Sometime around 7 a.m. Pacific Time on New Year's Day, floats were getting into position in Pasadena as Penn State fans among approximately 1 million spectators along the route of the 120th Rose Parade. The annual parade, 25 years older than the football bowl game, was started by horse-riding members of the local hunting club who decorated their horses and photographed them for relatives and friends in colder parts of the country to show off the beautifully mild winter weather in southern California.

Photo Credit: Jill Shockey

Year Taken: 2009

Many Penn Staters on the official alumni bowl tour secured grandstand tickets near the start of the parade route and, to get to their bleacher seats, had to squeeze past longtime curbside spectators who had camped outside as early as Sunday, Dec. 28, to secure their spots.

Photo Credit: Jill Shockey

Year Taken: 2009

A little Nittany Lion overlooked a veritable sea of Marines lining up for the start of the Rose Parade. The damp, chilly air in early-morning Pasadena had been foggy and probably near 40 degrees when Penn Staters boarded their buses at 5 a.m. bound for their parade spots, so the little lion was probably comfortable in his snuggly costume even when the parade stepped off at 8 a.m.

Photo Credit: Jill Shockey

Year Taken: 2009

It seems no matter where you go, Penn Staters find one another. This group on the street, apparently including "Asian Fred," looked up when they heard that nickname being called out.

Photo Credit: Jill Shockey

Year Taken: 2009

The fans of Penn Stater "Asian Fred" waved from their seats above, happy to have spotted friendly faces walking along the parade route prior to the start of the event.

Photo Credit: Jill Shockey

Year Taken: 2009

Rose Queen Courtney Lee and her court offered their royal waves to the Penn State alumni section of the crowd. A Pasadena independent newspaper captured a photo of Queen Courtney taking digital snapshots of herself as she sat on the float, so apparently she was as excited to be a part of the event as spectators were behind her, snapping their own photo mementos of the occasion.

Photo Credit: Jill Shockey

Year Taken: 2009

The intricate details of the floral floats, as seen in this elephant adorning the "Bollywood Dreams" float that represented the Sierra Madre Rose Float Association, was evident as each float passed the crowd.

Photo Credit: Jill Shockey

Year Taken: 2009

Grand Marshal Cloris Leachman -- the female performer with a record eight Emmy Primetime Awards, one Daytime Emmy and an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 1971's "The Last Picture Show," not to mention her recent resurgence in fame as a contestant on "Dancing with the Stars" -- was once again surprised by the vocal presence of Penn State fans who greeted her at the parade.

Photo Credit: Jill Shockey

Year Taken: 2009

Kiwanis International's "Sharing the Great Outdoors" float, as seen in progress by many Penn Staters during sneak peek tours on Dec. 30 and 31, is topped off by the finished bear, which was decorated using palm fiber accented with pampas grass, according to the official souvenir program of the parade.

Photo Credit: Jill Shockey

Year Taken: 2009

Penn Staters lining one side of Orange Grove Boulevard are easily seen in their white attire as the finished Kiwanis International float passes by that grandstand. On game day it wasn't hard to locate Penn State fans in their Penn State White Out clothes.

Photo Credit: Jill Shockey

Year Taken: 2009

Suddenly it was the moment every Penn State fan had been waiting for -- Penn State's representation in the Rose Parade. The sound of the Blue Band, led by Blue Sapphire P.J. Maierhofer, brought Nittany Lion fans to their feet.

Photo Credit: Jill Shockey

Year Taken: 2009

Top-row seats garnered early views of the Penn State contingent, so before the crowd rose entirely to its feet, they captured some photos of the Nittany Lions' arrival on the scene.

Photo Credit: Jill Shockey

Year Taken: 2009

The Penn State cheerleaders rode Penn State's official parade float. Fans on either side of Orange Grove Boulevard returned their spirit with a standing ovation and exuberant cheers.

Photo Credit: Jill Shockey

Year Taken: 2009

"Hail to the Lion" rang out across the start of the Rose Parade route as the Penn State Blue Band, led by drum major Matt Sabo, emerged on Orange Grove Boulevard.

Photo Credit: Jill Shockey

Year Taken: 2009

The Blue Band silks proudly waved Tournament of Roses flags on New Year's Day 2009 down Orange Grove and Colorado boulevards along the five-and-a-half-mile Rose Parade route.

Photo Credit: Jill Shockey

Year Taken: 2009

The 306-member Penn State Blue Band, now in its 109th season and directed by Richard "Dick" Bundy, proudly represented the University during the 2009 Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif.

Photo Credit: Jill Shockey

Year Taken: 2009

As the Blue Band made its way under Pasadena's palm trees, their day of events had just begun. They regrouped for a performance at the official Penn State tailgate before heading in to perform to a nationwide audience during the Rose Bowl game.

Photo Credit: Jill Shockey

Year Taken: 2009

Cal Poly Universities' float -- titled "Seaside Amuseument," which won the first-ever Viewers' Choice Trophy -- appeared in finished form at the parade. the front of the float, which was only a field of sand-colored organic material and glue around noontime on Dec. 30, was transformed to a beautiful spray of blue and white flowers to represent waves crashing on the shore. But perhaps Penn State fans could consider that a subtle display of support.

Photo Credit: Jill Shockey

Year Taken: 2009

Floats appealed to parade fans of all ages, but perhaps the "Believe in Music" float by NAMM, the International Music Products Association, was a favorite among the youngest viewers. Sesame Street characters Big Bird, Elmo, Abby Cadabby and Oscar the Grouch were led at the front of the main float by Bob McGrath (seen in the red sweater), an original cast member and singer in the show for 38 years and counting.

Photo Credit: Jill Shockey

Year Taken: 2009

The City of Huntington Beach, Calif., entered their "Surf City USA" float for the city's centennial year. A family of surfers seemed to ride the waves among the treetops.

Photo Credit: Jill Shockey

Year Taken: 2009

Bayer Advanced's float "The Garden of Oz" honored the classic film's 70th anniversary. The massive purple rose creations turned up at the front of the float with Dorothy, while the great Wizard and the spires of his Emerald City brought up the rear. The float features official Yellow brick Road roses and the 2009 all America Rose Selection Pink Promise flower, grown in the Bayer Advanced-sponsored Wrigley Gardens at the Tournament of Roses headquarters, according to the parade's souvenir program.

Photo Credit: Jill Shockey

Year Taken: 2009

A U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit "stealth bomber" flew over the parade route and again during the Rose Bowl's pregame ceremonies. This is the 20th anniversary of the plane's first flight. This plane flew from its base at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri to participate in the Tournament of Roses parade and Rose Bowl game. Later, its two pilots were recognized on the field of the Rose Bowl.

Photo Credit: Jill Shockey

Year Taken: 2009