On Saturday, Dec. 7, 150 students from Rosemont Middle School, including band, drumline, color guard, and cheer, had the pleasure of participating in the 46th annual Montrose Christmas Parade. Rosemont has been participating in the parade for 29 years, this year’s contribution included students playing a mirage of instruments, including piccolo, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, French horn, trombone, baritone, sousaphone, drums, cymbals, and sleigh bells.
Rosemont had the cheer team and color guard perform along with the music that the band played, which included a combination of “Deck the Halls,” “Jolly Old Saint Nicholas,” and “Jingle Bells.”
A countless number of schools, politicians, and organizations also part in the festivities. Rosemont has been preparing for the parade since October, memorizing music and practicing marching. The parade was a great opportunity for Rosemont to show off all f the hard work they have put in for the past two months.
o The Montrose Christmas Parade was first founded in the early 1950s by Dennis Morgan. He marched down Honolulu Ave. with some of his famous friends, such as Jack Carson and Jackie Cooper. He kept the parade going every year, but once he moved away, the tradition died out. Then, some 20 years later, Frank Roberts revived the parade to attract shoppers to Montrose to start the Christmas season.
This new version of the parade was a hit with everybody and continued to be celebrated every year. Frank Roberts died in October of 2005, but the spirit of the parade is still very strong.
Many local groups and schools participate in the parade every year, including Rosemont, Glendale’s Police, Fire, and Search and Rescue Departments, Crescenta Valley High School, Wilson Middle School, and Glendale High School, just to name a few. The community of Montrose hopes to continue this special event and keep this tradition alive for many years to come!
