Seven Pasadena-area high school seniors are waiting to find out which one of them will be crowned the 108th Rose Queen, with a public announcement and coronation ceremony set for Tournament House this week. The honoree will wear a jeweled Mikimoto crown worth about $400,000 and lead the 2027 Rose Court through months of parade-season appearances, capped by a ride down Colorado Boulevard on New Year's Day.
According to Pasadena Now, Tournament of Roses president Terry Madigan is scheduled to open the envelope, announce the selection and crown the new queen on the front steps of Tournament House at 391 S. Orange Grove Blvd. The Pasadena Tournament of Roses itself states the ceremony is set for Tuesday, October 27, 2026, on the front lawn of the historic building, according to tournamentofroses.com. CBS News Los Angeles reports the Rose Queen announcement is scheduled for October 28, according to CBS News Los Angeles, but the ceremony is scheduled for October 27. Pasadena Now describes the Tuesday ceremony as open to the public.
Meet the 2027 Rose Court
The seven finalists were announced on September 28, drawn from a selection process that, per the tournament's own account, considered academic achievement, community and school involvement, public speaking ability and youth leadership. The court includes Lucy Joyce Wendling of San Marino High School, Tessa Rose Choi of La Cañada High School, Irene Lim Maddox of Eagle Rock High School, Elizabeth Tabaro Kengaju Rweyemamu of Polytechnic School, Daniela Guzman of Arcadia High School, Maria Teresa Monserrat McDonald of Thurgood Marshall Secondary School and Evita Cielo Bridge of Mayfield Senior School, the tournament confirmed.
Accounts of the finalist pool diverge on its size. The San Gabriel Valley Tribune reports the court was chosen from 27 finalists, while South Pasadenan puts the number at 28. Either way, applicants representing 41 Pasadena-area schools took part in the monthlong selection process, according to the Pasadena Star-News.
Resumes Built on Leadership and Service
Per Pasadena Now's reporting, Maria Teresa Monserrat McDonald captains her school's cross-country and track and field teams, volunteers with the Altadena Wild student ambassador program and has supported youth programs through the Pasadena Education Foundation. Elizabeth Tabaro Kengaju Rweyemamu leads Panthers Forward, a community engagement club supporting low-income families, and heads The Polygraph, Polytechnic School's literary magazine.
Evita Cielo Bridge serves on her school's athletic leadership council, is student director of the dance team and volunteers with organizations supporting hospitalized children and individuals with Down syndrome, Pasadena Now reports. Across the full court, activities span youth entrepreneurship, community service, journalism, athletics and programs supporting people with special needs, the outlet's account notes.
A Crown With a 121-Year History
The Rose Queen tradition traces back to 1905, when Hallie Woods became the first Rose Queen, though the selection did not become an annual tradition until 1930, according to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Whoever is crowned this week will wear a crown weighing more than three pounds and adorned with hundreds of Akoya cultured pearls, 10 Australian white South Sea pearls and six carats of diamonds, a piece valued at roughly $400,000 by a Mikimoto spokesperson, Pasadena Now reports.
Each member of the 2027 Rose Court, including whoever becomes queen, receives a $7,500 academic scholarship, the tournament confirmed. The new queen will serve alongside her six fellow court members as an ambassador for the Tournament of Roses, with the group participating in community activities leading up to the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game on New Year's Day.
What Comes Next for the Court
The 2027 Rose Court is scheduled to ride a float down Colorado Boulevard during the 138th Rose Parade and attend the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl Game, both set for Friday, January 1, 2027. Last year, Serena Guo, then a senior at Arcadia High School, was named the 107th Rose Queen in a similar ceremony on the front steps of Tournament House, according to South Pasadenan, with that year's seven-member court also receiving $7,500 scholarships apiece.
