Arcadia was periodically represented in the Tournament of Roses parade in Pasadena with floats dating back to just a few years after the city was founded in the early 1900s.
1991 Princess Maria Algara Olson
From the 1960s through 1998, Arcadia’s float featured its own royalty, with Queens and Princesses chosen to represent Arcadia each year. A dozen of those young ladies representing a span of 25 years have returned to participate in Arcadia’s own parade at the Arcadia’s Best Patriotic Festival on July 2:
• Princess Maria (Algara) Olson (1991)
After having been a member of the Arcadia marching band my sophomore and junior years in high school, during my senior year I was given the honor of becoming a member of the Arcadia Tournament of Roses Royal Court, as Princess Maria Algara.
Maria with daughters
The float was a very BIG frog Prince. The past 20 years since have passed by so fast. I have been married for 15 years and have two wonderful girls, Alexa Marie (10) and Cassidy Makenzie (6). Last year (2010) I became a member of The Pasadena Tournament Of Roses. Currently I am on the Formation Committee and I’m looking forward to planning for the 2012 Rose Parade. It is truly an honor for me to be a member of such an amazing organization! I also like to volunteer for Union Station Homeless Services.
• Queen Maria (McCann) Glover (1988)
I graduated from UCLA with a degree in Theater and have made my living acting in commercials and television shows. I am married to Donovan Glover, whom I met at UCLA, and have two beautiful girls, Grace (4) and Gwyneth (2). This July I begin my term as president of the Foothills chapter of MOMS Club International (Moms Offering Moms Support).
1985 Princess Tammi Herron at Rose Court Chandelier Ball
• Princess Robin (Henkles) Westwood (1987)
• Princess Diane (Welch) Sears (1986)
• Princess Lorene (Krajian) Tarvin (1985)
• Queen Martha Palillo (1985)
• Princess Tammi Herron (1985)
• Princess Marci (Richmond) Herrera (1983)
• Princess Sandi Consiglio (1977)
• Princess April Monroe Soash (1975)
• Princess Teresa (Bailey) Siglock (1975)
• Queen Patricia Turner (1966)
1985 Princess Tammi Herron more recently
The announcement was made in early December 1965 and I rode in the 1966 New Year’s Day Rose Parade on a float called Winner’s Circle with my court and legendary jockey, Johnny Longden. The float won first place prize for floats from cities of similar size. I live in Laguna Niguel but I was an Arcadia resident for about 30 years. Although Arcadia seems very different now than it did when I was a child in the 1950s and when it was at its peak in the 1960s and 1970s, it is my hometown with lots of wonderful memories. I am pleased and excited to participate in Arcadia’s Best Patriotic Festival events. It will be fun for my grandkids to see “Grandma Pat” in a parade.