January 1, 2023: This year, the annual Rose Bowl Parade held in Pasadena was closed out by none other than the Fresno State Marching Band.
It was announced in October of 2021 that the band would perform and in September of 2022 the band surpassed the $35,000 goal needed to travel to the parade.
The 290-member band participated in the 5.5 mile parade, the 134th in Rose Bowl history.
This was the first appearance by the band in program history.
The band also participates in the Tournament of Roses Bandfest, an opportunity for marching bands to perform a field show showcasing musicianship and pageantry.
Director of the Bulldog Marching Band Steve McKeithen stated, “The Tournament of Roses Parade is the pinnacle of honors for a college marching band and I am immensely proud of what our student-musicians have achieved…We cannot wait to perform for the hundreds of thousands of people who will line the parade route as we represent Fresno State in ‘The Granddaddy of them All’ the 2023 Rose Parade!”
Dr. Honora Chapman, Dean of the College Arts and Humanities, upon first hearing that the marching band would participate in the parade exclaimed, “We’re so excited that the Bulldog Marching Band will be representing Fresno State in the Rose Parade on January 2…About 50 million people around the world will be able to hear the musical pride of the Valley play. We hope you can join us in Pasadena!”
The band’s performance can be viewed online here at the link below.