America’s New Year’s Celebration. The Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game are held on New Year’s Day (unless it falls on a Sunday). For millions of people around the world, the Rose Parade is an iconic New Year’s Day tradition. The Rose Parade travels 5 ½ miles down Colorado Blvd. and features four types of entries: floral-decorated floats entered by a participating corporation, non-profit organization or municipality, equestrian units, bands, and Tournament entries.