The parade, which has been held since 1891, was canceled only three times before, during the World War II years of 1942, 1943, and 1945.
Parade officials cited Governor Gavin Newsom’s phase 4 reopening schedule and viewed health restrictions as their reason for canceling the 2021 parade.
Eads said parade planning generally begins in February of the previous year, and gang and equestrian units require advance planning.
“The construction of our floats takes many months and generally requires thousands of volunteers to gather so that they do not meet safety recommendations and are not safe in the coming months,” said Eads.
Planning for the Rose Bowl Football game, which is the semifinal of the college football tie, is ongoing.
“We continue to work with the College Football Playoff and our college partners to explore what this year’s college football season will be like in the midst of COVID-19 and the patterns of social alienation,” said Eads. “While the safety and well-being of student-athletes, college staff, and fans is our top priority, we are hopeful that their grandfather will all take place on New Year’s Day.”
However, the Pasadena Rose Tournament Association still hopes to celebrate the New Year.
“We may not be able to organize our traditional five-mile march down Colorado Boulevard, but we are exploring new and safe ways to collectively share in the celebration,” said Eads, “and we look forward to announcing more details about our exciting new plans in the coming weeks. “
California recently reported its second-highest single-day increase in new cases and deaths from coronavirus with 11,126 new cases and an additional 140 deaths, according to data from the California Department of Public Health.
CNN’s Sarah Moon and Keith Allen contributed to this report.
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