PASADENA, Calif. () — The Rose Parade is hours away — rain or shine and volunteers have spent countless hours decorating floats, and now those famous floats are making the slow, wet roll to Pasadena.
The move takes hours to complete.
“It’s like being at the parade without having to be at the parade,” said Covina resident Mark Cook. “And we still get to enjoy the rain.”
Cook is one of many visitors and parade fans that came armed with umbrellas and ponchos.
“This is a family tradition. We’ve been doing it for over 10 years. I think these guys have been out here since they were babies, and we do this every year, rain or shine,” said Pomona resident Eric Farr.
The rain reduced the numbers of fans lining the route to get a preview of the show, but for the diehards, the wet weather wasn’t going to ruin the fun.
The wet weather forced officials to cover the more delicate details of the floats.
Phoenix Decorating Company created 14 of the fantastic floral floats in this year’s Tournament of Roses.
The floats are set to roll into Pasadena by midnight ready for the world to see on January 1.
You can watch the Rose Parade live Thursday at 8 a.m. on 7.
Rain on tap for Rose Parade for first time in 20 years
Marching bands, floats and throngs of spectators are bracing for a rare dose of New Year’s Day rain and even thunder at the prestigious Rose Parade in Pasadena.
The last time it rained during the parade was in 2006.
People were allowed to show up Wednesday to secure spots along the nearly 6-mile route in Pasadena, but predictions of overnight rain could make the wait miserable. The two-hour parade starts at 8 a.m. Thursday and is typically attended by hundreds of thousands of people, in addition to millions more watching on national television.
Organizers are making only small changes, said Candy Carlson, communications director for Pasadena Tournament of Roses, the group that organizes the parade ahead of the Rose Bowl college football game.
The tops will be up on convertibles carrying grand marshal Earvin “Magic” Johnson and other VIPs, she said.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report
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