Hoda Kotb, Al Roker and Craig Melvin ring in New Year’s Eve with families ahead of 137th Rose Parade
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA: To celebrate the new year, the 'Today’ anchors Hoda Kotb, Al Roker, and Craig Melvin gathered with their families for a celebratory dinner in Pasadena, California, before their joint hosting duties at the Rose Parade.
The holiday party included their husbands, wives, and children, making it a happy way for the NBC co-workers to start 2026.
NBC hosts celebrate New Year's Eve at Bistro 45
The group enjoyed a New Year’s Eve dinner at Bistro 45 in Pasadena, gathering to fuel up and relax before their busy morning, hosting the parade.
Al Roker shared the evening's highlights on Instagram, showcasing a carousel of photos featuring his wife, Deborah Roberts, and son, Nick, alongside his co-hosts and their children.
"What a great way to start #2026," Roker captioned the post, expressing his gratitude for the gathering. He further noted that the meal served as "Another fantastic #newyearseve dinner at @bistro45pasadena to fortify us for hosting the 137th @rose_parade on @nbc."
Families share joyful holiday photos on social media
Hoda Kotb also took to Instagram and posted a bright photo of herself with daughters Haley and Hope in front of large "2026" balloons, writing, "Happy new year!!!!" in her caption.
This year’s parade holds special significance for the team, as it represents Craig Melvin’s debut as a co-host.
While Melvin is the newcomer to the 137th Rose Parade, his colleagues are veterans. According to Today.com, Kotb has hosted 11 times and Roker is marking his 27th year.
Craig Melvin’s wife, Lindsay Czarniak, joined in the fun by sharing a behind-the-scenes video of the family looking at the flower-covered floats and asking her followers, "Can you believe this?!"
The families shared photos of their celebration on social media, showing everyone how they enjoyed the holiday together.
Heart warming family traditions shared by anchors before the big parade
Earlier, Craig Melvin had shared a festive look of his family in matching pajamas, though he joked that their dog, Myles, was "a bit unimpressed with our shenanigans."
Hoda Kotb spent her Christmas with a large family circle, including her daughters, sister, mother, and ex-fiancé Joel Schiffman.
Meanwhile, Al Roker relished the homecoming of his daughter, Leila, describing her holiday visit as a "Perfect Christmas present."
He also shared a celebratory reel featuring his granddaughter, Skye, rounding out a season defined by family connection before the team took their places for the 99th year of NBC's parade coverage.
