City Celebrates Pasadena’s 126th Birthday

Hundreds packed the manicured grounds of the Pasadena Museum of History on Saturday, June 23, to celebrate Pasadena’s 126^th Birthday.  Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard and Council members Steve Madison, Terry Tornek, Gene Masuda and Chris Holden joined numerous other city officials in a synchronized cutting of seven large birthday cakes.

The celebration was titled “Happy Birthday Pasadena: Celebrating Now and Then” and each of the seven cakes was decorated with edible art by Vons. Their bakery experts reproduced historic, vintage pictures from the Museum’s archives representing Pasadena basic theme: neighborhoods, arts, sports, water, technology, and transportation history. The main cake was adorned with the City’s seal.

“Happy Birthday to the great city of Pasadena,” Mayor Bill Bogaard said as he greeted the crowd. “This is a great day to celebrate and was made possible through the generosity and dedication of so many in our community and the museum.”

Mayor Bogaard and Pasadena’s City Council members were joined in the cake cutting by City Manager Michael Beck, Police Chief Phillip Sanchez, Fire Chief Calvin Wells, Pasadena Water  and Power Dept. General Manager Phyllis Currie, and Carlos Illingworth representing Vons Supermarkets.

Pasadena Star-News Editor Frank Girardot served as the celebration’s emcee while U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist John Naber served as the celebrity music conductor for the wind ensemble who led the crowd in a traditional Happy Birthday Salute.  Naber also used his conducting prowess to orchestrate the countdown for the simultaneous “Synchronized Cake Cutting” by City Officials stationed around the seven colorful birthday cakes.

The event was produced by the Pasadena Museum of History in partnership with the City of Pasadena and sponsored in part by Pasadena Water and Power; Vons/Pavilions; Pasadena Star-News; Foothill Transit; Lagerlof, Senecal, Gosney & Kruse, LLP; Paloheimo Foundation; Tournament of Roses Foundation and West Pasadena Residents’ Association; along with the generous support from numerous other individuals, businesses, and community organizations.  Go to www.pasadenahistory.org for a list of sponsors.

For more information about Pasadena, go to www.cityofpasadena.net.