What began as a handful of parents and kids on bicycles has grown into a fun South Pasadena neighborhood tradition — and now it’s rolling into a full-scale community celebration.
On Saturday, October 25, from 2 to 5 p.m., the Arroyo Vista Elementary PTA Bike & Walk Bus invites families, students, and neighbors to campus for Pedalpalooza 2025, a free afternoon devoted to biking, safety, and South Pasadena spirit.
People Moving… On Two Wheels
For the past three years, Arroyo Vista’s Bike & Walk Bus has been quietly transforming how local children get to school. Each week, dozens of riders meet at Grand & Hermosa (the AV North route) and the South Pasadena Library on Oxley (the AV East route), departing at 7:55 a.m. to pedal as a group toward Arroyo Vista. Riders can also join mid-route or cheer from the sidewalks, and walkers meet at Diamond & El Centro, leaving at 7:45 a.m.
Participation has exploded — from 13 riders in the first year to more than 50 students and parents now pedaling together each week. The Bike Bus has become a living example of how “safety in numbers” builds confidence, community, and joy. The program recently drew recognition from CalBike, which profiled it as a model of grassroots mobility and civic engagement
How It Started
Parents Andrea Knopf and Kristen Pumphrey helped turn a one-time ride into a sustained movement. They worked within the PTA to secure school support, built neighborhood consensus, and organized parents to ride alongside students. City advocates at South Pas Active helped establish the routes and connect the effort to South Pasadena’s broader safe-streets network.
“Once families saw how fun it was to ride together, the excuses disappeared,” Knopf says. “The kids were beaming — they started asking to ride every day.”
The school has since expanded bike-rack space, created coned safety zones, and made the Bike Bus part of its regular communication channels. Some students who began in kindergarten now ride independently to middle school.
Pedalpalooza 2025: A Celebration of the Journey
This year’s Pedalpalooza caps off that momentum with a campus-wide festival for the entire community of South Pasadena. Hosted at Arroyo Vista Elementary (335 El Centro Street), the event will feature:
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Free bike tune-ups by The Cub House
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Bike-safety clinics and skill-building courses
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Creative bike-decorating stations
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Family games, refreshments, and live music
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Raffle prizes, including donations from WOOM Bikes and other sponsors
The South Pasadena D.U.D.E.S. and South Pas Active are joining forces with the AV PTA to make it happen. Volunteers will be on site to guide families through the courses, answer safety questions, and share information about the weekly Bike Bus and Walk Bus programs.
Pedalpalooza 2025 is open to everyone — students from any school, families, and all South Pasadenans who simply love to roll. Bring a helmet, a smile, and a sense of adventure.
Event Details
Arroyo Vista Elementary School, 335 El Centro St.
Saturday, October 25, 2025 | 2 – 5 p.m.
More Info: [email protected] | Join the AV Bike Bus WhatsApp group via SouthPasActive.org
