Pasadena’s annual friendly turf war
The annual run-up to this morning’s Tournament of Roses parade unfolded Thursday like a finely tuned ritual along Pasadena’s Colorado Boulevard and inside cavernous float-decorating venues.
Tourists passed the end of 2009 with sleepovers along the five-mile parade route; and cheery, glue-stained volunteers feverishly applied finishing touches to the parade’s 41 floats.
As the midnight hour approached, the chilly air wasn’t dampening spirits in Old Town Pasadena. Cotton-candy sellers traversed Colorado Boulevard carrying pastel-colored wares, while men in dark jackets leaned against boarded-up storefronts, hawking Rose Parade T-shirts and toy horns.
Spectators had marked their territory with blankets, mattresses and baby cribs.
“It’s a turf war,” said Samuel Jimenez, 20, as he warmed his feet near a miniature grill fueled by shredded paper.
Kathy Shanahan, 55, of Yorba Linda spent Thursday like scores of others: decorating floats. Her assignment included pasting pink gerbera daisies on the edge of the Cal Poly float, which features a tropical scene.
Meanwhile, parade watchers staked out their spots with masking tape, folding chairs and blankets, turning the sidewalk into makeshift living rooms.
Some, such as Ravee Von Ins, displayed decorating ingenuity while preparing for the cold, overnight wait. The Palmdale resident set her portable picnic table with a silk rose, bulb ornaments and a small, fake Christmas tree.
“I’m not done yet,” she said, gesturing to a swath of real estate that included a camp stove, a folding table and a stack of plastic bins.
“This evening, it will look very sharp.”
Like many on the route, Von Ins has made the New Year’s Eve sleepover a tradition for decades.
“I meet people here,” said the Palmdale resident, “and I stay connected to them.”
As a car passed, she turned around and shouted: “Happy New Year!”
Amina Khan contributed to this report.
