Party of historic proportions
The Colorado Street Bridge Celebration returns Saturday with food, drink and music
By Carl Kozlowski 07/08/2010
After taking a year off due to the extreme economic uncertainties of last summer, Pasadena Heritage is roaring back into action this weekend with the return of the long-cherished Colorado Street Bridge Celebration. This nationally famous event is one sign that the economy is starting to pick up, with organizers confident that Pasadena music fans will eagerly celebrate in a way they’re familiar with.
Featuring local legends Snotty Scotty & the Hankies, which has played every Bridge Party since they were conceived in 1979, the Ryan Cross Experience, Jose Espinosa and His Umbalaye Band, New Astroturf, Mercy & the Merkettes, Abacuda Beartail, Wreck N Sow and the Pasadena Scottish Pipes and Drums, the night promises to be spectacular both for the dazzling views it will offer of the Arroyo Seco at sunset and the plethora of rocking sounds emanating from three stages set up on the bridge.
The event gets a glamour boost with the help of the party’s celebrity emcee, KTLA Morning News Anchor Michaela Pereira.
“We always anticipated bringing it back this year, but we have been so encouraged by all of the calls and emails and expressions we got last year about how disappointed people were,” says Sue Mossman, executive director of Pasadena Heritage. “We thought we should make every effort to make it happen this time. I hope everyone missed it and that everyone who missed it is planning to come — and that everyone who didn’t know they missed it will come too!”
Mossman noted that the logistics of the event present an annual challenge for the organization and its battalion of volunteers. First of all, the 97-year-old structure, towering 144 feet and spanning 1,486 feet, has no water or food supply — as well as no restrooms, tables or chairs. Needless to say, the setting up requires a lot of work.
“We have to set it up, break it down and have everything off the bridge, all in less than 24 hours,” says Mossman. “It’s a tricky proposition and also a very expensive one. But we’ll have fabulous beverages, including our ‘house wine’ from San Antonio Brewery, and premium wine from Bodega. We’re also having beer from Craftsman Brewery and Eagle Rock Brewing Co., and a wide range of soft drinks, including the new GuS, which stands for Grownup Soda and is very popular right now as a healthy gourmet soda.”
The Colorado Street Bridge Celebration runs from 6 to 11 p.m. Saturday at the Colorado Street Bridge in Pasadena. Tickets are $15 at the door, but discount tickets are available through Friday for $13.50 online at pasadenaheritage.org or at the Pasadena Heritage office at 651 S. St. John Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 441-6333. All proceeds benefit Pasadena Heritage’s work in historic preservation projects.
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