Santa Clara Vanguard Prepares for 2027 Rose Parade

Santa Clara Vanguard will be one 21 bands marching at the 2027 Tournament of Roses parade on Jan. 1 in Pasadena.

Santa Clara’s Vanguard will celebrate its 60th anniversary with a major honor, an invitation to the Rose Parade in Pasadena.

“Santa Clara Vanguard has been taking the name of Santa Clara into the world stage for 60 years, and we’re going to be commemorating that on day one of 2027 in the Rose Parade, the most prestigious honor an ensemble like ours can have,” said Vanguard CEO Russ Gavin.

On April 25, Rose Parade President Terry Madigan visited Santa Clara to officially extend the invitation to Santa Clara’s drum and bugle corps.

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“I am thrilled to be able to welcome the Santa Clara Vanguard as part of the 21 marching bands and one drum corps to march in the 2027 Rose Parade,” said Madigan. “The parade this year will be broadcast live in 60 countries to 55 million people around the globe. 700,000 people will line Colorado Boulevard to see the band march by. We have a tradition of excellence, and it really lines up perfectly with the tradition of excellence and dedication that the Santa Clara Vanguard has brought now for 60 years.”

On Jan. 1, 2027, the members of Vanguard will march in the 138th annual Rose Parade alongside 21 bands from around the world, including Costa Rica, Japan and Mexico. The theme of this year’s event is “Welcome.”

“It’s really about that sense of belonging. And I often refer to the transformational sense of belonging,” said Madigan. “As we spend this year visiting all the bands in the parade, time and time again, I hear from band members that the band room is often their second home. This is the place where friends become family, and that really is what the Rose Parade is all about. It’s what the Tournament of Roses is all about, and it’s clearly what Santa Clara Vanguard is about.”

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City leaders like Silicon Valley Central Chamber of Commerce CEO Harbir Bhatia and Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor were both there to celebrate Vanguard’s third-ever invitation to the Rose Parade.

“They’re not just performing; they’re not just telling the story. They’re creating emotion. They’re representing our community through sound, movement and passion,” said Bhatia. “When they take that stage at the Tournament of Roses Parade, they won’t just be heard, they will be felt and they will represent the feelings of Santa Clara.”

“I cannot think of a more fitting way to celebrate the Vanguard’s 60th anniversary,” said Gillmor. “Congratulations to the Santa Clara Vanguard. We are so proud of you, and Santa Clara will be cheering you every step of the way.”

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