A rare occurrence unfolded Sunday morning on the Arroyo Seco Parkway: No cars were allowed.
Instead, the stretch of the 110 Freeway that snakes its way through South Pasadena and Northeast Los Angeles — usually crammed with motorists — was people-powered and reserved for pedestrians, bicyclists and anyone else who wanted to explore the area from a new perspective.
Hosted by Active San Gabriel Valley and presented by Metro, the free, family-friendly event shut down six miles of the freeway and local streets from 7 to 11 a.m. Pedestrians and bicyclists took over the roads, similar to the open-streets concept behind the car-free CicLAvia events. The emphasis for ArroyoFest is on foot traffic and allowing people to explore the neighborhoods of Lincoln Heights, Cypress Park, Highland Park, Hermon, South Pasadena and Pasadena.