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Rain Soaks 137th Rose Parade, Ending Two-Decade Dry Streak in Pasadena

The procession highlighted wildfire recovery with a survivors’ float.

Roses sit on a Honda vehicle during the Tournament of Roses parade in Pasadena, California, on Jan. 1, 2025.
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 31: Eaton Fire survivors (Center L to R) Ruben Rodriguez, Shimica Gaskins, and Gina Clayton-Johnson sit on the “Rising Together” Rose Parade float before float judging ahead of the Rose Parade on December 31, 2025 in Pasadena, California. The float honors the 13,000 families whose homes were lost and the 31 people who died in the 2025 L.A. wildfires. Survivors of the Eaton and Palisades fires and volunteers worked on the float, which features a phoenix rising along with 31 sunflowers, which honor those who lost their lives. On New Year’s Day, eight fire survivors will ride in the Rose Parade on the float, which is co-sponsored by the California Community Foundation and the Black Freedom Fund. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
FILE - Marching bands perform along Colorado Blvd. in the 136th Rose Parade, in Pasadena, Calif., Jan. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)
Confetti is released during a confetti test ahead of New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Overview

  • Steady showers delivered roughly 1 to 2 inches of rain during the New Year’s Day parade, the first wet event since 2006, according to on‑scene reports and National Weather Service forecasts.
  • Organizers kept operations largely intact with targeted adjustments such as raising convertible tops for VIPs, covering delicate float elements, staging tow trucks, and activating city preparedness plans.
  • Pasadena officials enforced no‑umbrella rules along the 5.5‑mile route and urged ponchos, as bands used instrument covers and performers navigated slick pavement with thinner early‑morning crowds.
  • The “Rising Together” float honored survivors and victims of the 2025 Eaton and Palisades fires, featuring symbolic design elements and survivors riding during the procession.
  • Distribution expanded across TV and digital platforms, including the parade’s first TikTok LIVE stream, while Earvin “Magic” Johnson served as grand marshal under the theme “The Magic in Teamwork.”