New Year’s Rose Parade marches on despite COVID-19 surge
FILE – In this Jan. 1, 2020, file photo, a 2020 Rose Parade float is seen at the start of the route at the 131st Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif. The Rose Parade and Rose Bowl college football game between Ohio State and Utah were set to go forward on New Year’s Day despite surging cases of COVID-19, which forced the cancelation of the 2021 parade.
CORRECTS LAST NAME TO NABA, NOT NAVA – Pasadena residents Bryanna Naba and children Janelle 3, and Bella, 8, set up chairs along Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena, Calif., on Friday Dec. 31, 2021, as the beginning a long wait for the Rose Parade Saturday morning,
Singer LeAnn Rimes performs during the Rose Parade Opening Spectacular at the 133rd Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022.
The Honda float blasts off at the 133rd Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022. A year after New Year’s Day passed without a Rose Parade due to the coronavirus pandemic, the floral spectacle celebrating the arrival of 2022 proceeded Saturday despite a new surge of infections due to the omicron variant.
The RFD-TV / Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom float is seen at the 133rd Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022.
Tournament of Roses Grand Marshal LeVar Burton acknowledges the crowd at the 133rd Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022.
Tournament of Roses Grand Marshal LeVar Burton acknowledges the crowd at the 133rd Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022.
The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor UCLA float at the 133rd Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022.
The Kaiser Permanente float makes its way along the parade route at the 133rd Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022. A year after New Year’s Day passed without a Rose Parade due to the coronavirus pandemic, the floral spectacle celebrating the arrival of 2022 proceeded Saturday despite a new surge of infections due to the omicron variant.
Royal Court Jeannine Briggs, Abigail Griffith, Jaeda Walden, Rose Queen Nadia Chung, Swetha Somasundaram, Ava Feldman and McKenzie Street, clockwise from left, at the 133rd Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022.
The Masked Singer float makes its way down the 133rd Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022. A year after New Year’s Day passed without a Rose Parade due to the coronavirus pandemic, the floral spectacle celebrating the arrival of 2022 proceeded Saturday despite a new surge of infections due to the omicron variant.
Spectators watch the Trader Joe’s float at the 133rd Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022.
The UPS Store float makes its way down the 133rd Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022. A year after New Year’s Day passed without a Rose Parade due to the coronavirus pandemic, the floral spectacle celebrating the arrival of 2022 proceeded Saturday despite a new surge of infections due to the omicron variant.
Rose Queen Nadia Chung, center, waves to the crowd at the 133rd Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022.
Rose Queen Nadia Chung waves to the crowd at the 133rd Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022.
Spectators cheer at the 133rd Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022. A year after New Year’s Day passed without a Rose Parade due to the coronavirus pandemic, the floral spectacle celebrating the arrival of 2022 proceeded Saturday despite a new surge of infections due to the omicron variant.
Members of Los Hermanos Banuelos Charro equestrian team perform at the 133rd Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022. A year after New Year’s Day passed without a Rose Parade due to the coronavirus pandemic, the floral spectacle celebrating the arrival of 2022 proceeded Saturday despite a new surge of infections due to the omicron variant.
Todd Barnhart, of Ohio, takes a picture with Rose Parade volunteers Karla Thompson, Mary Townsend and Carol Convey, from left, at the 133rd Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022. A year after New Year’s Day passed without a Rose Parade due to the coronavirus pandemic, the floral spectacle celebrating the arrival of 2022 proceeded Saturday despite a new surge of infections due to the omicron variant.
The 108th Rose Bowl Game Ohio State University float is shown at the 133rd Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022. A year after New Year’s Day passed without a Rose Parade due to the coronavirus pandemic, the floral spectacle celebrating the arrival of 2022 proceeded Saturday despite a new surge of infections due to the omicron variant.
The Ohio State University Marching Band performs at the 133rd Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022. A year after New Year’s Day passed without a Rose Parade due to the coronavirus pandemic, the floral spectacle celebrating the arrival of 2022 proceeded Saturday despite a new surge of infections due to the omicron variant.
The 108th Rose Bowl Game Utah float at the 133rd Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022. A year after New Year’s Day passed without a Rose Parade due to the coronavirus pandemic, the floral spectacle celebrating the arrival of 2022 proceeded Saturday despite a new surge of infections due to the omicron variant.
The Utah Marching Band performs at the 133rd Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022. A year after New Year’s Day passed without a Rose Parade due to the coronavirus pandemic, the floral spectacle celebrating the arrival of 2022 proceeded Saturday despite a new surge of infections due to the omicron variant.
Spectators watch the Michael D. Sewell Memorial Foundation float at the 133rd Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022. A year after New Year’s Day passed without a Rose Parade due to the coronavirus pandemic, the floral spectacle celebrating the arrival of 2022 proceeded Saturday despite a new surge of infections due to the omicron variant.
The California Physical Therapy Association float makes its way along the parade route at the 133rd Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022. A year after New Year’s Day passed without a Rose Parade due to the coronavirus pandemic, the floral spectacle celebrating the arrival of 2022 proceeded Saturday despite a new surge of infections due to the omicron variant.
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — A year after New Year’s Day passed without a Rose Parade due to the coronavirus pandemic, marching bands and floral floats took to the streets again to celebrate the arrival of 2022 despite a new surge of infections due to the omicron variant.
The 133rd edition of the Pasadena, California, tradition on Saturday featured actor LeVar Burton as grand marshal, 20 bands, 18 equestrian units and dozens of floats reflecting the theme of “Dream. Believe. Achieve.”
After days of record-smashing rains, there were sunny skies for the 8 a.m. start of the spectacle, which has an uncanny history of postcard weather.
LeAnn Rimes kicked off the event with a performance of “Throw My Arms Around the World” followed by a military flyover of a B-2 stealth bomber.
Among the fanciful floats was the futuristic-themed “Vaccinate Our World” entry by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation with a robot nurse clutching a syringe. The colorful “Rise, Shine and Read!” float by the UPS Store featured a bespectacled rooster reading to a group of chicks.
“American Idol” winner Laine Hardy performed aboard Louisiana’s “Feed Your Soul” float. For the grand finale, the US Army Golden Knights parachute team landed along the parade route and country performer Jimmie Allen sang “Good Times Roll.”
The parade and the afternoon Rose Bowl football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Utah Utes remained on track despite an explosion of COVID-19 infections in Los Angeles County, where daily new cases topped 27,000 on Friday.
The county Department of Public Health said it was the highest number of new cases.
The soaring infections had already prompted Kaiser Permanente to announce that its float, “A Healthier Future,” would not have 20 “front-line medical heroes” riding or walking alongside.
“We must prioritize the health and safety of our front-line medical staff and ensure we are able to treat patients during this recent surge of COVID-19 cases caused by the omicron variant,” the health care network said.
The crowd was smaller than in previous years, but the parade still drew thousands of fans along its 5.5-mile (8.8-kilometer) route. Many camped out on sidewalks overnight, staking out their spots in the afternoon on New Year’s Eve.
Pasadena authorities urged people to wear masks, upgrading to the N95 or KN95 types, and avoid mingling with anyone outside their own groups. Many attendees wore face coverings, as did Rose Parade Queen Nadia Chung and her court.
The Tournament of Roses Association said ticketholders for parade bleachers and the Rose Bowl game were required to show proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours, and masks were required for everyone age 2 and up.
The 2021 Rose Parade was canceled months ahead of time. The Rose Bowl football game was played after being moved to Arlington, Texas.
Previously, the parade was canceled for several years during World War II and the 1942 Rose Bowl game was played in North Carolina after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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