Looking for Something to Do? Free Pasadena Events Aug. 18 to 24

Here are free events scheduled Saturday, Aug. 18, to Friday, Aug. 24.

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

See works created by recent graduates of Art Center College of Design Saturday, Aug. 18, from 1 to 5 p.m. in Exhibit Hall B at the Pasadena Convention Center in the categories of advertising, environmental design, film, fine art, graphic design, illustration, industrial design, photography, product design, transportation design and more (and meet the grads while you're at it).

Teens 13 to 18 are invited to a zine-making workshop focusing on select 20th century abstract paintings Saturday, Aug. 18, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Norton Simon Museum. Participants will express their thoughts about the works through the creation of eight-page zines. While the workshop is free, registration is required.

The Last Picture Show (1971, R) starring Jeff Bridges and Cybill Shepherd will be shown Saturday, Aug. 18, at 2 p.m. at Allendale Branch Library. In a small, speck-on-the-map west Texas town, high school seniors go to the movies, hang out at the pool hall and lust after each other while learning about the pitfalls and compromises of adulthood. There also will be a discussion about this timeless classic, and refreshments will be served.

Reverend Tall Tree will perform blues and soul Saturday, Aug. 18, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the courtyard at One Colorado. While the concert is free, registration is encouraged.

South Lake Business Association's Rooftop Cinema summer series kicks off with Jurassic Park (1993, PG-13) starring Sam Neill and Laura Dern Saturday, Aug. 18, at 8:30 p.m. on the roof of the parking structure at 55 S. Lake Ave. Two dinosaur experts are invited by an eccentric millionaire to preview his new amusement park on an island off Central America where cloned dinosaurs begin to rage out of control due a major power breakdown after their arrival. Come as early as 6 p.m. for priority seating and DJ spins. Bring a beach chair (no blankets or tall chairs) and a picnic or purchase dinner at the event. While the film is free, tickets are required for priority entry. Parking at 55 S. Lake Ave. will be complimentary; enter the structure on the west side of Lake Avenue just south of Colorado Boulevard (driveway adjacent to Chase Bank).

The Playhouse District Association Summer Jazz Concert Series presents the Donavan/Muradian Quintet/DMQ playing jazz classics Sunday, Aug. 19, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the courtyard adjacent to Vroman's Book Store.

An LA Opera community educator will give a multimedia presentation titled The Creation of an Opera Monday, Aug. 20, at 1 p.m. at the Pasadena Senior Center, featuring an in-depth look at all aspects of opera beyond music and singing, incuding set design and costume design, illustrated with examples from some of the world's most beloved operas. You do NOT have to be a member of the Pasadena Senior Center to attend, but you do have to be 50 or older.

The summer concert series for all ages in the air conditioned comfort of the Scott Pavilion at the Pasadena Senior Center continues with Grammy-winning Lisa Haley and the Zydekats performing lively Cajun Zydeco music with plenty of Louisiana spice Monday, Aug. 20, from 6 to 7 p.m. You do NOT have to be a member of the Pasadena Senior Center to attend, and all ages are welcome. Bring a picnic/brown bag dinner plus family and friends,

After a mini gallery tour of the current exhibition Brody Albert: Strata, children ages 2 to 5 will track their fingersprints to show where they've made their marks in a creative visual journey, plus enjoy readings of The Finger Prince and Sandy's Incredible Shrinking Footprint  Wednesday, Aug. 22, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. as part of the ongoing fourth Friday Wee Reads series at the Pasadena Museum of California Art. Children must be accompanied by parents or other caregivers.

Celebrate Ray Bradbury's birthday with free admission to the Pasadena Museum of History exhibition Dreaming the Universe: The Intersection of Science, Fiction & Southern California Wednesday, Aug. 22, from noon to 5 p.m. 

Baritone Mark Wilson Jordan will perform Wednesday, Aug. 22, from 12:10 to 12:40 p.m. for the popular Music at Noon recital series at Pasadena Presbyterian Church.

The Spy Next Door (2010, PG) starring Jackie Chan and Amber Valletta will be shown Wednesday, Aug. 22, at 1 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. An international spy on loan to the CIA gives up his job in hopes of leading some semblance of a normal life with his girlfriend next door and her rambunctious brood. A classic cartoon will be shown as well.

Nathalia will perform bilingual music for young children ages 0 to 5 as they sing along Thursday, Aug. 23, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Linda Vista Branch Library.

Korey Dane will perform original music in the styles of Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen Thursday, Aug. 23, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the courtyard at One Colorado. While the concert is free, registration is encouraged.

Downsizing (2017, R) starring Matt Damon and Kristin Wiig will be shown Friday, Aug. 24, at 1 p.m. in the Scott Pavilion at the Pasadena Senior Center. When scientists discover how to shrink humans down to five inches tall as a solution to overpopulation, a man and his wife decide to get small and move to a downsized community, a choice that triggers life-changing adventures. You do NOT have to be a member of the Pasadena Senior Center to attend but you do have to be 50 or older.

Guest artists from MUSE/IQUE will explore the ultimate musical road trip Friday, Aug. 24, at 3:30 p.m. at the Pasadena Senior Center as the orchestra prepares to celebrate our unique American sound, from Duke Ellington's New York state of mind and Jackie Wilson's Detroit sound to Frank Sinatra's Vegas and the sparkling southern splashes of James Brown. You do NOT have to be a member of the Pasadena Senior Center to attend but you do have to be 50 or older.

Dancing Under the Stars wraps up for the summer with Salsa Night featuring the Susie Hansen Latin Band Friday, Aug. 24, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in the Garfield Promenade on the street level at Paseo Colorado. Come as early as 7 p.m. for a dance lesson from the Pasadena Ballroom Dance Association, then enjoy the live music -- whether you decide to kick up your heels or not!

Photo credits: Daniel Nimenez, UCLA, Columbia Pictures Corporation, Random Length News, Universal Pictures, DMQ, Cienradios, Getty Images, Second Story Press, Podenco, Mark Wilson Jordan, Relativity Media, Nathalia, Paramount Pictures, Adopt-A-Highway, Susie Hansen