Looking for Something to Do? Free Pasadena Events September 28 to October 4

Here are events scheduled Saturday, Sept. 28, to Friday, Oct. 4.

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

Enjoy live entertainment by top-ranked L.A.-area bands, food sampling at several restaurants, pumpkin painting, a traveling trivia game, photo opps with Hello Kitty and plenty of other family-friendly activities at Tastes & Sounds presented by the South Lake Business Association Saturday, Sept. 28, from noon to 5 p.m. Free trolleys will take you up and down the avenue. In addition to free food sampling, many restaurants will offer deep discounts. Purchase of food is not required to attend the event.

Central Library presents a science fiction classics double feature in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium Saturday, Sept. 28, from 2 to 6 p.m. First up is "Them!" (1954, NR) starring James Whitmore and Joan Weldon. The earliest atomic tests in New Mexico cause common ants to mutate into giant man-eating monsters that threaten civilization. The second feature is "The Black Scorpion" (1957, NR) starring Richard Denning and Mara Corday. Volcanic activity frees giant scorpions from the earth that wreak havoc in the rural countryside and eventually threaten a major world capital.

One Colorado's Thursday & Saturday Night Music presents Mestizo Beat performing R&B and soul Saturday, Sept. 28, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the courtyard.

The Baseball Reliquary presents "A Swinging Centennial: Jackie Robinson at 100" Sunday, Sept. 29, from 7 to 9 p.m. in Westerbeck Recital Hall at Pasadena City College's Center for the Arts (Building CA on this map). The event, featuring renowned jazz trumpeter Bobby Bradford, jazz songwriter/vocalist Byron Motley and a jazz ensemble, will celebrate the late pro baseball player who was raised in Pasadena and broke the sport's color barrier when he became the first African American on a major league team.

Elementary-aged children and their families are invited to join educators from the USC Pacific Asia Museum Monday, Sept. 30, at 3:30 p.m. at Central Library for storytelling and artmaking. Hear the Bengali folktale "Grandma and the Great Gourd" by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, then create a mixed media artwork inspired by the book's illustrations.

Tuesday Musicale presents a recital featuring piano trios by Felix Mendelssohn and Johannes Brahms and concert variations by Clara Schumann performed by pianist Jamie Caridi and show tunes sung by Ruth Ridenour Tuesday, Oct. 1, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library.

An LA Opera community educator will share insights into the upcoming production of "The Light in the Piazza" Tuesday, Oct. 1, at 2 p.m. in room 113 at the Pasadena Conservancy of Music. The wife and 26-year-old daughter of an American businessman tour the Tuscan countryside, where the daughter Clara falls in love with a handsome young Florentine. As the mother Margaret tries to keep the two apart, a secret is revealed: Clara is not quite all that she appears.

The first Tuesday of every month from 4 to 8 p.m. is Free Family Night at Kidspace Children's Museum. On Tuesday, Oct. 1, enjoy puppet theater and everything else the museum has to offer.

Rockin' across the railways and beyond, The Conductors will perform music from '50s rockabilly and '60s pop rock to folk/Americana that will appeal to children and adults alike Tuesday, Oct. 1, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the courtyard at One Colorado. While the event is free, RSVPs are encouraged.

Baritone Ralph Cato, accompanied by pianist Frank Fetta, will perform Wednesday, Oct. 2, from 12:10 to 12:40 p.m. for the popular Music at Noon recital series at Pasadena Presbyterian Church.

"Ghandi" (1982, PG) starring Ben Kingsley and John Gielgud will be shown Wednesday, Oct. 2, at 1 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. A spiritual and political leader in India forsakes all worldly possessions, adopts a policy of passive resistance and works tirelessly to win freedom from British rule for the people of his country. The film is based on true events.

Former winners, finalists and other successful contestants from throughout the world will return to the stage and compete in hopes of taking home the first-ever title of America's Got Talent Champion Thursday, Oct. 3, through Monday, Oct. 21. Times vary. Be part of the audience! With Simon Cowell leading the charge, it will be the ultimate display of talent, edge-of-your-seat moments and extraordinary performances of every kind. While the attendance at the televised shows is free, tickets are required.

