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Pasadena Neighbor Day Returns Sunday With Renewed Purpose Amid Fire Recovery

Community festival transforms into support hub for artists affected by Eaton Fire disaster
Published on Jan 16, 2025

The third annual Pasadena Neighbor Day takes on heightened significance this year as the community gather to strengthen bonds and support each other and all residents affected by the recent Eaton Fire. The free festival, scheduled for January 19 at Wild Parrot Brewing Co. in East Pasadena, is evolving from a casual community celebration into a vibrant platform to support disaster recovery efforts.

Several scheduled performers lost their homes in the fire.

“Everyone we’ve spoken to from people … we’ve talked to on the street, to the City [officials], to you name it — everyone thought it was important to have the event go on… It seems like people need this,” said Russell Mark of The Nextdoors band, who co-organizes the event with Wild Parrot Brewing Company.

The day-long festival, set to run from noon to 8 p.m. at 2302 E. Colorado Boulevard, will feature seven local San Gabriel Valley bands, with music starting at 1:30 p.m.

A community toast is scheduled for 4:45 p.m., and organizers are considering adding a $5 raffle with proceeds benefiting fire relief efforts.

While admission is free, normal charges apply for food and drinks at the venue.

The timing has resonated with many Altadenans.

“The fact is that Altadena is an incredibly creative community, and almost everyone that we know personally who lost their homes or have been evacuated… are musicians, photographers, artists. And of course, for those people it can be the hardest because work dries up and you have no place to live,” Mark explained.

In response, the local music community has mobilized comprehensive support initiatives for affected artists, including GoFundMe campaigns, Music Cares grants and loans, Guitar Center’s instrument replacement offers, and studio space offerings from local musicians.

The event has expanded its partnerships to include the Pasadena Economic Development Team and Urban Homestead, while maintaining its relationship with primary beneficiaries the Pasadena Educational Foundation and Pasadena Symphony, both now actively involved in fire recovery efforts.

The disaster has highlighted the event’s core mission of fostering neighborhood connections. “We’ve lived here for eight years and we’ve known them the whole time, but on the night that the fires broke out, we realized we actually don’t have each other’s phone numbers. We just see each other. We say hello, we chat in the driveway,” Mark shared.

Since its inception in 2023, when it began as a free music day aimed at strengthening community bonds, the event has grown significantly. After a successful social media campaign, it gained official recognition from Mayor Gordo’s office and has become particularly important for rebuilding connections weakened during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The nice thing is we haven’t had to pivot all that much because everything we were going to do for Neighbor Day still just makes that much more sense now,” Mark noted, emphasizing how the event’s original mission aligns with current community needs.

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