The Tournament of Roses Parade

The Rose Parade, formally known as The Tournament of Roses Parade, is an annual parade held every New Year's Day (January 1st) in Pasadena, California since 1890. Beginning in 1902, the parade has been traditionally followed by the Rose Bowl college football game.

1971

The 1971 parade theme was "Thru the Eyes of a Child". A Sesame Street float appeared in the parade, sponsored by the Chrysler Corporation and constructed by Valley Decorating.

The float depicts the front of the doors of 123 Sesame Street with the street sign and rose sculptures of Big Bird and Oscar next to it. The rest of the float was made up of large sculptures of letters and numbers, with Muppets such as Ernie, Roosevelt Franklin and Kermit popping out of the letter holes. The float was 55 feet long, 20 feet wide, and 17 feet high (the maximum dimensions allowed at the time), made from 25,000 roses and built from suggestions sent in from all over the United States and Canada.

"Thru the Eyes of a Child"

concept art published in Pensacola News Journal, Dec 27, 1970

1982

1982 program.

In 1982, the theme of the parade was "Friends and Neighbors". America's Credit Unions (CUNA) sponsored a float featuring Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog, which was constructed by Fiesta Floats.

The float depicts Piggy reclining on a chaise while Kermit, decked out in a top hat and bow tie, serenades her on his banjo. It was the first float in the parade that year, introducing the theme with style. The float was created with Chamois carnations for Miss Piggy's complexion, while Kermit was constructed from chopped chartreuse lichen moss over a foundation of sheet moss. The float included over 30,000 roses, including Royalty red and Bridal pink.

The front of the float, featuring the parade theme and name, featured a Fozzie Bear walk-around positioning his movie camera, hovering over the theme of "Friends and Neighbors." Alongside Fozzie, Sweetums (performed by Richard Hunt) and Timmy Monster also rode on the float, alongside several children.

Among other noteworthy floats were Dr. Pepper's "Neighborhood Drive-In", Montebello California's "Good Ol' Fashioned Friendship" float featuring The Flintstones and Bank of America's "It's a Small World." The CBS broadcast was co-hosted by Jamie Farr.

1984

The parade theme for 1984 was "A Salute to the Volunteer". The YWCA sponsored a float commemorating their 125th anniversary, entitled "One Giant Step for Womankind!". This was once again constructed by Fiesta Floats.

On the float, Miss Piggy was pictured as an astronaut, reclining in a futuristic spacesuit.

Piggy Rose Parade 1984

1990

The theme for 1990 was "A World of Harmony"; the Transamerica Life Company's entry, "Lassoed by Love," featured Kermit and Miss Piggy in country/western attire. The 34-foot-tall Miss Piggy, made of carnations and roses, swung her lasso at a moss-covered Kermit on a hobby horse. The 55-foot-long float was festooned with roses, daisies, mums and orchids.

"Lassoed by Love"

1996

1996 Rose Parade

The parade's theme for 1996 was "Kids' Laughter & Dreams". Kermit the Frog was chosen to be the grand marshal for the parade, becoming the first non-human to host the event solo.

Steve Whitmire performed Kermit as he drove through the parade in the Grand Marshal's car. At MuppetFest in 2001, Whitmire said that day was the most difficult job he'd had with the Muppets; as he had to keep his arm up over his head for almost three hours. At San Diego Comic-Con in 2015, he noted that Brian Henson gave him a plaque afterwards.

In conjunction with the parade, in which Kermit wore only his conventional collar, he also addressed an audience to make a speech wearing a frog-sized Grand Marshal jacket. In another taped segment, Kermit and Miss Piggy discuss what it takes to be crowned Queen of the Rose Parade. Both clips were included in the 2004 documentary The Rose Parade: A Pageant for the Ages co-hosted by William Shatner (who riffs on Kermit's joke about pants in the archive footage).

In addition to Kermit's live appearance, the parade also featured a Kodak-sponsored float based on Muppet Treasure Island. The float featured Kermit, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Statler and Waldorf, all in their Treasure Island personas, and won the Humor Award for the most comical and amusing entry that year.

Other Grand Marshalls have included Shirley Temple (1939), Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy (1940), Bob Hope (1947 & 1969), Richard M. Nixon (1953 & 1960), Walt Disney (1966), Charles M. Schulz (1974), Roy Rogers & Dale Evans (1977), Gerald R. Ford (1978), Frank Sinatra (1980), Danny Kaye (1984), Bob Newhart (1991), William Shatner (1994), Carol Burnett (1998), Buzz Aldrin (1999), Regis Philbin (2002), Bill Cosby (2003), Fred Rogers (2003), John Williams (2004), Mickey Mouse (2005), George Lucas (2007), Emeril Lagasse (2008), Cloris Leachman (2009), Paula Deen (2011), J.R. Martinez (2012), Jane Goodall (2013), Ken Burns (2016), Greg Louganis (2017), Chaka Khan (2019), and Laurie Hernandez, Rita Moreno and Gina Torres (2020).

