🌹 Fri Jan 1, 2027 · 8am
Rose Parade 2026–27 family guide
Curated by Simir Shah
The basics and the route
When and what
The 138th Rose Parade presented by Honda is Fri Jan 1, 2027, 8–10am. The 2027 theme is "Welcome." It has three kinds of entries: floral floats, equestrian units and marching bands. 21 bands are announced so far, with 2 more added once the Rose Bowl Game teams are set in December.
The 5.5-mile route
It starts at Green St and Orange Grove Blvd, goes north on Orange Grove, turns east onto Colorado Blvd (where most of the action is), then north onto Sierra Madre Blvd, ending at Villa St. It moves at about 2.5 mph and takes about two hours to pass any point.
Where to watch: three options
Free from the curb
Anywhere along the public route except the ticket-only security zone on Orange Grove between Colorado and Green. No chairs at all in Area 1 (west of Fair Oaks). The east end of the route has grass parkways.
Grandstand seats ($82–$133)
Sharp Seating is the only official grandstand seller and sells at face value. 2027 seats: $133 on Orange Grove and W. Colorado (235–450), $120 in the early-formation stands at 155 and 164 S. Orange Grove, and $82–$103 along E. Colorado. Seats are numbered and reserved, comfort stations sit next to each stand, and all sales are final.
Buy at sharpseating.com, (626) 795-4171, or the office at 1737 E. Colorado Blvd (Mon–Fri 9am–4pm). Be seated by 6:30am in the Orange Grove security zone, 7am west of Fair Oaks, 8am elsewhere.
Accessible viewing
Three free street-level areas are reserved for people with disabilities plus up to 4 guests, one with audio-description and sign-language sections. No seats are provided, so bring chairs or cushions, and request space through the Tournament's form. Wheelchair grandstand seats are limited and sold through Sharp Seating.
Grandstand bag rules: clear bags only; no coolers, folding chairs, umbrellas, noisemakers, scooters or selfie sticks; only two factory-sealed waters (24oz or less) per person; fruit must be sliced; diaper bags only with a child. Sharp Seating · Know Before You Go (PDF)
Free curb viewing: the rules
From the City of Pasadena's safety release for the last parade; the 2027 version usually comes out in late December.
Claiming a spot
- You can hold a sidewalk spot from noon Dec 31.
- Stay on the curb until 11pm, then you may move out to the blue Honor Line, but not past it.
- Overnight camping is allowed only on Dec 31.
- Kids under 18 may be on the route 10pm–5am only with an adult.
- Chairs are fine if someone is sitting in them; unoccupied chairs are removed.
Not allowed
- Tents, sofas, or boxes used as seats.
- Tape, rope, spray paint, or roping off sidewalks to save space.
- Bonfires, fireworks, ladders or scaffolding.
- Umbrellas (wear ponchos), drones, and throwing anything.
- Open alcohol, smoking, cannabis and vaping.
Small, professionally made barbecues raised at least 1 ft are allowed, 25 ft from buildings, with a fire extinguisher. Pets aren't recommended; service animals are OK.
Dress for cold. The fire department asks families to bring extra layers, hats and gloves for kids. It usually stays dry, but it rained in 2006 and again in 2026. City of Pasadena · Visit Pasadena
Parking, Metro and road closures
Metro A Line (easiest with kids)
Closest stations: Memorial Park (0.2 mi), Del Mar (0.3 mi), Lake and Allen (0.4 mi each). Service begins around 4am. Load round-trip fare on your TAP card beforehand to skip the lines.
Don't count on early-morning Metrolink trains: the official sources disagree, and Visit Pasadena says early service won't run.
Driving and parking
Colorado Blvd (Orange Grove to Sierra Madre) and Sierra Madre northbound to Paloma are closed 10pm Dec 31 – 2pm Jan 1. Cars can't cross Colorado after 6am, so park before then, and don't rely on GPS.
