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Friday, February 24, 2017

Looking for Something to Do? Free Events Feb. 25 to March 3


Here are free events scheduled Saturday, Feb. 25, to Friday, March 3.

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


Read, write and converse with writers whose works exist in the vibrant space between languages and in the multiplicity of Englishes that populate L.A. Saturday, Feb. 25, from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Caldwell Gallery at Armory Center for the Arts. Bring an empty notebook, questions about a particular piece of writing and/or simply your desire to read in good company. This event coincides with the exhibition "Between Words & Silence."

Come join residents, artists, writers, students and others for an afternoon of hammock knitting, poetry and storytelling Saturday, Feb. 25, from 1 to 4 p.m. at La Pintoresca Branch Library. Hammocks will be installed in parks adjacent to Pasadena public libraries, a high school and Side Street Projects headquarters. 

Pianist Erica Lee will perform in recital Saturday, Feb. 25, at 7 p.m. in Barrett Hall at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music. The program will include Bach's Prelude and Fugue in A-flat Major WTC I, Haydn's Sonata No. 50 in C Major, Brahms's Intermezzi Op. 118 Nos. 1-3, Debussy's Jardins sous la pluie, Chopin's Etude Op. 25 No. 1 and Moszkowski's Etude Op. 72 No. 10.

Desire can be deadly! A Los Angeles Opera community educator will lead guests through the opera "Salome" Monday, Feb. 27, at 1 p.m. at the Pasadena Senior Center. Set in ancient Judea, this biblical tale of lust and betrayal is based on Oscar Wilde's scandalous play, with revolutionary music by Richard Strauss. You do not have to be a member of the Pasadena Senior Center to attend.

Jenni Olson will perform on piccolo, flute, alto flute and bass flute Tuesday, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m. in Barrett Hall at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music as she takes guests on a musical journey of classic flute repertoire as well as new and exciting commissioned works. The program will include works by Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Brandon, Fauré, Horsley, Montano, Prokofiev and Mancini. Olson will be accompanied by pianist Timothy Durkovic. Reserve your free tickets here.

March is One City, One Story month -- our community reading celebration! Have you read this year's Pulitzer Prize-winning selection The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen yet? OCOS events are scheduled all month long.
  • "The Scent of Green Papaya" (1993, NR) starring Tran Nu Yên-Khê and Man San Lu will be shown Wednesday, March 1, at 1 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. A 10-year-old Vietnamese country girl goes to work as a servant for an affluent but troubled family in Saigon in the years prior to the war. The girl earns the fragile affection of the household's grieving matriarch while discovering beauty and epiphany in the lush physical details that envelope her. Vietnamese with English subtitles.
  • Viet Thanh Nguyen will join Michelle Perera, director of the Pasadena Public Library system, Thursday, March 2, at 7 p.m. at All Saints Church to discuss his experiences writing the novel, followed by a Q&A with the audience.

Jazz guitarist Riner Scivally, pianist Jennifer Morris/Watts and bassist Michael Alvidrez will perform Wednesday, March 1, from 12:10 to 12:40 p.m. for the popular Music at Noon recital series at Pasadena Presbyterian Church.


Children are invited to Dr. Seuss's birthday party to enjoy some of the author's great classics, make a craft and enjoy tasty treats Wednesday, March 1, at 3:30 p.m. at Hill Avenue Branch Library and Thursday, March 2, at 3:30 p.m. at La Pintoresca Branch Library


"The Accountant" (2016, R) starring Ben Affleck and Anna Kendrick will be shown Friday, March 3, at 1 p.m. in the Scott Pavilion at the Pasadena Senior Center. A mathematics savant with more affinity for numbers than people works as a freelance accountant for some of the world's most dangerous criminal organizations, then takes on a legitimate client to try and keep the feds from closing in on him. You do not have to be a member of the Pasadena Senior Center to attend.

The first Friday of every month is Free Admission Night at the Norton Simon Museum. On Friday, March 3, from 5 to 9 p.m. enjoy the current exhibition "Serial Flirtations: Rotari's Muses," Van Gogh's 'Bedroom' on loan from the Art Institute of Chicago and everything else the museum has to offer.


The opening reception of the Valerie Daval exhibition "Entendez-voux le Murmure..." Friday, March 3, from 5 to 9 p.m. at Alliance Francaise de Pasadena will feature paintings inspired by the works of renowned French writers Jean Giono and J.M.G. Le Clezio. There will be a conversation with the artist at 7 p.m. The exhibition will continue through March 31.

