Looking for Something to Do? Free Pasadena Events Feb. 1 to 7

Here are arts and cultural events scheduled Saturday, Feb. 1, to Friday, Feb. 7.

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

Each week, Family Fun Saturday at Eaton Canyon Nature Center includes activities for all ages. On Saturday, Feb. 1, from 9 a.m. to noon enjoy Nature Tails Storytime, create a nature craft to take home, see a presentation with a live wild animal and take a family nature walk.

Celebrate the Lunar New Year at a family-friendly festival Saturday, Feb. 1, from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Paseo Colorado. There will be a lion dance (two performances), silk ribbon dance (and a free ribbon dance lesson), children's crafts, live entertainment and more.

Children 5 to 12 are invited to read books to gentle, well-trained dogs during Barks and Books Monday, Feb. 3, at 1 p.m. at San Rafael Branch Library and/or 3 p.m. at La Pintoresca Branch Library. Barks and Books continues at various branch libraries throughout February.

The first Tuesday of every month is Free Family Night at Kidspace Children's Museum. On Tuesday, Feb. 4, from 4 to 8 p.m. express yourself through the art of paper. Create a masterpiece by folding, tearing and trimming. 

Soprano Judith Sirila Paskowitz and mezzo sopranos Bonnie Snell Schindler and Tiffany Carmel, accompanied by jazz pianist Ross Margitza, will perform Wednesday, Feb. 5, from 12:10 to 12:40 p.m. for the popular Music at Noon recital series at Pasadena Presbyterian Church.

The documentary film "There Was Always Sun Shining Someplace: Life in the Negro Baseball Leagues" (1981, NR) will be shown Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 1 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. Using rare historical footage showing the ballplayers as they traveled the back roads of America when baseball was a segregated sport from the turn of the century to 1948, plus interviews with Satchel Paige, James "Cool Papa" Bell, Buck Leonard and more, the film chronicles the rich history of Negro League Baseball that flourished before Jackie Robinson integrated Major League Baseball in 1947. The documentary is narrated by James Earl Jones.

The opening reception for the exhibition "Observations in Black -- A Pictorial Celebration of Black History Month" featuring works by Alfred Haymond is Thursday, Feb. 6, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Hastings Branch Library.

"Downton Abbey" (2019, PG) starring Maggie Smith and Hugh Bonneville will be shown Friday, Feb. 7, at 1 p.m. in the Scott Pavilion at the Pasadena Senior Center. The beloved Crawley family and their intrepid staff prepare for a royal visit from England's King George V and Queen Mary, which unleashes scandal, romance and intrigue that will leave the future of Downton Abbey hanging in the balance. 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.

Whether you've been wanting to write poetry or a book, or simply want to hone your creative writing skills, find your own voice as published author and writing mentor Esther Bradley De-Tally walks you through the process of writing during the hands-on, six-week "The Courage to Write" workshop Fridays, Feb. 7 to March 13, from 1 to 3 p.m. in the meeting room at La Pintoresca Branch Library. Previous writing experience is not required. To sign up, call 626-744-7268. I have taken this workshop series twice over the years and I can tell you it is a truly enriching experience.

The first Friday of every month is Free Admission Day at the Norton Simon Museum. On Friday, Feb. 7, from 5 to 8 p.m. enjoy the current exhibitions "By Day and By Night: Paris in the Belle Époque," "Paul Gauguin's 'The Swineherd,' 1888, on loan from LACMA," "Beyond the World We Know: Abstraction in Photography" and "Raphael 2020" plus everything else the museum has to offer.


Photo credits: Eaton Canyon Nature Center, Freepik, Beale Public Library, Pasadena Presbyterian Church, Detroit Metro Times, Alfred Haymond, Carnival Film & Television, Phenix City-Russell County Library, Heath Ceramics

Looking for Something to Do? Free Pasadena Events January 25 to 31

Here are arts and cultural events scheduled Saturday, Jan. 25, to Friday, Jan. 31.

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

Kidspace Children's Museum and USC Pacific Asia Museum will be among 40 Southern California arts institutions that will open their doors for free during Museums Annual Free-For-All Day Saturday, Jan. 25, during regular operating hours.

Celebrate the Year of the Rat during USC Pacific Asia Museum's annual Lunar New Year Festival Saturday, Jan. 25, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with live performances, artmaking workshops, free admission to galleries and more.

Every Person Has a Name Saturday, Jan. 25, at 7 p.m. through Sunday, Jan. 26, at 8 p.m. in front of Pasadena City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave., will begin with a commemoration ceremony followed by a 24-hour vigil with the reading of the names of victims who perished during the Holocaust. This event coincides with United Nations Holocaust Remembrance Day. Monday, Jan. 27, is the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp. To volunteer to read names, sign up here.   

