A look into Pasadena's most unique New Year's Eve tradition
Pasadena’s most unique New Year’s Eve traditions
It’s a New Year’s tradition like no other. Only in Pasadena on Colorado Blvd will you find marshmallows, corn tortillas with shaving cream and other creative projectiles all used to pepper cars as they pass by. It’s part of the pre-Rose Parade celebration as people camp out to have the perfect spot to ring in 2020. While some are happy to roast their marshmallows, most of them are used as “ammo”.
PASADENA, Calif. - Pasadena has one of the most unique New Year’s Eve traditions. Only on Colorado Blvd will you find campers stacking up marshmallows and making corn tortillas with shaving cream to throw at cars as they pass by. It’s part of the pre-Rose Parade celebration for those who camp out overnight to get a good seat at the Rose Parade.
Thousands of people started lining up as early as noon on Tuesday to get a great spot for the parade which kicks off at 8:00 a.m. Wednesday morning.
While some are happy to roast their marshmallows, most of them are used as “ammo”. For now, throwing marshmallows at cars is a local secret and a strictly SoCal way of celebrating the biggest parade of them all.
Authorities closed Colorado Blvd around 10:00 p.m. Tuesday night in order to keep the area safe for the overnight campers. Because it is a chilly night, campers are allowed to have a small fire, but the fire must be elevated a foot off the ground, must be small and contained, and campers must have fire extinguishers.
As far as the marshmallow throwing, that all ended at 10:00 p.m. as well. Campers must clean up any remaining "ammo" between now and the start of the parade, and anyone who continues to throw objects could face a fine.