Looking for Something to Do? Free Events April 28 to May 4

Here are events scheduled Saturday, April 28, to Friday, May 4.

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

From medical marijuana to senior cyber safety, there will be a full slate of workshops and other activities for anyone 50 and older at the Pasadena Conference on Healthy Aging on the campus of First Church of the Nazarene Saturday, April 28, from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Registration is required; lunch is included. Sponsored by the Pasadena Senior Center.

The 18th annual Caltech Jazz Festival Saturday, April 28, at 1 p.m. outdoors at the Gates Annex (#26 on this map) will feature the Caltech Jazz Band, Caltech Blakey Band, the Dave Tull Trio and Tim Kobza and Friends. Parking is free in Caltech lots and parking structures on weekends.

The TEMPO Ensemble will perform a concert titled "From Schoenberg to Schoenberg," including Adam Schoenberg's "Ahava" and Arnold Schoenberg's "Chamber Symphony No. 1, Op. 9" Sunday April 29, at 3 p.m. in Dabney Lounge at Caltech's Dabney Hall (#40 on this map). Parking is free in Caltech lots and parking structures on weekends.

The BeatBuds will perform as young children sing along Tuesday, May 1, from 10 a.m. to noon in the Garfield Promenade on the street level at Paseo Colorado.

Tuesday Musicale presents soprano Gwendolyn Brown singing Negro spirituals and classical works, violinist Lisa Davis and pianist Jo Ann Haycraft performing a Bach sonata, and a London trio by Haydn performed by violinist Ann Levi, flutist Margaret Bowles and cellist Judy Cain Tuesday, May 1, at 12:30 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library.

The first Tuesday of every month from 4 to 8 p.m. is Free Family Night at Kidspace Children's Museum. On Tuesday, May 1, unearth the squishy, messy and creative ways to dig into the art of the Earth. Don't miss a performance by the Earthworm Ensemble at 6 p.m. in the Stone Hollow Amphitheater.

French guitarist Claude Bourbon will perform medieval works and Spanish blues Wednesday, May 2, from 12:10 to 12:40 p.m. for the popular Music at Noon recital series at Pasadena Presbyterian Church.

"Our Town" (1977, TV Movie) starring Hal Holbrook and Glynnis O'Connor will be shown Wednesday, May 2, at 1 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. A narrator guides viewers through the small town of Grover's Corners, chronicling the lives of a few everyday residents in the early years of the 20th century.

Pasadena Conservatory of Music wind, brass and percussion students will perform in recital Wednesday, May 2, at 7 p.m. in Barrett Hall. These recitals offer students the opportunity to perform in a formal setting and gain confidence as musicians.

"Light Up the Sky," a play by Moss Hart, will be read by resident actors at A Noise Within Wednesday, May 2, at 7 p.m. as part of the Words Within series. While admission is free, reservations are required.

Admission to the Pasadena Museum of California Art is free the first Friday (and third Thursday) of every month. On Friday, May 4, from noon to 5 p.m. enjoy the current exhibitions and everything else the museum has to offer.

"The Shape of Water" (2017, R) starring Sally Hawkins and Michael Shannon will be shown Friday, May 4, at 1 p.m. in the Scott Pavilion at the Pasadena Senior Center. At a top-secret research facility during the 1960s Cold War, a lonely janitor and her coworker discover the biggest secret of all: a highly classified experiment that involves an amphibious creature held in captivity. You do NOT have to be a member of the Pasadena Senior Center to attend, but you must be 50 or older.

MUSE/IQUE guest artists will explore what happens when sublime live music and dazzling ice skating come together away from the world of sports competition Friday, May 4, at 3:30 p.m. in the Scott Pavilion at the Pasadena Senior Center. You do NOT have to be a member of the Pasadena Senior Center to attend, but you must be 50 or older. RSVP at the Welcome Desk or by calling (626) 795-4331. All guests will receive complimentary tickets to the FREE/SKATE concert led by MUSE/IQUE artistic director Rachael Worby Sunday, May 6, at 7 p.m. at the Pasadena Ice Skating Rink.

Admission to the Norton Simon Museum is free the first Friday of every month from 5 to 8 p.m. On Friday, May 4, enjoy the current exhibitions and everything else the museum has to offer.

The opening reception for "Drawing Together" at Armory Center for the Arts is Friday, May 4, from 6 to 8 p.m. This community-oriented arts advocacy project showcases how art contributes to a culture of health in a city. The exhibition will include a selection of participants' drawings, excerpts from conversations and an opportunity for guests to add to the conversation.

