Looking for Something to Do? Free Events May 12 to 18

Here are events scheduled Saturday, May 12, to Friday, May 18.

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

UPDATE: THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER. The Pasadena Police Department will host an open house Saturday, May 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Enjoy free BBQ and refreshments, meet and greet local police staff, learn public safety and crime prevention tips, see equipment and forensics demonstrations, tour the police building and more. 

In celebration of Asian/Pacific Islander Month, Halau Hula Moani'a'ala Anuhea will showcase the Hawaiian culture through dance, language and music Saturday, May 12, at 2 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library.

Design, architecture, art and history will intersect for BoldPas: An Art Takeover of Old Pasadena Saturday, May 12, from noon to 8 p.m. Experience Old Pasadena with new eyes as you gather with friends, stroll the alleys and side streets, meet artists, participate in art activities for all ages, see 13 temporary public art installations, snap and share your photos and connect with Pasadena's creative community. There is a $10 fee for guided walking tours; everything else is free.

The opening reception for the Armory Art High Student Exhibition is Saturday, May 12, from 3 to 5 p.m. at Armory Center for the Arts. Come meet the talented teens and view their works that include painting, figure drawing, darkroom and digital photography, ceramics, silkscreening, graphic novels and more.

The 38th annual Bandorama Saturday, May 12, at 8 p.m. in Ramo Auditorium at Caltech's Baxter Hall (#77 on this map) will feature the Caltech-Occidental Wind Orchestra and the Caltech Jazz Band performing works by David Maslanka, Michael Conrad, Pat Methany and Alan Ferber, plus Big Band classics by Oliver Nelson, Thad Jones and Bob Florence. Parking is free on weekends at Caltech parking lots and structures.

Admission to the USC Pacific Asia Museum is free the second Sunday of every month. On Sunday, May 13, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Create a special Mothers Day vase inspired by Chinese art in the museum's collection, hear stories of China, enjoy the current exhibitions and everything else the museum has to offer. 

Bike Week Pasadena is Monday, May 14, to Saturday, May 19. Events include an evening bike ride through the Playhouse District and Old Pasadena with a decadent sampling from restaurants along the way to fuel your journey; Women's Bike Night; Bike to Work Day; Bike-in Movie Night; and a Pedal with Your Pet party.

Twinkle Time will perform for young children Tuesday, May 15, from 10 a.m. to noon in the Garfield Promenade on the street level at Paseo Colorado.

Dali Ensemble L.A., featuring oboe, violin and cello, will perform Wednesday, May 16, from 12:10 to 12:40 p.m. for the popular Music at Noon recital series at Pasadena Presbyterian Church. 

"The Joy Luck Club" (1993, R) starring France Nuyen and Rosalind Chao will be shown Wednesday, May 16, at 1 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. Four elderly Chinese women tell stories about themselves and their American-born daughters. Based on the novel by Amy Tan.

Pasadena Mayor Terry Tornek, Acting Police Chief John Perez and Fire Chief Bertral Washington will be among the speakers at the Police and Fire Memorial Service Thursday, May 17, at 10 a.m. in Centennial Square in front of Pasadena City Hall. The annual event pays tribute to the brave men and women who have died in the line of duty while protecting and serving Pasadena.

Children ages 8 to 12 are invited to join the Kids Coding Club where each session explores a different way to use computer coding with games, art, robotics and more. On Thursday, May 17, at 4 p.m. on the fourth floor at Central Library, explore coding with Ozobots, small robots that you can program to move, light up and make sounds. Call (626) 744-4225 to sign up.

The third Thursday (and first Friday) of every month is Free Admission Night at the Pasadena Museum of California Art. On Thursday, May 17, from 5 to 9 p.m. enjoy bilingual readings of works by some of Southern California's most talented Mexican American poets and writers (6 to 7 p.m.), plus see the current exhibitions and everything else the museum has to offer.

"Coco" (2017, PG) with the voice talents of Anthony Gonzalez and Gael Garcia Bernal will be shown Friday, May 18, at 1 p.m. in the Scott Pavilion at the Pasadena Senior Center. Despite his family's baffling, generations-old ban on music, young Miguel aspires to be an accomplished musician and enters the Land of the Dead where he meets an array of extraordinary characters who help him unlock the real story behind his family history. You do NOT have to be a member of the Pasadena Senior Center to attend, but you do have to be 50 or older.

Juno is a solar-powered spacecraft that has been orbiting Jupiter since July 4, 2016, while collecting a wealth of new information about the planet. On Friday, May 18, at 7 p.m. in the Vosloh Forum (Building UU on this map) at Pasadena City College, JPL's Dr. Steve Levin, Juno Project scientist and lead co-investigator for Juno's microwave radiometer instrument, will discuss some of Juno's current science results on Jupiter's origins, interior structure, deep atmosphere and magnetosphere, and explain the science expected from Juno in the future.

SAVE THE DATE!

The seventh LitFest Pasadena is Saturday and Sunday, May 19 and 20, from 1 to 10 p.m. in the Playhouse District and will feature readings, workshops, performances, panel discussions and other literary activities.

Photo credits: Pasadena Police Department, Halau Hula Moani'a'ala Anuhea, Old Pasadena Management District, Pasadena Convention and Visitors Bureau, Caltech, USC Pacific Asia Museum, Cool Hunting, Twinkle Time, Dali Ensemble L.A., Hollywood Pictures, Pasadena Fire Department, Pasadena Museum of California Art, Walt Disney Pictures, Jet Propulsion Laboratory