Reserved parking through Sharp Seating runs $57.50–$67.50 per car. Paid first-come lots sit near the route; there's no parking on the route itself, and violators are towed.
A family timeline for parade day (curbside)
Built from the official rules above. Adjust for where you stand: spots farther along the route see the parade later.
- Night before (optional)Curb spots can be held from noon Dec 31, and kids under 18 need an adult on the route 10pm–5am. Most families with young kids skip the overnight and arrive at dawn instead.
- 5:00amLeave home. If you're driving, you must be parked before 6am, when crossing Colorado closes; don't trust GPS. A Line service starts around 4am; load round-trip TAP fare in advance.
- 5:45amPark, or get off at Memorial Park (0.2 mi) or Del Mar (0.3 mi). Walk to the route in layers, with hats and gloves. Bring a clear bag, folding chairs (not west of Fair Oaks, and never left empty), blankets, snacks and ponchos instead of umbrellas.
- 6:00–6:30amFind a curb gap behind the overnight campers. Grandstand families in the Orange Grove security zone should be seated by 6:30.
- 6:30–7:45amBreakfast from your own bag. Grandstands have comfort stations next to each stand; we found no official word on curbside restrooms, so plan for that. Grandstand seats west of Fair Oaks should be filled by 7am.
- 8:00amThe parade starts at Orange Grove and Green and takes about two hours to pass any point. Spots farther along the route see it later.
- 8:00–10:00amFloats, bands and horses. Keep kids behind the blue Honor Line, and don't throw anything.
- After the parade passesWait 15–20 minutes for the crowd to thin. The route reopens to cars by 2pm, and grandstand parking lots must be vacated right after the parade.
- Late morningEarly lunch near the route or back home. Floatfest doesn't open until 1:30pm.
- 1:00pmHead to a Floatfest Park-N-Ride if you're going today (Fri 1:30–5pm, last entry 4pm). With little kids, Sat Jan 2 from 9am is the calmer choice after a 5am start. Plan on about 2.5 miles on foot and no wagons.
After the parade: Floatfest
See the floats up close (Jan 1–3, 2027)
- Fri Jan 1: 1:30–5pm (ticket sales end 3:30pm, last entry 4pm).
- Sat Jan 2: 7–9am seniors and disabled visitors only, then 9am–5pm (sales end 3:30pm, last entry 4pm).
- Sun Jan 3: 9am–4pm (sales end 2:30pm, last entry 3pm).
On E. Sierra Madre and E. Washington Blvds by Pasadena High School. Tickets were $26.50 last season per Sharp Seating (this season's price not yet confirmed). Six free Park-N-Ride shuttle lots serve it.
Clear bags only; strollers are allowed but the ground is rough; no wagons, bikes, scooters, coolers or pets (service animals OK). There are no trams, so plan on about 2.5 miles of walking and two hours. ASL interpreters are at the entry gates, and the Food Fare trucks are near Gate A.
Watching on TV?The 2027 broadcast list isn't posted yet; last year it aired live from 8am PT on ABC, NBC, KTLA, CNN, Fox, Telemundo, Univision and Great American Family. Broadcast partners
Parade-week events
5 spots across Southern California — add your zip or city to sort by what's closest to you
Bandfest
Pasadena · Marching band showcase
Rose Parade bands each play a full field show at Robinson Stadium, Pasadena City College (1570 E. Colorado Blvd). You get stadium seats instead of a pre-dawn curb, and parking is free in Structure 4 off Del Mar Ave.
🗓️ Dec 29–30, 2026 · three shows between 10am and 4pm (session times TBA)
💵 $26.50 per Sharp Seating brochure (listed as last season's price, subject to change)
Floatfest: A Rose Parade Showcase
Pasadena · Post-parade float viewing
The parade floats park on Sierra Madre and Washington Blvds near Pasadena High School; plan on about 2.5 miles of walking and two hours. Clear bags only, no wagons, scooters or coolers; strollers are allowed but the ground is rough, and six free Park-N-Ride shuttles serve it.
