Fiesta Bowl Parade to make its way through Phoenix on Saturday

PHOENIX — The Desert Financial Fiesta Bowl Parade will be making its way through Phoenix this weekend, ushering in a new bowl game and a new year.

The two-mile parade route will roll through the city on Saturday, starting at Central and Montebello avenues at 10 a.m.

It will then make its way down Central to Camelback Road, then will continue to Seventh Street and end at Indian School Road.

Bob Whitehouse with the Fiesta Bowl Committee said 86 floats will participate in this year’s parade. Thousands of people are expected to attend, he added.

Arizona Cardinals President Michael Bidwell was picked to serve as the grand marshal and lead the parade.

The parade will be free to attend, but dedicated fans can purchase reserved seats at the start of the parade for $30.

It will also mark the start of the Playstation Fiesta Bowl, which will take place at Glendale’s State Farm Stadium on Jan. 1.

The Louisiana State University Tigers and University of Central Florida Knights were set to play one another for the New Year’s Day game.

Since it first kicked off in 1971, the Fiesta Bowl Parade has become an Arizona tradition, attracting more than 2,500 people each year.

The event showcases a pageantry of brilliantly colored floats, giant balloons, equestrian units, charitable groups, local celebrities and marching bands.

The Fiesta Bowl committee extended its agreement with the College Football Playoff in July for six years.

As part of the agreement, the Fiesta Bowl will host the national semifinals in the 2022-23 and 2025-26 seasons.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Ashley Flood contributed to this report. 

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