After nine years of bringing free music to the streets of our city with Make Music Pasadena, Old Pasadena Management District and the Playhouse District Association, co-producers of the festival, have made the decision to put the event on hiatus for 2017 and to evaluate its future viability.
Current funding sources are not sufficient to finance an event that is entirely free to the public. Due to exponentially rising costs in conjunction with a significant lack of funding from sponsorships and donations, Make Music Pasadena faced a $150,000 budget deficit, making it impossible to produce the festival for 2017. A proliferation of local and national music festivals has also made it a challenge to secure both talent and local media attention within a limited budget.
The producing organizations remain hopeful that sufficient sponsorship might be achieved for a 2018 event, and altruistically-inclined white knights are encouraged to contact either organization to discuss details. That’s not to say that Pasadena will be without live music this summer: We are delighted that the Arroyo Seco Weekend Festival will join in the tradition of bringing local, regional, and national acts to the people of Pasadena.