Who Moved Onto Alhambra's Main Street Since the Last Pumpkin Run?

Joyce Hsieh started baking during COVID in her in-laws' kitchen under the name The Hangry Bakery. She built a following through pop-ups and sales at Yang's Kitchen in Alhambra. On July 18, 2026, she opened her own shop, Pinecone Bakeshop + Cafe, at 116 W. Main St., next door to the restaurant where her following grew.

On Sunday, October 25, the start line for the 13th Annual Alhambra Pumpkin Run sits at 132 W. Main St., a few doors down from her shop. That isn't the only new business near the course. Much of what changed on downtown Main Street over the past year came from businesses that were already in Alhambra or nearby and moved into bigger or better-placed storefronts. On race morning, the route passes most of them while cars are kept off the street.

The Morning, by the Clock

The Main Street closure runs from Atlantic Boulevard to El Molino Avenue. Here's how the official schedule lays out the day:

The farmers market gets an earlier start that day. The city calendar lists the Certified Farmers Market at 100 S. Second St. from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on a regular Sunday such as October 4. On race day, the event schedule moves the market's opening up to 7:30 a.m.

The Kiddie Fun Run is new this year. It covers about half a kilometer, half the length of the 1K. The 10K is also back. It runs as two loops of the 5K route. Proceeds from registration go to the Alhambra Educational Foundation. Organizers say registration is capped this year and expect it to sell out.

Start Line, West End: The Bakery That Began as a Pop-Up

Pinecone is the most detailed example of a business stepping up from a smaller local setup. Hsieh is a Taiwan-born pastry chef and a Le Cordon Bleu graduate. She spent years in professional kitchens, most notably at Milo + Olive, where working with California farmers shaped how she bakes with fruit. Every tart crust uses Tehachapi Sonora wheat from the Tehachapi Grain Project, and the menu changes with the season. The opening menu included a peach Earl Grey tart, a mango sticky rice tart made with Valencia Pride mangos from Wong's Farms, and a banana miso caramel cream tart.

The room is built for staying a while. It has 31 seats, real plates and silverware, Counter Culture Coffee for espresso, and a see-through kitchen. The design firm ORA turned a narrow storefront into a skylit cafe lined with reclaimed Los Angeles pine. The name honors Hsieh's late grandfather, whose name includes the character 松, meaning pine.

The bakery's posted hours matter for race-day timing. Pinecone lists Sunday hours of 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday and Thursday run 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the shop is closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Under those hours, the doors open more than an hour after the 10K and 5K start. If you're running, coffee and a tart fit best after you finish, about when the band starts at 9:30.

The Loop Through Garfield

The 5K heads west on Main Street to 6th Street, turns around, and comes back east. At Garfield Avenue it turns north past the Renaissance Theater corner. A DJ plays at that corner, by Applebee's.

That stretch passes 15 E. Main St., where Coconut & Co opened on National Coconut Day, June 26, 2026. Founded in 2023, the shop moved to Alhambra to be right next to the movie theater. Its menu centers on young coconut drinks and kaya toast. Like Pinecone, Coconut & Co picked its location for what's next door. Pinecone sits beside the restaurant where Hsieh's baking found its audience, and Coconut & Co sits beside a movie theater, which brings steady foot traffic.

The Eastbound Leg Toward El Molino

From Garfield, runners loop back to Main Street and head east to a U-turn at El Molino Avenue. The newest additions on this leg are:

• Bangkok Broth House, 150 E. Main St., Suite 100. This Fountain Valley Thai restaurant opened its second location here. The Infatuation flagged it on August 26, 2026, for its boat noodles with beef or pork, served with or without broth, plus khao soi, tom yum noodles, leng saap soup and larb wings.
• Jersey Mike's, 333 E. Main St., Suite A. It took over the former GameStop space. In August, Around Alhambra reported that work was underway but no opening date had been announced. The company's location page now lists the shop as open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. with in-store pickup. Under those hours, it opens on race day as the 1K starts.

Both arrived from outside downtown: one is a regional restaurant's second location and the other is a national chain. Together they make the east end of the course busier than it was last October.

Third and Main: The Music School That Moved Up the Block

The Kiddie Fun Run makes its U-turn at 3rd Street. At that corner, the ground floor of 7 N. 3rd St. sat empty until Fried Music moved in. Around Alhambra's January 2026 report said the new location had opened a little over a month earlier.

The school's previous home was on 2nd Street next to Alhambra High School. That block now hosts the festival's main stage, where the costume contest starts at 11:30. Co-owners Ben and Connie Fried opened on 2nd Street in 2022. The new space added a room for Music Sprouts, their early-education program, plus a kitchen where students can eat together. Ben Fried explained the move this way:

"Everything has been organic – the business grew, the community grew, and it was time for an upgrade."

Fried Music moved one block from 2nd Street to 3rd. Pinecone moved from a neighbor's counter into its own storefront. Coconut & Co chose the theater next door on purpose. Each move kept the business in downtown Alhambra and gave it more space or a better spot. Connie Fried called Downtown Alhambra "an up-and-coming neighborhood" and "a hidden gem."

The Beer Garden Has a Permanent Address on 1st Street

The festival beer garden on 2nd Street is hosted by the Alhambra Educational Foundation and sponsored by Ohana Brewery. Runners 21 and over get a free beer from Ohana. Younger runners get a free non-alcoholic drink from the foundation. Ohana's own site lists its year-round address as 7 S. 1st St. in Alhambra, with Sunday hours of 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The foundation also runs a free bag check next to the beer garden, with donations accepted. You can drop gear in the morning and pick it up after the festival.

Getting There and Getting Around

With Main Street closed from Atlantic to El Molino, organizers recommend planning to park and walk in. The details that matter:

1. Parking is easier than usual. The free structures on North and South 1st Street are open, along with the Regal Theater lot, the Alhambra Court House lot and street parking.
2. Timed-parking enforcement is lifted for this day only. Red curbs and no-parking signs are still enforced.
3. ADA parking is limited. Organizers suggest ride sharing.
4. Leave dogs at home. They aren't allowed at the run or the farmers market. Service animals are the exception.
5. Packet pickup is Saturday, October 24, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. As of this writing, the location is still listed as TBD.
6. The event runs rain or shine. There is no rain date, and entry fees aren't refundable.

The 5K's last turn runs south on Garfield to Bay State, then back north to Main and west to the finish. Results are posted at the Race Timers truck on the south side of the finish line. Top-three awards are mailed rather than handed out at a ceremony.

If you want to keep walking after the costume contest, the Chinatown Service Center unveiled a mural of Alhambra history on August 8, 2026. It's on the building's Cordova Street side at 726 E. Main St.

The team at E3 Realty puts together guides like this so neighbors know what's open, when, and how close it is to their front door. If walking the Pumpkin Run course has you thinking about how much downtown Main Street could be part of your weekly routine, our agents and in-house lenders are glad to talk it through with you, no pressure.