Looking for Something to Do? Free Pasadena Events November 3 to 9

Here are events scheduled Saturday, Nov. 3, to Friday, Nov. 9.

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, Nov. 3, at 10:30 a.m. in the Children's Corner inside the Eaton Canyon Nature Center. Nature Tails are scheduled every Saturday morning.

Take a self-guided tour of Day of the Dead/Dia de los Muertos altars created to honor and celebrate the dearly departed Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 3 and 4, at business throughout Old Pasadena during regular business hours. There also will be community altars at three open-air locations in Old Pas throughout the weekend; and live music by Marimba Tropical and calavera face painting from 1 to 4 p.m. both days at Mercantile Place.

Revisit Moons, an exhibition that ponders wonder, worlds and orbiting mysteries, Saturday, Nov. 3, through Sunday, Nov. 11, in the Williamson Gallery at Art Center College of Design's hillside campus. Gallery hours vary. The Nov. 3 to 11 period of the exhibition is in conjunction with the AxS Festival, a celebration of arts and science in Pasadena and some adjacent communities. The exhibition continues through Dec. 16. 

Shigaraki in Shiga prefecture near Kyoto is one of Japan's oldest kiln centers and has produced stoneware ceramics since the 12th century. The opening reception for Crafted from the Earth: The Rugged Beauty of Shigaraki Ceramics is Saturday, Nov. 3, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Shumei Arts Council. Among the activities at the reception will be traditional Japanese tea ceremonies at 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. that will incorporate Shigaraki tea bowls, and although there will be a $10 fee for participating in the ceremonies, you can watch them for free. The exhibition will continue through Jan. 13. This event is part of the AxS Festival, a celebration of arts and science in Pasadena and some adjacent communities.

Suite for Flute and Jazz Trio, composed by Claude Bolling, will be performed Sunday, Nov. 4, at 2:30 p.m. in the Donald R.Wright Auditorium at Central Library featuring Ruth Kaschow on flute, Tomoko Takasuki on piano, Leslie Baker on string bass and Ken Parks on drums.

Children ages 5 to 12 are invited to read books to gentle, well-trained dogs at Barks and Books Monday, Nov. 5, at 1 p.m. at San Rafael Branch Library and 3 p.m. at La Pintoresca Branch Library; and Thursday, Nov. 8, at 4 p.m. in the Children's Story Room at Central Library.

Constellations, a play by Nick Payne, will be read by resident actors at A Noise Within Monday, Nov. 5, at 7 p.m. as part of the Words Within series. While admission is free, reservations are required. This performance is in conjunction with the annual AxS Festival, a celebration of arts and science in Pasadena and some adjacent communities.

LASER (Leonardo Art Science Evening Rendezvous) presents artist/musician Steve Roden, who will give a sound performance; artist/photographer Lia Halloran, who will discuss her astronomy series; Daniel Lewis, who will speak about the art and science of ornithology; and Caltech special collections director and archivist Peter Callopy on archival treasures at the institute Monday, Nov. 5, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Williamson Gallery at Art Center College of Design's hillside campus. This event is in conjunction with the annual AxS Festival, a celebration of arts and science in Pasadena and some adjacent communities.

Tuesday Musicale presents a piano trio by Haydn with Joyce Pan on violin, Judy Cain on cello and Priscella Yam on piano; Puccini and Wagner arias sung by soprano Diana Briscoe; Trio by Louise Farrenc with Emily Denney on clarinet, Susan Grether on Cello and Jamie Caridi on piano; and Concertino for Two Pianos by Shostakovich performed by Gerry Keeling and Mary Hense Tuesday, Nov. 6, at 2:30 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library.

The first Tuesday of every month is Free Family Night at Kidspace Children's Museum. On Tuesday, Nov. 6, from 4 to 8 p.m. perform amazing circus feats, design and make a game your entire family can enjoy, and much more.

Jazz guitarist Riner Scivally will perform Wednesday, Nov. 7, from 12:10 to 12:40 p.m. for the popular Music at Noon recital series at Pasadena Presbyterian Church.

Faith of My Fathers (2005, PG-13) starring Shawn Hatosy and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa will be shown Wednesday, Nov. 7, at 1 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. The film tells the story of John McCain, from his early childhood to his experiences as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. The movie is based on McCain's 1999 autobiography Faith of My Fathers: A Family Memoir.  

The community is invited to the opening reception for a watercolor and mixed media exhibition Thursday, Nov. 8, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Pasadena Senior Center. Complimentary food and wine will be provided, and a harpist will perform. All ages are welcome; membership at the Pasadena Senior Center is not required to attend. The art works were created by Pasadena Senior Center art students with skill levels from beginner to advanced. 

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018, PG-13) starring Amanda Seyfried and Meryl Streep will be shown Friday, Nov. 9, at 1 p.m. in the Scott Pavilion at the Pasadena Senior Center. Sophie prepares for the grand reopening of the Hotel Bella Donna on a Greek island as she learns more about her mother's life. See the trailer here. You do NOT have to be a member of the Pasadena Senior Center to attend, but you do have to be 50 or older.

How does NASA capture the faint whispers of spacecraft voyaging to far-flung destinations across our solar system and beyond? Three experts from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory will explain the Deep Space Network's giant radio antennas, global cooperation and careful planning Friday, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m. in Ramo Auditorium at Caltech's Baxter Hall (#77 on this map). Parking at Caltech lots and parking structures is free after 5 p.m.

The Pasadena Community Orchestra will perform Brahms's Academic Festival Overture, Ginastera's Harp Concerto featuring soloist Alyssa Katahara and Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 (New World Symphony) Friday, Nov. 9, at 8 p.m. at First Church of the Nazarene, 3700 E. Sierra Madre Blvd.

SAVE THE DATES!

• Adaptive sports for all ages will be celebrated during the Pasadena Adaptive Sports Festival Saturday, Nov. 10, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Brookside Park. Competitions will include quad rugby, handcycling, pickle ball, tennis, beep baseball, boccia ball and more. Equipment will be provided, and coaches and instructors will be on hand to teach participants how to play the games. Register here. Spectators of all abilities are welcome to this first-ever event. 
• The annual Veterans Day commemoration at Centennial Square in front of Pasadena City Hall Sunday, Nov. 11, beginning at 10:30 a.m., will include patriotic music, local JROTC presenting the colors, a flyover of vintage of World War II planes, special guest speakers and more, followed by free refreshments, including hot dogs grilled by Pasadena firefighters.

Photo credits: Child's Play International, Feiwel & Friends, Sleeping Bear Press, Breck Create, What's On in Joburg, Beale Public Library, A Noise Within, Steve Roden, Jazz Guitar Lessons, A&E Television Networks, Pasadena Senior Center, Universal Pictures, Pasadena Community Orchestra