January 1, every year, except when January 1 falls on Sunday. Then  it is held Jan. 2.

Parade route:

 The 5.5 mile  Rose Parade route begins at the corner of Green Street and Orange Grove Boulevard in Pasadena. The parade travels north on Orange Grove, then  turns east onto Colorado Boulevard where the majority of the parade takes place. At the end of the route, the parade turns north onto Sierra Madre Boulevard and ends at Sierra Madre and Villa Street.

History:

The Tournament of Roses Rose Parade began as a way to showcase the perfect California weather. The fun has lasted through 2 world wars, depression, and has survived any one person. It is the oldest, biggest flower-float parade anywhere on earth!

It started as a promotional event created by Valley Hunt Club in Pasadena. Circa winter of 1890, the club members sought ways to promote the "Mediterranean of the West," and hatched a plan. They invited their former East Coast neighbors to a mid-winter holiday, where they could watch games such as chariot races, jousting, foot races, polo and tug-of-war under the warm California sun. Fresh flowers in the winter, orange crops, sunshine and shirt sleeves weather, prompted the club to add another showcase for Pasadena's charm: a parade that precede the competition, where entrants would decorate their carriages with hundreds of blooms.

The parade  In New York, people are buried in snow- here our flowers are blooming and our oranges are about to bear. Let's hold a festival to tell the world about our paradise, said Professor Charles Holder at a Club meeting. The Tournament of Roses was born. The Rose Parade is one of the watched events, broadcast on TV around the world. 2011 promises no rain throughout the day (January 1) in Southern California, though some could at night. Enjoy!

 "Building Dreams, Friendships and Memories" was the 2011 theme,   after the 2010 "Cut Above" theme. After the parade each the Rose Bowl football game is held with college football teams competing. The event attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to California each January.