Rose Parade 2013: Up to 1 million visitors expected in Pasadena

Pasadena is awash in white and cardinal red, and that should result in lots of green for local retailers.

The Rose Parade, a Pasadena tradition for more than 120 years, is expected to draw between 700,000 and 1 million visitors on New Year’s Day, about the same as last year, said Paul Little, chief executive of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce.

The parade viewing numbers are often impacted by the teams that play in the Rose Bowl game, and the fans that attend the game.

This year’s matchup -- Stanford University versus the University of Wisconsin -- should have a strong following, Little said. (Both teams wear white and cardinal red.)

He pointed out that Stanford hasn’t played in the bowl game since 2000 and, although Wisconsin has played in the past two games, fans will likely return to enjoy Southern California’s sunny weather. In the past few days, the daytime high temperature in Madison, Wis. has been between 12 degrees and 25 degrees.

“Cold is a relative term,” Little said.

Spending by fans who attend the Rose Bowl game and the parade typically generates an economic benefit of more than $178 million to the region, according to previous economic studies.

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