Michael Kelly, a member of the local Irish band Sligo Rags, will present a demonstration of traditional Irish fiddle playing and explain its social effect in Southern California Thursday, Oct. 3, at 2 p.m. at the Pasadena Senior Center. You do not have to be a member of the Pasadena Senior Center to attend, but you do have to be 50 or older.

Children of all ages will enjoy Buster Balloon's SPOOK'tacular Halloween-themed show Thursday, Oct. 3, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the courtyard at One Colorado where he will perform creepy comedy and spooky magic and make monstrous balloon creations that will have everyone howling and screeching with delight! While the event is free, RSVPs are encouraged.

Mystery writer Anne Louise Bannon will explain the process for writing a novel -- how to get from the first glimmer to a full-blown book, with side trips down the rabbit hole and tips on how to get in touch with your own inner novelist Thursday, Oct. 3, at 7 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library.

Join USC Professor Ketaki Pant as she explores the lost and found of South Asia Thursday, Oct. 3, at 7 p.m. at the USC Pacific Asia Museum. Learn the history of Bengal in the mid-twentieth century, the little-known story of South Asians in 19th and 20th century Mauritius and more. While the event is free, RSVPs are required.

"Rocketman" (2019, R) starring Taron Egerton and Jamie Bell will be shown Friday, Oct. 4, at 1 p.m. in the Scott Pavilion at the Pasadena Senior Center. The shy young piano prodigy Reginald Dwight becomes the international superstar Elton John, one of the most iconic figures in pop culture. You do not have to be a member of the Pasadena Senior Center to attend, but you do have be 50 or older.

Admission to the Norton Simon Museum is free the first Friday of every month. On Friday, Oct. 4, from 5 to 8 p.m. enjoy the current exhibition AIR LAND SEA: A Lithographic Suite by William Crutchfield and everything else the museum has to offer. 

SAVE THE DATE!

Explore 20 prestigious Pasadena arts and cultural institutions that will showcase works of art, music, dance and more during ArtNight Pasadena Friday, Oct. 11, from 6 to 10 p.m.

Photo credits: South Lake Business Association, Warner Bros., Amex Productions, Hal Masonberg Photography, Pomona College, The New York Times, Byron Motley, Roaring Brook Press, Kidspace Children's Museum, The Conductors, Michal Kalmi, International Film Investors, Burnish Creative, Sligo Rags, Buster Balloon, EdX, Asia Society, Paramount Pictures, Heather David

Looking for Something to Do? Free Pasadena Events September 21 to 27

 

Here are events scheduled Saturday, Sept. 21, to Friday, Sept. 27.

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

The sixth annual Pasadena Loves YA teen book festival Saturday, Sept. 21, from noon to 4 p.m. at Central Library will feature 15 Young Adult genre authors in panel discussions and book signings, Q&A, YA book giveaways and more. Advance registration is not required.

Among the most popular activities at The Women's Room, which serves women who are alone and homeless or at risk of homelessness in Pasadena, are art classes where they can express themselves and create artworks that are meaningful to them. An exhibition titled "Friends in Deed: Art of The Women's Room" will begin Saturday, Sept. 21, from noon to 5 p.m. at Armory Center for the Arts. A reception will be ongoing in the community room. The exhibition will remain in place until Dec. 1. 

One Colorado's Thursday & Saturday Night Music presents C-Money & The Players Inc. performing social music -- a term coined by Miles Davis that means a mixture of styles based on the principle of compelling people to dance and think -- Saturday, Sept. 21, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the courtyard.

General admission is free to Zuffenhausen 2, a celebration of Porsches Sunday, Sept. 22, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Centennial Square in front of Pasadena City Hall. 

The Bob Baker Marionette Theater presents its final show of the summer at One Colorado Tuesday, Sept. 24, at 4:30 p.m. with everyone's favorite friends on strings. After the show, the marionettes will hang out for photo opps. 

The Mud Music Ensemble will perform works for piano, strings and woodwinds Wednesday, Sept. 25, from 12:10 to 12:40 p.m. for the popular Music at Noon recital series at Pasadena Presbyterian Church.