Now that the books are closed on the 2017 Tournament of Roses events, tour season has begun at the Tournament House! Come along any Thursday at 2 p.m. or 3 p.m. through the end of August. Owned by the City of Pasadena, the former Wrigley Estate is home to the Pasadena Tournament of Roses. A docent will lead you through the 18,500-square-foot Italian Renaissance mansion built for the chewing gum mogul in 1906. In addition to 21 magnificent rooms, you'll see displays related to Rose Bowl Games, Rose Queens and their Courts, Grand Marshals and plenty of historical memorabilia from football trophies to tiaras. Then visit the adjacent Wrigley Gardens with 1,500 varieties of roses.



Photo credits: Armory Center for the Arts, Erica Lee, Los Angeles Opera, Ron Luxemburg, U.S. Postal Service, Warner Bros., Norton Simon Museum, Valerie Daval, Pasadena Tournament of Roses.

Friday, February 17, 2017

Looking for Something to Do? Free Events February 18 to 24


Here are free events scheduled Saturday, Feb. 18, to Friday, Feb. 24.

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

-- Please note that the Black History Parade 
scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 18, 
has been canceled due to weather. --

Symphomaniax, a quartet of violin, classical guitar, cello and double bass from the San Fernando Valley Symphony Orchestra, will perform a repertoire ranging from Bach to The Beatles Saturday, Feb. 18, at 2 p.m. at Allendale Branch Library

The live production "Songs of the Civil Rights Movement: The Power of Song" Sunday, Feb. 19, at 7:30 p.m. at Ambassador Auditorium will feature singers, musicians, dancers and narrators who will share the powerful role music played in the civil rights movement and its continued impact on issues today. While the event is free, you must reserve a ticket (click on the link above).

Guitarist David Rogers will perform Wednesday, Feb. 22, from 12:10 to 12:40 p.m. for the popular Music at Noon recital series at Pasadena Presbyterian Church.

"Miracle" (2004, PG) starring Kurt Russell and Patricia Clarkson will be shown Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 1 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. A player turned coach leads the 1980 U.S. hockey team to victory over the seemingly invincible Russian team.

"Young Mr. Lincoln" (1939, NR) starring Henry Fonda and Alice Brady will be shown Thursday, Feb. 23, at 6:30 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. Before he becomes known to the nation and the world, the future president defends two brothers unjustly accused of murder and begins to think about a career in politics. A discussion with Paul Bergman, professor emeritus at UCLA School of Law, will follow the film.

Children ages 8 to 12 are invited to the Kids' Writing Workshop Friday, Feb. 24, at 4:30 p.m. in the Children's Story Room at Central Library. It's never too early to start writing your own stories! You don't have to be an expert -- you just have to love stories and have a great imagination. Call 626-744-4066, option 4 to sign up.



Photo credits: San Fernando Valley Symphony Orchestra, The Power of Song Inc., David Rogers, Pop Pop Productions, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Model D


Friday, February 10, 2017

Looking for Something to Do? Free Events February 11 to 17


Here are events scheduled Saturday, Feb. 11, to Friday, Feb. 17.

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

Teens are invited to learn how to code and create their own 3D printing projects during Teen Brunch Club Saturday, Feb. 11, at 11 a.m. at Linda Vista Branch Library

Explore the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of Pasadena during multisensory, two-mile walking tours Saturday, Feb. 11, and Tuesday, Feb. 14, from 3 to 5 p.m. (choose the one most convenient for you, or take both tours!) courtesy of Pasadena Walking Tours. Walkers will meet at Arlington Garden, then explore some South Orange Grove/Arroyo areas. Bring your camera to capture the sunset over the Arroyo Seco!

Sunny Tales: Valentine's Party Wednesday, Feb. 14, from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. for preschool-aged children will feature a storyteller in the Finnish Folk Art Museum at the Pasadena Museum of History spinning stories about the special holiday, followed by a hearty snack and a special craft to take home.

Pianist Michael Sellers will perform Wednesday, Feb. 15, from 12:10 to 12:40 p.m. for the popular Music at Noon recital series at Pasadena Presbyterian Church.

"Truman" (1995, PG) starring Gary Sinise and Diana Scarwid will be shown Wednesday, Feb. 15, at 1 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. Harry S. Truman rises from humble beginnings to serve in World War I, become vice president of the United States, assume the presidency during World War II after Franklin Delano Roosevelt's death, and make the decision to order the dropping of the first atomic bomb. 

The third Thursday (and first Friday) of every month is Free Admission Day at the Pasadena Museum of California Art. On Thursday, Feb. 16, from 5 to 8 p.m. enjoy the current exhibitions and everything else the museum has to offer.

