Looking for Something to Do? Free Events April 1 to 7

Here are events scheduled Saturday, April 1, to Friday, April 7.

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

Panelists from the Pasadena Museum of California Art will discuss their current exhibitions and answer questions Saturday, April 1, at 3 p.m. at Linda Vista Branch Library.

Classical guitarist Mackenzie Mendez will perform Sunday, April 2, at 7:30 p.m. in Barrett Hall at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music. The program will include works by Dusan Bogdanovic, Manuel Maria Ponce, John Dowland, Johann Sebastian Bach and Heitor Villa-Lobos.

Tuesday Musicale of Pasadena presents a program featuring two piano trios performing Mendelssohn and Haydn plus an oboist who will perform a Poulenc sonata and a soprano singing works by Villa-Lobos and Ferro Tuesday, April 4, at 12:30 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library.

The first Tuesday of every month is Free Family Night at Kidspace Children's Museum. Celebrate science fiction Tuesday, April 4, from 4 to 8 p.m. by dressing up as your favorite science fiction character! Build your own spaceship in the Imagination Workshop and travel the stars in the new Discovery Dome planetarium. Don't miss a special performance in the Stone Hollow Amphitheater at 6 p.m. followed by the Intergalactic Costume Parade in the Trike Tracks area at 6:30 p.m.

Cellist Fang Fang Xu and pianist Lucy Nargizyan will perform Wednesday, April 5, from 12:10 to 12:40 p.m. for the popular Music at Noon recital series.

"Enchanted April" (1992, PG) starring Alfred Molina and Joan Plowright will be shown Wednesday, April 5, at 1 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. Two sisters in 1920s London share the misery of empty relationships with their husbands, so they decide to rent an Italian castle for a spring getaway with some life-altering adventures.

Children and families will love The Wacko Show, a fantastic comedy and magic extravaganza Thursday, April 6, at 3:30 p.m. at Lamanda Park Branch Library. 

The first Friday of every month is Free Admission Day at the Pasadena Museum of California Art. On Friday, April 6, from noon to 5 p.m., enjoy the current exhibitions "The Golden Twenties: Portraits and Figure Paintings by Joseph Kleitsch," "Interstitial" and "Gustave Baumann in California" plus everything else the museum has to offer.

"Snowden" (2016, R) starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Shailene Woodley will be shown Friday, April 7, at 1 p.m. in the Scott Pavilion at the Pasadena Senior Center. An employee of the National Security Agency leaks thousands of classified NSA documents to the media and becomes one of the most wanted men in the world. 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 April 6, from 5 to 8 p.m. enjoy the current exhibition "Serial Flirtations: Rotari's Muses" and everything else the museum has to offer. 

Photo credits: Pasadena Museum of California Art, King of Wallpapers, New Design File, Portsmouth News, Jennifer Walton, BBC Films, The Wacko Show, KrautPack Entertainment, Norton Simon Museum.

Looking for Something to Do? Free Events March 25 to 31

Here are Pasadena events scheduled Saturday, May 25, to Friday, May 31. 

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

Everybody loves to meet firefighters and see big, red fire engines up close! Come to an open house Saturday, March 25, from 9 to 11 a.m. at Fire Station 37 where Pasadena Fire Department personnel will lead tours, showcase fire trucks and special equipment, host a disaster preparedness puppet show and much more.

If you change the oil on your car or truck yourself, safely recycle it and get a new oil filter for free Saturday, March 25, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at O'Reilly Auto Parts, 919 N. Lake Ave. Sponsored by the Pasadena Public Works Department.

March is One City, One Story month -- our annual community reading celebration! Have you read this year's Pulitzer Prize-winning selection "The Sympathizer" by Viet Thanh Nguyen yet? As OCOS events ring in the last week of the month, here's what's coming up:

• Join in "The Sympathizer" book discussion Saturday, March 25, from 3 to 4 p.m. at San Rafael Branch Library. 
• The final "The Sympathizer" book discussion is Monday, March 27, at 11 a.m. at Lamanda Park Branch Library.
• "Owl and the Sparrow" (2007, PG) starring Cat Ly and The Lu Le will be shown Wednesday, March 29, at 1 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. A runaway orphan girl in Saigon tries to play matchmaker between a zookeeper and a flight attendant in hopes they will get married and adopt her, but soon realizes life isn't quite that simple. Vietnamese with English subtitles.
• Click here to see a replay of the March 2 community discussion with "The Sympathizer" author Viet Thanh Nguyen. 

