Pasadena’s 35th annual Black History Month Parade has been rescheduled to Saturday, March 18, 2017. The City’s Black History Month Parade is one of the largest and oldest in the United States. This year’s theme is “35 Years – Recognizing Our Accomplishments, Still We Rise.”
The parade begins at 10 a.m. at Charles White Park in Altadena, heads south on Fair Oaks Avenue and ends by about 1 p.m. at Robinson Park, 1081 N. Fair Oaks Ave. Temporary road closures for streets crossing Fair Oaks Avenue will be in effect along the route. Motorists are asked to use caution while driving in the area.
Community Grand Marshalls are Mr. and Mrs. Perry and Melanie Bennett. Community Youth Grand Marshall is Ms. Lindsay Cooper and Celebrity Grand Marshall is Ms. Linda “Peaches” Tavani. Special recognition will be given to Mr. Sheldon Epps, Artistic Director Emeritus for the Pasadena Playhouse, and jazz musician Mr. Billy Mitchell.
The family friendly parade is free and open to all. If you cannot attend, the parade will be recorded and broadcast in its entirety by Pasadena Media, www.pasadenamedia.org on KPAS, the City’s government cable access TV channel and streamlined online.
About 70 entries are scheduled to appear, including high school marching bands; drill and dance teams; several car and motorcycle clubs, social service organizations, the famous Buffalo Soldiers Cavalry team, various City officials and departments. The Wells Fargo Stagecoach team is also scheduled to appear, weather permitting.
The Parade is organized by the City’s Human Services & Recreation Department in collaboration with the volunteer Black History Parade Committee. The parade had originally been set for February 18, but was postponed due to weather. The regular, post-parade festival is being scheduled for the annual Juneteenth Celebration this year due to the onset of work for the Robinson Park Recreation Center project.
