By Bill Glazier
Billed as a “a magical evening of active fun under the stars,” organizers of last Sunday’s Mission-at-Twilight, the most recent in a series of southland open streets events enabling participants to take to the road by foot, skate, scooter, bike, and other modes of active mobility, was hailed as a huge success.
The latest cyclovia, drawing thousands, as is tradition linked neighboring cities, this time South Pasadena, Alhambra and San Gabriel covering an approximate five-mile route, while creating a lively, car-free playground for outdoor enthusiasts.
Going away from its standard form of starting much earlier in the day, Mission at Twilight, presented by Metro, hosted by San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments (SGVCOG) and produced by Active San Gabriel Valley, often referred to as ActiveSGV, was staged from 3 to 8 p.m., extending into the evening hours for the first time.
As part of the day, a one-mile fun run/walk – Gabe’s Fastest Mile, a chipped-timed, flat course, one-mile race – started from the South Pasadena Hub in the afternoon hours. A $35 registration fee included a finisher medal and t-shirt.
Wes Reutimann, the deputy director with ActiveSGV, said Mission-at-Twilight was especially popular with local families, and late risers. Most open streets events in southern California are generally hosted from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Like those preceding it, activity hubs – South Pasadena, Alhambra and San Gabriel – were filled with live music, play zones for kids, a diverse array of food and beverages, and interactive community booths.
Los Angeles resident Pilar Reynaldo told Reutimann, “I ran into so many people I know, which allowed me to catch up with old friends I hadn’t seen in years. This would never happen in a car. An active streets event should happen somewhere in the city every weekend, more than ever we all need connection.”
Along with his duties at ActiveSGV, Reutimann, who cares deeply about the environment, serves as a consultant to Michael Cacciotti, a longtime South Pasadena councilmember and vice chair of the South Coast Air Quality Management District Governing Board.
Modeled after the thousands of open streets or ciclovia events that have been held around the world, Mission-at-Twilight was the seventh organized by Active San Gabriel Valley. Reutimann noted the first – 626 Golden Streets – was slated in March 2017 to celebrate what was then known as the Metro Gold Line (now the A Line) Azusa extension. After the first successful event, organizers convened and developed the concept for “Mission-to-Mission,” the second route in the event series in Spring 2019. Then came a Halloween themed ‘SGV Streets and Treats” in October 2019, followed by another Mission-to-Mission in 2022 and 2024 tabbed “Heart of the Foothills,” and ArroyoFest in 2023, taking place along parts of the Arroyo Seco Parkway in Pasadena, South Pasadena and surrounding areas. It was a sequel to the first ArroyoFest held 20 years earlier.
Reutimann points out the intended goals of a ciclovia are “to promote sustainable, active modes of transportation, encouraging play, community connections, and exploration of the San Gabriel Valley’s diverse communities.”
And they seem to be working. “We regularly hear people say they enjoy the events because they make biking, skating, scooting on local streets safe,” he added, “They bring together lots of people, and are free to the public. There are lots of different things to see and do, they feature local artists and musicians and are family friendly.”
The next open streets event – Corazón del Valle – is tentatively scheduled for Sunday, November 2, connecting the cities of El Monte and South El Monte. To receive information about upcoming dates, sign up for notices at www.activesgv.org/get-involved