Kermit as the Grand Marshal

Muppet Treasure Island float

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1999

For the 1999 parade theme "Echoes of the Century", Sesame Street made its return to the parade to commemorate its 30th Anniversary.

The float, entitled "Friends For Life" (after the 30th Anniversary campaign), was sponsored by Reser's Fine Foods and designed by Studio Concepts. It featured Big Bird (wearing a tie and collar) presenting a large cake sitting on the top of Oscar's trash can, with Oscar poking out inside. Walk-arounds of Elmo and Cookie Monster rode on the float.

The float won the event's Humor Trophy for that year.

2004

In 2004, the parade's theme was "Music, Music, Music". The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM)'s first time commission: "Believe in Music", was themed towards Sesame Street and was designed by Studio Concepts in partnership with Sesame Workshop. The float won the Isabelle Coleman award for color and color harmony through floral use.

The float depicted a large school bus with several toy wagons following it. Elmo played a drum and rode in the bus, while Big Bird (playing a trumpet), and Abelardo (from Plaza Sésamo) played the guitar in the second wagon. Big Bird was made of individual feathers cut from pampas grass and colored with yellow cut strawflower. Abelardo was decorated with golden Juniper tips, and Elmo featured red carnations, sweet rice, and amaranthus seeds.

Onboard the float were Bob McGrath and Roscoe Orman alongside walk-arounds of Zoe, Cookie Monster, Rosita and Elmo.

2005

For the 2005 parade theme "Celebrate Family", NAMM and Sesame Workshop co-collaborated once again with another Sesame Street float entitled "Music Makes Us a Family". The float was once again designed by Studio Concepts and won the Bob Hope Humor Trophy that year for most comical and amusing entry.

The float features Big Bird playing a piano, Elmo playing the drums and Oscar the Grouch playing the Maracas.

Various walk-arounds rode on the float, including Bert, Ernie, Zoe, Cookie Monster and a purple Honker.

2008

For the 2008 theme "Passport to the World's Celebrations", NAMM once again partnered with Sesame Workshop to create a Sesame Street themed float. This, as with the other floats, was designed by Studio Concepts.

The float, entitled "Passport to the World of Making Music", featured floral sculptures of Oscar shaking maracas, Elmo playing a drum, Big Bird, Count von Count standing with his arms wide open, Googly of Galli Galli Sim Sim playing the flute, Halum the Bengal Tiger from Sisimpur, and Lola, a pink monster from Plaza Sésamo. Onboard the float were Bob McGrath, Olamide Faison and a Rosita walk-around.

2009

For the 2009 theme "Hats Off! to Entertainment", NAMM and Sesame Workshop partnered with Music for All to create a large Sesame Street "mega-unit", consisting of a large float and three smaller floats. It was the first of its type to be featured in the parade. The float won the President's Trophy that year for excellence in floral use and presentation.

The unit, entitled "Hats Off! to Making Music", began with the main float, which depicted Big Bird playing on a trumpet near the Sesame Street lamp post. Onboard the float was Bob McGrath. Following the larger float were three smaller floats featuring Elmo (dressed as a bandleader, holding a baton), Abby Cadabby (playing a tambourine), and Oscar the Grouch (playing a set of maracas).

Leading the unit collection of 300 high school band members from across the country, entitled The Music for All Honor Band, played a melody of Sesame Street songs arranged by Michael Klesch and Thom Hannum.

2021

Kermit the Frog conducted a performance of high school seniors from invited bands, via video conference, for the 2021 parade broadcast. The segment was included on both the ABC and NBC broadcasts. [1]

2026

For 2026's theme, "The Magic in Teamwork", Kermit was featured on a float sponsored by Visit Mississippi entitled "Where Creativity Blooms". The float honored the famous residents of Mississippi with the main focus being on Jim Henson, represented by Kermit. The lovable frog was seen sitting on a log while playing his banjo, reenacting the famous scene from The Muppet Movie where he sings "Rainbow Connection." A stage appeared in front of the float for live performances, while the back of the float featured a pile of books and art supplies.

In the parade broadcast, Kermit (in voiceover) introduced the float as Mississippi musician Charlie Worsham performed "Movin' Right Along" and Old Crow Medicine Show's "Mississippi Saturday Night".

References

Big Bird's Red Book spoof.

• In the Elmo's World episode "Noses," Elmo appoints himself Grand Marshal of "The Tournament of Noses Parade".

• In Big Bird's Red Book, a float spoofing many of the Queen's Floats from the parade is seen going down the street.

• Telly Monster, pretending to be a football player, comments that he has to go practice for the Rose Bowl in Sesame Street Episode 3644.

• In The Muppets episode "Because... Love", Uncle Deadly says Pepe the King Prawn's grand gesture looks like the Rose Parade.

External links

• Tournament of Roses Parade
• Flickr photos of the float: Photo