The Comfort Inn Hotel “Near Old Town Pasadena”, Located in Eagle Rock CA is just minutes away from The Rose Parade Tournament of Roses in Pasadena California. This site provides you with helpful information regarding the Rose Parade and all the other major events revolving around the tournament of roses such as Bandfest, Equestfest, Float Decorating and Public Transportation from this hotel to the incredible rose parade in Pasadena California.  Please note this site will be updating continuously as new information becomes available regarding the Rose Parade - Tournament of Roses. 

Each year Comfort Inn “Near Old Town Pasadena” hosts a “Welcome Reception” for all guests staying at this hotel and plan to attend the Rose Parade in Pasadena.  During the welcome reception day, dedicated service agents will provide you with rose parade helpful information, maps, directions to bandfest, equestfest, float decorating sites, public transportation to the rose parade, parking information and provide you with ideas to make the best of your trip. 

During the Rose Parade Days the hotel requires a minimum length of stay of 3 nights with a cancellation deadline of 21 days prior to the arrival date.  Please see rose parade booking conditions below: 

• Reservations arriving on December 30^th and 31^st of 2012 and January 1^st 2013 require 3 nights minimum length of stay

• 1^st night payment is required upon making a rose parade hotel reservation

• Full balance remainder is due on December 1^st 2012

• Cancellation deadline is 21 days prior to the arrival date. All cancellations received prior to the cancellation deadline will receive full payment refunds.

• All Late Cancellations or No Shows will not receive any refunds, partial refunds or future credits.

The 123rd Rose Parade will be broadcast on ABC, Hallmark Channel, HGTV, KTLA (Tribune), NBC, RFD-TV and Univision. The Parade is also seen in more than 200 international territories and countries.

Events - Float Decorating

Comfort Inn “Near Old Town Pasadena”

123rd Tournament of Roses Hotel

Float Decorating Event Details

Location: Rose Palace - 835 South Raymond Avenue, Pasadena CA  

Date: December 29 & 30, 2012 / Time: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (PST)

Date: December 31 2012 / Time: 9:00 am - 1:00 pm

Location: Across from the Rose Bowl Stadium

Rosemont Pavilion: 700 Seco Street. Pasadena

Brookside Pavilion (accesible to disabled visitors) Lot 1, south side of Rose Bowl Stadium

Date: December 29 & 30, 2011 / Time: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (PST)

Date: December 31 2011 / Time: 11:00 am - 5:00 pm

Experience the magic of the floats before they make their debut in the 2012 Rose Parade. Get a backstage glimpse of the floral floats in their final stages of preparation at any of our three locations. You will see a variety of fruit, seeds, bark, grasses and of course, flowers being applied to the floats by experienced professionals as well as hard working volunteers.

Events - Equestfest

Comfort Inn “Near Old Town Pasadena”

123rd Rose Parade Hotel

Equestfest

Date: December 30, 2012

Time: 11:00 am to 3:00 pm (PST)

Location: Los Angeles Equestrian Center, 480 Riverside Drive (Main and Riverside Drive), Burbank, CA

Up close and personal... Meet many of the Equestrians you will see New Year's Day in the 2012 Rose Parade!  The is the best family equestrian event of the year.  Don't miss it!

Watch in awe as these beautiful horses and talented riders perform drills and dances, and demonstrate trick riding and roping.  It's the "wild west" brought to life!  Stroll through the stables and talk to the riders. Learn about the various tack and the many different breeds. Take advantage of wonderful one-of-a-kind photo opportunities.

Watch in awe as these beautiful horses and talented riders perform drills and dances, and demonstrate trick riding and roping. It's the "wild west" brought to life! Stroll through the stables and talk to the riders. Learn about the various tack and the many different breeds. Take advantage of wonderful one-of-a-kind photo opportunities.

Enjoy ongoing performances, demonstrations and exhibits! There will also be great music as well as food and beverage concessions on site. 