"Midnight Lace" (1960, NR) starring Doris Day and Rex Harrison will be shown Wednesday, Sept. 25, at 1 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. A recently wed American woman in London is terrorized by a threatening stalker, but neither her British husband nor the police believe her.

Inca: The Peruvian Ensemble will perform in celebration of Inca music and other traditions Wednesday, Sept. 25, at 4:30 p.m. at La Pintoresca Branch Library. 

One Colorado's Thursday & Saturday Night Music presents Lily Waters performing Indie, blues and alternative rock Thursday, Sept. 26, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the courtyard.

Photo credits: City of Pasadena, Armory Center for the Arts, Babaclat fourtwenty, Zuffenhausen, Bob Baker Marionette Theater, Stan Harrison, Arwin Productions, Los Angeles Music Center, Lily Waters, 

Looking for Something to Do? Free Pasadena Events September 14 to 20

Here are events scheduled Saturday, Sept. 14, to Friday, Sept. 20.

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

Thursday & Saturday Night Music at One Colorado presents Rumbankete performing dynamic and progressive Salsa Saturday, Sept. 14, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the courtyard.

Admission will be free to the Pasadena Museum of History Sunday, Sept. 15, from noon to 5 p.m. Enjoy the current exhibition "Giddy Up: Children Take the Reins" (it closes Oct. 13) plus fun photo opps, crafts, cartoons for the kiddies and plenty of party snacks. 

The Screening Mimis Film Discussion Group presents "Song of the South" (1946, NR) starring Ruth Warrick and James Baskett Tuesday, Sept. 17, at 1:30 p.m. in the Scott Pavilion at the Pasadena Senior Center. Set in the years after the end of the Civil War, an African American handyman on a southern farm tells delightful tales to an initially disconsolate young boy sent to the farm to live with his grandmother. The tales center around the clever trickster Br'er Rabbit whose adventures are illustrated in cartoon form. Disney has withheld the film from U.S. VHS and DVD distribution in the last three decades due to controversy over what some argue is a sugar-coated depiction of the reconstruction-era south. The Screening Mimis Film Discussion Group features a provocative movie the first and third Tuesday of every month, preceded by a presentation about the film's hidden history and followed by a lively discussion. 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.

The Bob Baker Marionette Theater returns to the courtyard at One Colorado Tuesday, Sept. 17, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. with everyone's favorite friends on strings. After the show, the marionettes will hang out for photo opps. The Bob Baker Marionette Theater will be at One Colorado the same time every Tuesday in September, with a new show every week.

Helix Collective will perform classical music with a contemporary edge Wednesday, Sept. 18, from 12:10 to 12:40 for the popular Music at Noon recital series at Pasadena Presbyterian Church.

"Pillow Talk" (1959, NR) starring Rock Hudson and Doris Day will be shown Wednesday, Sept. 18, at 1 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. A songwriting playboy's success at romance annoys his female interior designer neighbor, so he sets about to seduce her in the guise of a sincere and upstanding Texas rancher. See the trailer here.

Families of all ages are invited to take part in theater games and improv Thursday, Sept. 19, at 3:30 p.m. at Hill Avenue Branch Library. Clown around and play games that enhance focus and listening skills. 

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month Thursday, Sept. 19, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at La Pintoresca Branch Library with a fun afternoon that will include a special performance of Charro rope tricks by Los Hermanos Banuelos Charro Team and Marshal Ramon Banuelos along with stories, music, crafts and more.

A reception for the new exhibition "Shades of Gray: The Abstract Ink Paintings of Keiko Arai" is Thursday, Sept. 19, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the En Gallery at Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden. While the event is free, registration is required.

Thursday & Saturday Night Music at One Colorado presents The Soul of John Black performing blues, funk and soul Thursday, Sept. 19, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the courtyard.

"Annie Get Your Gun" (1950, NR) starring Betty Hutton and Howard Keel will be shown Friday, Sept. 20, at 1 p.m. in the Scott Pavilion at the Pasadena Senior Center. Legendary sharpshooter Annie Oakley ascends from dirty-faced backwoods urchin to the uppermost rungs of international stardom. 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.

