Sunshine, big crowds greet Rose Parade
Spectators who claimed their spots for the Rose Parade hours before it began were rewarded on Thursday with spangled dancers paying tribute to Broadway, a lush garden wedding flanked by sari-clad models representing India's Bollywood film industry, a giant robot with a surprise under his hat and flying kisses from the Rose Queen, Chinese-American Courtney Chou Lee.
Lee was selected the 91st Rose Queen at the end of a month-long process that began with more than 1,100 Pasadena-area young women who participated in the Tournament of Roses Royal Court tryouts.
Queen Courtney and the six Rose Princesses were selected based upon a combination of qualities, including public speaking ability, poise, academic achievement and community involvement.