A Lackawanna County native will be marching in Pasadena, California, in the 137th Rose Parade.
OLD FORGE, Pa. — A long trip and days of practice have brought Elaine Ort of Old Forge one step closer to marching in the 2026 Rose Parade.
“So right now, what we’re trying to work on is the move that you’re going to see on TV Corner. That’s the very first thing that happens in the parade,” Ort said.
As a member of the Band Directors Marching Band, Ort is one of several music teachers from across the region lending their skills along the parade route. This will be her second time marching in the Rose Parade.
“So back in 2021, I saw an ad on Facebook that said they were looking for band directors to start an experiment called Saluting America’s Band Directors,” Ort said. “They were looking for people to join this brand-new group to march in the Rose Parade, so I threw my name in the ring at the last possible second, and I got selected to join the group for the 2022 Rose Parade.”
The five-and-a-half-mile-long parade steps off in Pasadena, California, on New Year’s Day.
While Ort is used to teaching music at Western Wayne High School, she is now busy learning and picking up new ideas to bring back home.
“I can’t even begin to tell you how much I’m learning,” Ort said. “This morning at breakfast, I was talking with someone from California and another person from Georgia. We’re comparing programs and talking about when we start our beginners.”
In the lead-up to the parade, Ort and hundreds of others are hard at work perfecting music that is just as recognizable as the roses lining the route.
“I’m so excited to get back out there,” Ort said. “There’s nothing like the feeling of performing for half a million of your biggest fans.”
As preparations continue, Ort says she plans to stop and smell the roses while taking in the experience.