U2, Amgen Tour, LitFest, JPL Open House To Draw Crowds to Pasadena This Weekend

PASADENA, CA — All roads will seemingly lead to Pasadena this weekend, with a series of major events expected to draw thousands of people to the city, crowding streets and making it particularly difficult to get around.

City officials warned residents and visitors alike to plan ahead, arrive early and be prepared to deal with crowds.

"All motorists are advised to use extra care, follow the directions of on-scene public safety officials and electronic message signs and take heed of all temporary and permanent no-parking zones because illegally parked vehicles are subject to ticketing and towing," Pasadena Police Chief Phillip L. Sanchez said.

Highlighting the weekend's events are a pair of sold-out U2 concerts at the Rose Bowl, on Saturday and Sunday. Add to that the final leg of the Amgen Tour of California bicycle race, which will end in Pasadena Saturday afternoon, along with the annually crowd-attracting two-day open house at Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The city will also play host to smaller events, including the LitFest literary festival, and free-admission day Sunday at Museums of the Arroyo.

To accommodate the Amgen race, the Arroyo Boulevard off-ramps from the Foothill (210) Freeway will be closed for about 30 minutes beginning around 1:20 p.m.

City officials urged visitors to take advantage of public transit as much as possible. They also noted that temperatures are expected to be hot all weekend, so people were encouraged to bring plenty of water and sunscreen.

City News Service; Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images