The Rosebowl parade

[jekajekalynn]

...Is my fave parade to watch out of all the televised parades during the year.

I'm sorry , but other ones (*coughs* MACYS *coughs*) seem to get cut in by 'special guests' hocking their new television series/movie/music record, and one hardly ever gets to see the stuff going on in the parade..

plus, I <3 the floats.

 

[kimmar067]

...Is my fave parade to watch out of all the televised parades during the year.

I'm sorry , but other ones (*coughs* MACYS *coughs*) seem to get cut in by 'special guests' hocking their new television series/movie/music record, and one hardly ever gets to see the stuff going on in the parade..

....hey-y-y-y-y-y-y !!!!!
[...but you are so right.]

...I'm watching the parade right now...

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

The most amazing floats! Watching on HGTV, fewer interruptions and they are slightly ahead of NBC on the parade route.

 

[phorsenuf]

The most amazing floats! Watching on HGTV, fewer interruptions and they are slightly ahead of NBC on the parade route.

I'm watching on the Hallmark channel. Much less interruptions.

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

I'm watching on the Hallmark channel. Much less interruptions.

Looked at the on-screen guide, HGTV's coverage ends at 1, while Hallmark has another 3 hours...is it a continuation or repeat?

 

[karly05]

Hallmark was rerunning their coverage immediately after the live coverage ended at 12 CT/1 ET.

I watched Hallmark (KTLA's coverage) live, and DVRed HGTV at the same time, then went back through HGTV's. KTLA was "around the corner," while HGTV was "before the corner," so you got different views/coverage. The Wisconsin band was awesome on KTLA, playing their famous fight song multiple times with their high-stepping march - announcer Stephanie Edwards was apparently a Wisconsin alum (there was chat about her knowing the Trombone part to "On, Wisconsin") and she proudly noted that John Philip Sousa, himself, said "On, Wisconsin" was the greatest college march/fight song ever - then one of the producers informed her through her earpiece that Michigan actually has the best fight song, and banter resulted.

I saw the "float failure" live on KTLA/Hallmark, and, being around the corner, they couldn't really tell what was going on. Watching later on HGTV, they could see the tow truck, and could watch what was happening. When the tow truck finally brought the float around, on KTLA, they noted that it was the winner of the award for best depiction of life in California, and Bob Eubanks cracked, yeah, broken down on the road in need of a tow truck.

Anyway, agreed that the Rose Parade is the best! Some of my favorite floats this year were the State Fair, the Chinese Dragon Boat Race, and the Wild Mustangs.

Oh, and I flicked through all the channels running it a couple of times - every time I went by ABC, they were on a commercial! HGTV and Hallmark were commercial free, and the only way to go!

 

[MIGrandma]

I watched it on HGTV, while enjoying a couple delicious Mimosas.

It's the only parade I watch. Can't stand the others with all the commercial breaks, groups singing/dancing...blah blah blah. I just want to see the parade without all that other crap.

 

[momoftwins]

We got back a little while ago from the parade. It is so much different from watching it on tv. My DD, who is 14, marched in the Downingtown Blue and Marchibg Band from Pennsylvania. In case someone watched, this is the band the networks covered out of PA whose flight had been canceled during the snow storm earlier this week. After a hope and a prayer and a few delays - and flying in on different days we all made it safely.

I am so proud of the band kids and very thankful for the wonderful band directors that pushed them to be as awesome as they were.

 

[Live4FW]

Question. Noticed the scouts (Boy/Girl) carrying the banners in the parade today.

Does anyone know how these scouts are chosen/how to apply?

 

[jlmarr]

We got back a little while ago from the parade. It is so much different from watching it on tv. My DD, who is 14, marched in the Downingtown Blue and Marchibg Band from Pennsylvania. In case someone watched, this is the band the networks covered out of PA whose flight had been canceled during the snow storm earlier this week. After a hope and a prayer and a few delays - and flying in on different days we all made it safely.

I am so proud of the band kids and very thankful for the wonderful band directors that pushed them to be as awesome as they were.

Congrats on your perseverance. As a former band parent I know it takes a considerable effort from both the kids and parents just to get there. Did your band get a chance to march at DL?

 

[minniecarousel]

I agree - in person is so amazing! DH & I went 4 years ago. I think my sisters want to go some year, so maybe a group of us will go. It's a "bucket list" kinda thing that is totally do-able around here. (just gotta plan waaay ahead to get tix, with transportation from a local hotel, through a tour company).

