‘Best Day Ever!’ to Be 2025 Rose Parade Theme

Just three weeks after the 2024 Rose Parade, the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association revealed its 2025 theme, “Best Day Ever!” to a gleeful crowd of nearly 200 parade fans, supporters, and Association members at Tournament House on Thursday.

The announcement was made by newly confirmed Tournament President and Chairman of the Board Ed Morales, accompanied by his wife, Lisa.

“Every year,” said Morales, after being serenaded by the Pasadena High School Orchestra, “millions of people turn to Pasadena to celebrate the new year. Hundreds of thousands of people line Colorado Boulevard for the parade and fill the stadium for the Rose Bowl game.”

Morales continued, “The Parade and Game connect so many people, from the 935 Tournament of Roses members who give their time, to the thousands of people who volunteer floats, and the thousands of band members who travel to Pasadena to share their musical talent.”

Of the theme, Morales said, “It could be the day you learned to ride a bike, or a favorite family vacation, or the birth of your first grandchild — these are the moments that make life worth living.” 

Morales pointed to the births of his children as inspiration for the idea, saying that his oldest daughter was adopted, and was an “incredible gift,” and while planning a second adoption, he and wife Lisa had a biological child of their own, and “that was another best day ever.”

As a longtime volunteer member of the Tournament of Roses, Morales has worked with numerous committees, including Community Relations, Membership, Queen and Court and Media Operations.

Morales is also a member of the Pasadena Optimist Club and serves on the Foundation Board for the California School of the Arts. 

Professionally, Morales is a Partner with the Law Offices of Borton Petrini, LLP. He received his undergraduate degree in History from UCLA, followed by a Juris Doctorate from Loyola Law School.

The 2025 Tournament of Roses Parade will be held on Wednesday, January 1, 2025.

The Tournament of Roses’ Board of Directors earlier Thursday night confirmed Morales as the Association’s President and Chairman of the board, completing the traditional succession plan.

The new Association President traditionally announces the theme for the next parade on the night he or she officially ascends to the position.

The Association’s Executive Committee also Thursday elected Greg Cluster to serve as President for 2032.