City Officials: Paradegoers Should Leave Umbrellas at Home

Paradegoers at Thursday’s Tournament of Roses Parade will see precision marching bands and drill teams, sparkling cars, trotting horses, and a huge array of spectacular handmade floats.

What will they not see? Umbrellas.

That’s right. City officials are emphasizing that no umbrellas will be allowed along the parade route, despite the strong possibility of a substantial rainstorm on New Year’s Eve and Thursday, which would be the first serious Rose Parade rainstorm since 2006.

According to city spokesperson Lisa Derderian, “Umbrellas will not be allowed in any of the ticketed seating areas, including the towers for media, but we want to remind people that they are also unsafe in the unticketed sidewalk areas.“

Umbrellas block the views of other paradegoers, and in a high wind could be dangerous to audience members, Derderian said.

She also reminded parade guests to be especially careful with warming fires.

According to Derderian, parade fans will, in the case of rain, sometimes move their fires closer to overhanging canopies alongside buildings on the route. These could be dangerous to the buildings and Pasadena fire officials will be especially careful to make sure that any warming fires are safe.

Derderian emphasized that Pasadena Police and Fire officials will also be especially vigilant with regard to bags, fires, and of course, those umbrellas.

“Law enforcement will be along the parade monitoring umbrellas and tents,” she said.

While parade goers won’t be seeing any umbrellas, law-enforcement officials will be seeing everything else, especially since only, (that means ‘only’) clear bags and backpacks will be allowed on the parade route.

Everything has to be visible, said Derderian. Bags could be confiscated at the entrance to the ticketed seating areas, she warned.

Bring on the parade.