Santa Rosa’s hallmark Rose Parade, which has taken over downtown streets each May for more than a century, has been canceled once again amid leadership turnover.

The group behind the Luther Burbank Rose Parade and Festival announced Wednesday the event would not move forward in 2026 as its board chair steps away and the organization assesses how to keep the event going.

Organizers have put out a call for a new group to carry the event forward with little luck so far, leaving a cloud of uncertainty over one of the city’s signature civic events.

“After two years serving as board chair, I’ve made the decision to step down to pursue other interests,” Terry Sanders said in the announcement, adding that the organizing committee needed “steady leadership, broad community support, and the right structure to thrive long-term.”

Sanders, in an interview Thursday, said the organizing committee over the past several months sought a group with an established volunteer base who could serve as a successor. Two local organizations who the group approached declined to take on the work, he said.

Santa Rosa Mayor Mark Stapp said the cancelation represented a loss for the community, which had cheered on the tradition’s return after an extended hiatus.

A successful event will require a community champion who can carry the mantle and take on the bulk of the behind-the-scenes work, he said, adding that the while the city could support the event with permitting, public safety needs and other logistics it was unable to fill the organizer role.

Sanders stressed the cancelation doesn’t mean the parade is coming to an end, and the group is committed to continuing discussions with community stakeholders.

It’s the latest local volunteer-operated event to be canceled as civic groups face contraction in membership and funding constraints. The Human Race, one of the longest-running fun runs, which brought thousands of participants to downtown Santa Rosa and raised money for dozens of small nonprofits across the North Bay, was canceled in 2025 amid low participation and rising event costs.

The Rose Parade has long been an opportunity for the community to come together and celebrate local youth, civic organizations and build pride in Santa Rosa.

Typically held on the third weekend in May, it once drew as many as 400 participants from school bands, equestrian groups and service organizations and up to 10,000 people to Old Courthouse Square.

It was first held in 1894 as the Rose Carnival and had been held every year since 1950 until being canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Organizers had hoped to return in 2022 but opted to cancel out of concern for public health and because of planning delays. A drop in active volunteers complicated efforts to organize the event in 2023.

Sanders was among a coalition of long-time backers, civic leaders and business officials who came together in 2023 to help revive the event amid the hiatus.

They formed an organizing committee comprised of the nonprofit that formerly ran the festival, LBR Parade and Festival, along with officials from the city of Santa Rosa, Santa Rosa Metro Chamber and some community volunteers.

The group’s top priority the first year was raising capital to put on the event as they faced nearly depleted coffers and rebuilding its volunteer base. Their efforts appeared to be successful, as the 2024 and 2025 parades drew thousands of spectators and participants to downtown.

Sanders and other members of the committee in recent months had discussed the organization’s leadership, volunteer capacity and group’s finances but members felt they didn’t have the necessary resources to organize a successful event in 2026.

Sanders said other members of the organizing committee, including some who were part of the prior parade nonprofit, also are stepping back, though they’ve offered to help provide day-of support. Some newer members are willing to stay on, but Sanders said none have experience organizing an event of this size to lead the group.

“It just became clear that we didn’t have the time or people to make it happen,” Sanders, a retired firefighter and former candidate for Santa Rosa City Council, said. “We had such success in bringing it back that we felt we shouldn’t half-ass it.”

Sanders said planning for the event typically starts the prior August and it takes more than 100 volunteers who help organize, reach out to sponsors, vendors and participants and then staff the festival. While the group had received volunteer interest the prior years, they often saw a drop in participants as the event neared, which made organizing the event difficult, he said.

Lining up financial support also has become more challenging with limited pots of money to tap and some sponsors facing donor fatigue.

The festival costs about $90,000 to $100,000 and has been paid for through donations from community groups, including Redwood Credit Union and the Trione and Ratto families, Sanders said. Organizers raised about $126,000 last year, but Sanders said at least one major partner pulled out of this year’s event.

Organizers met with community groups, sponsors and civic partners but they were unable to identify someone who was willing to take over, he said.

Bernie Schwartz, the longtime owner of California Luggage on Fourth Street, said the news was disheartening but he understood organizing the event took significant effort.

“Along with many others, I’m disappointed to hear of the interruption of this year’s Rose Parade, which is an important legacy event for the city,” he said in an email. “It’s unfortunate that this decision comes fairly late in the season. But I recognize that the parade is a heavy lift, and I hope that, over the coming year, the community will reorganize itself and bring the parade back next year.”

Sanders said the group needs a dedicated leader with experience organizing large-scale events and who can commit several months out of the year to the effort.

He added that the organizing committee leaves a roadmap with a list of contacts, contracts and logistical plans as well as about $30,000 in leftover funds from the 2025 event. Sanders said he’s also willing to serve in an advisory role to help with the transition.

“The next person to come in won’t be starting from zero,” he said.

You can reach Staff Writer Paulina Pineda at 707-521-5268 or paulina.pineda@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @paulinapineda22.