ArroyoFest returns: The Arroyo Seco Parkway to (briefly) close to cars this fall

Marmion Way, Bridewell, Orange Grove, Fair Oaks: The exits seen along the Arroyo Seco Parkway possess more than a bit of poetry and flair to spare, but we're often swiftly moving past them on our way to Pasadena, Highland Park, or, in the opposite direction, Downtown Los Angeles.

There is a way to soak up some of the inherent splendor of this fabled stretch of California State Route 110, and to do so at a slow roll: Take part in ArroyoFest, an open streets event presented by 626 Golden Streets.

Perhaps you recall ArroyoFest when it rolled two decades ago, in June 2003, giving pedestrians, roller skaters, and cyclists the incredibly rare chance to savor people-powered movement along several miles of the Arroyo Seco Parkway.

Now that incredibly rare chance is returning — yes, we said "incredibly rare" twice and truly meant it — on the final Sunday of October 2023.

ActiveSGV, a group that's known for its work in "creating a more sustainable, equitable, and livable San Gabriel Valley," has become synonymous with the popular 626 Golden Streets events, which give cyclists and saunterers a chance to cruise along major streets, from Alhambra to San Dimas, without any motorized traffic on the road.

But few streets in Southern California — scratch that, the world — are quite like the iconic Arroyo Seco Parkway, billed by the National Park Service as "the first 'freeway in the West" and "the starting point for Los Angeles car culture."

Six miles of the parkway will be closed to cars on Sunday, Oct. 29 from 7 to 11 a.m., while Mission Street in South Pasadena, located near the top of the route, will remain an open streets thoroughfare from 7 a.m. to 2 o'clock.

It's free to join, and you can start in either direction and at any point along the parkway.

Roll one way with your bike or skates, then catch Metro at the following A Line rail stations: South Pasadena, Highland Park, Southwest Museum, Heritage Square, or Lincoln Cypress.

"This free community gathering, inspired by worldwide 'open streets' events and echoing the spirit of the unforgettable 2003 "ArroyoFest", invites you to walk, jog, skate, bike, and explore while immersing in the diversity of our vibrant local communities," ActiveSGV shared on Facebook earlier in June.

The end of October is still four months away, but an exploratory group ride, one that hugged the parkway but didn't enter the busy freeway, happened on June 26, 2023, or 6/26, if you prefer.

The date was a source of local pride, of course: It's #626Day, and the San Gabriel Valley is a region that is synonymous with the 626 area code.

Eye photos from the recent ride now and start planning for your morning out, with your bike, unicycle, or lucky sneakers, on the beautiful Arroyo Seco Parkway in late October.