Pasadena Latino Heritage Parade and Festival set for Saturday

The 26th annual Pasadena Latino Heritage Parade and Festival is scheduled for Saturday.

The parade and festival celebrate Latino history and culture toward fulfilling the city’s mission to promote educational and cultural programs for the public.

The event is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is sponsored by the Pasadena Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department and the Pasadena Latino Heritage Parade and Festival Committee.

The theme this year is “We Are Pasadena: We Continue to Flourish,” which aims to create awareness about “a Latino community that is not only growing and thriving but also honoring its roots while enriching the broader tapestry of our city and nation,” according to a statement from the city. “The event brings together family, friends, warmth, and tradition, enhancing the community with its rich cultural offerings.”

Officials expected the parade and festival to draw more than 2,000 participants and spectators.

The parade will start at the intersection of Los Robles Avenue and Buckeye Street, head south on Los Robles and end in front of City Hall at 100 N. Garfield Ave. After the parade, the festival will feature live entertainment, educational booths, children’s activities and food vendors.

“Pasadena’s Latino Heritage Parade and Festival is a proud tradition that not only honors the contributions of our vibrant Latino community but also celebrates the strength, diversity, and unity of our city. This year’s theme, ‘Somos Pasadena: Seguimos Floreciendo,’ reflects the resilience and growth of our community as we continue to build a future rooted in shared values, culture, and history,” Mayor Victor Gordo said in a statement. “I invite everyone to join us in celebrating this wonderful event, where families and neighbors come together to honor our past and look toward a bright future.”

This 2024 grand marshals are Martín Dorado, a teacher at Madison Elementary School, and NASA astronaut José M. Hernández, a mission specialist on the space shuttle Discovery in 2009.

Dorado, who teaches fifth grade, is in his ninth year with the Pasadena Unified School District.

Madison Elementary serves possibly the largest number of Latino bilingual learners in Pasadena, according to city officials.

“As a public educator, Dorado is dedicated to encouraging and mentoring his students, helping them grow into the individuals they aspire to be,” officials said. “He understands the importance of culture and identity in the classroom, fostering the expression of his students’ diverse cultural backgrounds. As a Mexican-American, he is proud of his Zacatecano heritage.”

NASA engineer Hernández dreamed of traveling through the cosmos ever since he learned the first Hispanic-American had been selected for the Astronaut Corps.

“I was hoeing a row of sugar beets in a field near Stockton, California, when I heard on my transistor radio that Franklin Chang-Díaz had been chosen as an astronaut,” Hernández said in a statement. “I was already interested in science and engineering, but that moment solidified my dream of becoming an astronaut.”

Years of hard work paid off when Hernández was selected to train as a mission specialist with the 2004 astronaut candidate class. In 2006 he completed astronaut training, and in 2009 he participated in Discovery’s STS-128 mission.

“We’re thrilled to celebrate the 26th annual Latino Heritage Parade and Festival. Grab a lawn chair and invite your family, friends, and neighbors to join us for this spectacular celebration,” Koko Panossian, director of the Pasadena Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Department, said in a statement.

The following streets will be closed for the parade and festival:

• Buckeye Street between Madison Avenue and Los Robles Avenue, 6 a.m.-11:30 a.m.;
• Los Robles Avenue between Mountain Street and Walnut Street, 8 a.m.-noon;
• Walnut Street between Los Robles Avenue and Garfield Avenue, 9:30 a.m.-noon; and
• Garfield Avenue between Thurgood Marshall Street and Union Street, 6 a.m.-5 p.m.

Free parking for the event is at:

• Pasadena Central Library parking lot, 270 Garfield Ave., enter behind the library off of Garfield Avenue;
• The city parking lot next to the YWCA, 255 Union St., enter from Union Street; and
• limited street parking is available.

Public transportation options include:

• Bikes — use the Union Street Protected Bikeway;
• Metro rail A Line, formerly the Gold Line, Memorial Park Station; and
• Nearby bus lines are Pasadena Transit Route 10, Metro 686, Metro 180 and Foothill Transit 187.

Additional information is available by calling 626-744-6530.