You're usually guaranteed to see at least one star each year at the annual Rose Parade. The real luminaries of this parade are, of course, the spectacular floral floats, but each year's parade also has a celebrity Grand Marshal who leads off the phenomenal procession, usually a major Hollywood star.

The Grand Marshal of the 2007 Rose Parade will be actress Cloris Leachman, who gained fame as 'Phyllis' on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show", won an Oscar for the movie "The Last Picture Show", and has recently staged a comeback (at age 82), kicking up her heels on TV's "Dancing With The Stars".

The Grand Marshal of the 2007 Parade was "Star Wars" director George Lucas, accompanied by two hundred marching stormtroopers and floats inspired by the landscapes of the Ewoks' world and the planet Naboo... Other stars on other floats included Marie Osmond, animal expert Jack Hanna, and the Oak Ridge Boys.

The Grand Marshal of the 2006 parade was none other than Mickey Mouse. This marked only the third time that a non-human character has headed the parade ('Kermit the Frog' did in 1996, and the puppet 'Charlie McCarthy' was Grand Marshall in 1940). The famous mouse will also toss the coin before the 91st Rose Bowl football game.

The 2003 parade had not one, but three different celebrity Grand Marshals. In keeping with the theme about kids ("Children's Dreams, Wishes and Imagination"), they had Bill Cosby, Art Linkletter and Mister Rogers. All three gentlemen, of course, have a long history of entertaining children.

The 2002 parade was led by Regis Philbin, popular host of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" and "Live with Regis".

In 1998, the Grand Marshal was Carol Burnett, who rode in an antique auto down Colorado Blvd. In 1995, William Shatner (Captain Kirk from "Star Trek") was the Grand Marshal ; he rode his own horse up the parade route. In 1994 it was Angela Lansbury ("Murder She Wrote").

Other past Grand Marshals have included Lorne Greene (1981), Jimmy Stewart (1982), Danny Kaye (1984), Gregory Peck (1988), and old blue-eyes himself, Frank Sinatra (in 1990). In 1939, 10-year-old Shirley Temple led the 50th anniversary parade; five decades later, she returned (as a diplomat) to be Grand Marshal of the 100th anniversary Rose Parade! Grand Marshal Walt Disney brought along Mickey Mouse for his parade appearance. Edgar Bergen (as you might expect) brought along dummy Charlie McCarthy. Other stars who have served as Grand Marshal include John Wayne, Bob Hope (twice), Mary Pickford, Kate Smith and Erma Bombeck.

Keep in mind, though, that the Grand Marshal isn't always a Hollywood star. Sometimes the Tournament officials choose other celebrities, such asPresident Gerald Ford, baseball great Hank Aaron, Chief Justice Earl Warren, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Apollo 12 astronauts, soccer superstar Pele, and businessman Lee Iacocca.  (One year, the Grand Marshal was Kermit the Frog!)

In 1999, there were three Grand Marshal's: Shirley Temple Black (returning for the third time), Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, and Hollywood producer David L. Wolper (as well as the late baseball great Jackie Robinson, represented posthumously by an old friend.)

The year 2000 saw Roy Disney as the Grand Marshall, along with old pal Mickey Mouse, of course.

The 2001 parade had as its theme "The Fabric of America"; and the Grand Marshal was NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw.

The parade is usually held the morning of New Years Day. But because New Years falls on a Sunday this year, Rose Parade tradition calls for the parade to be held on Monday, January 2, 2006.

What started out in 1890 as a small parade of horse-drawn carriages decorated with roses, has blossomed into one of the greatest parades on earth, and what is, without doubt, the most beautiful parade in America.

The Rose Parade route is five and a half miles long and the parade itself lasts about 2 1/2 hours, with an early 8:10 AM start. Over a million people line the streets of Pasadena each year to watch the parade in person. Plus, it's televised live (on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and the local L.A. stations) to a worldwide audience of over 300 million in 90 countries. Here in the U.S. alone, an estimated 125 million TV viewers tune in to the parade. The 50 or more giant floral floats not only look spectacular, but they many smell great as well, like a passing flower garden. In addition, the parade features more than 20 marching bands and over two dozen equestrian units. Curbside standing or sitting is free, and overnight camping is permitted on New Year's Eve, but they won't let you stake out a spot until 12 noon on day before (usually New Years Eve). Be warned that the good curbside spots tend to disappear almost immediately after that designated hour, so opting to camp out will mean a 20-hour wait on a curb, from 12 noon to 8 AM, often in very cold weather.

