Looking for Something to Do? Free Events May 26 to June 1

Here are events scheduled Saturday, May 26, to Friday, June 1.

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

Family Fun Day Saturday, May 26, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at La Pintoresca Park will include food, entertainment, face painting, arts and crafts, game trucks and plenty of other family-friendly activities. 

With inspiration from Lisa See's novel "The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane," enjoy a Pu'er traditional Chinese tea ceremony Saturday, May 26, from 2 to 4 p.m. on the fourth floor at Central Library. You'll also learn about the holistic benefits of Pu'er tea and how the tea leaves from the ancient mountains of Yunnan are what many call the best in the world.

Opera for KIDS presents Gaetano Donizetti's "The Elixir of Love" (L'Elisir d'Amore) performed in English by the Pasadena Opera Guild for children ages 7 to 12, with imaginative scenery, beautiful costumes and rich visual humor Saturday, May 26, at 3 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library, then hands-on STEAM activities that demonstrate the importance of math in music and theater. Reservations are not required except for large groups: (626) 744-4725. Click here for more children's activities at Pasadena public libraries.

Pasadena Police Department Curbside Chat get-togethers are quite popular and take place at a different location each time. Chat it up with police officers and park safety specialists, connect with other Pasadenans and enjoy some refreshments Saturday, May 26, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the junction of Prospect Boulevard and La Mesa Place.

Marimba player Arianna Aviña will perform in recital Saturday, May 26, at 7 p.m. in Barrett Hall at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music featuring compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach, Jacques Delecleuse, Richard Gipson, William Kraft, Mitchell Peters and Charlie Wilcoxen. 

The Hollow Trees will perform folk music for young children Tuesday, May 29, at 10:30 a.m. in the Garfield Promenade on the street level at Paseo Colorado.

Acclaimed American poet Mary Szybist, winner of the National Book Award for Poetry and whose works have been recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts and the American Academy of Poets, will speak and read from her works Tuesday, May 29, at 7 p.m. in Dabney Lounge at Dabney Hall (#40 on this map). Parking is free at Caltech lots and parking structures weekdays after 5 p.m.

Maria Elena Altany, a soprano with L.A. Opera, will perform Wednesday, May 30, from 12:10 to 12:40 p.m. as part of the popular Music at Noon recital series at Pasadena Presbyterian Church.

After a kid-friendly exhibition tour of "Testament of the Spirit: Paintings by Eduardo Carrillo," children ages 2 to 5 will create stick puppets and enjoy readings of "Same, Same but Different" and "We Came to America" Wednesday, May 30, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. as part of the ongoing Free Fourth Wednesday Wee Read series at the Pasadena Museum of California Art. A parent or other caregiver must accompany each child.

"To Hell and Back" (1955, NR) starring Audie Murphy and Marshall Thompson will be shown Wednesday, May 30, at 1 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. The film depicts the story, based on true events, of how Audie Murphy became America's most decorated soldier during World War II. 

The first Friday of every month is Free Admission Day at the Pasadena Museum of California Art. On Friday, June 1, from noon to five p.m. enjoy the current exhibitions and everything else the museum has to offer.

The first Friday of every month is Free Admission Night at the Norton Simon Museum. On Friday, June 1, from 5 to 8 p.m. enjoy the current exhibitions "In Search of New Markets: Craft Traditions in Nineteenth Century India" and "Line & Color: The Nature of Ellsworth Kelly" plus everything else the museum has to offer.

Photo credits: Williamsburg Families, The Chinese Tea Company, Pittsburgh Opera, Pasadena Police Department, Pasadena Conservatory of Music, About the Artists, Lewis & Clark University, L.A. Weekly, Henry Holt and Company, Universal International Pictures, Pasadena Museum of California Art, Norton Simon Museum,