The Tournament of Roses Parade

The Rose Parade, formally known as The Tournament of Roses Parade, is an annual parade held every New Year's Day (January 1st) in Pasadena, California since 1890. Beginning in 1902, the parade has been traditionally followed by the Rose Bowl college football game. 
==1971==
Chrysler Corporation's Sesame Street float in the 1971 parade was dubbed "Thru the Eyes of a Child" and built from suggestions sent in from all over the United States and Canada. The float was 55 feet long, 20 feet wide, and 17 feet high (the maximum dimensions allowed at the time), and made from 25,000 roses. 
Nbctournamentofroses1970s.jpg|"Thru the Eyes of a Child"
71 Rose Parade float concept art Pensacola News Journal Dec 27 1970.jpg|concept art published in Pensacola News Journal, Dec 27, 1970
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==1982==
thumb|300px|1982 program.
In 1982 the theme of the parade was "Friends and Neighbors". An elaborate float featuring Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog was featured. Piggy was reclining on a chaise while Kermit, decked out in a top hat and bow tie, serenaded her on his banjo. Sweetums (performed by Richard Hunt) and Timmy Monster rode on the float, alongside several children.
The float was sponsored by America's Credit Unions (CUNA) and was the first float in the parade, introducing the theme for the parade. The float was created with Chamois carnations for Miss Piggy's complexion, while Kermit was constructed from chopped chartreuse lichen moss over a foundation of sheet moss. The float included over 30,000 roses, including Royalty red and Bridal pink. The float itself was constructed by Fiesta Floats.
The front of the float featured a Fozzie Bear walk-around positioning his movie camera, hovering over the theme of "Friends and Neighbors."
Among other noteworthy floats were Dr. Pepper's "Neighborhood Drive-In", Montebello California's "Good Ol' Fashioned Friendship" float featuring The Flintstones and Bank of America's "It's a Small World." The CBS broadcast was co-hosted by Jamie Farr.
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File:roses parade friends neighbors 2.jpeg
==1984==
In 1984, Miss Piggy was featured in a float sponsored by the YWCA, representing "One Giant Step for Womankind!" On the float, Miss Piggy was pictured as an astronaut, reclining in a futuristic spacesuit.
File:piggy 1984 rose parade float.jpg|
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File:Piggy Rose Parade 1984|
==1990==
In the 1990 parade, Miss Piggy and Kermit were featured once more; this time as the Transamerica Life Company's entry "Lassoed by Love". The 55-foot-long float was festooned with roses, daisies, mums and orchids, and featured a 34-foot-tall Miss Piggy made of carnations and roses, swinging her lasso at a moss-covered Kermit on a hobby horse.
DH009568.jpg|"Lassoed by Love"
File:rose parade transamerica life pin 2.jpg
==1996==
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On January 1, 1996, Kermit the Frog was the Grand Marshal for the 107th Tournament of Roses Parade. He became the first non-human to host the event solo. The parade also featured a float based on Muppet Treasure Island.
With a theme of "Kids' Laughter & Dreams" chosen that year, Steve Whitmire performed Kermit as he drove through the parade in the Grand Marshal's car. At MuppetFest in 2001, Whitmire said that day was the most difficult job he'd had with the Muppets; as he had to keep his arm up over his head for almost three hours. At San Diego Comic-Con in 2015, he noted that Brian Henson gave him a plaque afterwards.
In conjunction with the parade, in which Kermit wore only his conventional collar, he also addressed an audience to make a speech wearing a frog-sized Grand Marshal jacket. In another taped segment, Kermit and Miss Piggy discuss what it takes to be crowned Queen of the Rose Parade. Both clips were included in the 2004 documentary The Rose Parade: A Pageant for the Ages co-hosted by William Shatner (who riffs on Kermit's joke about pants in the archive footage).
The Treasure Island float featured Kermit, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Statler and Waldorf, all in their Treasure Island personas. The float itself won the Humor Award for the most comical and amusing entry. The float itself was sponsored by Kodak.
