Pasadena Elks Celebrate 125 Years With a Western-Style Birthday Bash

The mechanical bull was bucking, the cowboy hats were plentiful, and the music rolled across Colorado Boulevard’s “TV Corner” on Sunday evening as Pasadena’s Elks Lodge No. 672 celebrated its 125th anniversary with a Western-style party that was anything but old-fashioned.

Outside the stately clubhouse, guests gathered around hay bales and checkered tables while musicians performed beneath a sprawling stage canopy. Mounted Pasadena police officers rode through the festivities, children tried their hands at roping, and a succession of performers kept the celebration moving into the evening.

The festival also benefited five local nonprofits: Ronald McDonald House, Door of Hope, Altadena Girls, Pasadena Humane and Villa Esperanza.

Mayor Victor Gordo, himself an Elk, presented a City Council certificate recognizing 125 years of service.

“It’s important to celebrate our institutions in Pasadena,” Gordo said. “I was not there 125 years ago, but I’m proud to be here 125 years later as a member.”

The lodge was established in 1901, becoming the 672nd chapter of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, a national fraternal organization founded in New York City in 1868 by a group of entertainers.

Its imposing clubhouse at 400 West Colorado Boulevard was designed by architect Myron Hunt, whose Pasadena work also includes the Rose Bowl and Huntington Library. The original building dates to 1911, with a ballroom addition completed in 1928. In November 2024, Pasadena designated the building a historic landmark.

Through generations of changing civic life, the lodge has remained a gathering place for charitable work, veterans’ programs, scholarships and community events. Its historic meeting room and other gathering spaces preserve the character of an earlier Pasadena, even as renovations have introduced modern amenities. Today, the lodge reports more than 2,000 members, continuing a tradition of fellowship and public service that has endured through two world wars, economic upheavals and the city’s remarkable growth.

For member Michael Calderon, that history matters most when translated into action.

During the Eaton Fire, he recalled, the lodge provided free meals and welcomed displaced residents arriving in recreational vehicles.

“This is a group that is not just collecting money, but is actually doing good in the community for the community,” Calderon said, explaining his decision to join.

Organizing Sunday’s celebration required months of work.

Chiara Tellini, the lodge’s external events chair, and event producer Richard Pizante assembled a musical lineup featuring Maurice Smith & the Magnolia Outlaws, electric violinist Ginny Luke, DJ Manu Seve and other performers.

Pizante said the goal was to create something welcoming and representative of Pasadena’s diversity.

“We’re incorporating the diversity of the community,” he said.

Approximately 60 volunteers helped bring the festival together, according to organizers.

As the evening approached, the stage lights brightened against the western sunset, and the music continued. After 125 years, the Elks were still finding reasons to throw open their doors.