Admission to the new Southern California Children's Museum exhibition "Wild California" is free Monday, Jan. 27, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The exhibition highlights Southern California's diverse natural landscape, educates about ecology and recreational opportunities within each biome and emphasizes whole-body movement through physical activities and imaginative role-play.

Children 5 to 12 are invited to celebrate the Year of the Rat, hear the tale "The Great Race: The Story of the Chinese Zodiac" and make traditional Lunar New Year decorations Monday, Jan. 27, at 3:30 p.m. in the Children's Story Room at Central Library, presented by USC Pacific Asia Museum. To sign up, call (626) 744-4066, option 4.

"Heart Like a Wheel" (1983, PG) starring Bonnie Bedelia and Beau Bridges will be shown Wednesday, Jan. 29, at 1 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. Shirley Muldowney becomes a National Hot Rod Association top fuel drag race champion in spite of overt industry sexism and increasing jealousy of her pit-mechanic husband. The film is based on true events. See the trailer here.

When you think of space telescopes, Hubble is probably the first one that comes to mind. NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has made a name for itself as well with stunning images captured with highly sensitive instruments that allow scientists to peer into cosmic regions that are hidden from optical telescopes, including dusty stellar nurseries, the centers of galaxies and newly forming planetary systems. As the telescope's mission nears its end, more than 16 years after launch and four decades after conception, Dr. Thomas Soifer, director of Caltech's Spitzer Science Center, will lead a presentation Wednesday, Jan, 29, from 8 to 9:30 p.m. at Caltech's Beckman Auditorium (#91 on this map) that will describe the innovations that led to Spitzer's long lifespan and illustrate the mission's main findings, which include revealing a stellar system with seven earth-size planets as well as massive galaxies in an infant universe. Registration is requested. Caltech parking lots and parking structures are free after 5 p.m.

Musicians from the Pasadena Symphony and Pops will perform a concert of enlivening, engaging and fun music in the Scott Pavilion at the Pasadena Senior Center Thursday, Jan. 30, from 2 to 3 p.m. You do not have to be a member of the Pasadena Senior Center to attend, but you do have to be 50 or older.

"Judy" (2019, PG-13) starring Renée Zellweger and Rufus Sewell will be shown Friday, Jan. 31, at 1 p.m. in the Scott Pavilion at the Pasadena Senior Center. Thirty years after "The Wizard of Oz" shot her to stardom, Judy Garland arrives in London to perform a five-week, sold-out run, sometimes unreliably due to substance abuse and other issues, and reminisces about her brutal experience as a child star at MGM, all the while living up to her legendary status as "the world's greatest entertainer." 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: Real Estate Unlimited, Los Angeles Times, United Nations, Southern California Children's Museum, Twentieth Century Fox, Wise Horoscope, NASA, Pasadena Symphony and Pops, BBC Films

Looking for Something to Do? Free Events January 18 to 24

Here are arts and cultural events scheduled Saturday, Jan. 18, to Friday, Jan. 24.

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

"The Wanderers" (1979, R) starring Ken Wahl and Karen Allen will be shown Saturday, Jan. 18, at 2 p.m. at Allendale Branch Library. Set in the Bronx in 1963, a gang of Italian American teens experiences power struggles with each other, family, girlfriends and a rival gang. See the trailer here.

Paris, the City of Lights, has been a center of arts and culture for centuries. Third@First presents The Belrose Duo featuring cellist David Garrett and pianist Junko Ueno Garrett Saturday, Jan. 18, from 4 to 5 p.m. at First United Methodist Church in performance of Chopin's Sonata Op. 65, Debussy's Sonate, Ravel's Habanera, and selections by Fauré. The concert is presented in collaboration with Alliance Française de Pasadena.

An LA Opera community educator will share insights into the upcoming production of the new opera "Eurydice" by Matthew Aucoin and Sarah Ruhl Monday, Jan. 20, at 1 p.m. at the Pasadena Senior Center. In the traditional legend, Orpheus goes on a quest to try and rescue his newlywed bride Eurydice from the underworld, and this new opera is told from Eurydice's point of view. You do not have to be a member of the Pasadena Senior Center to attend, but you do have to be 50 or older.

"Exit, Pursued by a Bear," a play by Lauren Gunderson, will be performed during a staged reading by resident actors at A Noise Within Monday, Jan. 20, at 7 p.m. as part of the Words Within series. Inspired by Shakespeare's immortal stage direction in The Winter's Tale ("Exit, pursued by a bear"), the play is about a woman who, with a little help from two friends on Independence Day, wants to escape from years of domestic abuse. While admission is free, reservations are required.

