Saturday, October 10, 2026

28th Latino Heritage Parade and Festival Set for Today, Recognizing City’s ‘Unsung Heroes’

Pasadena’s 28th annual Latino Heritage Parade and Festival is scheduled for this afternoon and evening, with organizers planning a special recognition of the day laborers, street vendors, caregivers, and other workers they call the city’s “Unsung Heroes.”

Jose Madera, a Pasadena resident and the director of the Pasadena Community Job Center, is the parade’s grand marshal.

The parade is scheduled from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., starting at the intersection of Los Robles Avenue and Buckeye Street, traveling south on Los Robles Avenue, and concluding at the plaza in front of Pasadena City Hall.

A festival at City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave., is scheduled to follow from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

This year’s theme is “United by the Heartbeat of Our Community,” or “Unidos por el Latido de Nuestra Comunidad” in Spanish.

The City of Pasadena’s Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department and the Pasadena Latino Heritage Parade and Festival Committee present the event.

Organizers say the theme celebrates shared culture, traditions and connections. Koko Panossian, director of the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department, said that the parade and festival give the community an opportunity to come together and celebrate its cultural traditions.

“This year’s theme, ‘United by the Heartbeat of Our Community,’ reminds us of the shared experiences and connections that strengthen our city,” Panossian said in the release.

“We invite residents and visitors to join us for an afternoon and evening of culture, celebration, and community,” Panossian said.

Committee co-chairs Vannia De La Cuba and Lisa Barrios Izaguirre wrote in a letter to prospective sponsors, “This event provides a joyous opportunity to celebrate our culture, history, and community.” They wrote that the theme “highlights the strength found in our shared heritage.” The co-chairs and Parks, Recreation and Community Services Superintendent Pamela Cantero presented information about the event to the Pasadena City Council on Aug. 31.

The organizing committee plans a special recognition of Pasadena’s “Unsung Heroes,” according to the city. The workers named include day laborers, street vendors, restaurant and food-service workers, caregivers, house cleaners, hospitality workers and educational aides.

The city describes Grand Marshal Madera as born and raised in Pasadena and says he has supported job training, workforce development and employment placement. The release also says he helped connect workers and families affected by the Eaton Fire with relief, recovery and rebuilding resources.

Madera told Pasadena Now in an interview published Friday that “it was a great honor to be grand marshal, especially in the city that watched me grow.”

Describing how the job center operates, he said, “Workers come in the morning, sign up to be on the list, and again, they wait there for work to come.”

“I always wanted to work in Pasadena and organize and work with the families that I grew up with,” Madera said of returning to Pasadena after college.

The festival at City Hall is scheduled to feature live music by Vilma Diaz y La Sonora, along with cultural performances, art, food, educational displays, community booths and family-friendly activities, according to the city.

The parade and festival fall within National Hispanic Heritage Month, observed nationally each year from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 under federal law.

About 34% of Pasadena residents are Hispanic or Latino, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures.

Street closures, transit and admission

The city announced the following street closures for the event:

• Buckeye Street between Madison Avenue and Los Robles Avenue, noon to 5 p.m.
• Los Robles Avenue between Mountain Street and Walnut Street, noon to 6 p.m.
• Walnut Street between Los Robles Avenue and Garfield Avenue, 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• Centennial Square/Euclid between Walnut and Union, 6 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.

The city recommends the Union Street Protected Bikeway for cyclists. It identified Memorial Park Station on the Metro A Line as the rail option, and listed Pasadena Transit Route 10, Metro routes 180 and 686, and Foothill Transit Route 187 as nearby bus lines.

Pasadena City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave., Pasadena. Saturday, Oct. 10: parade 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.; festival 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Free admission. For more call 626-744-6530 or visit https://www.cityofpasadena.net/event/latino-heritage-parade-festival/.