Our resident Rose Bowl expert, Fuzzy Quackenbush, would like to share three Rose Bowl-themed activities that you might enjoy: the pep rally, sponsored tailgates and the Rose Parade.
Other than the game itself, Fuzzy enjoys the pep rally most. This year’s rally is called the Duck Block Party and will be held from 2-4 p.m., New Year’s Eve, on the Santa Monica Place Mall. At the party you can expect to mingle with like-minded Duck fans, clad in green and yellow and see the marching band, the cheerleaders and other University dignitaries such as Ducky, the Athletic Director and perhaps even the University President. Do not count on shaking hands with Uncle Phil, the coaches or the players. They’ll be otherwise engaged. For those of you in Shop ‘Til You Drop mode, the Duck Store will be on site for all your Duck duds. If you haven’t been to the Santa Monica Place Mall, it’s a cool venue and much better than the soulless business park that hosted the ’94 pep rally.
Many first-time bowlers want to know about tailgating. For the well-heeled, the University of Oregon Athletic Association sponsors a Duck tailgate on game day from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. It’s located on the Brookside Golf Course just adjacent to the Rose Bowl. The attractions will be similar to the Block Party and will include Ducky, the band and cheerleaders. There will also be beer and somewhat mediocre swag. This little soiree costs $50 per head for UOAA members and $100 for non-members. For that price you’ll also get a lunch — maybe. These tailgates are notorious for running out of food. At one a couple of years ago, Fuzzy watched an irate father trying to score lunch for his three hungry kids, but sadly, the man left dejected. The family had arrived too close to the end of the affair and the food was all gone. Another option is the free tailgate hosted by the Rose Bowl. This one will be in the Rose Bowl parking lot. Count on buying your own food, but free admission is a very good price. This is where Fuzzy and the family will hang out.
Some intrepid souls will want to know if they can also catch the Rose Parade. The answer is yes, but this makes for a very long day. The Parade starts at 8 a.m. on New Year’s Day and wraps up around 10 a.m. You’ll need to start looking for a place on the parade route curb at least 6 a.m. unless you bring your stilts and periscope. If you choose this option, then look for free street parking north of downtown Pasadena in the residential areas between the Foothill Freeway and Mountain Street. Leave your car there while attending the parade and then hoof it down the hill to the game.
Breakfast? Mais oui. You’ll need to keep your strength up especially if you plan to catch the parade and the game. In that case, figure on at least a 12 hour day. Fuzzy recommends Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles on North Lake Avenue in Pasadena to keep up your strength. You’ll chow down on enough saturated fat to lower your life expectancy by five years, but hey, life’s an adventure. Right?
Enjoy the pregame and Go Ducks!
Top Photo by Daily Emerald
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Raised in the Central Oregon mill town of Prineville beneath deep blue skies and rim rock, I attended the University of Oregon and during my collegiate summers, I worked in a lumber mill and also fought range fires on the Oregon High Desert for the Bureau of Land Management. After graduating from college at the University of Oregon, I swung from being budding hippy to cop work. I’m still wondering about how that came about. I was a police officer with the Port of Portland and after leaving police work, I obtained an MFA degree in Creative Writing from Vermont College. I live in Portland, Oregon with my wife, my daughter and a spunky bichon frise named Pumpkin. I’ve had short stories publishing in two Main Street Press anthologies. Harkness is my first novel.