Community members enjoy hors doeuvres during the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Community Open House celebration at the Tournament House in Pasadena on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (Photo by Libby Cline-Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)
Members of the royal court wave to community members during the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Community Open House celebration at the Tournament House in Pasadena on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (Photo by Libby Cline-Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)
Martin Gordon, Chairman and CEO of the Pasadena Community Coalition speaks to members of the community during the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Community Open House celebration at the Tournament House in Pasadena on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (Photo by Libby Cline-Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)
Vhie Bautista, left center, and Susan Nishio, right center, of Pasadena pose for photos with the 2025 Rose Court during the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Community Open House celebration at the Tournament House in Pasadena on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (Photo by Libby Cline-Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)
Rose Queen Lindsay Charles, left, poses for a photo with Susan Flanagan, right, her former 2nd grade teacher at Carver Elementary in San Marino during the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Community Open House celebration at the Tournament House in Pasadena on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (Photo by Libby Cline-Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)
Martin Gordon, Chairman and CEO of the Pasadena Community Coalition, right, and Ed Morales, 2025 Tournament of Roses President, left, joke with each other during the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Community Open House celebration at the Tournament House in Pasadena on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (Photo by Libby Cline-Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)
1975 Rose Court Princess Beverly Chapman, left, poses for a photo with friends during the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Community Open House celebration at the Tournament House in Pasadena on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (Photo by Libby Cline-Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)
Ed Morales, 2025 Tournament of Roses President poses for a photo with community members during the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Community Open House celebration at the Tournament House in Pasadena on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (Photo by Libby Cline-Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)
Ed Morales, 2025 Tournament of Roses President and his wife pose for photos with the 2025 Rose Court during the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Community Open House celebration at the Tournament House in Pasadena on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (Photo by Libby Cline-Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)
Martin Gordon, Chairman and CEO of the Pasadena Community Coalition, right, and Ed Morales, 2025 Tournament of Roses President, left, share a light hearted moment during the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Community Open House celebration at the Tournament House in Pasadena on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (Photo by Libby Cline-Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)
David Eads, Tournament of Roses CEO welcomes community members during the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Community Open House celebration at the Tournament House in Pasadena on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (Photo by Libby Cline-Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)
Ed Morales, 2025 Tournament of Roses President thanks the community during the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Community Open House celebration at the Tournament House in Pasadena on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (Photo by Libby Cline-Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)
A community member takes a photo in the rose garden during the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Community Open House celebration at the Tournament House in Pasadena on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (Photo by Libby Cline-Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)
Mike and Clair Wallace of South Pasadena enjoy hors doeuvres during the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Community Open House celebration at the Tournament House in Pasadena on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (Photo by Libby Cline-Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)
Martin Gordon, Chairman and CEO of the Pasadena Community, left, talks with David Eads, Tournament of Roses CEO, right, during the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Community Open House celebration at the Tournament House in Pasadena on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (Photo by Libby Cline-Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)
Community members, from right to left, Ana Chavez, Reyes Family and Fernando Urña pose for a photo during the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Community Open House celebration at the Tournament House in Pasadena on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (Photo by Libby Cline-Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)
Show Caption1 of 16Community members enjoy hors doeuvres during the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Community Open House celebration at the Tournament House in Pasadena on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (Photo by Libby Cline-Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)
ExpandOn a balmy Sunday November afternoon, Nov. 10, neighbors of the Tournament House joined the Pasadena Community Coalition and Tournament of Roses leaders with a goal of enhancing community relationships while looking forward to the annual Rose Day Parade on Jan. 1.
Attendees enjoyed a selection of hors d’oeuvres, drinks, and live music on the south lawn of the Tournament House before 2025 Tournament President Ed Morales and Chairman and CEO of Pasadena Community Coalition Martin Gordon addressed the crowd.
Of those attendees were former Tournament presidents, members of the Pasadena Unified School District, Pasadena city officials and members of the Pasadena Rose Court.
With elections in the rearview mirror, Sunday’s open house emerged as a way for Pasadena residents to come together amidst national political divisiveness, leaders said Sunday.
“We are happy to be involved in the endeavor of bringing people together,” said Morales. “We are in the business of joy.”
Morales, as the first Mexican American to serve as president of the Tournament of Roses, said he wants to continue extending the Tournament of Roses community to include those who have historically been excluded. But that created an opportunity for the Tournament of Roses to work with trailblazers in the area for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
“Tournament of Roses prides itself in celebrating the diverse cultural richness and breadth of our expanding community on parade day and beyond,” Morales proclaimed.
As the Tournament’s president, Morales chose the theme “Best Day Ever!” for the 2025 New Year’s Rose Day Parade to capture the “universal feeling” of being civically engaged, with nods to those who make those feelings possible for others.
And on New Year’s Day, while millions from across the nation will be tuned in to watch the Rose Day Parade and Rose Bowl college football match, the Tournament hopes to be a beacon of courage for a divided country.
“Diversity is not a program but an objective reality,” said Gordon. “This is a diverse country and we have to know how to live with fairness and inclusion.”
Gordon pointed to Billie Jean King, the Tournament’s 2025 grand marshal, as an example of someone championing such fairness.
As a professional tennis player with 39 Grand Slam titles, King used her success to build a legacy advocating for equality in sports.
The first open house originally celebrated the term of the first Black Tournament president, Gerald Freeny, but it’s since become a yearly tradition, no matter the president.
“I just feel exhilarated,” said Gordon. “This is a pivotal event every year to celebrate diversity, equity, inclusion, and love as the foundation.”
Julianna Lozada is a freelance writer for the Southern California News Group.