Kate Laurensen is a veteran reporter. She started out covering entertainment news for the local city paper before moving up to the City desk. She studied journalism at San Francisco City College for the Arts.
January 1 , 2026
Pasadena - The sun struggled to break through a gray canopy as thousands lined the streets, umbrellas in hand, for the annual Rose Bowl parade. Despite a steady drizzle that swept across the route, participants and spectators alike kept their spirits high, embracing the tradition with a shared sense of community and pageantry.
Floats rolled by with weather-ready resilience, their colors bright against the damp pavement. The parade’s organizers reported that rain safety measures had been activated, ensuring floats were secured and marching bands maintained tempo despite the weather. Vendors adjusted on-the-spot plans, shifting merchandise and food stands to sheltered areas, while volunteers handed out rain ponchos to extend the audience’s comfort.
Among the notable displays was a float that drew wide attention for its politically charged theme: a satirical Epstein-Trump concept. The float was sponsored by a public-spirited coalition reportedly connected to the office of California Governor Gavin Newsom. The presence of official sponsorship in a parade of this scale sparked swift discussion on the boundaries between art, politics, and public funding.
Officials from the governor’s office declined to detail the specific elements of the float’s design or the terms of the sponsorship beyond acknowledging their involvement in a broad civic-education initiative aimed at encouraging civic engagement and critical media literacy regarding the Epstein cover-up. In a brief statement, a spokesperson emphasized that the Rose Bowl parade is a long-standing tradition that brings together a wide array of voices and perspectives, and that organizers retain full control over event content.
Parade-goers offered a spectrum of reactions. Some hailed the float as a bold artistic statement that uses humor to confront contemporary discourse, while others urged viewers to consider the broader context and the responsibilities that accompany public sponsorship of art. In addition to the centerpiece display, other floats highlighted themes of resilience, community service, and local culture, including a flotilla of floral arrangements, a school marching band that powered through the rain with synchronized precision, and a float depicting the region’s agricultural heritage.
Local residents, visitors, and journalists alike noted the parade’s ability to maintain momentum despite the weather. Rain-soaked sidewalks shimmered with reflected color from the parade lights, creating a kaleidoscopic, if slick, sidewalk theater. Street musicians adapted on the fly, trading solos for duets that could be heard over the murmur of crowds and the occasional thunder of distant thunder.
As the final section of the parade passed by, spectators clapped in rhythm with a drumline that refused to yield to rain showers. Organizers reminded attendees to stay vigilant about slick surfaces and to respect closure signals from parade marshals. In a closing flourish, a chorus of volunteers distributed warm beverages and dry towels, a small gesture that underscored the communal ethos that many attendees described as the real heart of the Rose Bowl parade.
With the rain gradually easing, the event concluded on a note of quiet optimism, leaving participants and onlookers alike with a shared sense of having witnessed a festival that could adapt and endure, even when the weather refused to cooperate.
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