On Sunday, November 15, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., a 2.7-mile stretch of Colorado Boulevard and Raymond Avenue will close to cars and open to people walking, biking, skating and rolling. According to the City of Pasadena's first announcement, Pasadena and CicLAvia last held an open streets event here in May 2015.
In the city's latest update, CicLAvia Executive Director Romel Pascual pointed out that Colorado Boulevard is marking its 150th anniversary and is part of Route 66, which turns 100 this year. From Thursday, November 12, through Sunday, November 15, separate organizers have scheduled a Route 66 history talk, a makers' fair in Old Pasadena's Central Park, a Route 66 trivia night and the car-free Sunday, making those four days the busiest stretch of the boulevard's anniversary year.
A tighter route than 2015, built around the boulevard
The 2015 event was a longer, branching route. CicLAvia's archive lists the May 31, 2015 Pasadena event at 3.5 miles, using Colorado Boulevard and side streets with spurs on Raymond Avenue and Lake Street. At the time, CicLAvia called it its most walkable event to date.
| May 31, 2015 | November 15, 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 3.5 miles | 2.7 miles |
| Streets | Colorado Boulevard and side streets, spurs on Raymond Avenue and Lake Street | Colorado Boulevard from Pasadena Avenue to Allen Avenue, Raymond Avenue from Pacific Alley to Dayton Street |
| Metro links | Memorial Park and Del Mar stations | Memorial Park and Del Mar stations |
| Extra reach | Not listed | Two 1.0-mile "Slow Streets" pop-up bike lanes |
The Lake Street spur is gone. More of the closed route now runs along Colorado itself, which links Old Pasadena, Playhouse Village and South Lake Avenue end to end. The city extends the event's reach with Slow Streets, not more closures. Those are temporary bike lanes marked with cones and signs, and regular traffic keeps moving beside them. The western segment runs along Walnut Avenue from Raymond Avenue to Orange Grove Boulevard, then continues to Rosemont Avenue, a few blocks from the Rose Bowl. The eastern segment follows Colorado Boulevard from Allen Avenue to San Gabriel Boulevard and connects to Lamanda Park.
If you live near the Rose Bowl or in Lamanda Park, you'll have a marked way to ride to the closed route without loading a bike into the car.
Why this is Colorado Boulevard's year
The centennial framing isn't just CicLAvia's. The Pasadena Museum of History's exhibition, "Where History Meets the Road: Celebrating Route 66 & Colorado Boulevard," runs from June 13, 2026, through January 24, 2027. On October 11, the museum and the Pasadena Post Office held a Route 66 Forever Stamp unveiling, as the Daily News reported.
The anniversary has also reached food tours. Pasadena Now reported in June that Melting Pot Food Tours added Route 66 history to its Old Pasadena Food Tasting Walking Tour. The tour meets at 155 S. Raymond Ave., with weekend tours from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. scheduled through 2026.
Four days on one corridor
Here's how the separate calendars line up.
Thursday, November 12. "Route 66: Travelers and Tribes," with Shawn Price, historian and director of the Dine'Tah Navajo Cultural Program, runs from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Pasadena Museum of History. Tickets are $18 general and $13 for members. Event details.
Saturday, November 14, daytime. The Jackalope Indie Artisan Fair opens in Central Park, 275 S. Raymond Ave., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free, and Old Pasadena lists more than 200 hand-selected local makers, along with live music and family activities such as flower picture frame building and make-your-own slime. Old Pasadena's event page.
Saturday, November 14, evening. The Pasadena Museum of History hosts Route 66 Trivia at Wild Parrot Brewing Company from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Entry is free, and food and drinks are available to buy. Trivia listing.
Sunday, November 15. CicLAvia runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Jackalope reopens in Central Park from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Old Pasadena's listing says Sunday is also CicLAvia Pasadena and that "attendees are welcome to enjoy both activities."
The Jackalope overlap is the practical part. A Sunday morning on the car-free route can end at a makers' fair, and Jackalope closes an hour after CicLAvia, which leaves time to browse once the ride is done.
The theater calendar adds one more option. Passing Strange, the Tony-winning musical based on singer-songwriter Stew's life, has its long-awaited Los Angeles premiere at Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave., from November 4 to 29. Sunday matinees start at 2 p.m. On November 15, that puts a Playhouse Village matinee right inside the car-free window. On Saturday, November 21, the 2 p.m. performance includes a theater workshop for children ages 5 to 12 during the show. Show details and tickets.
What Sunday looks like if you live or park on the route
The car-free window runs 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., but the closures start earlier and end later, and the parking rules start earlier still. The city has set this timeline:
- 4 a.m. No parking along the route or on the Slow Streets routes. No-parking signs go up in advance, and towing will be enforced.
- 7 a.m. Streets on the route close to cars.
- 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event runs.
- 5 p.m. Streets reopen to cars and parking restrictions end.
If you keep a car on Colorado Boulevard between Pasadena Avenue and Allen Avenue, or on Raymond Avenue between Pacific Alley and Dayton Street, move it Saturday night. Cars can still drive on the Slow Streets segments, but parking there follows the same 4 a.m. to 5 p.m. restriction.
Cars will be allowed to cross the route at six intersections. If you need to drive north or south across Colorado that day, check the route map on CicLAvia's Pasadena event page before you leave.
The rules on what you can ride are specific.
- Allowed: bikes, skates, walking, manual and motorized wheelchairs, and Class 1 pedal-assist e-bikes.
- Allowed with conditions: Class 2 e-bikes with the throttle off, and Class 3 e-bikes with pedal assist off.
- Not allowed: electric scooters, electric skateboards, hoverboards, electric unicycles and motorcycles.
Both hubs offer free family activities, restrooms, water refill stations, basic bike repair, bike parking, seating, first aid and free pedicab rides from the information booth. One hub is the Memorial Park Hub at 145 N. Raymond Ave. and the other is the Colorado Hub at 1778 E. Colorado Blvd. LAist has announced its own booth at the Memorial Park Hub, with giveaways and listener meetups.
The Pasadena Star-News reported that programming, business opportunities and other details were set to be covered at the city's October 15 community meeting. For the latest hub activities, check CicLAvia's activities page for the event closer to the date. Jackalope's organizers have said parking and traffic details for the fair will follow too.
Before November, One Colorado's Halloween Spooktacular runs Saturday, October 31, from 4 to 8 p.m. at 41 Hugus Alley, with store-to-store trick-or-treating and free family photos until 7:45 p.m. For more on the blocks between these events, see our Downtown Pasadena neighborhood guide and our earlier look at Old Pasadena's summer anchors.
Do you own a home or building on or near the route and plan to list this fall? Then November 15 belongs on your calendar the same way it belongs on your neighbors'. Street closures and a 4 a.m. parking cutoff can change when an open house works and when buyers can reach the front door. Joy Realty Group can help you plan your showing schedule around the weekend. Schedule a consultation.
