Visit Pasadena kicked off its 40th annual visitor hotline with a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Pasadena Convention Center on Wednesday, Dec. 27, ahead of the 135th Rose Parade on New Year’s Day.
The hotline, now in its fourth decade, helps tourists and locals alike with any questions about the 2024 Rose Parade, 110th Rose Bowl game, and other upcoming Tournament of Roses events such as Equestfest and the Run with the Roses 5K.
“If you’ve got questions…we’ve got answers,” Visit Pasadena Executive Director Kristin McGrath said at the ceremony, adding that question topics range from parking and ticketing, to accessibility and even tips on things to do and other recommendations.
“They share personal experiences, things that they really enjoy about spending New Year’s in Pasadena,” she said. “It’s a really special experience and we’re really lucky that all of our volunteers love to give their personal opinions and hot tips to really enjoy the (New Year) here.”
People can call 877-793-9911 to get their questions answered. Visit Pasadena, the city’s marketing organization, will operate the hotline from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays from now through Tuesday, Jan.2, 2024, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the weekend.
Tournament of Roses President Alex Aghajanian and Councilmember Felicia Williams also spoke at the event, before the 2024 Tournament of Roses Royal Court cut the ribbon and helped answer the first phone calls.
In the past, volunteers have fielded thousands of calls, but McGrath said as their web traffic has increased, the hotline phones ring less frequently, making this year’s call volume hard to predict. Still, despite the convenience of Visit Pasadena’s new digital visitor’s guide, McGrath said the hotline is likely here to stay.
“There’s still a whole segment of the population that really appreciates the opportunity to speak to a human on the phone to have their questions answered,” she said. “People…
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