CITY OF CHAMPIONS

On Saturday, September 27, 2025, the City of Duarte held its 68th anniversary parade, city picnic and classic car show at Encanto Park. The theme, “City of Champions” invoked Duarte’s founding in 1957 when a group of community members determined to control their future and avoid further annexation by Monrovia, Azusa, Irwindale and Baldwin Park, won incorporation of this once 7,000-acre land granted to ex-Mexican corporal, Andres Duarte and his wife. On August 22, 1957, the City of Duarte and the Duarte Unified School District were formed, unifying a once fragmented community.

The mid-morning parade headed eastbound on Huntington Drive, encapsulated by stunning views of the transverse ranges and steep mountain slopes of the San Gabriel mountains. In spite of rain, Saturday’s event continued as planned, signalling the triumphant return of the annual anniversary parade and picnic.

Postponed since 2019 due to the pandemic, Mayor Cesar A. Garcia proudly welcomed Duarte residents alongside California State Senator Susan Rubio, California Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio and fellow elected leaders.

Mayor Garcia was elected in 2022 and has roots in the city from 1979 when his grandparents bought their first home in Duarte. He described in an interview with Creating Creators how this year’s comeback parade was especially meaningful because it was honoring the city’s incorporation while showcasing talent in Duarte, especially of its student athletes who made it to the finals, won CIF titles or finished the season with undefeated records.

The Duarte High School Marching Band and Color Guard, cheerleading team, community groups and the Duarte Police Department marched to the rhythmic beat of classic car engines and Duarte High School cheerleading chants.

The procession culminated at Encanto Park with live music, food truck vendors and rows of low rider cars, hot rods, classic cars, family friendly programs and activities. On the Encanto Park stage, Mayor Garcia and City leaders gave accolades to Duarte’s championship teams: the undefeated Duarte Youth Athletic Club (DYAC) pictured below with Mayor Garcia, and the Duarte High School Falcons softball team, winner of the 2025 Montview League title and three consecutive titles preceding it.

The Falcons football team, League champions in 2024 and CIF finalists and semi-finalists in 2024, were also featured.

When I shared that the DYAC Bronco’s finished the Spring 2025 Season with a 20–0 and 18–0 record with Holden Marcuso, a colleague and coach on his son’s high school football team, he offered the following definition:

“A champion is like a well-oiled machine who does everyday what someone else might do only once in a while.

These young athletes probably hate to lose as much as they hate to practice, and the fastest way to motivate a team is to turn that fear of losing into a commitment to consistency. Train daily or train regularly. Learn from each match — win or lose.”

During my interviews with Duarte car show enthusiasts, fans and contenders, I was intrigued by how “champion”, a noun, verb and adjective, was used to describe a car.

“It’s in the eye of the beholder”, shared Richard and Dave, mechanical and electrical engineers whose hobbies included attending auto shows throughout San Gabriel Valley and LA County.

With the clarity and precision of an engineer, Dave took my champion metaphor “on the road” with this explanation:

“The qualities of a winning vehicle would have to exceed many categories over a period of time. I would include reliability, functionality and aesthetics, but what might win in 1959 will not take home a trophy in 2025.”

He continued while pointing to Richard:

“But my buddy, Richard over here will be the first to tell you that if that 1959 entry remained elegant and exquisite in 2025, judges could conclude that certain cars are champions, simply because their ‘aesthethics’ stood the test of time.”

Richard reminisced about his first car, a 1959 TR3A Triumph which was beautiful but unreliable despite the amount of time he spent fixing and maintaining the British model.

Dave laughed as he described his first car, a 1976 Pontiac Trans Am with a removable T-top that became problematic, yet he continued to drive that Trans Am along Route 66 while a high school student during the country’s bicentennial year.

As if on cue, Dave and Richard sang along with me when I referenced Elton John’s "Philadelphia Freedom" — embedding a soundtrack to the unifying themes and memories that 1976 evoked. As I said goodbye and thanked my fellow car show attendees for the interview, they asked me to remember this:

“For a car to win, it must appeal to the spectator, elicit nostalgia and bring back the best of memories”.

“To me, a car is a champion if the engine is strong. The engine is the foundation”, said Hector, whose black Dodge sedan won a trophy. I complemented Hector on the exquisite, indigo-like hue of the car’s exterior, its perfectly preserved dashboard and leather interior. He shared his love of keeping the car detailed and clean with the same enthusiasm with which his father did as a young man.

“I just wanted to honor my father and pick up where he left off in the caring and maintenance of our family’s Dodge Sedan,” said Hector.

It was Hector’s first time as an entrant on a car show, and his first time winning a trophy. I asked him if he called his dad after the Dodge’s win, and I learned that his father passed away.

I offered my condolences and shared that I couldn’t think of a better way to describe a champion than being a good son to a parent.

As I drove home from the event, I was reminded of my adult son, Quinn’s, champion mindset. An assistant trainer with the Boxing Club at the Duarte Teen Center, Quinn was determined to win one more match before moving to Colchester, England in late September for school. Setting his sights on a final match as a contender in the August 22, 2025 Pasadena Centennial Square amateur boxing show, Quinn cross-trained (Ju-jitsu, weight lifting, running) for five nights a week for four months leading up to the boxing show. His goal was to wrap up his short amateur boxing hobby with a 2 wins and 1 loss record. Quinn credited Duarte Teen Center coaches, co-workers, and his beloved boxing students for their discipline and grit. As he described it, “Like them, I wanted to win more than lose”.

Quinn won his second and final welterweight boxing belt to the cheers of family and coaches from the City of Duarte who shared the picture below:

Councilmember Samuel Kang, an athlete, Boxing Club mentor and parent to a daughter and son, epitomizes Duarte’s winning mindset, guiding the city as its Mayor during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. When I asked him about this year’s anniversary theme, he responded:

“To me, being a champion for a city means bringing clarity, integrity and unity for all. We have to foresee and shape a better future for our children. This means investing in sustainable infrastructure, tree-lined streets, prosperous, diverse and friendly neighborhoods.”

Not even rain could threaten Duarte’s parade. Over 200 people attended, prospering in each other’s company, in large part due to the friendly, diverse and down-to-earth nature of the city’s residents.