PNT Radio Theater presents "The Lone Ranger" and "Flash Gordon'" Saturday, March 25, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 26, at 2 p.m. at Parson's Nose Theater. While the reading is free, reserved tickets are required. 

"Paper Tigers" (2015, NR) will be shown Thursday, March 30, at 7 p.m. at the Eliot Arts Academy Auditorium. The documentary follows six at-risk students at Lincoln High School in Walla Walla, Wash., and the principal who believes childhood trauma has caused their seriously negative behaviors. This radical change in disciplinary philosophy impacts the students' lives in ways nobody could have imagined. Jim Sporleder, the former principal featured in the film, will be a special guest at the screening and will answer questions from the audience. Sponsored by Young & Healthy. While the event is free, registration is required.

Photo credits: Pasadena Fire Department, Driving, Pasadena Public Library, WXYZ Radio, KPJR Films

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

Here are Pasadena events scheduled Saturday, March 18, to Friday, March 24.

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, microwaves and other electronic equipment at the eWaste event Saturday, March 18, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in parking lot I at Brookside Park. You may also bring up to five legal-size boxes of documents for shredding. 

March is One City, One Story month -- our annual 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. Coming up: 

• One City, One Story Cultural Afternoon Saturday, March 18, from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium and the Great Hall at Central Library will include artist Trinh Mai using visual arts as she tells stories about the Vietnamese American experience, Ane Thanh lion dance performance, Vietnamese folktales presented by Barbara Wong, a culinary journey through Vietnam presented by Kim Fay, L.A. Times restaurant critic Jonathon Gold sharing his top seven picks for Vietnamese cuisine, and family crafts including dragon-making and a Year of the Rooster keepsake.
• The documentary film "A Healing, A Journey Back to Vietnam" (1997, NR) will be shown Wednesday, March 22, at 1 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. The film follows several American nurses who served in Vietnam and their return there after the war.
• Flights of Fantasy Story Theater presents a Vietnamese story hour Thursday, March 23, at 3:30 p.m. at Santa Catalina Branch Library.
• The documentary film "Remembering Vietnam: The Wall at 25" (2007, NR) will be shown Thursday, March 23, at 7 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. The history of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C., is chronicled.

An afternoon of recitals featuring the music of Franz Joseph Haydn Sunday, March 19, will begin at 1 p.m. in Barrett Hall at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music and will showcase students from the conservatory's piano department. Haydn is the conservatory's composer of the year.

The Crown City Symphony will perform in concert Sunday, March 19, at 4:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Pasadena. The program will feature the Brahms Double Concerto and Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 1. 

"America's Got Talent" tapes again at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, March 19, 20 and 21. You can be part of the audience for one or more free tapings as performers from throughout the U.S. audition in front of celebrity judges Howie Mandel, Mel B, Heidi Klum and Simon Cowell. Tyra Banks is the new host. Type PCA in the code box for special front-of-line privilege on your taping day(s). 

An LA Opera community educator will take participants through Jacques Offenbach's "Les Contes d'Hoffmann (The Tales of Hoffmann) Monday, March 20, at 1 p.m. at the Pasadena Senior Center. Driven by drink and self-delusion, the poet Hoffman recounts his affairs with three women who represent three aspects of love: the mechanical doll Olympia, the consumptive singer Antonia and the courtesan Giulietta. All the while, four villains who try to ruin him represent four characteristics of malevolence. You do not have to be a member of the Pasadena Senior Center to attend.

Classical mandolinist Evan Marshall will perform Wednesday, March 22, from 12:10 to 12:40 p.m. for the popular Music at Noon recital series at Pasadena Presbyterian Church.

Children ages 2 to 5 are invited to a special "Wee Read" program Wednesday, March 22, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Pasadena Museum of California Art that will include a storyteller reading the books "We're Going on a Bear Hunt" by Helen Oxenbury and Michael Rosen and "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" by Dr. Seuss, plus a lesson in printmaking and a fun craft to take home.

Students in grades 6 to 12 will showcase their intelligence and creativity with interactive exhibits during the Los Angeles County Science and Engineering Fair Friday, March 24, and Saturday, March 25, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Pasadena Convention Center.

Photo credits: Pasadena Public Library, Thomas Hardy, Crown City Symphony, Fremantle Media, LA Opera, Evan Marshall, Little Simon, US Edu Guides

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

Here are free events scheduled Saturday, March 11, to Friday, March 17.

