PASADENA, California-- After a holiday season of relentless rain in Southern California, it looks like the Rose Parade will be bathed in at least a little bit of sunshine.
A partly cloudy forecast and temperatures in the 50s Fahrenheit are expected to greet the flowered floats, ponies and princesses that will roll down Colorado Boulevard in the 122nd Rose Parade, Presented by Honda, on New Year's Day in Pasadena.
Food Network star and popular cookbook author Paula Deen will serve as grand marshal and 17-year-old Evanne Elizabeth Friedmann of La Canada is queen of the parade themed "Building Dreams, Friendships and Memories."
Weather has dominated the leadup to the parade. Workers preparing floats and grandstands in Southern California have faced soaking conditions and, the East Coast blizzard made travel tough for participants, including a high school band that saw half of its members stranded in Philadelphia with fears they wouldn't make it to the elite parade. But all 350 members of the Downingtown High School band are set to be in uniform on Saturday.
Floats will include one called "Donate Life" which will hold some 30 organ transplant recipients and "florographs" -- images rendered in natural materials -- of some of their donors.
And later in the day unbeaten Texas Christian University will take on Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl college football game.
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