Outside of New York’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, there is no local parade more celebrated in America than the New Year’s Day Rose Parade. The prestigious event in California is one of the most difficult to get into as a performer, and the Seminole High School marching band is one of a select few that has been invited to march in its next rendition, New Year’s Day 2025.

In tandem with the Rose Bowl, the Rose Parade has been dubbed “America’s New Year’s Celebration,” and the historic parade has been taking place to much fanfare in Pasadena, California for an astounding 135 years. Of the hundreds of marching bands competing to get in every year, less than two dozen are chosen, making this selection for the Warhawk Marching Band particularly special.

However, while being selected was the first step, the second step is a challenging one, too: getting there. Organizers say close to 150 students will travel to Pasadena for the parade, at a cost of roughly $3,000 per person. To help make that trip possible, the band is hosting a “Mardi Gras Spring Carnival” on Friday, February 23 from 5-9 pm at Seminole High School, with proceeds going toward the band’s trip to the Rose Parade.

The carnival will include great local food, tons of games, music, face painting, prizes, and even its own parade: a golf cart parade. Interactive games will be the highlight of the Mardi Gras-themed event, with $1 tickets for individual games or a $20 family pack good for 25 games. Seminole High School is located at 8401 131st Street North.