Other Grand Marshalls have included Shirley Temple (1939), Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy (1940), Bob Hope (1947 & 1969), Richard M. Nixon (1953 & 1960), Walt Disney (1966), Charles M. Schulz (1974), Roy Rogers & Dale Evans (1977), Gerald R. Ford (1978), Frank Sinatra (1980) Danny Kaye (1984), Bob Newhart (1991), William Shatner (1994), Carol Burnett (1998), Buzz Aldrin (1999), Regis Philbin (2002), Bill Cosby (2003), Fred Rogers (2003), John Williams (2004), Mickey Mouse (2005), George Lucas (2007), Emeril Lagasse (2008), Cloris Leachman (2009), Paula Deen (2011), J.R. Martinez (2012), Jane Goodall (2013), Ken Burns (2016), Greg Louganis (2017), Chaka Khan (2019), and Laurie Hernandez, Rita Moreno and Gina Torres (2020).
Grandmarshalkermit.jpg|Kermit as the Grand Marshal
1996_tournament_float.jpg|Muppet Treasure Island float
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File:96 Kermit Piggy Rose Parade pin.jpg|pin
==1999==
The 1999 parade also featured a Sesame Street float celebrating the show's 30th anniversary, sponsored by Reser's Fine Foods. The float, called "Friends for Life", won the event's Humor Trophy."Rose Parade Shows 1900s in Full Bloom", January 2, 1999. Los Angeles Times. The float was designed by Studio Concepts. 
1999 30th float.jpeg
1999 parade float.jpg
1999 roses parade big bird elmo pin.jpg
==2004==
In 2004, the theme was "Music, Music, Music". NAMM, The Int'l Music Products Assoc. sponsored a Sesame Street float. The design was a toy school bus, with two 
pull toy wagons following it. Elmo playing a drum rode in the bus, while Big Bird (playing a trumpet), and Abelardo (from Plaza Sésamo) played the guitar in the second wagon. Riding on the float were many walk-around characters, including Zoe and Cookie Monster. Human cast members also appeared, including Bob and Gordon. 
Big Bird was made of individual feathers cut from pampas grass and colored with yellow cut strawflower. Abelardo was decorated with golden Juniper tips, and Elmo featured red carnations, sweet rice and amaranthis seeds. The float was designed by Studio Concepts, who also created the 1999 Sesame float."NAMM/Sesame Street Float Wins Isabella Coleman Award at 115th Annual Rose Parade ", January 1, 2004. NAMM.com.
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2004 sesame roses float.jpg
==2005==
The 2005 theme was "Celebrate Family". Once again NAMM sponsored a float titled "Music Makes Us a Family", featuring the Sesame Street characters. Big Bird is playing a piano, while Elmo is playing the drums and Oscar the Grouch is playing the Maracas.
The float won the Bob Hope Humor Trophy for most comical and amusing entry. Also appearing on the float were walk-around versions of Bert, Ernie, and Zoe.
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==2008==
In 2008, the parade included a Sesame Street float sponsored by NAMM. It featured floral sculptures of Oscar shaking maracas, Elmo playing a drum, Big Bird, Count von Count standing with his arms wide open, Googly of Galli Galli Sim Sim playing the flute, Halum the Bengal Tiger from Sisimpur, and Lola, a pink monster from Plaza Sésamo.
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==2009==
The NAMM float with the Music For All organization in 2009 is to feature one large float with Big Bird as a bandleader and the Sesame Street lamp post, followed by smaller floats with Elmo, Abby Cadabby, and Oscar the Grouch. Bob McGrath was on the float. A collection of 300 high school band members from across the country will play in the parade. The Music for All Honor Band, created for the event, played a melody of Sesame Street songs arranged by Michael Klesch and Thom Hannum.Yamaha Instruments to Shine At The 2009 Tournament of Roses Parade
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==2021==
Kermit the Frog conducted a performance of high school seniors from invited bands, by video conference, for the 2021 parade broadcast. The segment was included on both the ABC and NBC broadcasts. 
==References==
thumb|300px|Big Bird's Red Book spoof.
* In the Elmo's World episode "Noses," Elmo appoints himself Grand Marshal of "The Tournament of Noses Parade".
* In Big Bird's Red Book, a float spoofing many of the Queen's Floats from the parade is seen going down the street.
* In The Muppets episode "Because... Love", Uncle Deadly says Pepe the King Prawn's grand gesture looks like the Rose Parade.
==Sources==
==External links==
* Tournament of Roses Parade
* Flickr photos of the float: Photo
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