The two-day Tournament of Roses Bandfest will conclude Saturday, featuring performances by marching bands that will be participating in Monday’s Rose Parade.
Marching bands along with their auxiliary members perform a field show that showcases their musicianship and unique talents at this year’s Bandfest.
Day 2 performers include Banda de Música La Primavera, LAUSD All District High School Honor Band, PCC TofR Honor Band & Herald Trumpets, Pella Marching Dutch, Rockford High School Marching Band and Salvation Army TofR Band while the afternoon show features Fresno State Bulldog Marching Band, PCC TofR Honor Band & Herald Trumpets, Rosemount High School Marching Band, Triuggio Marching Band and Vista Ridge High School Ranger Band.
Candy Carlson, Director for Communications at Pasadena Tournament of Roses said this year’s Bandfest is a special moment for Association President Amy Wainscott and the Winsconsin communities because Wisconsin Northwoods Marching Band, composed of multiple small High School bands in Northern Wisconsin will be performing.
The band is organized by Wainscott herself to be part of the 2023 Rose Parade.
Carlson said the performing bands were selected by the Association’s volunteer members based on a variety of criteria including, musicianship, marching ability and entertainment or special interest value.
According to Carlson, the 2023 Rose Parade will feature six new bands ready to become part of Rose Parade history, as well as several bands that have been Parade mainstays for decades.
“Thousands of performers will enjoy the experience of a lifetime when they march down Orange Grove and Colorado Blvd,” said Carlson.
Aside from performing at the Bandfest and the Rose Parade, chosen bands will have the opportunity to travel to not just Pasadena but across the United States and around the world, including China, Italy, Japan, Mexico and Panamá.
Bandfest, which has been part of the Tournament of Roses since 1930, is sponsored by Remo, a musical instruments manufacturing company in Valencia.
The first show featured a total of eight bands including All Gifu Honor Green Band, Brookwood Bronco Marching Band, Buhos Marching Band, Catalina Foothills High School – Foothills Falcon Band, Norfolk State University – Spartan “Legion” Marching Band, PCC TofR Honor Band & Herald Trumpets, Taipei First Girls High School Marching Band and Wisconsin Northwoods Marching Band.
Pre-show activities at 9:30 a.m., show at 10 a.m. A second session will be held in the afternoon, with preshow at 1:30 p.m., and show at 2 p.m. Eleven bands total are scheduled to perform during the two sessions. Robinson Stadium at Pasadena City College, 1570 E. Colorado Blvd.
General admission tickets are $20 and available by clicking here.
Bands that would like to participate in the 2024 Rose Parade are encouraged to apply through an online application, available now on the Tournament of Roses website: https://tournamentofroses.com/events/apply/
