Luther Burbank Rose Parade and Festival facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Luther Burbank Rose Parade and Festival |
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|---|---|
| Status | Active |
| Inaugurated | 1894 |
The Luther Burbank Rose Parade and Festival is a fun yearly event in Santa Rosa, California. It celebrates Luther Burbank, a famous plant scientist, and his amazing work. This festival has changed over the years, but it always has activities for everyone. It usually happens on the third Saturday in May. Each year, the parade has a new theme. This means new and exciting floats, displays, and activities are added!
Contents
History of the Rose Parade
How the Parade Started
The Rose Parade first began in 1894. Back then, it was called the Rose Carnival. It was started with help from Thomas Patrick Keegan. He wanted to celebrate the beautiful nature of Sonoma County. Keegan was a city engineer and also sold clothes in Santa Rosa. He had the idea for this big event to show off the community's pride.
In the early 1900s, the parade was put together by the Chamber of Commerce and other local groups. Like most parades, it featured many different groups. There were fancy floats, cars, marching bands, and important community members. The floats showed off many types of flowers, not just roses. People used to dress up in very fancy clothes to attend the parade. It was a big social event where people came from all over to see the natural beauty of Sonoma County.
The Parade Returns
The parade did not happen during the World Wars. It started again in the 1950s. The Junior Chamber of Commerce took on the job of organizing it. This is when the parade was renamed to honor Luther Burbank. After a long break, the organizers started inviting famous people to be Grand Marshals.
One famous Grand Marshal was Charles M. Schulz, who created the Peanuts comics. This brought a fun "Peanuts" feel to the parade that year! Other Grand Marshals included government officials, local heroes, and business owners. These well-known people helped make the parade famous even outside of Santa Rosa.
Throughout the 1900s, parade floats often showed popular ideas of the time. Floats featured themes like baseball, women's unity, and peace. Events at the festival included foot races, car races, and even baby contests! In 1909, there was a special night parade with lighted floats. It was a big project with floats lit up by electricity.
In recent years, the parade has attracted many people. Sometimes, nearly a quarter-million people attend each year! It often has about 4,000 volunteers helping out. There are now rules for parade entries. For example, judges must see at least one rose on a float. These rules help keep everyone safe and make judging fair.
There are many categories to enter, with awards for things like:
- Best entry showing local history
- Best use of recycled materials
- Best use of roses
- Best use of the yearly theme
The festival gives out over $4,000 in awards to winners. The clowns in the parade are special. They are local business owners and community members who have helped the event a lot. They call themselves the "Distinguished Clown Corps." These clowns are even trained by a professional clown to entertain the crowds!
In the past, the parade route went past the Luther Burbank Home and Gardens. It would go down 4th Street and Mendocino Avenue, ending near 1st Street. The festival part happens at Juilliard Park after the parade. It has lots of music, games, food, and fun! This is also where the award ceremony takes place.
The Parade Today
The parade and festival returned in 2024 after a break since 2019. It was held on May 18, 2024, starting at 10 AM. The parade route is about half a mile long on 4th Street. Nearly 80 community groups take part in the parade.
The festival has grown to include many free activities for families. There are also helpful resources like a diaper changing and nursing station. The festival has fun contests for everyone to join. It also features many different performers who show off the talent of Sonoma County.
Parade Fun and Activities
The parade used to start with a fancy party called the Coronation Ball. At this ball, a queen and her royal court were chosen. They would then oversee the festival events. This party had a big orchestra and lots of dancing. The "royal robes" were designed by a famous clothing maker from San Francisco.
A special throne was set up in a pavilion for the royal court. This pergola (a garden structure) was decorated with vines and roses, keeping with the flower theme.
In 1910, part of the festival included dedicating the new courthouse in Santa Rosa. The Queen of the Rose Parade oversaw this event. In later years, the festival added sports competitions, fireworks, bicycle races, and carnival games. Events started to spread across the city. There were golf tournaments, sailing contests, and dance competitions.
For the parade's 100th anniversary, it felt more like a fair. It included carnival games and other fun activities for children. More recently, cooking competitions and other theme-based activities have been added to the festival schedule.