Events - Bandfest

Comfort Inn “Near Old Town Pasadena”

124th Rose Parade Hotel

Bandfest Event Details

Date: December 29 & 30 of 2012

Time: December 29 2012 at 2pm (PST) / December 30 2012 at 10:00 am & 2 pm (PST)

Location: Pasadena City College – Robinson Stadium (the PCC football field )1570 E. Colorado Blvd.Pasadena, CA 

Bandfest will feature the prizewinning bands of the 2012 Rose Parade performing the field shows that made them famous. Three shows over two days give everyone a chance to see these talented musicians, dancers and auxiliary performers in action. 

 Rose Parade Bandfest History  

The Rose Parade's musical tradition dates back to 1891 when the Monrovia, California City Band joined the procession of flower-covered pony carts in the second Tournament of Roses Parade. "I think we have started something,” remarked Dr. Francis F. Rowland, one of the Tournament's founders. Since then, hundreds of thousands of musicians have made the famous march down Colorado and Orange Grove Boulevards on New Year's Day.

Actually, not every band member has marched down these streets. In 1934, members of the Roberts Mounted Band appeared on horseback, and in the 1950’s, the Los Angeles Boy Scout Band was chauffeured in official Tournament automobiles. Pasadena Public School bands of the 1930’s entertained from atop flowered floats, and the 1933 Parade featured a marimba player riding on a decorated car.

From Holland, Michigan’s High School Band marching in wooden shoes to The Toppers Band of the 50's and 60's, performing in full black tie and tails, band members have sported Scottish kilts, Hawaiian shirts, Arabian fezzes, Indian headdresses, Robin Hood costumes, Spanish dresses, pirate hats and court jester outfits.

Several of the bands that appear annually in Rose Parade have been a part of the Tournament family since its early years. The Salvation Army Band has appeared in the Parade every year since 1920. The Pasadena Area Community College District Band first appeared in 1930 as the Pasadena Junior College Band. The Composite United States Marine Corps Band has been a part of the Rose Parade for more than 50 years.

Whether a band is a Rose Parade veteran or a newcomer from across town or across the globe, and
no matter what it’s wearing or playing, it becomes an important part of the history of marching bands in the Tournament of Roses, adding to well over 100 years of harmony to the world's mostwatched celebration.  

Events - The Rose Parade - Tournament of Roses

Comfort Inn “Near Old Town Pasadena”

123rd Rose Parade Hotel

The 124th Rose Parade

Date: January 1, 2013

Time: 8:00am (PST)

Location: Pasadena, CA, USA

The 124th Rose Parade will take place on Tuesday, January 1st 2013 at 8:00 a.m. (PST) and feature spirited marching bands from throughout the nation, majestic floral floats, and high-stepping equestrian units.

Rose Parade History

This uniquely American event began as a promotional effort by Pasadena's distinguished Valley Hunt Club. In the winter of 1890, the club members brainstormed ways to promote the "Mediterranean of the West." They invited their former East Coast neighbors to a mid-winter holiday, where they could watch games such as chariot races, jousting, foot races, polo and tug-of-war under the warm California sun. The abundance of fresh flowers, even in the midst of winter, prompted the club to add another showcase for Pasadena's charm: a parade would precede the competition, where entrants would decorate their carriages with hundreds of blooms. The Tournament of Roses was born.

During the next few years, the festival expanded to include marching bands and motorized floats. The games on the town lot (which was re-named Tournament Park in 1900) included ostrich races, bronco busting demonstrations and a race between a camel and an elephant (the elephant won). Reviewing stands were built along the Parade route, and Eastern newspapers began to take notice of the event. In 1895, the Tournament of Roses Association was formed to take charge of the festival, which had grown too large for the Valley Hunt Club to handle.

The Tournament of Roses has come a long way since its early days. The Rose Parade’s elaborate floats now feature high-tech computerized animation and exotic natural materials from around the world. Although a few floats are still built exclusively by volunteers from their sponsoring communities, most are built by professional float building companies and take nearly a year to construct. The year-long effort pays off on New Year’s morning, when millions of viewers around the world enjoy the Rose Parade.

Addittional Information regarding the Rose Parade - Tournament of Roses

• Getting to the Rose Parade by Bus - Metro / Public Transportation
• Driving directions from the hotel to the Highland Park Metro Gold Line Station