Rose Parade brings out happy campers





On Dec. 31, a popular destination for campers is the Rose Parade in Pasadena.


Starting at noon on the day before New Year’s, the public is allowed to camp on the sidewalks of the Rose Parade route which begins on Ellis and Orange Grove streets, continues down Colorado Boulevard and finishes on Sierra Madre Boulevard, totaling about five miles.


The parade brings in several hundred-thousand guests every year, according to a Rose Parade hotline.


"We love to camp out on the streets," said Jack Maley, frequent guest and camper of the Rose Parade. "I’ve seen people bring couches."


Couches or tents aren’t permitted, but many guests try every year to break the rules.


Sleeping bags and folding chairs are acceptable and encouraged. And after midnight on New Year’s Eve, they can be brought onto the street within a certain boundary indicated by a blue line.


An adult must accompany young people under age 17 and no alcohol is allowed on the parade route.


Other than that, guests are free to have a good time.


Convenient parking is scarce.


And portable toilets make life easier for the numerous campers.


As for keeping warm, many people come in large groups so they can take shifts between manning their parade perch and visiting a warm car. In addition, street vendors come around with heat packs, but usually just before the parade.


For more information for next year’s Rose Parade and camping out on the streets, contact the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce at (626) 795-3355.


––Michael Picarella



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