Looking for Something To Do? Free Events May 30 to June 5

Here are events scheduled Saturday, May 30, to Friday, June 5.

All events are free, so take a look -- and don't you dare say there's nothing to do in Pasadena! 

People of all ages are invited to learn about Chinese history and explore Chinese culture Saturday, May 30, from 10:30 a.m. to noon at Hastings Branch Library.

The USC School of Dramatic Arts will present a reading of the comedy "Gambled Eggs" by Victoria Moy Saturday, May 30, at 2:30 p.m. in the Carrie Hamilton Theatre at the Pasadena Playhouse (a repeat of the May 27 reading). Two sisters hatch a plan to save their father's dysfunctional family from ruin when his gambling debts bring a henchman to the door. Reservations are required.

The USC School of Dramatic Arts will present a reading of "Sentience" by Tylar Pendgraft Saturday, May 30, at 8 p.m. in the Carrie Hamilton Theatre at the Pasadena Playhouse (a repeat of the May 28 reading). A woman volunteers her husband for genetic alteration that will make him a better soldier. Reservations are required.

Bike, walk, skate or roll to your heart's content Sunday, May 31, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. when portions of Colorado Boulevard, North and South Raymond Avenue and South Lake Avenue will be closed to vehicular traffic for the non-motorized CicLAvia-Pasadena.

The opening reception for "Offering," a solo exhibition of ceramics and prints by Elaine Carhartt, is Sunday, May 31, from 2 to 5 p.m. at Offramp Gallery. The reception will also celebrate the openings of "Black & White Work" with works by artists Anita Bunn, Robert Kushner and Minoru Ohira and "Cool Heat" with ceramics and sculpture by Caroline Blackburn, Virginia Harrison and Nan Wollman.

Children 7 to 12 are invited to come to Lego Club Monday, June 1, from 4 to 5 p.m. at La Pintoresca Branch Library and make create Lego projects based on the weekly theme. Call 626-744-7268 to sign up.

The fact-based "Nicholas' Gift" (1994, NR) starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Alan Bates will be shown on the big screen Wednesday, June 3, at 1 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. Nicholas Green was 7 when he was killed in an attempted car robbery while vacationing in Italy with his family, who chose to donate his organs to Italian children in need.

"Selma" (2014, PG-13) starring David Oyelowo and Oprah Winfrey will be shown on the big screen Friday, June 5, at 1 p.m. in the Scott Pavilion at the Pasadena Senior Center. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. campaigns to secure equal voting rights via an epic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, in 1965. You do not have to be a member of the Pasadena Senior Center to attend.

SAVE THE DATE!

Saturday, June 6, from noon to 9 p.m. -- The annual Make Music Pasadena will feature more than 100 concerts rotating on stages in Old Pasadena, the Playhouse District, Memorial Park, Paseo Colorado and City Hall (the annual Music Under the Stars concert in Centennial Square!)


Photo credits: Fairfield's HamletHub, Victoria Moy, University of Southern California, ImageListing, XploreLA, Offramp Gallery, GL Design, IMDB.

Looking for Something To Do? Free Events May 23 to 29

Here are free events scheduled Saturday, May 23, to Friday, May 29.

All events are free, so take a look -- and don't you dare say there's nothing to do in Pasadena! 

Safely dispose of old computers, keyboards, printers, scanners, fax machines, phones, TVs and other electronic equipment at the eWaste event Saturday, May 23, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Parking Lot I at Brookside Park. You may also bring old batteries (vehicle batteries will not be accepted) as well as documents for shredding.

Family Fun Day at La Pintoresca Park and La Pintoresca Branch Library Saturday, May 23, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. will include entertainment, face painting, games, fitness zone, arts and crafts and much more. 

Teens are invited to meet 20 authors of popular young adult novels at the Pasadena Loves YA! book festival Saturday, May 23, from noon to 4 p.m. at Central Library. There will be book signings, giveaways, refreshments and more. RSVP on this Facebook page.

Adults will create beautiful resin jewelry with guidance and instruction from artist Margot Dyches Saturday, May 23, from 2 to 3 p.m. at Hill Avenue Branch Library. All materials will be provided. Space is limited; call 626-744-7264 to sign up.

The Ice House Comedy Club presents six comedians who will leave you LOLing during the Cool Beans show Sunday, May 24, at 7 p.m. Everyone will receive jelly beans and opportunities to win prizes. Reservations are required.

The USC School of Dramatic Arts will present a reading of "Child's Play" Tuesday, May 26, at 8 p.m. in the Carrie Hamilton Theatre at the Pasadena Playhouse. The reading will repeat Friday, May 29, at 8 p.m. The play is a realistic look at how privatized prisons affect families in America. Tickets are required. 

Guitarist Isamu Nakashio will perform Wednesday, May 27, from 12:10 to 12:40 p.m. for the popular Music at Noon recital series.

Frequency (2010, PG-13) starring Dennis Quaid and Jim Caviezel will be shown on the big screen Wednesday, May 27, at 1 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. An accidental radio link connects a father and his son across 30 years.

