Pasadena’s 32nd annual Black History Parade filled the streets of Northwest Pasadena with colorful costumes, dancers, musical performances and waving community leaders on Saturday morning, spilling over into an all-day Festival.
Families, groups of teenagers, and kids in red flier wagons licking ice cream cones lined the streets to witness one of California’s longest standing parades of its kind.
“It was beautiful. The parade made me feel connected, and I got an opportunity to see a lot of people I haven’t seen in a long time. I really enjoyed myself,†Kenny Strong of New Seed said served as a volunteer to keep the parade on time.
Pasadena NAACP President Gary Moody and Butler-Elder Family Child Care Director Shirlette Butler-Elder may have been the Grand Marshals, but the queen of the parade was the princess Chihuahua hailing from a top the glittering purple stunt limo.
The parade is the climax of the month long Black History Celebration and united the community to mark the theme of “A Legacy for the Present and Our Future.â€