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

March is One City, One Story month -- our annual 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. Coming up:

• Come to a "The Sympathizer" book discussion Saturday, March 11, at 10:30 a.m. at Allendale Branch Library or 10:30 a.m. at Hill Avenue Branch Library.
• "The Children of An Lac" (1980, NR) starring Shirley Jones, Ina Balin and Beulah Quo will be shown Wednesday, March 15, at 1 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. The film is based on the true story of film actress Ina Balin and her efforts with an American Red Cross volunteer and a Vietnamese woman who runs a Saigon orphanage to rescue as many orphaned children as possible in April 1975 and fly them out of the country before the city fails to the communists. 
• The documentary film "Last Days in Vietnam" (2014, NR) will be shown Thursday, March 16, at 6:30 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. During the chaotic final weeks of the Vietnam War, the North Vietnamese Army closed in on Saigon as panicked citizens desperately tried to escape and American soldiers and diplomats faced a moral quandary. Witnesses and rare footage reveal the heroism and sacrifice that played out amid the pandemonium.

Solo and ensemble works by Mozart, Mendelssohn, Bruch and Smetana will be performed Sunday, March 12, at 2:30 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library, sponsored by Tuesday Musicale of Pasadena.

Oakwood Brass will perform classical works Wednesday, March 15, from 12:10 to 12:40 p.m. for the popular Music at Noon recital series at Pasadena Presbyterian Church.

The third Thursday of every month is Free Admission Day at the Pasadena Museum of California Art. On Thursday, March 16, from 5 to 8 p.m. enjoy the new exhibitions The Golden Twenties: Portraits and Figure Paintings by Joseph Kleitsh, Interstitial and Gustave Baumann in California plus a serenade by a harpist in the main gallery and a visit by Pasadena Symphony's Random Acts of Music.

Sunny Tales: Shamrock Party for preschool-aged children Friday, March 17, from 10:30 a.m. to noon at the Finnish Folk Art Museum on the grounds of the Pasadena Museum of History will feature storyteller Sunny Stevenson telling tales of St. Patrick's Day followed by a pot-of-gold craft to take home and a snack.

"Thoroughly Modern Millie" (1967, G) starring Julie Andrews and Mary Tyler Moore will be shown Friday, March 17, at 1 p.m. in the Scott Pavilion at the Pasadena Senior Center. Two recent transplants to the Big Apple in the 1920s experience a different kind of excitement and adventure than what they expected. You do not have to be a member of the Pasadena Senior Center to attend.

Connie Sheu and Adam Pettit will perform Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco's "The Well-Tempered Guitars" Friday, March 17, at 7:30 p.m. at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music. While the event is free, reservations are required.

"An Irish Celebration" Friday, March 17, at 7 p.m. at Parson's Nose will include music, poetry and humor from the Emerald Isle in honor of St. Patrick's Day. While the festivities are free, reservations are required.

The Pasadena Community Orchestra presents Beethoven + Holst + Pichl Friday, March 17, at 8 p.m. at First Church of the Nazarene in a program that will include Beethoven's Egmont Overture, Holst's St. Paul Suite, Pichl's Concerto No. 1 for brass and Beethoven's 8th Symphony,

Photo credits: Pasadena Public Library, Johann Nepomuk della Croce, James Warren Childe, Victor Talking Machine Company, Smetana Museum, Oakwood Brass, Pasadena Museum of California Art, Wren's World, Universal Pictures, Pasadena Conservatory of Music, Alaris Health, Pasadena Community Orchestra.

Looking for Something to Do? Free Events March 4 to 10

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

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

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. Coming up:

• Learn techniques for writing your own personal One City, One Story Saturday, March 4, at 1 p.m. at Central Library's Studio on 4th. You'll work with a Cal State San Marcos writing instructor who is former director of the San Diego Writers and Editors Guild.
• Join a book discussion Saturday, March 4, at 3:30 p.m. at Central Library's Studio on 4th.
• Sit in on Book Chit Chat Tuesday, March 7, at 6:30 p.m. at Hastings Branch Library.
• "Good Morning, Vietnam" (1987, R) starring Robin Williams and Forest Whitaker will be shown Wednesday, March 8, at 1 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. An unorthodox and irreverent DJ shakes things up when he is assigned to U.S. Armed Services Radio in Vietnam. The film is based on true events. 
• My City, My Story Thursday, March 9, at 7 p.m. is a photo montage/collage workshop at Hastings Branch Library where you will incorporate images and words that describe your personal interests, views, experiences, contributions, concerns and more that relate to One City, One Story.
• A panel discussion Thursday, March 9, at 7 p.m. about the impact of the Vietnam War on America will feature moderator Larry Wilson, public editor, editorial writer and columnist at the Pasadena Star-News, and panelists Daniel D. Lee, director of the Asian American Center and adjunct assistant professor of Asian American Ministry at Fuller Theological Seminary; Florante Pete Ibanez. adjunct professor for Asian Pacific American studies at Loyola Marymount University and Pasadena City College; Tomas Summers Sandoval, author and associate professor Chicana/o-Latina/o Histories at Pomona College and Jervey Tervalon, author and executive director of Literature for Life/Locavore Lit. and professor of fiction writing at College of Creative Studies at UC Santa Barbara. The discussion will be in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library.

