The 123rd Rose Parade

"Just Imagine” is the theme of the 123rd Rose Parade (presented by Honda) and this baby will highlight just that with majestic floats, high-stepping equestrians and spirited marching bands. Plus, J.R. Martinez is the Grand Marshall this year! You may remember him from a little stint on some show Dancing with the Stars? More importantly, he's a combat veteran, speaker, and super cool. Watch as he marches along with the 5.5 mile parade of awesome!

This year, the Rose Parade (which is often referred to as the "Rose Bowl Parade") and Rose Bowl Game will take place on Monday, January 2 according to the Tournament of Roses’ “Never on a Sunday” tradition. In 1893, officials decided it would be best to avoid interfering with Sunday worship services and decided to move events to January 2nd whenever January 1st fell on a Sunday. The last time the “Never on a Sunday” policy was in effect was in 2006. Pretty crazy, right?

The parade travels north on Orange Grove (starting at Green Street) then turns east onto Colorado and ends at Sierra Madre/Villa Street. Colorado Blvd. is pretty much the place to be to see the parade in full force. So build your own dreams (what does that even mean?), grab some friends, and make memories while watching the pretty pass you by. Of course, you could also stay home and watch on your TV -- KTLA broadcasts every year.