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Margaret Huntley Main

For Margaret Huntley Main, the Tournament of Roses Parade holds a special place in her heart. She saw her first parade when she was five years old, and has either been to or seen every parade since then, including the two that she rode in! In 1940, Main was crowned the Tournament of Roses Queen and returned in 2009, as a rider on the Roseville Centennial float. At 87, Margaret is the oldest living Rose Queen and remembers that day vividly. “Something like that is so beautifully dramatic and it means so much,” she recalls. So, being able to return after nearly 69 years was a “wonderful and nostalgic” experience. “There’s this incredible feeling that all these people love you.”  

In the 82 years that Main has been watching the parade, she has seen the entire production undergo many changes. Now the Tournament of Roses Association is much more finely tuned and the floats are much larger and more complicated. “The whole business is no longer the backyard production it once was,” she states. And as the parade continues to grow and change, she firmly believes that every person should go and see the Tournament of Roses at least once in their lifetime. “The feeling of camaraderie, New Years’ joy, and the Tournament Association’s incredible floral arrangements all are a true gift of the city,” she says. “And it truly is a great education in community effort.”

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For more information about Margaret Huntley Main, and other local happenings and information, be sure to pick up this month's copy of Style – Roseville Granite Bay Rocklin edition. Check out the Distribution tab on this Web site for some of our newsstand locations. Or, to order a copy of this issue, please email  info@sierrastyle.com, or call 916-988-9888.