The University of Indiana and University of Alabama marching bands made the turn onto Colorado Boulevard past the television cameras before hanging a right at Raymond Avenue.
No, it was not a wrong turn. Buses were waiting at nearby Central Park around 9:20 a.m. to get the two bands to the Rose Bowl Stadium in time for the early kick-off. This year, the game, which will be a College Football Playoff quarterfinal, is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. local time. The Rose Parade start time of around 8 a.m. did not change.
University of Indiana trombone player Aaron Funkhouser, 22, celebrated with the band as soon as the Indiana University Marching Hundred turned on Raymond Avenue en route to the earlier-scheduled Rose Bowl. The whole morning has been “amazing,” he said, rain notwithstanding. “I have no words, it was all worth it,” Funkhouser said. “Getting wet is just the price you gotta pay.”
As for his predictions on the 112th Rose Bowl, “I’m hoping for the best.”
This detour was not made on the fly but instead was one of many logistical adjustments made by the Tournament to accommodate the earlier start time. City officials anticipated that the earlier kick-off time will mean more pedestrian traffic going directly from the parade to the stadium.
The bands aren’t the only ones who will need to make a dash from parade route to the stadium. While Grand marshal Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Tournament of Roses President Mark Leavens and the Rose Court are expected to complete the entire 5.5-mile parade route, once they reach the finish line, a police escort is waiting to get them to the stadium.
Related Posts:
- Bandfest, a booming, two-day celebration of Rose Parade marching bands, kicks off News The Salvation Army Tournament of Roses Band performs during Bandfest, featuring the marching bands that have been chosen for the Rose Parade, at Pasadena City College on Monday December 29, 2025. (Photo by Keith Durflinger, Contributing Photographer) The Los Angeles Unified School District High School Honor Band performs during Bandfest,…
- Rose Parade, Rose Bowl game to honor fire victims, survivors with floats, vintage fire engines News New Year’s Day 2026 comes after an unprecedented year for the greater Los Angeles area as well as the communities adjacent to where the Rose Parade tradition calls home each year. On Jan. 7, 2025, two wildfires ravaged communities in the Palisades and in the Altadena/Pasadena area. Separated by about…
- 2026 Rose Parade live coverage: A ‘Magic’-al, but wet, day at the 137th parade News For the 137th time, Pasadena, California, the San Gabriel Valley city 10 miles northeast from downtown Los Angeles, is hosting the Rose Parade. This year, though, for the first time in 20 years, it’s raining on the parade. Still, the extravaganza of marching bands, floats, flowers, performers, waves and smiles,…
- B-2 bomber could still fly over Rose Bowl game after being grounded during 137th parade’s opening News There’s still a chance that Rose Parade and Rose Bowl attendees could see the U.S. Air Force’s B-2 bomber flyover after the plane couldn’t make its traditional flight over the 137th Rose Parade in Pasadena due to the first rain to hit the event in 20 years. The plane’s Rose…
- Where to Watch the Orange Bowl, Rose Bowl & Sugar Bowl 2026 Streaming Entertainment College footballâs most iconic postseason matchups are heading into a new era of for viewers at home, and the 2026 college football bowl season is no exception. The Orange Bowl, Rose Bowl, and Sugar Bowl remain must-watch events on the college football calendar, but figuring out where to watch them…
(Visited 1 times, 1 visits today)