For Its 24th Season, Pasadena Police Car Show Moves to City Hall

For 23 years, the Pasadena Police Department parked its annual car show along Colorado Boulevard. This year, the chrome and custom paint move to City Hall.

The department’s 24th Annual Car Show takes place Saturday, June 6, on the grounds of Pasadena City Hall a new location for a tradition that also raises money for two youth programs serving Pasadena young people year-round. Proceeds from the event go to the Pasadena Police Activities League, which has provided after-school and summer programming for more than 3,500 young people since 1999, and the Police Explorer Program, which prepares participants ages 14 to 21 for potential careers in law enforcement, according to the department’s event listing.

The show runs from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with doors opening at 7:00 a.m. The event features classic cars and modern show cars, according to Visit Pasadena. Food trucks will be on site, according to the event listing. Parking is available in nearby meters and structures but is not free.

Previous editions were held at The Paseo Colorado, 300 East Colorado Boulevard most recently the 23rd Annual Car Show on June 14, 2025. The event listing for 2026 does not state a reason for the venue change.

The two beneficiary programs operate on different tracks but share a goal: connecting Pasadena police officers with young people outside the context of enforcement.

The Police Activities League, which the department operates in partnership with The Salvation Army–Pasadena, runs an after-school and summer program based at 960 East Walnut Street. An average of 85 students attend the after-school program daily, with about 110 enrolled in summer sessions, according to the PAL website. Each member is assigned a youth adviser, and the program’s academic goal is to help participants maintain a grade-point average of 2.0 or higher, according to the city of Pasadena’s website.

“Tutoring and education have always been a major pillar for PAL,” Cpl. Cristian Allen of the Pasadena Police Department said in a 2020 interview with Pasadena Now.

PAL received its tax-exempt nonprofit status in March 1999, according to federal records, and began programming that summer, according to the department. Activities include golf lessons, swimming, and boxing, the event listing states. The program also includes culinary arts, field trips, arts and crafts, and personal development courses, according to the city’s website.

Explorer Post #19 offers a different path. Participants who meet the requirements — a minimum “C” grade-point average, good physical condition, and an interest in law enforcement — enter a 22-week academy before earning the title of Police Explorer, according to the city of Pasadena’s website. The group meets the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month at the police station.

“Explorers gain career experience, learn about police and court proceedings; they develop leadership skills, assist at city events and go on police ride-alongs,” the department said in a 2021 statement.

Several current Pasadena police officers were once explorers themselves, the department states in its event listing.

The 24th Annual Pasadena Police Department Car Show takes place Saturday, June 6, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Doors open at 7:00 a.m. Car show registration is $45 per vehicle; registration closes June 5. The show is at 100 Garfield Avenue. Metered street parking and parking structures are available nearby; parking is not free. For more information or tickets, visit eventbrite.com/e/24th-annual-pasadena-police-department-car-show-tickets-1983558656337.

Twenty-four years of muscle cars and squad cars, all so Pasadena kids have somewhere to go after school.