s Rose Parade entry this year is intended to raise awareness of and encourage equity in the sharing of COVID-19 vaccines and technology with resource-poor countries around the world. The float features AHF medical staff traveling in a futuristic spaceship created from green split peas and manzanita leaves. The robot nurse is decorated in orange dehydrated carrots and orange lentils. The medical center has walls of crisp white coconut flakes with windows decorated in petals of light blue sinuata statice. Highlighting the modern facility are bright yellow strawflower petals. The planets are crafted in an array of materials including hot pink, lavender and purple statice petals with orange and peach lentils and safflower spice. More than 12,000 bright Orange Crush roses flow into hot pink Princess roses bordering the deck gardens.
Celebrating the 100th anniversary of Shriners Children’s — the health-care system with locations in the U.S., Canada and Mexico — and the 150th anniversary since the founding of Shriners International, this float features the hospital’s mascot, Fezzy Bear, wearing a hat of wine chrysanthemums, a tassel of black seaweed and sporting a face and eyes of black beans and white navy beans. The ballerina and her reflection in the jewelry box both spin.
Featuring larger-than-life recreations of Emmy-winning costume designer Marina Toybina’s iconic costumes, the float celebrates the popular music competition, which this year starts its seventh season on Fox. An estimated 100,000 flowers adorn the float and the variety of characters riding it including a frog (made with ground moss, whole split peas and purple statice), a robot (silver leaf, poppy seed, red carnation petals, banana sesame seed, ground moong dal and coconut), a flamingo (heather, pink statice, kidney beans), a monster (whole pale green carnations, seaweed and ground split peas) and a chipmunk pampas grass, chipped coconut and rust colored chrysanthemums).
A 71-time Rose Parade veteran, the Odd Fellows & Rebekahs organization returns with this winterscape that reminds us about the importance of a secure future for polar bears, seals and penguins. The polar bear’s eyes are black seaweed and white powdered rice, the nose is seaweed, and the face, ears and body are made with white pampas grass. Black seaweed makes the suit and feet for the grown penguins, and the chest features orange, yellow and white fuzzy cut strawflowers. The seal’s body is adorned with tan gold flax seed, crème sesame seed and brown coffee, while black seaweed and white powdered rice are used for the eyes.
Built by students from Pomona and San Luis Obispo, the 2022 Cal Poly entry offers a take on the classic “Hey, Diddle Diddle” nursery rhyme showing cows fulfilling this year’s parade theme — “Dream. Believe. Achieve.” — as they engineer their way to fly over the moon. The platform of the float, depicting the rolling pastures, will be decorated using Crane Queen and Russian kales, prairie dropseed, various foliages and mosses. Giving the cows color and texture will be materials including flaxseed, millet, Chinese black moss and rice powder. On the moon, yellow button chrysanthemums will exaggerate the craters, and off-white cushion mums will comprise the rest of the moon. The clouds surrounding the moon will feature a sunset color palette of roses, irises and carnations, along with onions, garlic, cotton, cauliflower and mushrooms.
Chocolate and peanut butter always go well together, and for this whimsical float – the first Rose Parade appearance by Reese’s — it leads to university level success. The iconic brick entrance is created from orange strawflower, crushed walnut, red millet, annatto seeds and fresh ivy; and the Reese’s University signage is designed from silverleaf. Coffee, grape seed, palm fiber paper and flaxseed helped create the star student-athlete, who has eyes and a mouth made with coconut and seaweed. The graduation cap is made with purple statice.
The parade wraps with a special performance by Jimmie Allen, the CMA New Artist of the Year. Allen will make his appearance as the two-hour mark of the parade approaches, and the final float begins its trip down Colorado Boulevard. Four members of the Golden Knights — the United States Army Parachute Team — will drop onto the street to do the Rose Bowl Game’s coin toss from the parade route. Their descent will be accompanied by Timothy Fletcher, “the drummer who has been making waves on Instagram and TikTok with magical beats,” according to a news release. Following the landing of the Golden Knights, Allen, who also is a Grammy nominee for Best New Artist, will perform his song, “Good Times Roll.”
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