Learn about the women who helped shape Pasadena, from artists and botanists to entrepreneurs, politicians and revolutionaries during a walking tour Saturday, March 4, from 4 to 6 p.m. sponsored by Pasadena Walking Tours. Meet on the first floor of Central Library. The tour will repeat Sunday, March 5, at the same time and place. People of all ages are welcome.

"The Summoning of Everyman," a 15th century morality play written in the Tudor period by an unnamed author, will be performed Saturday, March 4, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 5, at 2 p.m.  as part of the Reader's Theater series at Parson's Nose. Everyman encounters Fellowship, Goods and Knowledge on his journey to acceptance in heaven. While the play is free, reserved tickets are required. 

"America's Got Talent" is returning to the Pasadena Civic Auditorium from March 6 to 21. You can be part of the audience for one or more tapings as performers throughout the U.S. audition in front of celebrity judges Howie Mandel, Mel B, Heidi Klum and Simon Cowell. Type PCA in the code box for special front-of-line privilege on your taping day(s).

Tuesday Musicale of Pasadena presents a Mozart string quartet, negro spirituals sung by Gwendolyn Brown, cello solos played by Liz Eliot and piano works by Carlos and Guastavino performed by Mary Hense and Geralding Keeling Tuesday, March 7, at 12:20 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library.

The first Tuesday of every month is Free Family Night at Kidspace Children's Museum. On Tuesday, March 7, from 4 to 6 p.m. celebrate the Holi Festival, a springtime event celebrated in India that is famous for colors and community.

Children ages 5 to 8 are invited to bring their imaginations to the Creative Writing for Beginning Readers workshop Tuesday, March 7, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the Children's Story Room at Central Library. Call 626-744-4066, option 4 to sign up.

Classical tubist Beth Mitchell will perform Wednesday, March 8, from 12:10 to 12:40 p.m. for the popular Music at Noon recital series at Pasadena Presbyterian Church.

Calling all teens: March 5 to 11 is Teen Tech Week! Have you ever played Super Mario Brothers with Play-Doh or performed on an electronic piano with bananas as the keys? Come to Lamanda Park Branch Library Wednesday, March 8, at 3:30 p.m. and make it happen with MaKey MaKey, a program that turns everyday objects into touchpads and combines them with the internet. All materials will be provided. Other Teen Tech Week events are 3D Printing 101 Sunday, March 5, at 2 p.m. at Central Library's Studio on 4th; LEGO mindstorms Monday, March 6, at 4 p.m. at La Pintoresca Branch Library; Light-Up Notebooks Tuesday, March 7, at 4 p.m. at Hastings Branch Library; LittleBits Thursday, March 9, at 3 p.m. at Allendale Branch Library and Conductive Sewing Saturday, March 11, at 11 a.m. at Linda Vista Branch Library.

The next supply of garden-ready mulch from Pasadena Public Works Department street tree trimmings will be available Friday, March 10, at the southeast corner of the parking lot at Victory Park. Bring your own shovel, container and gloves between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. The mulch supply is replenished once a month from February to November and is available to Pasadena residents only. Mulch is also available fourth Fridays in the south parking lot at Robinson Park.

"The Quiet Man" (1952, NR) starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara will be shown Friday, March 10, at 1 p.m. in the Scott Pavilion at the Pasadena Senior Center. An Irish-born American boxer returns to the village of his birth with hopes of burying his past and settling down, then falls in love with a lively young woman who has a brutish brother. You do not have to be a member of the Pasadena Senior Center to attend.

