Prepping for the Parade : Tournament of Roses Facts : A look at the 104th Tournament of Roses parade:

8:05 is the official starting time for the parade.

57 floats are expected, expressing the theme “Entertainment on Parade.”

21 bands are expected to play and 29 equestrian units are expected to march.

Noon today is the earliest that Pasadena city ordinances allow the occupancy of curbside space along the Parade route. The Pasadena Police Department, at (818) 405-4621, has a brochure containing hints and rules for curbside viewers.

5 floats--the entries from South Pasadena, La Canada Flintridge, Sierra Madre, Burbank and Cal Poly--are still built by non-professionals.

42 tow trucks will be standing by to pull disabled floats off the roadway.

$100,000 to $250,000 is the approximate cost of commercial floats. It all depends on the type and amount of animation on the float, according to Tournament of Roses officials.

$1 is the admission per person to watch float decorating at one of these Pasadena sites: Rosemont Pavilion, 700 Seco St.; Rose Palace, 835 S. Raymond Ave.; Brookside Pavilion (tent), South side of Rose Bowl. Brookside Pavilion is accessible to the disabled. The locations are open today from noon to 5 p.m.

425 million is the estimated TV viewing audience. According to Tournament of Roses officials, the domestic audience will number 125 million, and another 300 million will be watching in 90 countries. Locally, about 1 million spectators will line the 5 1/2-mile route.

0 My! The weather won’t be that cold, but it is expected to be ideal, at least for the flowers. “Fresh flowers thrive in cold, wet weather,” said Greg Jenkins, co-owner of Bravo Productions float builders. For humans, the forecast calls for a mostly sunny day with a few high clouds. Highs in the mid-60s.

3 entries--Cal Poly, La Canada Flintridge and South Pasadena--will use propane gas to fuel their floats. The Bank of America float will use natural gas.

6 television stations in Los Angeles will broadcast the parade.

97.1 KLSX will be the place for the Tournament of Neuroses parody. Frazer Smith’s broadcast starts at 6 a.m.