1938 Tournament of Roses Parade



 "Queen of the Fairies"

The first Rose Parade was held in Pasadena, California on January 1, 1890.  It started as a way to celebrate California's mild winter climate.  The first parade was a small procession of flower-covered carriages with afternoon games including foot races, tug-of-war, and sack races.  It evolved into a parade of flower-covered motorized floats built by volunteers from sponsoring communities, with marching bands, equestrians, and a college football game.

The parade is always held in Pasadena, California on New Years Day unless New Years Day falls on Sunday.  Then the parade is held on January 2nd.  The "Never on Sunday" tradition of the Rose Parade began in 1893 when, according to the Tournament of Roses Association Web site, parade officials decided to move the parade that year "to avoid frightening horses tethered outside local churches and thus interfering with worship services."

The picture above is from the 1938 Rose Parade program book.  It shows the float that was entered in the Rose Parade by the city of Eagle Rock, California.  The theme for the 1938 Rose Parade was "Playland Fantasies" and the Eagle Rock float is titled "Queen of the Fairies".  The queen of the "Queen of the Fairies" float was crowned before a large audience in the American Legion Hall.  Each girl was given a cameo lavaliere by the Chamber of Commerce for her participation.  My maternal grandmother, Elaine (Carver) Elsner, is on this float.  She is the third from the left...the blonde in the middle looking toward the camera.  She was 17 years old.