The Screening Mimis Film Discussion Group presents "Gentleman's Agreement" (1947, NR) starring Gregory Peck and Dorothy McGuire Tuesday, Jan. 21, at 1:30 p.m. in the Scott Pavilion at the Pasadena Senior Center. A journalist poses as a Jew to glean information first-hand about anti-semitism in America and faces all manner of prejudice, the most insidious being the subtle, so-called gentleman's agreement form of bigotry wherein anti-Jewish sentiments are merely taken for granted. See the trailer here. 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. Free popcorn will be available. 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 piano trio from Brazil's Universidade Estadual Paulista (Sao Paulo State University) will perform Wednesday, Jan. 22, from 12:10 to 12:40 p.m. for the popular Music at Noon recital series at Pasadena Presbyterian Church.

"Wilma" (1977, NR) starring Shirley Jo Finney and Denzel Washington will be shown Wednesday, Jan. 22, at 1 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. African American track and field star Wilma Rudolph overcomes polio to win three gold medals during the 1960 Olympics in Rome. The film is based on true events. 

"Where'd You Go, Bernadette" (2019, PG-13) starring Cate Blanchett and Billy Crudup will be shown Friday, Jan. 24, at 1 p.m. in the Scott Pavilion at the Pasadena Senior Center. A loving mother and brilliant architect is compelled to reconnect with her creative passions after years of sacrificing for her family, then when she disappears without a trace, her family sets off on an adventure to solve the mystery of where she might have gone. 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.

Pasadena Community Orchestra presents Beethoven+Griffes+Luna+Kalinnikov Friday, Jan. 24, at 8 p.m. at First Church of the Nazarene. Works will include Beethoven's Coriolan Overture, Griffes' The White Peacock, Kalinnikov's Symphony No. 1 and the world premiere of Dante Luna's Stamping Grounds. 

SAVE THE DATE!

Pasadena's Kidspace Children's Museum and USC Pacific Asia Museum will be among 40 Southern California arts institutions that will open their doors for free during Museums Annual Free-For-All Day Saturday, Jan. 25, during regular operating hours. 

Photo credits: Orion Pictures, David Garrett, LA Opera, A Noise Within, Twentieth Century Fox, Suzuki Association, Cappy Productions, Annapurna Pictures, Pasadena Community Orchestra.

Looking for Something to Do? Free Pasadena Events January 11 to 17

Here are events scheduled Saturday, Jan. 11, to Friday, Jan. 17.

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

The 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution in 1920, giving women nationwide the right to vote, will be celebrated Saturday, Jan. 11, from 2 to 5:30 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. Discover the early suffrage campaign that won California women the right to vote nine years before the federal amendment, learn more about the national suffrage campaign, see special displays and more. Presented in collaboration with the Shakespeare Club of Pasadena and author/historian Ellen Snortland. Get in the spirit by wearing a costume, sash, fascinator or hat from the period (this is not a requirement for attendance). Refreshments will be provided.

The Armory Center for the Arts exhibition "Calafia: Manifesting the Terrestrial Paradise" has been on display since Oct. 6 and will end Sunday, Jan. 12. On that closing day, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., participate in a community discussion with shared reflections around present, past and future narratives from the extended region of California and Baja California.

Tuesday Musicale presents the monthly Second Sunday Concert Sunday, Jan. 12, at 2:30 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library with vocal works by Leonard Bernstein, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Giuseppe Verdi and more, featuring soprano Carol Lande and tenor Matthew Kessel, accompanied by pianist Allen Andrew.

Cellist Aniela Perry, accompanied by pianist Traci Esslinger, will perform Wednesday, Jan. 15, from 12:10 to 12:40 p.m. for the popular Music at Noon recital series at Pasadena Presbyterian Church.

"Little Mo" (1978, NR) starring Glynnis O'Connor and Mark Harmon will be shown Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 1 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. American tennis player Maureen "Little Mo" Connolly becomes the first woman to win all four major Grand Slam events in one year (1953), has an accident that sidelines her career, and battles cancer. The film is based on true events.

Children ages 5 to 12 are invited to make snowy owls with pinecones Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 3:30 p.m. at Hill Avenue Branch Library.

The 38-minute documentary film "Suppressed: The Fight to Vote" will be shown Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 7 p.m. at the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, sponsored by League of Women Voters Pasadena Area, Pasadena NAACP, Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance and Pasadenans for Progress. See the trailer here. Following the screening the filmmaker, Robert Greenwald, will discuss the importance of voting rights in America, and there will be a Q&A with the audience. RSVP here. 

The premiere of the new documentary "The Breaking Point" is Thursday, Jan. 16, at 7 p.m. in Caltech's Beckman Auditorium (#91 on this map). Two rovers -- Mars Climate Orbiter and Mars Polar Lander -- made it to the launch pad on time and on budget in 1998 and 1999 respectively but were lost upon arrival to the red planet, resulting in one of the most difficult periods in the history of JPL. The film tells the story of the demise of these two missions and the abrupt end of NASA's Faster, Better, Cheaper philosophy. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Parking at Caltech lots and structures is free after 5 p.m.

