In 1876, a general store and post office opened at Colorado Street and Fair Oaks Avenue, and that corner became the start of Pasadena's commercial center, as the Playhouse Village Association tells it. On Sunday, November 15, that corner sits near the west end of a car-free route that runs 2.7 miles in total, along Colorado Boulevard and part of Raymond Avenue. From there Colorado slopes gently down toward Allen Avenue.
Most of the event-day offers are clustered near the top, the bottom ends near the Allen A Line station, and free pedicabs run between the two hubs. Start in Old Pasadena and let the boulevard carry you east.
A Shorter Route Than 2015, Timed to Two Anniversaries
CicLAvia last came to Pasadena on May 31, 2015. That route was 3.5 miles, with spurs on Raymond Avenue and Lake Street out to local parks, and the organizers called it their most walkable event up to then. This year's route is shorter. It covers Colorado Boulevard from Pasadena Avenue to Allen Avenue and Raymond Avenue from Pacific Alley to East Dayton Street, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free.
In the City of Pasadena's announcement, CicLAvia Executive Director Romel Pascual connected the return to the street's own milestones:
"It's been 11 years since CicLAvia held a Pasadena event, and we are thrilled to be returning. The historic and iconic Colorado Blvd is celebrating its 150th Anniversary, and is part of Route 66 which is celebrating its centennial this year."
Route 66 arrived in 1926, and its path through Pasadena followed Colorado Boulevard. The route links Old Pasadena, Playhouse Village and South Lake Avenue. CicLAvia's event page says the elevation rises from the Colorado Hub at 1778 E. Colorado Blvd. up to Raymond Avenue. Going east, the whole route is a gentle descent. Coming back west means a gradual climb.
Nearly All the Offers Are Near the Top of the Route
CicLAvia publishes a list of businesses offering event-day specials. Out of the 16 names on it as of late October, 12 are in or next to Old Pasadena, mostly in the alleys and on Holly Street near the Memorial Park hub at 145 N. Raymond Ave.
| Business | Address | Event-day offer |
|---|---|---|
| The Bar Method | 32 Mills Place | Free class pass |
| Basecamp Fitness | 38 El Molino Ave. | First class free, 14-day trial for $28; open 7:30 a.m. to noon |
| Bokãos Aveda | 52 Hugus Alley | Sidewalk consultations and styling, 15% off, drawing for a $1,000 extensions transformation |
| Commune Records | 12 E. Holly St. | 20% off store items |
| Dog Haus Biergarten | 93 E. Green St. | Old Pasadena Run Club info and event-day deals; open 8 a.m. to noon |
| Jenette Bras | 18 E. Holly St. | $50 gift certificates for the first 10 visitors, 15% off sports garments |
| Karhyn | 50 S. De Lacey, Suite 208 | Early Black Friday deals |
| Mesmer Mesmer with Mammoth Coffee | 65 E. Holly St. | Themed iced drinks outside, 15% discount cards |
| Rebecca Crews | 52 Hugus Alley | Mini cream cups and discount cards, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
| Sea Love | 28 E. Colorado Blvd. | Free gift with a $50 purchase; open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Store242 | 123 Morgan Alley | 10% off store items |
| Sundays | 47 W. Colorado Blvd. | Tote bags and a giveaway, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
Check the hours before you go. Basecamp and Dog Haus close at noon, and Sea Love and Sundays don't open until 11 a.m. If you want coffee at Mesmer Mesmer, a class at Basecamp and a stop at Dog Haus, go early. The shops still open after lunch fit a slower second pass. Businesses can join the list until Thursday, November 12, so it may grow. Pasadena Now reported that a UCLA Luskin study of a 2013 CicLAvia on Wilshire Boulevard found a 10% sales increase on event day for businesses along the route. For businesses that engaged participants directly, the increase was 57%. The Old Pasadena list reads like shops trying to land in that second group. On event day, map.ciclavia.org lets you filter the map by offers.