Many people enjoy the party atmosphere on New Years Eve. For less intrepid souls, reserved grandstand tickets for the Rose Parade can be purchased from TicketMaster.

Also, you might want to phone the city halls of the various towns in the greater Los Angeles area, and inquire about their package plans for the parade. Many cities (such as Torrance and Lakewood) charter buses and reserve blocks of bleacher seats for community field trips to the parade. If you call early, you can be sure of a good seat. Generally, combination tickets (including bus transportation and grandstand seats) cost between $50 - $65 per person. Buses leave most sites at around 6 AM to 8 AM. (November isn't too early to phone about tickets!)

Parade route: the Rose parade begins near the Wrigley Mansion/Tournament House on Orange Grove Boulevard & Ellis Street, then heads north up Orange Grove Boulevard (four short blocks) to Colorado Boulevard. The parade turns right (east) on Colorado Boulevard (past the Norton Simon Museum) and travels east on Colorado Blvd for about three and a half miles. It finally turns north again up Sierra Madre Boulevard, to Paloma Street (and Victory Park). Post-parade viewing area (you can see the floats up close after the parade) is on two streets: Sierra Madre Boulevard and Washington Boulevard.

Phone: (626) 449-4100 (live) or (626) 449-ROSE for a hotline for 24-hour detailed recorded information about the parade, or (626) 793-9911, to reach a holiday hotline run by the Pasadena Convention & Visitors Bureau, which can give you live reports on traffic, directions, parking, seating, etc.

Sharp Seating Company (reserved grandstand seats and reserved parking for autos and RV's, at least two months in advance): (626) 795-4171. (Tickets go on sale the second week in February following the previous year's parade!)

 The Pasadena Police Dept. (information on parking and overnight camping): (626) 405-4621.

 Community bus field trips:

City of Torrance: (310) 618-2930.
City of Santa Monica: (310) 451-5444.
City of Lakewood: (562) 920-2120.
City of Lakewood: (310) 920-7737.
City of Buena Park: (714) 562-3844.
City of Garden Grove: (714) 741-5200.
City of Huntington Beach: (714) 536-5486.
City of Costa Mesa: (949) 645-8551.
City of Newport Beach: (949) 644-3151.
City of Brea: (714) 671-4427.

Getting there: From Hollywood, take the Hollywood (101) Freeway south to the Pasadena (110) Freeway, then take the Pasadena (110) Freeway north (about nine miles) to its end on Arroyo Seco Parkway. Go north to the parade route. (Pasadena Freeway traffic is surprisingly light on the hours before the parade.)

• The parade begins at Orange Grove and Ellis Street
• it then travels east along Colorado Boulevard
• then turns north up Sierra Madre Blvd. and ends at Victory Park (where the floats go on display):

Parking: For regulations about parking on city streets, call the Pasadena Police Dept. Reserved parking for cars and RV's is available from Sharp Seating. The lots are usually right next to Colorado Boulevard. (Be sure to know where you will park far in advance. Don't just drive into town on the day of the parade and expect to find a parking spot.)

Admission Price: Curbside viewing is free. Paid reserved seating in bleachers is available, usually at around $30 - $70, from Sharp Seating Company (preferably at least two months in advance). Reserved parking will add another $20 or so.

Hours: The parade is held each January 1st (New Years Day), unless New Years falls on a Sunday (then the parade is held the next day, Monday). The parade begins promptly at 8:10 AM. The parade takes a little over 2 hours to pass any one spot on the parade route. The first units reach the end of the 5 1/2 mile-route at 10:20 AM. It passes the mid-point (Lake Avenue) at around 9:10 AM.

The post-parade viewing of floats (at Victory Park, on Sierra Madre Boulevard) is held after the parade, on January 1st, from 1:30 PM to 4 PM. (Come early! Long lines are the norm) On the second day, January 2nd, the floats are on display from 9 AM to 4 PM.