Seven young women chosen to represent the 2027 Tournament of Roses will spend three days in Newport Beach starting Friday, Oct. 16, for a weekend of public appearances and behind-the-scenes evaluations.
The 108th Rose Court's retreat runs through Sunday, Oct. 18, Orange Coast Magazine reported. The itinerary includes Duffy boat rides on the harbor, etiquette lunches at waterfront restaurants, a visit to Hoag Hospital and philanthropic activities around the community.
Visit Newport Beach, the city's tourism bureau, is the presenting sponsor of the 2027 Rose Court, according to the official Tournament of Roses announcement.
The visit is more than a sightseeing trip. Tournament of Roses board members will assess the court on kindness, character and etiquette during the Newport Beach stay, Orange Coast reported. Those evaluations feed into the selection of the 108th Rose Queen, scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 28, at Tournament House in Pasadena.
Who's on the court
Tournament of Roses President Terry Madigan announced the seven members on Sept. 28 at a ceremony on the south lawn of Tournament House, where nearly 200 friends and family watched, the Pasadena Star-News reported. Each member received a $7,500 academic scholarship.
The court members are Evita Cielo Bridge of Mayfield Senior School, Tessa Rose Choi of La Cañada High School, Daniela Guzman of Arcadia High School, Irene Lim Maddox of Eagle Rock High School, Maria Teresa Monserrat McDonald of Thurgood Marshall Secondary School, Elizabeth Tabaro Kengaju Rweyemamu of Polytechnic School and Lucy Joyce Wendling of San Marino High School.
Maddox is the first Eagle Rock High School student on the Rose Court since the 1960s and the first from the Los Angeles Unified School District in that span.
"I would really encourage everyone to get involved in their community. … One person can make a huge difference," Maddox said at the Sept. 28 ceremony.
The seven were selected from 27 finalists representing 41 Pasadena-area schools. Judges evaluated public speaking, youth leadership, academic achievement and community involvement over a month-long process dating to 1930.
What's ahead
The 2027 Rose Parade theme is "Welcome," announced by Madigan on Jan. 15. The court will ride a float down Colorado Boulevard in the 138th Rose Parade on Friday, Jan. 1, 2027, and attend the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl Game that same day.
Specific venues for the Newport Beach etiquette lunches and Duffy rides have not been announced.