Photo credits: Bennie Maupin, TEMPO Ensemble, Kaitlynn West, Michael Kravchuk, Claude Bourbon, Hartwest Productions, A Noise Within, Pasadena Conservatory of Music, Metroshot, Bull Productions, MUSE/IQUE, Armory Center for the Arts, Norton Simon Museum, 

Looking for Something to Do? Free Events April 21 to 27

Here are free events scheduled Saturday, April 21, to Friday, April 27.

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

Celebrate Earth Day Pasadena Saturday, April 21, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. with indoor activities at Armory Center for the Arts and outdoor activities at Memorial Park. 

Stroll through beautiful Arlington Garden Saturday, April 21, when dozens of artists and artisans will display their works in a juried exhibition -- Art on Palm -- among the fields of wildflowers, olive tree allee, desert xeriscape, live oak havens, orange groves and stone labyrinth from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. While admission to the event is free, there is a requested donation of only $2.

The First@Third concert series presents Joy of Chamber Music featuring Alexander Zemlinsky's Clarinet Trio, op 3, and Johannes Brahms's Trio in  Major, op 8 with Michele Zukovsky on clarinet, Lyndon Johnston Taylor on violin, David Garrett on cello and Junko Ueno Garrett on piano Saturday, April 21, at 4 p.m. at First United Methodist Church.

Pianist Alexander Zhu will present a talk and recital of minimalist music for piano with repertoire from the 1960s to the present with several guest artists Saturday, April 21, at 7 p.m. in Barrett Hall at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music.

The Caltech Orchestra presents Youngjoon Choi in performance of Sergei Rachmoninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 and Ludwig von Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 Saturday, April 21, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, April 22, at 3:30 p.m. in the Ramo Auditorium at Baxter Hall (#77 on this map). Caltech parking structures and lots are free on weekends.

Children ages 9 to 12 are invited to learn coding, how to program robot turtles and more with Minecraft, the wildly popular video game, Monday and Wednesday, April 23 and 25, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Hastings Branch Library.

After a kid-friendly exhibition tour of "The Feminine Sublime," young children ages 2 to 5 will enjoy a reading of "The Dot" and "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See" and use finger paints to create colorful depictions of their favorite animal Wednesday, April 25, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. as part of the Free Fourth Wednesday Wee Read series at the Pasadena Museum of California Art.

Soprano Ariel Pisturino, accompanied by Mark Robson on piano, will perform Wednesday, April 25, from 12:10 to 12:40 p.m. for the popular Music at Noon recital series at Pasadena Presbyterian Church.

"Witness" (1985, R) starring Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis will be shown Wednesday, April 25, at 1 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. After a young boy is the sole witness to a murder in a Philadelphia train station, a police detective goes undercover in Amish country to protect the boy and his family until the trial.

Festival del Dia Niño/Day of the Child will be celebrated with music, books, crafts, games and fun for the entire family Wednesday, April 25, at 3:30 p.m. at La Pintoresca Branch Library. 

Symposia Within presents a talk about "Noises Off," a play by the English playwrite Michael Frayne, Wednesday, April 25, at 6:45 p.m. at A Noise Within.

"Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" (2017, R) starring Frances McDormand and Woody Harrelson will be shown Friday, April 27, at 1 p.m. in the Scott Pavilion at the Pasadena Senior Center. After months have passed without the apprehension of any suspect in her daughter's murder, a woman paints three signs on the outskirts of her town with controversial messages directed at the chief of police. You do NOT have to be a member of the Pasadena Senior Center to attend, but you must be 50 or older.

Photo credits: Day One, Art on Palm, Tech.co, Ariel Pisturino, Paramount Pictures, Pasadena Public Library, A Noise Within, Blueprint Pictures, 

Looking for Something to Do? Free Events April 14 to 20

Here are events scheduled Saturday, April 14, to Friday, April 20.

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 watch the latest anime and tinker with Mecha robots Saturday, April 14, from 1 to 2 p.m. at Santa Catalina Branch Library. Ages 12 to 19 are welcome.

An LA Opera community educator will take participants through Giuseppe Verdi's tragic opera "Rigoletto" Monday, April 16, at 1 p.m. in the Scott Pavilion at the Pasadena Senior Center. A lustful and immoral duke ravages the court jester's daughter, and the jester's revenge goes awry. You do NOT have to be a member of the Pasadena Senior Center to attend but you do have to be 50 or older.

April is National Poetry Month. Constellations: A Poetry Workshop for children ages 5 to 8 Tuesday, April 17, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. at Hastings Branch Library will demonstrate how poetry can be fun, easy and kid-friendly as 11-year-old writer Cassidy Kao discusses the relationships between constellations and mythology.

The Los Angeles Ensemble will perform Wednesday, April 18, from 12:10 to 12:40 p.m. for the popular Music at Noon recital series at Pasadena Presbyterian Church.