Art, science and technology will merge during Networks, part of the Art + Tech Panel Series in the auditorium at Caltech's Beckman Institute (#74 on this map) Wednesday, May 27, at 6 p.m. when artist Natalie Bookchin, art history and humanities professor Kris Cohen and visual arts professor Ricardo Dominguez discuss how they relate to similar concepts.

Photographing the San Gabriel Mountains is the theme of a public event Wednesday, May 27, at 7 p.m. at Eaton Canyon Nature Center hosted by the Sierra Club Forest Committee. Enjoy an evening of historic black and white photos and newer color shots of wildlife and wilderness. Presenters will offer tips on how to enjoy the adventure of snapping pics in the San Gabriels and how to take better ones.

The USC School of Dramatic Arts will present a reading of the comedy "Gambled Eggs" by Victoria Moy Wednesday, May 27, at 8 p.m. in the Carrie Hamilton Theatre at the Pasadena Playhouse. Two sisters hatch a plan to save their father's dysfunctional family from ruin when his gambling debts bring a henchman to the door. Tickets are required. 

Children ages 10+ are invited to show off their culinary skills to earn the title Library Iron Chef Thursday, May 28, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at Hastings Branch Library, but beware the mystery ingredient! Call 626-744-7262 to sign up.

The USC School of Dramatic Arts will present a reading of "Sentience" by Tylar Pendgraft Thursday, May 28, at 8 p.m. in the Carrie Hamilton Theatre at the Pasadena Playhouse. A woman volunteers her husband for genetic alteration that will make him a better soldier. Tickets are required. 

Everyone is invited to the third annual Day of Jazz at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music Friday, May 29, that will include a jazz history class from 10 a.m. to noon, a jazz master class from 4 to 5:30 p.m. and a concert from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Although all events are free, you'll need to reserve your ticket.

Photo credits: Earth911, Waymarking, Read Breathe Relax, Whipup, Ice House Comedy Club, Pasadena Playhouse, Isamu Nakashio, SciFi World, debit72, Outside, Victoria Moy, U.S. Department of Agriculture, University of Southern California.

Looking for Something to Do? Free Events May 16 to 22

Here are free events scheduled Saturday, May 16, to Friday, May 22.

All events are free, so take a look -- and don't you dare say there's nothing to do in Pasadena!

PUSD students in grades 2 to 8 will compete in the PasadenaLEARNS Science Olympiad Saturday, May 16, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Blair east campus (across the street from Blair High School). Come out and see these whiz kids in action, followed by entertainment and an awards ceremony!

Caltech's 35th annual Bandorama Saturday, May 16, at 8 p.m. at Caltech's Ramo Auditorium (just south of Beckman Auditorium) will feature the Caltech Jazz Band performing music by west coast composers Bill Holman, Steve Hufsteter, Gordon Goodwin and others and the Caltech Concert Band performing works by Holst, Deutsch and Dvorak.

Holst, Deutsch and Dvořák.

Holst, Deutsch and Dvořák

Holst, Deutsch and Dvořák

The Pasadena Museum of History and The Gamble House will be among the six venues offering free admission on Museums of the Arroyo Day Sunday, May 17, during regular hours.

Chamber music fans will want to rush to Caltech's Dabney Hall (#40 on this map) Sunday, May 17, from 2 to 6 p.m. for the Chamber Music Marathon featuring works by Vivaldi, Quantz, Shostakovich, Beethoven, Schubert, Mozart, Haydn, Jacob, Schumann, Piazzola, Arensky, Mendelssohn and Copland.

Children ages 5 to 12 are invited to read books to gentle, well-trained dogs at Barks and Books Monday, May 19, from 3 to 4 p.m. at La Pintoresca Branch Library. 

Vie for prizes by answering trivia questions about music of the '40s and '50s while listening to some of the greatest hits of those eras Tuesday, May 19, from 9 to 10 a.m. at the Pasadena Senior Center. You do not have to be a member to participate. 

"Somewhere in Time" starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour will be shown on the big screen Wednesday, May 20, at 1 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. A Chicago playwright uses self-hypnosis to find the actress depicted in the vintage portrait in a grand hotel.

Analytical tools developed by chemists helped explain why the dramatic sky disappeared from Winslow Homer's For to Be a Farmer's Boy (above) and material scientists have uncovered the sources of color in ancient Chinese jades. Dr. Katherine Faber will examine the science behind these and other object-based studies Wednesday, May 20, at 8 p.m. at Caltech's Beckman Auditorium (#91 on this map) and discusss the links between art, science and engineering that build bridges between museums and universities. The event is titled "Watching Paint Dry and Colors Fade."

