Tournament of Roses Parade

:There is also the Roses Tournament in England

History

First staged in 1890 by members of Pasadena's Valley Hunt Club, the Tournament of Roses has quite evidently undergone major change.

Related Topics:
1890 - Valley Hunt Club

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Many of the members of the Valley Hunt Club were former residents of the American east and midwest. They wished to showcase their new California home's mild winter weather. At a club meeting, Professor Charles F. Holder announced, "In New York, people are buried in the snow. Here our flowers are blooming and our oranges are about to bear. Let's hold a festival to tell the world about our paradise."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

And so the Club decided to organize their first New Year's Day parade. Horse-drawn carriages covered in flowers, followed by foot races, polo matches, and a game of tug-of-war on the town lot attracted a crowd of 2000 to the event. Upon seeing the scores of flowers on display, the Professor decided to suggest the name "Tournament of Roses".

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Over the next few founding years, marching bands and motorized floats were added. By 1895, the event was too large for the Valley Hunt Club to handle, hence the Tournament of Roses Association was formed. By the eleventh annual Tournament (1900), the town lot on which the activities were held was re-named Tournament Park. Activities soon included ostrich races, bronco busting demonstrations, and an odd novelty race between a camel and an elephant. (The elephant won the race.) Soon, reviewing stands were built along the parade route, and newspapers in eastern seaboard cities started to take notice of the event.

Related Topics:
1895 - Tournament of Roses Association - 1900 - Tournament Park - Ostrich - Bronco - Camel - Elephant - Eastern seaboard

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~