Mariachis hopped on the Metro E Line early Friday to serenade East Los Angeles and Boyle Heights riders on their morning commutes.
The surprise performance organized by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority marked 15 years since the opening of the light rail Eastside Extension which brought rail transit to the area for the first time in over four decades. Friday was also a celebratory day for Santa Cecilia, the patron saint of music and musicians.
The line opened in 2009 after five years of construction, offering transportation from East Los Angeles to Little Tokyo in downtown L.A.
It was most known as part of the “Gold Line,” a name it held until 2020, before being renamed the “L Line.” In 2023, the route was integrated into the Metro E Line, providing direct access from East Los Angeles to Santa Monica following the construction of the Regional Connector in downtown L.A.
Mariachi Cielito Lindo and Mariachi Las Catrinas serenade Metro riders on Friday, Nov. 22. Photos courtesy of Metro.
Members of Mariachi Cielito Lindo and Mariachi Las Catrinas filled Metro trains and stations with the sounds of violins, guitar strums, trumpets, gritos and mariachi tunes from 7 to 9 a.m. to mark the “quinceañera.” Metro workers also shared pan dulce with riders.
After performances at Atlantic, East L.A. Civic Center, Maravilla and Mariachi Plaza, the bands finished off the celebration with a final send-off at Little Tokyo, concluding the original route that the Eastside Extension brought to these neighborhoods fifteen years ago.