"The Sundowners" (1960, NR) starring Deborah Kerr and Robert Mitchum will be shown Wednesday, April 18, at 1 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. An impoverished family struggling to make in the Australian outback in the early years of the 20th century faces a crisis when the father gambles away the family's money in a get-rich-quick scheme.

Teens 13 and older are invited to Book Into Film Movie Night for a screening and discussion of "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" (2016, PG-13), based on the best-selling novel by Ransom Riggs, Wednesday, April 18, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at  Central Library's Teen Center. A boy stumbles upon a dangerously magical place while searching for clues to a mystery that spans different worlds and time periods. Pizza and popcorn will be served. Email jgov@cityofpasadena.net to sign up.

Children ages 5 to 12 are invited to celebrate Earth Day with stories, songs, poems and a very special activity related to this planet we call home Thursday, April 19, at 3 p.m. at Hill Avenue Branch Library.

The third Thursday (and first Friday) of every month is Free Admission Day at the Pasadena Museum of California Art. On Thursday, April 19, from 5 to 8 p.m. enjoy the current exhibitions and everything else the museum has to offer.

"Lady Bird" (2017, R) starring Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf will be shown Friday, April 20, at 1 p.m. in the Scott Pavilion at the Pasadena Senior Center. An artistically inclined young woman with many similarities to her loving yet opinionated and strong-willed mother comes of age in Sacramento amid a rapidly shifting economic landscape that affects her family. You do NOT have to be a member of the Pasadena Senior Center to attend but you do have to be 50 or older.

Several Pasadena Conservatory of Music students will perform in recital Friday, April 20, at 7:30 p.m. in the renowned music school's auditorium.

SAVE THE DATE!
Celebrate Earth Day Pasadena Saturday, April 21, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. with indoor activities at Armory Center for the Arts and outdoor activities at Memorial Park. All ages are welcome.

Photo credits: Messyworks, Minnesota Opera, Newsela, Los Angeles Ensemble, Warner Bros. Productions, Twentieth Century Fox, Food & Wine Chickie, Pasadena Museum of California Art, Scott Rudin Productions, Pasadena Conservatory of Music.

Looking for Something to Do? Free Events April 7 to 13

Here are events scheduled Saturday, April 7, to Friday, April 13.

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

The annual Open House at Jet Propulsion Laboratory isn't scheduled until the weekend of June 10 and 11, but here's the thing: Registration begins Saturday, April 7, at 9 a.m. (fair warning: tickets may not last through this weekend, so hurry!). Click on this JPL link at or after 9 a.m. Saturday to reserve your tickets and for more information. 

The second Sunday of every month is Free Admission Day at USC Pacific Asia Museum. On Sunday, April 8, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. explore the art of printmaking and make your own silkscreen printed poster, go on a guided tour of the current exhibition Winds from Fusang: Mexico and China in the Twentieth Century and enjoy storytime in the Silk Road Gallery.

Classical and experimental pianist Brendan White will perform Wednesday, April 11, from 12:10 to 12:40 p.m. for the popular Music at Noon recital series at Pasadena Presbyterian Church.

Sitting Pretty" (1948, NR) starring Clifton Webb and Maureen O'Hara will be shown Wednesday, April 11, at 1 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. When a suburban couple advertises for a live-in babysitter, the best woman for the job is a man called Mr. Belvedere, a self-styled genius and expert on everything who at first rubs the couple the wrong way.

Children and teens ages 10 to 18 will learn how to create and design simple computer and video game programs using GameMaker Studio Wednesday, April 11, from 5 to 7 p.m. on the fourth floor at Central Library. Email jgov@cityofpasadena.net to sign up.

The next open forum of PasadenaPhotographicArts is scheduled Thursday, April 12, at 7 p.m. at Armory Center for the Arts. In a presentation titled "The Art of Natural Light," internationally recognized photographer Shayne McGuire will present some of her images from faraway landscapes around the world that explore the ever-changing and unfolding beauty of nature. Seating is limited; early arrival is recommended. 

Scientists at Jet Propulsion Laboratory are using satellite remote sensing and sophisticated modeling to understand how Earth's carbon, water and nutrient cycles are linked and their impact on our planet's system as a whole. In a talk titled "How Will Earth's Ecosystems Survive Under a Changing Climate?" Dr. Josh Fisher, a scientist and researcher with JPL's ECOSTRESS Mission, will provide an overview of the latest remote sensing datasets and model developments and discuss new insights into behavior and understanding of terrestrial ecosystems in a changing climate Friday, April 13, at 7 p.m. in the Vosloh Forum at Pasadena City College (building UU on this map). 

Photo credits: Jet Propulsion Laboratory,  Pasadena Now, Brendan White, Twentieth Century Fox, Make It Big in Games, Shayna McGuire, NASA.