SCOTTSDALE, AZ (May 16, 2024) – With excitement building for the first-ever College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl and the expansion of the College Football Playoff (CFP) into a 12-team format, the 52nd annual Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade presented by Lerner & Rowe will celebrate the tradition of Arizona's vibrant community groups, thrilling marching bands and one-of-a-kind floats while ushering into the next iteration of college football.
 
This year's parade returns to the heart of Bowl Season, with the two-mile march through Central Phoenix on Saturday, December 28, at 10 a.m., three days before the CFP Quarterfinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl on December 31 and days following the Guaranteed Rate Bowl in Downtown Phoenix.
 
The theme of "A New Era" personifies the Fiesta Bowl Parade's heightened fan experience and pageantry, the transition into an expanded College Football Playoff and the organization's brand refresh into the Fiesta Sports Foundation.
 
More than 3,000 men, women, children and animals participate every year in the state's highly-anticipated holiday parade. Interested groups and participants may apply here and the marching band application can be accessed here, through Tuesday, October 1, at 11:59 p.m. MST.
 
"This year's Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade presented by Lerner & Rowe will set a new standard as we more closely intertwine the parade with the first-ever College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl game and the Guaranteed Rate Bowl," said Fiesta Bowl Executive Director & CEO Erik Moses. "We took a step forward last year with the quality of the parade and this year will have even more enhancements to a 'new era' of the Fiesta Bowl Parade. This parade is for our state and we invite members of communities across Arizona to take an active role and demonstrate their civic pride as participants in this annual showcase of Arizona's rich history, culture and traditions."
 
Last year's Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade presented by Lerner & Rowe featured brand new elements, including never-before-seen floats, and this year's parade plans to continue the evolution to higher levels and deliver an elevated experience. An enhanced program will provide monetary awards for some of the best parade entry units.
 
The parade is free to the public and all are invited to attend, along with being broadcast live on Arizona's Family 3TV and across its digital platforms.
 
The Grand Marshal for this year's Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade presented by Lerner & Rowe will be announced in the fall. Former Arizona State University and NFL quarterback Jake Plummer and Moon Valley High School, University of Arizona and NBA standout Richard Jefferson served as Grand Marshals in 2023, joining an esteemed list that includes Al McCoy, Alice Cooper, Charles Barkley, Jerry Colangelo, Randy Johnson, Cal Ripken, Jr., Kerri Strug, Diana Taurasi, Chuck Yeager, brave firefighters, Olympic gold medalists and history-making astronauts.

For more information about the Parade and the application process, please visit www.FiestaBowl.org/Parade.
 
Fans interested in placing deposits for the CFP Quarterfinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl or Bowl Season's only Big Ten vs. Big 12 matchup in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, please visit www.fiestabowl.org/tickets or contact the ticket office at tickets@fiestabowl.org.
 
ABOUT FIESTA BOWL
Since 1971, the Fiesta Bowl is a world-class community organization that executes innovative experiences, drives economic growth and champions charitable causes, inspiring pride in all Arizonans during and outside of college football bowl season. As a nonprofit organization, it is driven by its vision for the importance of community outreach and service. Through the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Guaranteed Rate Bowl and its year-round events, such as the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade presented by Lerner & Rowe, corporate partnerships and numerous community events throughout the year, the organization provides charitable giving to enhance Arizona nonprofit organizations that serve communities through youth, sports and education. 
 
ABOUT Vrbo
In 1995, Vrbo introduced a new way for people to travel together, pairing homeowners with families and friends looking for places to stay. We were grounded in one purpose: To give people the space they need to drop the distractions of everyday life and simply be together. Since then, we've grown into a global community of homeowners and travelers, with unique properties around the world. Vrbo makes it easy and fun to book cabins, condos, beach houses and every kind of space in between. Vrbo is part of Expedia Group and offers homeowners and property managers exposure to over 750 million visits to Expedia Group sites each month. To learn more, visit www.vrbo.com.
 
ABOUT LERNER & ROWE INJURY ATTORNEYS
Attorneys Glen Lerner and Kevin Rowe have grown Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys into one of the largest personal injury firms in the country with 11 locations just in Arizona, over 60 total attorneys, and more than 450 total support staff. The law firm's continuous exalted levels of success can be attributed to the high levels of respect and dignity shown to victims and family members hurt in an accident. Further, the firm takes pride in nourishing these relationships as they know a personal injury attorney can make all the difference in obtaining fair compensation for the pain and suffering inflicted upon the victims of tortious conduct. Learn more about the firm and the many other community services they support at LernerAndRowe.com, LernerAndRoweGivesBack.com, and @LernerAndRowe on Instagram.