🗓️ Jan 1–3, 2027 · Fri 1:30–5pm; Sat 9am–5pm (7–9am seniors & disabled only); Sun 9am–4pm. Ticket sales end 3:30pm Fri/Sat, 2:30pm Sun
💵 $26.50 per Sharp Seating brochure (listed as last season's price, subject to change)
138th Rose Parade presented by Honda
Pasadena
5.5 miles from Green St and Orange Grove Blvd, east along Colorado Blvd, ending at Sierra Madre Blvd and Villa St. Curb spots can be held from noon Dec 31; tents, ropes, tape, bonfires, umbrellas and open alcohol are banned, and kids under 18 need an adult on the route 10pm–5am.
🗓️ Fri Jan 1, 2027 · 8–10am (takes about 2 hours to pass any point)
Decorating Places (Rose Parade float decorating viewing)
Pasadena · Float decorating viewing
Walk past the floats while volunteers glue on flowers and seeds at the Rosemont Pavilion, 700 Seco St by the Rose Bowl. Parking is free but first-come in shared Arroyo Seco lots; rideshare drop-off is Lot H only.
🗓️ Dec 28–30, 2026 · Mon 11am–4pm, Tue 9am–4pm, Wed 10am–5pm (last entry 1 hour before close)
💵 $21.50 per Sharp Seating brochure (listed as last season's price, subject to change); children 5 and under free
Equestfest
Burbank · Horse show
The parade's equestrian units perform and you can meet the riders and horses up close at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center (480 W. Riverside Dr). Food vendors and static displays open with the gates at 10am, so younger kids can see the horses before the noon show.
🗓️ Tue Dec 29, 2026 · gates 10am, show noon–3pm
💵 General admission $26.50, VIP package $51.50 per Sharp Seating brochure (listed as last season's prices, subject to change); parking $20 per car at the venue
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Frequently asked questions
When is the 2027 Rose Parade?
Friday, Jan 1, 2027, starting at 8am at Orange Grove Blvd and Green St. It takes about two hours to pass any spot. (The parade moves to Monday only when Jan 1 is a Sunday.)
Is the Rose Parade free?
Yes, from the curb. Reserved grandstand seats cost $82–$133 and are sold only through Sharp Seating, the official ticket office, at sharpseating.com or (626) 795-4171.
When can we claim a curb spot?
From noon on Dec 31. Stay on the curb until 11pm, then move up to the blue Honor Line but not past it. Kids under 18 need an adult on the route 10pm–5am.
What can't we bring to the curb?
Tents, ropes or tape to save space, bonfires, ladders, umbrellas, fireworks, drones, or open alcohol. Unattended chairs are removed. Small raised barbecues are allowed under fire rules.
What's the best way to get there?
The Metro A Line, which starts around 4am. Memorial Park and Del Mar stations are a few blocks from Colorado Blvd. If you drive, park before 6am, when cars can no longer cross the route. Colorado is closed 10pm Dec 31 to 2pm Jan 1.
How do we see the floats up close?
Floatfest on Sierra Madre and Washington Blvds, Jan 1 (1:30–5pm), Jan 2 (9am–5pm) and Jan 3 (9am–4pm). Tickets were $26.50 last season. Before the parade, Decorating Places (Dec 28–30, kids 5 and under free) lets you watch volunteers decorate the floats.
Is there accessible viewing?
Yes. Three free street-level areas for people with disabilities plus up to four guests (request through the Tournament's form), limited wheelchair grandstand seats through Sharp Seating, and a 7–9am senior/disabled hour at Floatfest on Jan 2.
Where can we watch it on TV?
Last year it aired live from 8am PT on ABC, NBC, KTLA, CNN, Fox, Telemundo, Univision and Great American Family, and streamed on several services including TikTok. The 2027 list hasn't been posted yet.
Ringing in the New Year the night before? See New Year's Eve with kids.