The oldest community tradition in South Pasadena continues. The all-volunteer South Pasadena Tournament of Roses Committee has unveiled “Welcome to the Neighborhood,” its design for the 2027 Rose Parade® presented by Honda. Now entering its 113th year, South Pasadena’s float is one of only six Rose Parade® floats built and funded entirely by community volunteers and donors. Fundraising is now in full swing to raise the funds needed to turn designer Renee Hoss-Johnson’s whimsical rendering into a living, blooming reality and representation of South Pasadena for millions of parade viewers on New Year’s Day.
“Welcome to the Neighborhood” depicts a family of bluebirds moving into their new home and amid the happy chaos, new neighbors arrive to roll out the welcome mat. A rosy-cheeked squirrel cradles an armful of acorns, a friendly skunk presents a fragrant bouquet of tulips, and a cheerful groundhog brings a bundle of fresh-picked carrots. The home, a storybook cottage rising from a flower-lined hillside, features gabled, shingled roofs, gingerbread trim, arched windows spilling over with flower boxes, and a cozy round doorway tucked into its tree-trunk base. A white picket fence, a winding garden path, and a carpet of pink, purple, yellow, and orange flowers frame the scene.
“Together, the home and the neighbors paint a warm and whimsical portrait of community, kindness, and a celebration of what Tournament of Roses Association’s president Terry Madigan described to me “that sense of belonging that people really need, and you find in South Pasadena,” explains John Adamson, SPTOR president.
Hand-picked by Madigan, the 2027 Tournament of Roses Parade theme, “Welcome,” was inspired in part by Madigan’s first experience volunteering for the Rose Parade as a student at South Pasadena High School. Madigan grew up in the San Gabriel Valley and was new to South Pasadena when he volunteered for SPTOR, driving South Pasadena’s float in the 1981 and 1982 Rose Parades. Following the 2027 theme announcement, Madigan shared that he was looking for a chosen family and found it volunteering for South Pasadena’s float. “The core of what I know about leadership and leading a volunteer organization, I learned at 15 on that South Pas float,” Madigan told the Pasadena Star-News, “I kind of came up from that part of the parade, rather than coming as a business executive in town, it really grew out of that love for the parade that goes back 46 years.” Madigan, who currently lives in South Pasadena with his husband Kevin Sommerfield, shared more about his Tournament of Roses experience in a conversation with Adamson in March, which is captured in this video.
Before the South Pasadena Tournament of Roses committee begins its work to build the float, members of the committee will ride atop the float’s chassis during South Pasadena’s 4th of July Parade. The goal of this parade entry is to celebrate the volunteers who dedicate countless hours to ensuring South Pasadena’s 112-year-old community tradition continues and to give community members the opportunity to see the incredible transformation achieved between August 1 and December 31 each year.
In addition to the thousands of hours of volunteer labor required to construct South Pasadena’s completely self-built float, the committee works tirelessly to raise nearly $200,000 to purchase flowers and construction materials each year. South Pasadena community members are encouraged to join the tradition by supporting one of SPTOR’s many annual fundraising opportunities including its golf tournament on Saturday, June 20, 2026; banner sponsorships; souvenirs; Crunch Time Party; Ultimate Raffle Ticker; See’s Candy Sales; or making a monetary donation. Information and opportunities to support SPTOR are available on the Souvenirs page of SPTOR.org.
Volunteers for construction and decoration are always welcome too. To inquire about volunteering on the construction crew, email [email protected]. To support the “deco” (decoration) squad, email [email protected] or visit www.sptor.org after September 15 to sign up for a shift.