Asteroids and comets have played pivotal roles throughout Earth's history (if you doubt it, just ask a dinosaur). The Planetary Society will host a live radio show on the subject Thursday, Feb. 16, at 7:30 p.m. in Southern California Public Radio's Crawford Family Forum. Planetary Radio's Mat Kaplan will moderate a conversation with experts from the Planetary Society, NASA and JPL. RSVP here.

"Sleepless in Seattle" (1993, PG) starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan will be shown Friday, Feb. 17, at 1 p.m. in the Scott Pavilion at the Pasadena Senior Center. A widowed man's young son calls a radio talk show with a wish that his father will find a new wife. You do not have to be a member of the Pasadena Senior Center to attend.



Photo credits: AZCentral, Activity Village, The Marke's World, Michael Sellers, HBO Pictures, Pasadena Museum of California Art, TriStar Pictures, Planetary Society, Enstarz

Saturday, February 4, 2017

Looking for Something to Do? Free Events Feb. 4 to 10


Here are free events scheduled Saturday, Feb. 4, to Friday, Feb. 10.

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

Before the Falcons and Patriots play at the Supurr Bowl, the Pasadena Humane Society's Kitten Bowl Tailgate Party, a no-fee adoption event for all animals Saturday, Feb. 4, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., will feature an adorable kitten football field, doggie touchdown zone, giant adoptions scoreboard, football-themed photo booth and more. How can you resist?

"42: The True Story of an American Legend" (2013, PG-13) starring Chadwick Boseman and Harrison Ford will be shown Saturday, Feb. 4, at 3:30 p.m. at La Pintoresca Branch Library. Jackie Robinson breaks the color barrier in professional baseball when Branch Rickey signs him to the Brooklyn Dodgers, but the deal puts Robinson and Rickey in the firing line of the public.

Caltech Chamber Music Ensembles will perform Sunday, Feb. 5, at 3:30 p.m. at Caltech's Dabney Lounge in Dabney Hall (#40 on this map) with a program that includes Faure's Piano Quartet No. 1 in C Minor, Opus 15; Brahms's Piano Quintet in F Minor, Opus 34; Vivaldi's Trio Sonata in D Minor "La Folia"; Bach's Brandonberg Concerto No. 5; and Piazzolla selections.

Join the drum circle and travel along on Chazz Ross's whimsical safari with 26 African djembe drums Monday, Feb. 6, at 11 a.m. at Villa-Parke Branch Library. You'll create realistic jungle sounds, play simple rhythms and sing silly songs while learning about the culture of African drumming. All ages are welcome.

A string quintet plus an English horn will perform "Six Studies in English Folk Song" by Ralph Vaughn Williams; soprano Ingrid Helge will perform songs by Vivaldi, Rossini and Morricoe and a piano trio will close the program with "The Carnival of the Animals" by Camille Saint Saens Tuesday, Feb. 7. at 12:30 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. Sponsored by Tuesday Musicale of Pasadena.

The first Tuesday of the month is Free Family Night at Kidspace Children's Museum. On Tuesday, Feb. 7, from 4 to 8 p.m. celebrate the rich culture of Black History Month including a number of fun activities, a special storyteller performance and more.

"Crossing Delancey" (1988, PG) starring Amy Irving and Peter Riegert will be shown Wednesday, Feb. 8, at 1 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. The Jewish grandmother of a young, independent woman in New York's upper east side enlists the services of a matchmaker to find a perfect match, which turns out to be a working-class pickle maker on the lower east side.

PUSD's Choral Music Festival will feature students from throughout the district and guest conductor Lauren Buckley Schaer of the Pasadena Master Chorale Wednesday, Feb. 8, at 7 p.m. in the auditorium at at Pasadena High School. 

Children will use their imaginations and create Valentine's Day crafts to give as gifts Thursday, Feb. 9, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at Hastings Branch Library.

The next supply of garden-ready mulch from Pasadena Public Workd Department street tree trimmings will be available Friday, Feb. 10, at the southwest corner of the parking lot at Victory Park. Bring your own shovel, contrainer and gloves between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. The mulch supply is replenished once a month through October and is available to Pasadena residents only.

"The Girl on the Train" (2016, R) starring Emily Blunt and Justin Theroux will be shown Friday, Feb. 10, at 1 p.m. in the Scott Pavilion at the Pasadena Senior Center. A divorcee becomes entangled in a missing persons investigation that promises to send shockwaves throughout her life. You do not have to be a member of the Pasadena Senior Center to attend.



Photo credits: Pasadena Humane Society, Warner Bros., Shea Butter Wholesale, Good News Report, Muscogee Moms, Gardener's Supply Company, Amblin Entertainment