Valley Hunt Club facts for kids
The Valley Hunt Club is a private club in Pasadena, California. It is famous for starting the Tournament of Roses Parade way back in 1890.
The club's members were people who used to live in the East and Midwest parts of the United States. They wanted to show off the great winter weather in their new home. Professor Charles F. Holder once said at a club meeting, "In New York, people are buried in 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."
The First Parade and Festival
The first festival grew quickly. In the next few years, it added marching bands and decorated floats. Games were held on a town lot, which was later named Tournament Park in 1900. These games were very exciting! They included ostrich races, cowboy demonstrations with broncos, and even a race between a camel and an elephant. (The elephant won!)
People built special stands along the parade route to watch. Newspapers from the East Coast started writing about this amazing event. By 1895, the festival had become too big for the Valley Hunt Club to manage alone. So, the Tournament of Roses Association was created to take over.
For many years, the Valley Hunt Club didn't enter the parade, except for big anniversaries. But in 1983, they started joining again. Now, every year, they enter an old-fashioned carriage. It's usually a "roof seat break" pulled by beautiful friesian horses, with riders on horseback alongside.
Where the Club Is Today
The Valley Hunt Club is still located at 520 South Orange Grove Boulevard in Pasadena. This spot is important because it's where the annual Rose Parade starts. It's also very close to Tournament House, which is the home of the Tournament of Roses Association.
The Valley Hunt Club remains a special private social club. Many of the grand mansions that once stood near the club on Orange Grove Avenue have been replaced. These mansions belonged to wealthy people from the Midwest. Today, only a few original homes remain, like the Wrigley Mansion, the Fenyes Mansion, and the Bissell House.
See also
- Pasadena Tournament of Roses
- Tournament of Roses Parade
