Fontana is heading to Pasadena. The city has announced plans to enter a float in the 138th Rose Parade on January 1, 2027, marking the first time Fontana has ever participated in the famed New Year's Day procession.
The debut arrives during Fontana's 75th anniversary of incorporation, and city officials say the timing lines up with this year's parade theme, “Welcome.” According to a Wednesday news release, the city's participation is a first for Fontana, and Mayor Acquanetta Warren said the float's theme of “welcome” reflects the city's broader mission. As reported by the San Bernardino Sun, Warren added, “We could not be more proud to celebrate and showcase Fontana to millions of people around the world.”
Fontana's float is set to make its public debut at 8 a.m. on New Year's Day, traveling the Rose Parade's 5.5-mile route through Pasadena along Orange Grove Boulevard and Colorado Boulevard, per the Sun's reporting. That distance matches figures from travelprnews.com, which also confirms the 138th Rose Parade is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. that Friday.
What the Float Will Look Like
The city had not disclosed the float's design as part of its announcement. Rose Parade floats, per the news release cited by the Sun, must be covered only in natural materials and typically feature floral decorations along with leaves, seeds and bark; float exteriors may not use non-natural materials.
Fontana's entry puts it in the company of other Southern California cities making their own Rose Parade pushes this year. Santa Monica's City Council approved plans for a city-sponsored float in the 2027 parade, according to the Westside Current, selecting Artistic Entertainment Services as its production partner. Santa Fe Springs, meanwhile, approved its own 2027 float design and authorized an extra $30,000 from its Art in Public Places Fund to cover higher construction, transportation and logistics costs, with staff telling citizenportal.ai that the money would not touch the General Fund.
Getting a Close-Up Look
Spectators hoping to see the parade in person are advised by Rose Parade organizers to arrive by 6:30 a.m. to settle into seats before the procession begins, the Sun reports. For a closer, slower look at the floats themselves, Floatfest offers public viewing on Sierra Madre and Washington boulevards in Pasadena, running from January 1 after the parade through January 2 and 3.
Floatfest attendance is estimated at roughly 70,000 visitors in a typical year, according to Travel PR News. Visit Pasadena lists general admission at $26.50 per person, with children five and under admitted free.
For Fontana, a city marking its 75th anniversary of incorporation, the float offers a chance to put its name in front of a global audience during the New Year's Day parade.