Enjoy an evening of art, music, dance and more when ArtNight Pasadena returns Friday, March 10, from 6 to 10 p.m. Seventeen of Pasadena's most prominent arts and culture institutions will open their doors for free! Hop on/hop off shuttles at every venue (City Hall is the main hub) will take you door to door or you can drive, ride your bike or amble at your own speed. Choose one or several or all venues depending on your own schedule (and stamina!). Here's the lineup:

• At Armory Center for the Arts, "Between Words and Silence: The Work of Translation" features contemporary photography and media-based works from Brazil, Colombia, Japan, Mexico, Saipan, Spain and the U.S. Also, follow a parade of human-propelled, wearable floats in a deconstructed parade in Old Pasadena or see them on display at the Armory. El Haru Kuroi will perform throughout the evening.
• The public debut of Yoshio Ikezaki's "ELEMENTS 1991-2016" in the Williamson Gallery at Art Center College of Design's hillside campus will feature transcendent paper sculptures and ink-on-paper paintings. Brad Dutz and Kaoru Mansour will perform.
• Teens will display their talents through live performances and visual arts at artWORKS, plus you'll enjoy hands-on printmaking and screenprinting as well as entertainment by Eclectic Waves.
• Enjoy live music performed by The Subs, snacks and projection art by ROTO Pasadena  on the Garfield side of Pasadena City Hall while you wait for a free shuttle to whisk you to one of the many ArtNight Pasadena cultural venues. You can also purchase tasty eats from the Rodney's Ribs food truck.
• Learn about the history of African American art and the legacy of Pasadena sports icons Jackie and Mack Robinson at Jackie Robinson Center, plus enjoy live music by The Soul Vibers.
• Explore the rich culture of our region's indigenous peoples at Kidspace Children's Museum, connect with the art and history of the Native Americans who called the Arroyo Seco home and enjoy entertainment by the Toveema Singers and Dancers.
• Celebrate abundant spring in an outdoor garden-like setting at Day One as Light Bringer Project's local artists and Room 13 creative studios present "Bloom" featuring fabric and light installations, Anime art, far eastern music and tasty treats. You can also purchase food from the Slammin' Sliders food truck.
• Lineage Performing Arts Center will present selections from the dance company with special guests. Chris Pierce will perform.
• MUSE/IQUE will host THE MOTOWN/PASADENA dance party at Paseo Colorado with artists who will put a wild spin on all the hits you love! There will also be art projects and face painting.
• Explore centuries of masterpieces from Rembrandt to Picasso plus sculpture from India and Southeast Asia at the Norton Simon Museum.
• Enjoy a night of art, dance, music and fun at Central Library with a display of art works by members of the Pasadena Society of Artists, Hawaiian music and dance, L.A.-based bands playing a mix of jazz, '70s, '80s, '90s, reggae and hip hop, plus the chamber players of the Crown City Symphony, a musical instrument petting zoo, Pasadena Symphony's Random Acts of Music, 
• Pasadena City College presents the exhibitions "Tim Hawkins: Spirit of Invention" in the Boone Family Gallery and "Tactile: Function Re-envisioned" in Gallery V. Flamenco guitarist Stephen Dick will perform. You can purchase food from the Kogi Korean BBQ truck and the Kona Ice truck.
• Explore the Pasadena Conservatory of Music campus while enjoying continuous classical, world folk and interactive performances including electro-chamber music by Iridas. You can purchase food from the Lobsta Truck.
• The Pasadena Museum of California Art presents "The Golden Twenties: Portraits and Figure Paintings by Joseph Kleitsch," "Gustave Baumann in California" and "Interstitial." Poetry readings will be performed by the Pasadena Rose Poets. 
• Explore Arts & Crafts and mid-century ceramics in the exhibitions "Batchelder: Tilemaker" and "Cast & Fired" at the Pasadena Museum of History. ACF-LA will perform. You can purchase food from the Okamoto Kitchen truck.
• Artistic talents of Pasadena Unified School District students will be showcased in the exhibition "No Boundaries 12" at the patio adjacent to Corner Bakery on South Lake accompanied by lively musical performances by students.
• Enjoy a festive night with the exhibition "Handmade Paper in Full Bloom," a crafts corner, tasty snacks and performances by Makoto Taiko drummers at Shumei Arts Council.

Photo credits: City of Pasadena, Pasadena Walking Tours, Freemantle Media, Dixie Piano Studios, Sensational Color, Haresfield School, Beth Mitchell, Makey Makey, Harmony Brands, Republic Pictures, ArtNight Pasadena.