"The Goldfinch" (2019, R) starring Oakes Figley and Nicole Kidman will be shown Friday, Jan. 17, at 1 p.m. in the Scott Pavilion at the Pasadena Senior Center. After his mother is killed in a bombing, a teenage boy experiences grief, guilt, reinvention, redemption and love while holding on to one tangible piece of hope from that terrible day -- a painting of a tiny goldfinch chained to its perch. See the trailer here. The film is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. 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 ages 5 to 12 are invited to drop in and solve word puzzles about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and then explore his life and legacy through a special display Friday, Jan. 17, from 2 to 5 p.m. at Villa-Parke Community Center Branch Library. 

Photo credits: National Park Service, Armory Center for the Arts, Leonard Bernstein Office, Columbia University, Opera Sofia, Aniela Perry, Mark VII Ltd., Red Ted Art, Brave New Films, Caltech, Amazon Studios, The Pulitzer Prizes,

Looking for Something to Do? Free Pasadena Events Jan. 4 to 10

Here are arts and cultural events scheduled Saturday, Jan. 4, to Friday, Jan. 10.

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

Each week, Family Fun Saturday at Eaton Canyon Nature Center includes activities for all ages. On Saturday, Jan. 4, from 9 a.m. to noon enjoy a family nature walk, Nature Tails Storytime, a presentation with a live wild animal and make a nature craft to take home.

Children 5 to 12 are invited to read books to gentle, well-trained dogs during Barks and Books Monday, Jan. 6, at 1 p.m. at San Rafael Branch Library and 3 p.m. at La Pintoresca Branch Library, and Wednesday, Jan. 8, at 4 p.m. at Villa-Park Community Center Branch Library. Barks and Books continues at various branch libraries throughout January.

Tuesday Musicale presents Haydn Trio in E flat with violinist Roberta Wilcox, cellist Nancy Friedmann and pianist Sharon Chan, Schubert Piano Fantasie for 4 Hands with Priscilla Yam and Agatha Hou, Verdi arias performed by Diana Briscoe accompanied by pianist Geraldine Keeling, Dvořák Romance performed by violinist Ann Levi and Bruch's Eight Pieces Numbers 1, 2 and 6 with violist Jo Ann Hakonsson, flutist Deborah Perchik and pianist Eve Lubin Tuesday, Jan. 7, at 12:30 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, Jan. 7, from 4 to 8 p.m. get to know the local arts community as Kidspace celebrates the Art of Pasadena. Don't miss a performance by the renowned Lineage Dance Company at 6 p.m. at the museum's Stone Hollow Amphitheater.

"Babe: The Babe Didrikson Zaharias Story" (1975, NR) starring Susan Clark and Alex Karras will be shown Wednesday, Jan. 8, at 1 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. Track and field star Mildred "Babe" Didrikson competes in the 1932 Olympics and wins two gold medals, then pursues professional women's golf with great success and meets former wrestler George Zaharias, the love of her life, before she has to battle cancer. The film is based on true events.

The Great American Songwriters series continues with "An Era of Wit and Sophistication: Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart" Thursday, Jan. 9, at 2 p.m. in the Scott Pavilion at the Pasadena Senior Center. Join pianist Bob Lipson and commentator/vocalist Don Snyder as they feature songs from Rodgers and Hart's hit Broadway musicals including "Pal Joey," "Jumbo," "Babes in Arms" 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.

Celebrate the 400th anniversary of the voyage of the Mayflower Thursday, Jan. 9, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Hastings Branch Library. Descendants of Mayflower passengers, dressed in historical costumes, will share stories about how the 102 passengers and 30 crew members survived the first trip across the Atlantic Ocean from Plymouth, England, to the New World in 1620 to escape religious persecution and establish the Plymouth Colony. There also will be crafts, refreshments, photo opps and more. All ages are welcome.

Celebrate the birthday of beloved film animator and manga illustrator Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli Thursday, Jan. 9, at 6:30 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. It will be an evening of treats, quizzes and a screening of the critically acclaimed film "Spirited Away" on the big screen. Enjoy photo opps with characters from that movie and others produced by Studio Ghibli. All ages are welcome.

"Fiddler on the Roof" (1971, G) starring Topol and Norma Crane will be shown Friday, Jan. 10, at 1 p.m. in the Scott Pavilion at the Pasadena Senior Center. A humble Jewish peasant attempts to hold on to the traditions of his faith while constantly challenged by poverty, intimidation by anti-Semitic czarist officials and the pressure to marry off his daughters to ideal Jewish husbands. 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: Ypsilanti District Library, Lineage Performing Arts Center, MGM Television, Michael Ochs Archive/Getty, Vintage Images, AsianCrush, The Mirisch Production Company