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

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

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

Bring the kids for Nature Tails Storybook Time featuring books about animals and nature Saturday, July 7, at 10:30 a.m. in the Children's Corner inside the Eaton Canyon Nature Center. Nature Tails are scheduled every Saturday morning.

The kickoff of the Parks After Dark summer concert series is Saturday, July 7, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Washington Park with the theme Jazz It Up!

Centennial Square in front of Pasadena City Hall will be transformed to an outdoor concert space Saturday, July 7, at 8 p.m. for Music Under the Stars, the annual gift to the community from the Pasadena Symphony and Pops featuring a celebration of music from Broadway, Hollywood and the Great American Songbook with tenor Maximo Marcuso, Broadway and cabaret singer Christina Saffran and soprano Lisa Vroman plus the JPL Chorus. Come as early as 6 p.m. for pre-concert activities and to secure your space. Bring a lawn chair and an alcohol-free picnic. You may also rent folding chairs for a small fee and purchase dinner from one of the gourmet food trucks.

Old Pasadena Summer Cinema presents Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985, PG) starring Paul Reubens and Elizabeth Daily Saturday, July 7, at 8:30 p.m. in Central Park. When someone steals his customized red bicycle, a peculiar man-child hits the road on an epic adventure to recover his most prized possession, with the journey leading him to the Alamo, a raucous biker bar, the mouth of a dinosaur and a Hollywood movie set as he befriends everyone he meets along the way. Bring a low beach chair or blanket and a picnic. Come as early as 6:30 p.m. and enjoy live DJ sets from KCRW and free ice cream from Paradis (while supplies last).

Old Pasadena Summer Cinema presents La La Land (2016, PG-13) starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone Saturday, July 7, at 8:30 p.m. in the courtyard at One Colorado. An aspiring actress and a dedicated jazz musician struggle to make it in a city known for crushing hopes and breaking hearts. Arrive early to secure your seats.

The Playhouse District Association Summer Jazz Concert Series kicks off with the Elliott Caine Quartet Sunday, July 8, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the courtyard adjacent to Vroman's Book Store.

Classical pianist Christine Azzoni Dow will perform Wednesday, July 11, from 12:10 to 12:40 p.m. for the popular Music at Noon recital series at Pasadena Presbyterian Church.

The Indian in the Cupboard (1995, PG) starring Hal Scardino and Litefoot will be shown Wednesday, July 11, at 1 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. Among the gifts received by a boy on his ninth birthday is an antique wooden cupboard that leads to an adventure beyond his wildest dreams. The film is based on the 1980 book by Lynne Reid Banks.

Teens are invited to create working clocks using recycled books Wednesday, July 11, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Central Library's Studio on 4th (fourth floor). All materials will be provided.

Children ages 5 to 12 will love the Arty Loon Show featuring magic, juggling, puppetry and silly fun Thursday, July 12, at 1 p.m. at La Pintoresca Branch Library and 3:30 p.m. at Allendale Branch Library.

Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad, a play by Arthur L. Kopit, will be read by resident actors at a Noise Within Thursday, July 12, at 7 p.m. as part of the Words Within series. While admission is free, reservations are required.

Parks After Dark presents the kickoff of the Movies in the Park summer series Thursday, July 12, at 7:30 p.m. at Villa Park with Despicable Me 3 (2017, PG) featuring the voice talents of Steve Carell and Kristin Wiig. Reformed villain Gru meets his long-lost, charming and more successful twin brother Dru who wants to team up with him one last time.

An Ordinary Man (2017, R) starring Ben Kingsley and Hera Hilmar will be shown Friday, July 13, at 1 p.m. in the Scott Pavilion at the Pasadena Senior Center. An infamous Bosnian Serb war criminal who has spent years on the run, blending into one new surrounding after another, discovers something about the maid in his newest location. You do NOT have to be a member of the Pasadena Senior Center to attend, but you must be 50 or older.

Parks After Dark presents The Princess and the Frog (2009, G) with the voice talents of Anika Noni Rose and Bruno Campos Friday, July 13, at 7:30 p.m. at Victory Park. Tiana, an aspiring young chef in 1912 New Orleans, and the newly arrived Prince Naveen of Maldonia, who has been turned into a frog by a voodoo spell, share a fateful kiss that leads them on an adventure through the mystical bayous of Louisiana.

Paseo Colorado's all-summer-long Dancing Under the Stars continues with Swing Night featuring Aileen Quinn and her Leapin' Lizards Friday, July 13, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Paseo Colorado's Garfield Promenade on the street level. Come as early as 7 p.m. for a swing dance lesson from the Pasadena Ballroom Dance Association, then enjoy the live music -- whether you decide to kick up your heels or not!

Old Pasadena Summer Cinema presents One Week (2008, NR) starring Joshua Jackson and Peter Spence Friday, July 13, at 8 p.m. at Distant Lands. When he is diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, a young man rides a motorcycle across Canada on a quest for the meaning of life. Seating is limited, so come early to secure your seats.

Old Pasadena Summer Cinema presents Back to the Future (1985, PG) starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd Friday, July 13, at 8:30 p.m. in the courtyard at One Colorado. A teenager who thinks his parents are hopeless nerds befriends an eccentric inventor who has discovered the secret of time travel. Arrive early to secure your seats.

SAVE THE DATE!

AstroFest kicks off Saturday, July 14, with a festival of hands-on activities, robotics demonstrations, creative art displays, planetarium shows and more from 2 to 8 p.m. at the Pasadena Convention Center plus stargazing via telescopes from 8 to 10 p.m. at the Pasadena Convention Center and Paseo Colorado. It's all part of Astronomy Week, a series of public events that celebrates Pasadena's rich history as an international leader for telescopic celestial discovery and robotic space science. 

Photo credits: Child's Play International, Feiwel & Friends, Sleeping Bear Press, Philadelphia Interfaith Hospitality Network, Pasadena Symphony and Pops, Warner Bros., Summit Entertainment, Eclectic Music Festival, Christine Azzoni Dow, Columbia Pictures Corporation, Kanelstrand, Arty Loon, A Noise Within, Illumination Entertainment, Enderby Entertainment, Walt Disney Pictures, Paseo Colorado, Mongrel Media, Universal Pictures