First published in the June 16 print issue of the Pasadena Outlook.
The Rose Bowl Stadium’s annual AmericaFest Celebration is recognized as one of the nation’s largest and longest running shows to celebrate America’s birthday. In celebration of the Rose Bowl Stadium’s centennial, “America’s Stadium” is going bigger than ever by celebrating all week long. The festivities will kick off on July 4 with the 96th annual AmericaFest and will culminate on July 9 with the Palomino Festival, highlighting some of the best country music has to offer presented by Goldenvoice.
“The Rose Bowl Stadium is so iconic for many things, but the annual AmericaFest at the Rose Bowl is an event that brings all of Pasadena and beyond, together,” said Mayor Victor Gordo. “The importance of community is so vital to our city and having the opportunity to celebrate the venue’s centennial celebration with an event like this is truly remarkable.”
In honor of the stadium’s 100th birthday, the AmericaFest program this year will highlight key moments of the venue’s iconic past, welcome back fan-favorite, TNT Freestyle Motocross with a thrilling, high-flying 30-minute show, and will also feature a musical performance by Drake Milligan.
After starring as a teenage Elvis Presley in the CMT series “Sun Records,” Milligan released his self-titled EP to much critical acclaim. Milligan’s signature traditional yet timely country record has earned praise from American Songwriter, Rolling Stone Country, CMT.com, Fort Worth Weekly, Sounds Like Nashville and Taste of Country.
The Rialto-based company Pyro Spectaculars by Souza will once again light up the sky with the longest running and largest fireworks display on the West Coast. Pyro Spectaculars has been providing firework entertainment at the Rose Bowl Stadium for more than 35 years and is known worldwide for extraordinary firework displays, producing shows for NFL Super Bowls, the Olympic Games and other major events throughout the world. The crowd will be dazzled as this year’s AmericaFest show will have firework displays dedicated to the stadium’s centennial.
To provide fans with the opportunity to take part in all the festivities, the Rose Bowl Stadium has partnered with Goldenvoice to provide guests with a free AmericaFest ticket with the purchase of a Palomino Festival pass. Head to palominopasadena.com and, upon checkout, guests will be prompted to add their free AmericaFest ticket to their cart. Don’t miss this opportunity to witness iconic country acts like Willie Nelson, Kasey Musgraves, Jason Isbell, Old Crow Medicine Show and Turnpike Troubadours.
The Rose Bowl Stadium has begun a five-year partnership with Southern California-based Wescom Credit Union to be the exclusive presenting sponsor of the Rose Bowl Stadium’s AmericaFest Celebration.
“In working toward our vision of becoming Southern California’s premier banking partner and making a difference in the communities we serve, we partnered with the Rose Bowl Operating Co. to make sure this historic celebration continues to be a family tradition across Southern California,” said Ashely White, vice president and partner of development at Wescom Credit Union, in a statement.
Tickets are now on sale with prices starting at $20. Parking lots will open at 1 p.m. and pre-purchased parking rates will start at $45. The Family Fun Zone in Area H will open at 1 p.m.
For more information or to purchase tickets for the 96th AmericaFest Celebration, visit rosebowlstadium.com or follow social-media handles @RoseBowlStadium.
