Window Closes Monday For Pasadenans to Vote For Return of Beloved Summer Concert Series in Memorial Park

Pasadena is competing for a national grant that could bring free outdoor concerts back to Memorial Park’s historic bandshell beginning in 2026.

The city’s Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department (PRCS) is partnering with the nonprofit Pasadena Recreation and Parks Foundation to vie for a Levitt Music Series Grant. The multi-year matching grant provides up to $120,000 over three years.

Community members can vote online at vote.levitt.org or text PASADENA to (877) 409-5525. The voting period runs through Monday, Sept. 15 at 5 p.m.

The Levitt Foundation will select 50 finalists based on public votes. Grant winners will be announced Nov. 18.

If successful, Pasadena would revive its beloved summer concert series at Memorial Park. The venue hosted popular Levitt Pavilion concerts from 2003 through 2017, attracting over 75,000 people each summer.

“Both PRPF and the City of Pasadena share a commitment to fostering inclusive, accessible, and high-quality public programming,” said Koko Panossian, PRCS Director.  “We hope to be able to bring the Levitt Music Series back home to Pasadena.”

The grant would fund seven to ten free outdoor concerts annually featuring diverse music genres and professional musicians. Each voter may support up to five proposals nationwide.

Memorial Park’s WPA-era gold bandshell was largely abandoned before the original Levitt program launched in 2003. The concerts brought vitality back to the space and drew people from across the Los Angeles metro region.

The Levitt Foundation supports free outdoor concerts in public spaces nationwide. It was founded by philanthropists Mortimer and Mimi Levitt in 1966 using proceeds from Mortimer’s clothing business.

The foundation believes everyone should have access to live music regardless of economic background. It aims to activate underused public spaces and create inclusive community destinations.

For more information, visit https://levitt.org/music-series-grants/about/.