Rose Parade

Reg and Maggie Green and daughter Eleanor were hunkered down at a table inside Pasadena's Rosemont Pavilion, staring at a picture of their son and brother, Nicholas Green. It was no ordinary portrait of the 7-year-old, who made international headlines in 1994, when he was shot and killed in a botched highway robbery while vacationing with family in Italy. Seven Italians received his organs, saving or improving their lives. Because it would adorn a float in the Rose Parade, the picture of the smiling little boy was rendered completely in organic materials.

The 120-year-old Rose Parade ushered in the new year on a sun-kissed morning in Pasadena with a much-needed injection of optimism and celebration, a powerful antidote in a time of economic turmoil. The theme of the 2009 parade was "Hats off to Entertainment," and many of the floral entries celebrated the gleeful distractions of escaping to the movies, the theater, the playground and the great outdoors, among other destinations.

The Occupy movement will be making a repeat appearance at the 2013 Tournament of Roses Parade, organizers and police said Monday. A 15-foot-high float, with "Mr. Monopoly" riding a red wagon, will wheel its way down the 5.5-mile route at the conclusion of the parade, organizers said. The board game character, intended to represent bankers, will have strings attached to participants who are on the verge of losing their homes or have lost their homes to foreclosure. "It symbolizes the grip the banks have on individual homeowners," said Carlos Marroquin, an organizer with Occupy Fights Foreclosures.

The Rose Parade has long been a magnet for protesters looking for global attention for their causes and grievances. Native Americans once threw a balloon filled with red paint onto the parade route to represent the spilling of Indian blood. AIDS activists interrupted the parade by staging a sit-in. One year, a Pasadena mayor wore a "Tournament of Racists" t-shirt to protest what he saw as the parade's lack of ethnic diversity. But this year, Tournament of Roses organizers and Pasadena police are gearing up for something different as Occupy protesters, fresh from their encampments across the country, plan to converge on Pasadena.

Chris Harrington's journey from Columbus, Ohio, to Pasadena has been nothing short of intense. He doesn't play for the Ohio State football team, but the 19-year-old is one of 32 members of the Ohio State School for the Blind's marching band, the first all-blind band to participate in the Rose Parade. Harrison, a senior from Westerville, Ohio, said he nearly gave up. Between twice-weekly rehearsals -- sometimes in 30-degree weather and in the dark -- and learning new music, the commitment was almost too much.

My wife and I were among the million or so who attended the 1992 Rose Parade, which was absolutely fantastic. The Rose Parade provides a beautiful start of the New Year for millions of Americans across our country and to many people throughout the rest of the world. I think we all owe a great deal of gratitude to the men and women of the Tournament of Roses who continue this beautiful American tradition. One rarely comes across such dedication, enthusiasm, courtesy and helpfulness that the people in white (the Tournament of Roses volunteers)

In a cavernous warehouse on a recent weekday, Rose Parade volunteers were busy painting and clipping flowers as they rushed to complete their float in time for New Year's Day festivities. But all activity paused when the star of the decorated stage arrived. With a Marine corporal in tow, Lucca, a German shepherd-Malinois mix, hopped curiously toward a group of excited children. Her head dipped from the weight of her body, no longer supported by her amputated left leg. It's been nine months since Lucca lost her paw to a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.

Roses no longer bloom like they used to? Rejuvenate them by removing old, bark-encrusted canes at the base. Use a narrow compass saw. Gauntlet-like gloves protect forearms (less than $10 at Hortus, Pasadena; other nurseries).

Pasadena is awash in white and cardinal red, and that should result in lots of green for local retailers. The Rose Parade, a Pasadena tradition for more than 120 years, is expected to draw between 700,000 and 1 million visitors on New Year's Day, about the same as last year, said Paul Little, chief executive of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce. The parade viewing numbers are often impacted by the teams that play in the Rose Bowl game, and the fans that attend the game. This year's matchup -- Stanford University versus the University of Wisconsin -- should have a strong following, Little said.

Metrolink has a goodie that lasts  beyond Christmas: two-for-one fares for weekday travelers during off-peak hours. This discount applies to all lines through the end of the month and all day Jan. 2. The deal: The discount works for those traveling between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Monday-Friday on selected lines . It also includes two-for-one fares all day on Jan. 2, the day of the Rose Parade in Pasadena, though service is limited to San...