Because the bands, horses, and floats change every year. And appear in a different order. And there's always something to marvel at. 
...its purple, green, and gold jester holding court high above the crowd.
I'm not much one for traditions—I'm more likely to go experience new things rather than repeating myself—but I was sure glad to be in Pasadena in person to witness the longest float I've ever seen, courtesy of Newport Beach.
There may have been trees blocking my view on Colorado Boulevard...
...and I may have been sitting on the "back" side of the floats (that is, not the camera-facing side, so the cats on the Pasadena Humane float were gazing away from us)...
...but the whole thing was still something to behold.
Kudos to West Chester University's Incomparable Golden Rams Marching Band, which not only brought a bit of Pennsylvania to California...
...but also put on the biggest marching band display I've ever seen, in terms of both number of musicians and visual display.
Even when the parade got bottlenecked and the band was kept from marching forth for about 5 minutes...
...they never stopped performing, giving their all to both sides of the boulevard...
...even hoisting their tubas in the air and tossing them all over the place.
I was delighted to see the Sierra Madre float's carousel horses go 'round in real time as it crawled eastward through the city...
...and feel the spirit of the Banda Municipal de Zarcero from Costa Rica...
...whose dancers and musicians brought a lot of color and flair to the early Monday morning.
The particularly stellar band performances this year were appropriate, as the 2024 Rose Parade theme was "Celebrating a World of Music: The Universal Language"...
...which the float builders came up with unique ways of representing (like the "Shock and Roll" float from Cal Poly Universities and the "Together in Harmony" float from Western Asset).
Adding to the multicultural aspect of the parade was the Hawaii All State Marching Band, featuring students from Maui wearing traditional hakus and leis.
The Rose Queen and her court were perfectly poised and postured as they waved to both sides...
...and the insects of Union Station Homeless Services' "Bee the Solution" float trumpeted flower blossoms as part of the organization's "mission in motion."
It's not the Rose Parade without the Budweiser Clydesdales (which generally show up every year)...
...but the Alabama Crimson Tide hasn't marched in the Rose Parade or competed in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena since 1946!
The City of Downey brought the "Rhythm of the Caribbean" to Pasadena with its flamingo-festooned float...
...while the flamingos of The UPS Store's "The Beat of Achievement" float were merely part of the squad of a rapping crocodile.
Louisiana's Mardi Gras-themed float was absolutely stunning...
...its purple, green, and gold jester holding court high above the crowd.
In addition to horses, this year there were also mules—ones that made the trek from Inyo National Forest in the Eastern Sierra to help celebrate the 60th birthday of Smokey Bear.
The float animals, however, were all about getting in on the musical action, like South Pasadena's bongo-ing orangutan...
...trumpeting elephant and tambourine-wielding giraffe.
The PCC Tournament of Roses Honor Band is one of the few marching bands that returns year after year (although it's comprised of 200 different high school students who audition to participate)...
...and this was the first time I've ever heard a lion's roar during the parade, thanks to the San Diego Zoo's "It All Started With a Roar" float.
Trader Joe's Fearless Flyer is a stunner every year, this time waving his spoon like a conductor's baton...
...and Odd Fellows Rebekahs brought the cuteness with "All We Need Is Love," which TV viewers missed out on seeing.
Another elephant accompanied the Blues Brothers on a Route 66-themed float from Enjoy Illinois ("The Middle of Beats and Blues")...
...followed by La Cañada Flintridge's "Flower Power" bus...
...while the Boys and Girls Clubs' float-riding elephant reminded us to remember that "Kindness is Free."
Sure, I could watch the livestream online from my bed at home. I'd be a lot more comfortable than being squished onto cold bleachers between a bunch of strangers, straining to see past palm tree trunks and squinting at the sun in my eyes.
But then I wouldn't feel so much a part of it.
Unfortunately this year I was too tired and too stressed out about working the next day to go to FloatFest to see the these works of art up close. I'm kind of regretting that.
But there's always next year.
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