By Sandra Stojanovic

PASADENA (California) – Hundreds of volunteers work tirelessly in Pasadena to arrange thousands of roses for the annual Rose Parade that takes place on New Year’s Day.

Preparations are now complete for the 43 floats participating in the 2022 parade. The 2021 parade was cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Aida Bueno from Pico Rivera in California said that it was amazing to see the floats become alive.

It looks quite plain at the start, but when you begin to add everything, from rice and lentils to onions and pumpkin seeds and even roses, it transforms into art.

The Rose Parade is celebrating its 133rd birthday. This parade runs for 5.5 miles (8.85km), starting on Green Street, Orange Grove Boulevard, Pasadena, and finishing at Villa Street. This parade is preceded by the Rose Bowl Game. It features traditional matches between football teams from both the Big Ten or the Pac-12 college athletic conferences.

The parade comes amid a rising tide of COVID-19 cases https://www.reuters.com/world/us/experts-warn-omicron-blizzard-disrupt-us-next-month-2021-12-30 caused by the Omicron variant, which U.S health officials on Thursday warned would threaten major disruptions across the United States.

The U.S. saw a record 2nd day of cases based upon the 7-day average. More than 290,000. new infections were reported daily, according to Reuters.

In order to work in the context of pandemics, organizers demanded that participants provide either proof of vaccination or positive COVID-19 test results within a 72 hour window. The parade ticket holders must be wearing a mask.

David Eads (executive director and chief executive of Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association) stated that 91% of parade attendees have been vaccinated. In order to reduce transmission risk, organizers also restricted volunteer hours.

Volunteers are focusing their attention elsewhere in the barn on finishing details and keeping their heads down.

Danica Childrens, a Pasadena volunteer, said that it was a large production.