Looking for Something to Do? Free Pasadena Events February 2 to 8

Here are events scheduled Saturday, Feb. 2, to Friday, Feb. 8.

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, Feb. 2, at 10:30 a.m. in the Children's Corner inside the Eaton Canyon Nature Center. Nature Tails are scheduled every Saturday morning.

Armory Center for the Arts, Kidspace Children's Museum and USC Pacific Asia Museum are among 45 Southern California institutions that will open their doors for free during the annual Museums Annual Free-For-All Day Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 2 and 3, during regular respective business hours. Some will be free one day only and others on both days, so double-check the website for specifics.

Celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year (Year of the Pig) in the Playhouse District with three events Sunday Feb. 3:

* 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. -- The USC Pacific Asia Museum presents a Lion Dance, martial arts presentation, cultural dances, performances by the Zhejiang Conservatory of Music visiting from China, art activities, a musical petting zoo and more.

* 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. -- Children will enjoy a special Lunar New Year storytime followed by fun crafts including paper plate dragons, mobiles and lanterns at Vroman's Bookstore. The purchase of books is not required to attend.

* Noon to 4 p.m. -- Mahjong is a tile-based game developed in China nearly 400 years ago and now popular worldwide. Learn how the game is played during a workshop in the courtyard at the Pasadena Playhouse.

(Click into the Playhouse District link above for more details about these events.)

Caltech Chamber Music presents a Super Bowl alternative concert Sunday, Feb. 3, at 3:30 p.m. in the Dabney Lounge at Caltech's Dabney Hall (#40 on this map). The program will be announced. Parking in Caltech lots and parking structures is free on weekends.

Children ages 5 to 12 are invited to read books to gentle, well-trained dogs at Barks and Books Monday, Feb. 4, at 1 p.m. at San Rafael Branch Library and/or 3 p.m. at La Pintoresca Branch Library. 

The Screening Mimis Film Discussion Group presents The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980, PG) starring N!xau and Marius Weyers Tuesday, Feb. 5, at 1:30 p.m. in the Scott Pavilion at the Pasadena Senior Center. After a Coke bottle thrown from a passing plane lands in the middle of his village, a Kalahari bushman believes it to be a gift from the gods. The film will be preceded by a presentation about its hidden history and followed by a lively discussion. You do not have to be a member of the Pasadena Senior Center to attend, but you do have to be 50 or older.

Tuesday Musicale of Pasadena presents classical trios performed by Mary Brooks on flute, Elizabeth Elliot on cello and Barbara Burgan on piano; performances by Jacqueline Stong on oboe and Jo Ann Jaycraft on piano; arias sung by soprano Gwendolyn Brown with Geraldine Keeling at the piano; and a performance by pianist Jamie Caridi Tuesday, Feb 5, 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 Feb. 5, from 5 to 8 p.m. learn how textiles are made, create art using textiles and explore the history of textiles with fun activities. Don't miss a traditional Chinese ribbon and fan dance at 6 p.m. in the central courtyard.

The two-episode TV miniseries Separate But Equal (1991, PG) starring Sidney Poitier and Burt Lancaster will be shown Wednesday, Feb. 6, at 1 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. Based on the groundbreaking 1954 Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka case, the miniseries follows a young Thurgood Marshall who argued the racially charged lawsuit before the U.S. Supreme Court that led to the desegregation of American public schools.

A.R. Gurney's iconic play Love Letters will star Tom Laskey and Sandy Mansson Thursday, Feb. 7, at 2 p.m. in the Scott Pavilion at the Pasadena Senior Center. The two characters sit side by side as they read notes, letters and cards they exchanged over the course of 50 years while they led separate lives. You do not have to be a member of the Pasadena Senior Center to attend, but you do have to be 50 or older.

A Star is Born (2018, R) starring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga will be shown Friday, Feb. 8, at 1 p.m. in the Scott Pavilion at the Pasadena Senior Center. A seasoned musician discovers natural talent in a woman who has given up on her dream of becoming a successful singer, then helps her advance her career while his alcoholism sends his own career into a downward spiral. 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 Pasadena Playhouse and Playhouse District Association present ragtime pianist John Reed-Torres Friday, Feb. 8, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the courtyard at the Pasadena Playhouse. The Soul of Ragtime concert series will continue every Friday until Feb. 22.

Scientific ballooning provides a reliable, low-cost and moderate-risk platform for helping the next generation of scientists, engineers and instruments for unmanned space flight. The Ridiculous World of Ballooning Friday, Feb. 8, at 7 p.m. in Ramo Auditorium at Caltech's Baxter Hall (#77 on this map) will feature Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Dr. Jose V. Siles and Dr. Laura Jones-Wilson, who will take the audience through a presentation about how our oldest flight technology paves the way for the future. Parking at Caltech lots and parking structures is free weekdays after 5 p.m.

Photo credits: SoCal Museums, USC Pacific Asia Museum, C.A.T. Films, George Stevens Productions, Maier Vidorno, Pine Plains Memorial Hall, Spectrum News1, Warner Bros. Pictures, Maria de Vedia, Jet Propulsion Laboratory