art show; a car show; doll, bear and toy shows; an arts and crafts fair; and symphony concerts in the park. The Rose Parade is easily the biggest part of the Rose Festival. This parade takes place on the Saturday morning of the festival, and starts on Fifth St. and travels down Erwin to the Rose Stadium where it ends. It is free to watch the parade on the streets, but you must buy a ticket to be admitted into the shaded side of the stadium. People all over come and line up on the streets of Tyler to see the girls in their magnificent dresses and cheer them on. The girls participating in the festival ride on floats depending on their presentation party, with the Queen and her court riding on the last few floats. The Queen gets her own float. When the floats get to the stadium, they go along the track for one last viewing, and then end. A number of private parties also coincide with the festival, including the Queen's Coronation Ball hosted by the Order of the Rose. On the last night of the festival, the families and friends of the girls participating sit and watch each girl get presented. The girls who are from Tyler, Texas wear white ball gowns, while the girls from out of the city wear jewel colored gowns. The Queen is the last to be presented, and after all the girls are done there is a party with music and dancing. See also List of festivals in the United States List of museums in East Texas References External links Official Texas Rose Festival site Stories on the 2005 festival, from the Tyler Morning Telegraph Brief article and bibliography, from the Handbook of Texas Online Festivals in Texas Tyler, Texas Tourist attractions in Smith County, Texas Debutante balls Flower festivals in the United States Balls in the United States