The 136th Rose Parade has begun, rolling 5.5 miles through the streets of Pasadena before hundreds of thousands of people are expected to gather on New Year’s Day.

The parade will be televised on networks such as ABC, NBC, KTLA and Univision and streamed on platforms such as YouTube, Fubo and Pluto TV.

In celebration of this year’s parade theme, “Best Day Ever,” dozens of floats, marching bands and equestrian groups will cross Colorado Boulevard through the heart of Old Pasadena. Following the parade will be the Rose Bowl game between the Oregon Ducks and the Ohio State Buckeyes.

The parade began hours after a pickup truck driver plowed through a crowd in New Orleans’ French Quarter, killing at least 10 people and wounding at least 30 in a suspected terrorist attack.

A man drove into the crowd along Bourbon Street around 3:15 a.m. Wednesday, where the city was packed with New Year’s Eve revelers and visitors to the Sugar Bowl college football game at the nearby Superdome. New Orleans Police Commissioner Anne Kirkpatrick said the driver was “determined as hell to cause the carnage and the damage that he did.”

Lisa Derderian, a spokeswoman for the city of Pasadena, told the Times early Wednesday that the Rose Parade route was lined with “very robust vehicle barriers” and that there were more than 1,000 police officers in the city.

“This is a first-class federal event and has been for many years. “So we have federal, state, county and city resources that have been in Pasadena for several days and will remain there until the end of the parade and game tonight,” Derderian said.

“We want to reassure the public that we have taken all preventive measures,” she added. “We are confident that we are prepared for this parade and this game, but with that in mind, we also feel for the state of Louisiana for what they are going through.”

During last year’s Rose Parade, a woman rammed her vehicle into one of the barricades on Colorado Boulevard, Derderian said.

“She could have easily injured or killed people,” Derderian said. “She had a history of mental illness, she was told not to cross a line, she didn’t listen, revved the engine and kept driving. The barriers stopped them.”

Tournament of Roses officials said in a statement Wednesday that they “extend our deepest condolences to the people of Louisiana and the city of New Orleans following the tragic events of this morning.”

“We stand in solidarity with the entire state during this difficult time.”

For the fourth year in a row, the state of Louisiana is hosting a float in the Rose Parade. This year’s float, called “Louisiana Saturday Night,” features a giant alligator wearing a pearl necklace and carrying a Cajun dance hall and pots of boiled seafood on its back.

Mark Garcia, a retired Contra Costa County firefighter who was staying with his family on Colorado Boulevard, said that while he was saddened by the news in New Orleans, he had “never felt safer” than he did along the route Wednesday morning the Rose Parade.

“There were two or three police officers patrolling that block all night,” said Garcia, 58, adding that he was comforted by the “large police presence.”

Garcia, who lives in Danville, participated in the parade for the second year in a row. He staked out his campsite at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday morning, made friends with other campers and was in great spirits — even though he only got three hours of sleep.

“It’s just a great spectacle that brings so many people together. Everyone is in great spirits,” Garcia said. “It’s such a great event. It’s quite an undertaking.”

A few blocks away, Angel Gutierrez of Pasadena and his family huddled around a makeshift bonfire before the parade began.

Gutierrez also claimed his campsite early Tuesday morning, saying he would rather camp for a full day and night – even in the cool overnight weather – rather than spend up to $125 per person for bleacher seats that are filled weeks in advance can.

“I don’t want to say it, but the stands are for boring people,” Gutierrez said with a laugh. “Here you get the whole experience of talking to different people.”

Gutierrez has been participating in the parade for about two decades — and his 10-year-old son, Rony Plascencia, has attended since he was a child.

“This is about starting the year well,” said Rony.

He added: “My New Year’s resolution is for the homeless to have a home.”

This year’s Grand Marshal of the Rose Parade is Billie Jean King, the tennis icon and gender equality activist who won 20 Wimbledon titles and 39 Grand Slam titles and attracted an audience of 90 million people worldwide to the 1973 televised “Battle of the Sexes.” where she defeated former national tennis champion Bobby Riggs.

When she was named the parade’s grand marshal in October, the Long Beach native said it was “like a dream come true.”

“As a kid, the annual Tournament of Roses Parade was a big deal in our house,” said King, 81. “We talked about it all year long. … We looked forward to it every year.”

The 2021 Rose Parade was canceled for the first time since World War II due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A smaller audience returned in 2022, but visitor numbers have increased in recent years.

Candy Carlson, a spokeswoman for the Tournament of Roses, said in a statement to The Times that about 750,000 people lined the route in 2024, compared to about 700,000 in 2022, indicating a “strong return” to pre-pandemic crowds indicates.

“The continued increase in attendance underscores the enduring appeal of the Rose Parade and the joy it brings to our community and visitors from around the world,” she said. “We are confident that this year’s parade will continue to attract a lively and engaged audience.”

The Rose Bowl, now the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff, will be televised nationally on ESPN. Pre-game festivities begin at 1:00 p.m. PST and kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m

Along the parade route, Susan and Leo Caviness, who traveled from Ohio to watch their son perform with the Ohio State University Marching Band, said they didn’t mind the 50-degree morning temperature in Pasadena – which many Southern Californians did in presence, is considered cool.

“I’m actually hot!” said Susan Caviness, laughing.