 

[momoftwins]

Congrats on your perseverance. As a former band parent I know it takes a considerable effort from both the kids and parents just to get there. Did your band get a chance to march at DL?

They marched in California Adventure and boy was it cold. We went over to Magic Kingdom later in the evening and a couple of the walkup food places ran out of food. The fireworks were also canceled due to the winds. I guess it has been unseasonably cold in California. Yesterday with the winds, it was actually as cold at Universal Studios as it was in my hometown in PA. I really was looking forward to some warm California weather, but I guess I will have to wait until my next visit.

 

[wdwgirl03]

I agree - in person is so amazing! DH & I went 4 years ago. I think my sisters want to go some year, so maybe a group of us will go. It's a "bucket list" kinda thing that is totally do-able around here. (just gotta plan waaay ahead to get tix, with transportation from a local hotel, through a tour company).

Agreed. I went with my dad in '05 and '07 when Michigan was in the Rose Bowl. It was such a fun/festive atmosphere and the floats are amazing. TV does not do it justice! We haven't watched the parade yet but apparently the channel we recorded it on missed the first haf hour because there was an infomercial on! Really stupid around here, especially with all the Badger fans around here probably wanting to watch.

 

[Katy Belle]

We watched on HGTV. Loved it! I can never make it through the Thanksgiving Day parade, but I watched all of the coverage on HGTV.

So if you book through a hotel or travel company...do you get seats? From the seats/bleachers can you hear commentary on the floats? I think it would be cool to go watch it live...some day!

 

[minniecarousel]

So if you book through a hotel or travel company...do you get seats? From the seats/bleachers can you hear commentary on the floats? I think it would be cool to go watch it live...some day!

We booked a multi-day tour through AAA. It included a tour of Hollywood & Beverly Hills, Farmer's Market and the Getty Museum. We stayed in a hotel in Downtown LA, & were bussed to Pasadena and then had a short walk to our bleacher seats, directly across from the Norton Simon Museum. We couldn't hear any of the commentary, but we had a program to read from.

Next time, I'd be looking for a ticket for a seat and transportation, but none of the rest of the tour.

 

[chamonix]

I can't believe it but we missed it completely this year! We slept in until 10:30ish, then I just forgot about it until sometime in the afternoon. Dh said that he had remembered earlier and had looked for it on TV but couldn't find it.

Can't wait to tell him it was on 3 channels and he couldn't find it!

 

[Maridw]

Always watch it on HGTV. Love that there are no commercials.

I remember as a kid, we went to see the floats the day after the parade. It was kind of neat.

 

[pppiglet]

Did anyone else notice when Stephanie said she was going to have some nuts put on her face when they were talking about the way they make the faces from crushed nuts? I knew the minute I heard it that it was going to be all over Youtube! Hilarious!

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

Did anyone else notice when Stephanie said she was going to have some nuts put on her face when they were talking about the way they make the faces from crushed nuts? I knew the minute I heard it that it was going to be all over Youtube! Hilarious!

I thought she was terrible, and not due to the laryngitis. I heard Bob tell her at least twice to let him speak. And when Downingtown HS finally came through (I missed them on the live broadcast, but waited for them on the replay on Hallmark), she started talking about the next float...??? That was at least the second time she didn't know which float/organization was in front of her. I read online that she is a favorite, but I much preferred listening to Robb, Sabrina and Jaime on HGTV, but I have to wonder if their focus was mainly on the floats, because I noticed the one before and after and never saw the Downington HS band. My favorite was the 9/11 tribute, Remember, Reflect, Renew. I teared up when I saw it the first time.

 

[Mrs.Toad]

We got back a little while ago from the parade. It is so much different from watching it on tv. My DD, who is 14, marched in the Downingtown Blue and Marchibg Band from Pennsylvania. In case someone watched, this is the band the networks covered out of PA whose flight had been canceled during the snow storm earlier this week. After a hope and a prayer and a few delays - and flying in on different days we all made it safely.

I am so proud of the band kids and very thankful for the wonderful band directors that pushed them to be as awesome as they were.

So glad to hear everyone made it! You had posted about the flight being cancelled last week, right? I was wondering if the kids had made it there.

I'm not a big parade fan, but the Rose Parade is in a class by itself. Love it! When I lived in So Cal, I went to see it in person. We camped out on the sidewalk overnight. It was uncomfortable and tiring, but tons of fun! Of course, I was in my early 20's then. Now, I'd pay for a reserved grandstand seat, and save my back.