"Watching Paint Dry and Colors Fade: The Intersection of Art and Science" - See more at: http://www.caltech.edu/content/watson-lecture-katherine-t-faber-watching-paint-dry-and-colors-fade-intersection-art-and#sthash.1BcfcbSH.dpuf

Faber will examine the science behind these and other object-based studies and discuss the links between science, engineering, and art, which build bridges between universities and museums. - See more at: http://www.caltech.edu/content/watson-lecture-katherine-t-faber-watching-paint-dry-and-colors-fade-intersection-art-and#sthash.1BcfcbSH.dpuf

Faber will examine the science behind these and other object-based studies and discuss the links between science, engineering, and art, which build bridges between universities and museums. - See more at: http://www.caltech.edu/content/watson-lecture-katherine-t-faber-watching-paint-dry-and-colors-fade-intersection-art-and#sthash.1BcfcbSH.dpuf

Felix Bullock, chair of the Guitar Department at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music, will showcase his talented guitar quartet Thursday, May 21, at 4 p.m. at Allendale Branch Library.

Admission to the Pasadena Museum of California Art is free the third Thursday (and first Friday) of every month. On Thursday, May 21, from 5 to 8 p.m. see the current exhibitions and everything else the museum has to offer.

Learn the history of the Battle of Puebla through folk tales, songs and music Thursday, May 21, from 7 to 8 p.m. presented by Gloria Arjona in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library.


Photo credits: Caltech, Jeanette B., Art of Composing, Los Angeles Quickies, Elvis Collectors, Claratsi's Movie Reviews, Visual Art Encyclopedia, The Well-Tempered Ear, Pasadena Museum of California Art, Gloria Arjona.

Looking for Something To Do? Free Events May 9 to 15

Here are free events scheduled Saturday, May 9, to Friday, May 15.

All events are free, so take a look -- and don't you dare say there's nothing to do in Pasadena!

 

Come meet the dedicated men and women of the Pasadena Fire Department Saturday, May 9, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. All Pasadena fire stations will conduct open houses; at Fire Station 33, 515 N. Lake Ave., there will be demonstrations and activities including live vehicle burns, aerial ladder operations and much more.  

Now that the unmanned spacecraft Dawn has arrived at its second destination after a seven-year journey, celebrate the excitement of space exploration Saturday, May 9, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. inside and outside Beckman Auditorium (#91 on this map) with solar telescopes, children's activities, science and engineering presentations, booths representing various NASA missions and much more.

LitFest Pasadena returns Saturday, May 9, from noon to midnight with readings and salon-style author panels in the byways, book stores, wine bars, theaters, coffee houses and streets of the Playhouse District.

Teens are invited to Anime Afternoon Saturday, May 9, at 2 p.m. at Central Library. Enjoy the anime television series "Yakitate!! Japan," Japanese snacks and the newest manga in the library's collection.  

The Crown City Symphony will perform Brahms's Tragic Overture, Massenet's Scenes Pittoresque-Suite no. 4 and Weber's Clarinet Concerto Saturday, May 9, at 2 p.m. at Pasadena Christian Church, 789 N. Altadena Dr. and Sunday, May 10, at 2 p.m. at First Baptist Church, 74 N. Marengo Ave.

The second Sunday of every month is Free Admission Day at the USC Pacific Asia Museum. On Sunday, May 10, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. enjoy the current exhibitions, martial arts demonstrations and everything else the museum has to offer.

Mothers will be pampered Sunday, May 10, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at One Colorado with mimosas, massages, music, photo booth fun and much more.

The Caltech Chamber Music Ensembles will perform  a special Mothers Day concert Sunday, May 10, at 3:30 p.m. at Caltech's Dabney Lounge in Dabney Hall (#40 on this map) with works by Mendelssohn, Rachmaninoff and Brahms.

Mendelssohn, Brahms, and Rachmaninoff

Mendelssohn, Brahms, and Rachmaninoff

Mendelssohn, Brahms, and Rachmaninoff

L'Opera Chamber Players will perform Wednesday, May 13, from 12:10 to 12:40 p.m. for the popular Music at Noon recital series. Feel free to bring a sack lunch.

"Time After Time" (1979, PG) starring Malcolm McDowell and Mary Steenburgen will be shown on the big screen Wednesday, May 13, at 1 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. H.G. Wells pursues Jack the Ripper to 20th century San Francisco after the serial murderer uses Wells's newly constructed time machine to escape his time period. Wells meets a local woman who helps him adjust and gets caught up in his unlikely story.

Children are invited to use their imaginations and create paper bag kites, then take them outside to soar through the air Thursday, May 14, at 3 p.m. at Villa-Parke Branch Library.

"Annie" (2014, PG) starring Quvenzhané Wallis and Jamie Foxx will be shown on the big screen Friday, May 15, at 1 p.m. in the Scott Pavilion at the Pasadena Senior Center. A child who lives with a mean foster mom sees her life change when a business tycoon works out a scheme to adopt her.

The Pasadena Community Orchestra will perform Haydn's Symphony No 104 (London) and Lalo's Symphony Espagnole in D Minor, Op.21 Friday, May 15, at 8 p.m. at First Church of the Nazarene, 3700 E. Sierra Madre Blvd.


Photo credits: yours truly, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, LitFest Pasadena, Fan Art, Crown City Symphony, Pacific Asia Museum, Dreamstime, Caltech, USC Pacific Asia Museum, WXXI, IMDB, Circle of Ideas, MXDWM, Pasadena Community Orchestra.