Tournament of Roses begins search for the next Rose Queen

What a difference a year makes. We’ve missed a lot in the past 15 months and the Tournament of Roses has started up the process sorely missed by millions in 2020-21 — when, for the first time since 1945, the parade was cancelled.

“The health and well-being of our parade participants and guests, as well as that of our volunteer members, professional staff and partners, is our number one priority,” said Bob Miller, 2021 president of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association, last year. “Obviously this is not what any of us wanted, and we held off on announcing until we were absolutely sure that safety restrictions would prevent us from continuing with planning for 132nd Rose Parade.”

COVID-19 shut down everything in 2020 but the largest of them all had to be the Rose Parade and the Rose Bowl game slated for Jan 1, 2021. The game was eventually played in Texas but the loss of revenue to the city of Pasadena is staggering.

According to Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, the Rose Parade and game cancellation cost local economy loss an estimated $200 million in losses. The loss of the football game to Texas was added salt to an already wounded local economy. The decision to move the game to Texas came in the final days of December after it was determined fans and players’ families could not attend, in accordance with California’s stay-at-home order. The decision didn’t bode well with locals.

The game’s move from Pasadena to Texas also led to a legal conflict between the Tournament of Roses Association and the City of Pasadena. The Rose Bowl Association filed a suit against the city in February to protect the ownership of the Rose Bowl Game and Rose Bowl trademarks.

Alas, most pandemic-induced restrictions have been lifted in the state and things are gearing up over at Tournament House. This means not only the Rose Court hopefuls’ images will soon be gracing the local newspapers but jobs that were lost will see a comeback. Jobs such as installing the bleachers for Rose Parade fans up and down Colorado Boulevard for Jan. 1.

But will it be back to exactly the way it used to be? With a Delta variant causing a spike in daily case numbers in Los Angeles County, the Tournament of Roses may implement certain fan restrictions, but at press time our email questions regarding the 2022 parade particulars were not immediately returned.  

Applications for the 2022 Pasadena Tournament of Roses Royal Court will be available on Monday, July 26 on the Tournament of Roses website. The 2022 Royal Court members will each receive a $7,500 educational scholarship and serve as ambassadors of the Tournament of Roses, the Pasadena community and the greater Los Angeles area.

As usual, there will be a handful of young men from Arcadia High School who hope to garner the honor of going to the Queen’s Ball.

All are encouraged to apply and participate in one of the initial interview sessions at Tournament House on Saturday, Sept. 11 or Monday, Sept. 13. Participants are selected based upon a combination of qualities, including public speaking ability, youth leadership, academic achievement, and community and school involvement. Eligibility requirements are on the Tournament of Roses website.   

With the cancellation of the 2021 Rose Parade®, those who were looking forward to applying for the 2021 Royal Court, are encouraged to apply for the 2022 Royal Court. Eligibility requirements have been extended to include applicants who would have been eligible for the 2021 Royal Court. 

Royal Court interview participants, and those who are selected for the Royal Court, are required to be fully vaccinated and provide proof of vaccination during the application process before the initial interview sessions. A person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after having all doses of a CDC approved COVID-19 vaccine; two doses for Pfizer or Moderna and one dose for Johnson & Johnson.

Royal Court eligibility requirements and additional information can be found at https://tournamentofroses.com/about/royal-court/.

The 2022 Royal Court will ride down Colorado Blvd. on the Royal Court float in the 133rd Rose Parade on Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022. It may be somewhat different, that remains to be seen. However, we can all dream, believe and achieve.

The focus 2022 will be on those people who helped us all, throughout the pandemic: essential works such as nurses and doctors and all who contributed essential services for the past 15 months.

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