East Colorado Has Fewer Stops and More Open Road
Farther east on Colorado, the list drops to four names. Carbon Health sits west of Lake, and the other three are between Lake and Allen:
- Carbon Health, 600 E. Colorado Blvd., Suite 120, with water, Liquid IV, first-aid supplies and priority walk-in care for participants
- Strong Sports Gym, 985 E. Colorado Blvd., with the store open and mini lessons in the gym
- Tea Spots, 1443 Colorado Blvd., with 15% off the menu and a $5 coupon for joining its loyalty program
- Wingstop, 1709 E. Colorado Blvd., with 10% off orders starting at 10 a.m.
Wingstop is a short walk from the Colorado Hub. Both hubs have free water refills, ADA-compliant restrooms, first aid, basic bike repair and bike parking. The pedicab stops are at each hub's info booth.
The east end matters most to people who live past Allen Avenue. The City is putting up a one-mile Slow Streets lane on Colorado from Allen to San Gabriel Boulevard, connecting East Colorado to Lamanda Park. A second one-mile lane runs along Walnut Avenue from Raymond to Orange Grove Boulevard and on to Rosemont Avenue, a few blocks from the Rose Bowl. Slow Streets lanes are separated from traffic with cones and signs, and cars still use those streets. Parking on them is restricted from 4 a.m. to 5 p.m., the same as on the main route.
One Way to Sequence the Morning
With the grade, the shop hours and the train in mind, here is one order that works:
- Before 4 a.m.: Move any car parked on the route or a Slow Streets block. No-parking signs go up in advance, and towing is enforced.
- By 7 a.m.: Finish any driving across the corridor. The route closes to cars at 7 a.m., and streets near the hubs can close as early as 6 a.m. Cars can cross at selected major streets marked on the official route map. The Pasadena Star-News reported, citing the city, that there will be six crossing points.
- 9 a.m.: Start near Memorial Park. The Memorial Park and Del Mar A Line stations are each less than 0.1 mile from the route. Hit the noon-closing stops first, then pass Fair Oaks, the corner from 1876.
- Late morning: Head east through Playhouse Village and past Lake Avenue. From Memorial Park to the Colorado Hub is 2.2 miles.
- Getting back: The Allen station is 0.4 mile from the route, and so is Lake. Free pedicabs also run between the hubs, first come, first served, for riders who can step or transfer into the cab.
- 3 p.m. to about 5 p.m.: The event ends at 3 p.m., and streets are fully open to cars by about 5 p.m.
Only people-powered vehicles are allowed. Class 1 pedal-assist e-bikes are fine, Class 2 e-bikes are allowed with the throttle off and Class 3 e-bikes with pedal-assist off. Electric scooters and electric skateboards are not allowed. Manual and motorized wheelchairs are welcome. If you live or work directly on the route, Pasadena Now reported that CicLAvia may reimburse parking costs up to $20 per vehicle.
Two Construction Sites Sit on the Same Corridor
Metro's NoHo to Pasadena bus rapid transit project has station work underway along this stretch. Pasadena Now reported on September 21 that all four Pasadena station sites were active: Holly Street and Arroyo Parkway, Colorado and Los Robles, Colorado and Lake, and Hill Street between Colorado and Green. A city report expected work to finish in November. Metro's construction timeline lists Colorado and Lake as running April through October 2026. Colorado and Los Robles runs September through November, and Hill and Green July through November. A City of Pasadena transit page gives earlier end dates, and both agencies say schedules can change. Los Robles sits right on the route, so check Metro's active construction notices the week before for lane reductions or pedestrian detours. When the line opens, the stations will have seating, shade canopies and real-time arrival screens, with service scheduled to start before the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The Anniversary Also Runs All Weekend
CicLAvia is the biggest event of the weekend, but there are others. The Pasadena Museum of History's exhibit Where History Meets the Road follows Route 66 and roadside culture along Colorado Boulevard. It includes four new oral histories from Pasadena Heritage and runs through January 24, 2027. On Thursday, November 12, the museum hosts a Route 66 lecture called Travelers and Tribes. The night before CicLAvia, Saturday, November 14, the museum runs a free Route 66 trivia night at Wild Parrot Brewing Company on Colorado Boulevard from 7 to 8:30 p.m. There's no RSVP, space is limited, and prizes go to the top three teams.
At Speranta Group, we watch how Colorado Boulevard changes, from new storefronts to the bus stations going in at Lake and Los Robles. If you own a home near the corridor and want to know what those changes mean for its value, request a free home valuation and we'll walk you through the numbers.
