NW26 Parade Marshal | Muralist Robert Vargas to Lead 84th Nisei Week Grand Parade in Little Tokyo | Sunday, August 16
LITTLE TOKYO, Los Angeles– The Nisei Week Foundation proudly hosts its 84th summer event featuring free cultural activities for all ages. As part of its first weekend of events, the historic Nisei Week Japanese Festival Grand Parade will make its way through the streets of Little Tokyo on Sunday, August 16, starting at 4 p.m.
The parade will be led by the 2026 Grand Marshal, U.S. Rep. Mark Takano, and 2026 Parade Marshal acclaimed mural artist Robert Vargas. The parade procession will start at Central Avenue and head west on 2nd Street, turning north on San Pedro Street, turning east on 1st Street, then turning south and ending on Central Avenue.
Rep. Takano and Vargas will be honored on Saturday, August 15, 6:30 p.m., during the Coronation and Awards Celebration. Additionally, Alan Miyatake will be honored with the Nisei Week President’s Award. The celebration takes place at the Los Angeles Theatre Center’s Tom Bradley Theatre, 514 S. Spring Street, Los Angeles. Tickets are $105 (orchestra) or $75 (balcony) per person. For ticket information visit the NiseiWeek.org website.
Parade Marshal – Robert Vargas
Robert Vargas is an acclaimed Los Angeles muralist known for his monumental freehand portraits and his commitment to public art that reflects the cultural identity of the communities he serves. Raised in Boyle Heights, Vargas began painting murals as a child and quickly emerged as a prodigy, earning early museum recognition and public commissions before the age of 18. His formal training includes the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts and Pratt Institute in New York, grounding his instinctive freehand style in strong technical foundations.
Vargas’ murals appear throughout downtown Los Angeles, Little Tokyo, Boyle Heights and across the world. His signature approach – painting entirely freehand without grids or projections – allows the public to witness the artwork unfold in real time. Works such as Our Lady of DTLA and Angelus have cemented his reputation as one of the city’s most influential contemporary muralists.
His connection to Los Angeles’ Japanese American community deepened significantly through his tributes to Japanese baseball icons. In 2024, Vargas completed LA Rising, a towering mural of Shohei Ohtani on the Miyako Hotel in Little Tokyo, which quickly became a cultural landmark and a magnet for Japanese tourists.
In 2026, Vargas expanded this legacy with Samurai of the Diamond, a 12-story mural in Torrance featuring Ohtani alongside fellow Japanese stars Roki Sasaki and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Installed on the DoubleTree Hotel, the mural honors Torrance’s deep Japanese American heritage and symbolizes the global reach of Dodgers baseball.
Vargas has emphasized that these works celebrate unity, representation and the cultural bridges between Los Angeles and Japan. His broader portfolio includes tributes to community figures such as Fernando Valenzuela, further reflecting his dedication to portraying the diverse stories of the city.
His community engagement includes contributions to Project Angel Food, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. His work has earned numerous civic proclamations and an honorary doctorate recognizing his artistic and cultural impact.
Several days have been designated in his honor, including: Robert Vargas Day City of LA (Sept. 8), Robert Vargas Day, County of LA (Jan. 24), and Robert Vargas Day Los Angeles Unified School District (May 12).
His legacy is also reflected in public landmarks Robert Vargas Square at First and State streets in Boyle Heights and the Robert Vargas Library & Media Center at Mendez High School in Boyle Heights.