Rose Queen Tryouts Start This Saturday

Tryouts in the search for the next Tournament of Roses Queen and her Royal Court begin this Saturday at 9:00 a.m. at the Tournament House, 391 South Orange Grove Blvd., Pasadena, as the city begins preparations for the annual New Year’s Day Rose Parade.

Another tryout follows on Tuesday, September 15th, at 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

As many as 1,000 Pasadena-area young women enter the search each year and interview for the opportunity to represent their communities, schools, the Tournament of Roses and the City of Pasadena as ambassadors – making as many as 100 appearances before New Year’s Day.

Seven young women will be named to the 2016 Royal Court by next month. Of the seven, one will be named and crowned the 98th Rose Queen on October 22, 2015.

The 2016 Rose Queen and Royal Court will reign over the 127th Rose Parade and attend the 102nd Rose Tournament of Roses Parade Tryouts Start This Saturday Bowl Game on January 1, 2016.

To be eligible for the 2015-2016 Royal Court, a candidate must be an unmarried female resident of the Pasadena Area Community College District and should be able to provide verification of residence. She should be a senior in high school or enrolled as a full-time student – with a minimum of 12 units – in any accredited school or college in the Pasadena Area Community College District.

She must possess at least a 2.0 or C cumulative, non-weighted grade point average and must be able to provide proof of the grade.

A candidate should be at least 17 years old by December 31st, 2015 and not more than 21 years old before January 5th, 2016, with no children. She should also complete an official contestant’s application and participate in one of the initial interview sessions.

After the initial interview sessions, approximately 250 participants will be invited back for a second round of interviews. From that group, about 75 young women will be asked to participate in the third round of interviews. On September 30, approximately 25 of the candidates will be announced as finalists.

The seven-member Royal Court will be announced on October 5 at Tournament House. The announcement and coronation of the Rose Queen is scheduled for the evening of October 22 at the Pasadena Convention Center. KTLA’s Rose Parade host and television personality, Stephanie Edwards, will emcee the event.

All individuals who participate in the initial interview sessions will receive two tickets to attend the Royal Ball, a semi-formal dance hosted by the Tournament of Roses at the Pasadena Convention Center on September 18.

Participants can pre-register online by submitting an application at http://bit.ly/1G2cpJQ.

For more information about the events related to the Tournament of Roses, visit www.tournamentofroses.com.