Photo credits: KADY TV, Pasadena Museum of History, Walt Disney Productions, Bob Baker Marionette Theater, Helix Collective, Arwin Productions, Rebecca Thompson, La Voz Bilingue, Storrier Stearn Japanese Garden, Alchetron, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM).

Looking for Something to Do? Free Pasadena Events September 7 to 13

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

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

One Colorado's Saturday Night Music presents Soul Scratch performing their own brand of R&B and soul Saturday, Sept. 7, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the courtyard.

The second Sunday of every month is Free Admission Day at the USC Pacific Asia Museum. On Sunday, Sept. 8, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. celebrate the cultures of the Philippines and enjoy related dance and music performances, artmaking activities, children's storytime, Filipino food tasting and much more.

Children 5 to 12 are invited to read books to gentle, well-trained dogs at Barks and Books Monday, Sept. 9, at 1 p.m. at San Rafael Branch Library and Tuesday, Sept. 10, at 3:30 p.m. at Hastings Branch Library. Barks and Books continues at various branch libraries throughout September.

An LA Opera community educator will share insights into the upcoming production of Giacomo Puccini's "La Bohème" Tuesday, Sept. 10, at 2 p.m. in room 113 at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music. Reservations are encouraged.

The Bob Baker Marionette Theater returns to the courtyard at One Colorado Tuesday, Sept. 10, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. with everyone's favorite friends on strings. After the show, the marionettes will hang out for photo opps. The Bob Baker Marionette Theater will be at One Colorado the same time every Tuesday in September, with a new show every week.

Portuguese clarinetist Virginia Figueiredo will perform Wednesday, Sept. 11, from 12:10 to 12:40 p.m. for the popular Music at Noon recital series at Pasadena Presbyterian Church.

"White Oleander" (2002, PG-13) starring Alison Lohman and Michelle Pfeiffer will be shown Wednesday, Sept. 11, at 1 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. After her mother goes to prison, a teenaged girl journeys through a series of foster homes, then struggles to come to terms with the challenges of life on her own.

The Great American Songwriters series presents "An Era of Wit and Sophistication: Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart" Thursday, Sept. 12, at 2 p.m. in the Scott Pavilion at the Pasadena Senior Center. Join pianist Bob Lipsom and commentator/performer Saul H. Jacobs for this fun, interactive musical journey through the lives and work of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, featuring hit songs they wrote for iconic Broadway musicals including "Pal Joey," "Babes in Arms," "On Your Toes," "Jumbo" and more. You do not have to be a member of the Pasadena Senior Center to attend, but you do have to be 50 or older.

At the next open forum of PasadenaPhotographyArts Thursday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m. at Armory Center for the arts, five well known Los Angeles-area photographers will present some of their themed works: Sean Brenner will present "Architectural Reflections Abstractions and Juxtapositions"; Lisa Guerriero and Julie-Grace Immink will present "2 Photographers 4 Days 6 States 100 Yard Sales"; Jim Newberry will present "Jalisco Oaxaco Mezcal and Birria" and Sunny Strader will present "My Friend Charlotte." Reservations are encouraged.

One Colorado's Thursday Night Music presents Shane Hall performing blues, soul and roots rock with a West Coast twist Thursday, Sept. 12, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the courtyard.

"A Dog's Journey" (2019, PG) starring Dennis Quaid and Marg Helgenberger will be shown Friday, Sept. 13, at 1 p.m. in the Scott Pavilion at the Pasadena Senior Center. As an elderly dog named Bailey reaches the end of his life, he vows to find his owner's young granddaughter who was abducted by her dog-hating mother. You do not have to be a member of the Pasadena Senior Center to attend, but you do have to be 50 or older. 

Fiestas Patrias Friday, Sept. 13, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Villa-Parke will celebrate the historic independence of 18 Latin American countries from Spain with live music, dance performances, arts and crafts, children's activities and much more while highlighting colors, richness and warmth of Latin American cultures. 

Photo credits: Soul Scratch, USC Pacific Asia Museum, Los Angeles Times, LA Opera, Bob Baker Marionette Theater, Virginia Figueiredo, Warner Bros., Michael Ochs Archive/Getty, Sean Brenner, Shane Hall, DreamWorks, All Events.