No Rain On This Parade Rose Parade Unites Everyone For A Day

They came by car, bicycle and by foot, with strollers and wheelchairs on a day for grandparents, babies and couples - a day for strangers to celebrate a new beginning - together.

“It brings tears to your eyes,” said Robert Deputy, one of nearly a million spectators who attended the 1997 Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year’s Day. A Rose Parade veteran with three decades of attendance behind him, the Pasadena resident said not much has changed over the years.

“It’s always a happy time - a very emotional, thrilling experience.” He then considered this year’s theme - “Life’s Shining Moments” - and smiled.

“If people could come together like this every day, this could be a really wonderful world.”

Good vibes may very well have beaten the odds of a 50 percent chance of rain predicted earlier in the week, said Ken Veronda, Tournament of Roses spokesman. Though dark clouds and light rain scattered over other parts of Southern California, there were blue skies above Pasadena’s sun saturated streets on New Year’s Day.

“Southern Californians take care of the weather,” Veronda said. “We get our rain when we want it, and push it away when we don’t.”

Grand marshals Olympic gold-medal gymnast Shannon Miller and Olympic track star Carl Lewis made the 5.5-mile trek with 57 floats, 23 bands and 30 equestrian units. Rose queen Jennifer Halferty from Pasadena’s Polytechnic school presided over her royal court of six princesses. Spectators watching the 108th annual event included a television audience of at least 450 million, Veronda said.

Only a few problems marred the overall orderly event, including an incident before the parade at about 4 a.m. when a police officer fired his gun during the chase of a fleeing man who was arrested.

A total of 89 arrests were made and no injuries reported, organizers said.