Looking for Something to Do? Free Events July 5 to 11

Here are my top picks for events scheduled Saturday, July 5, to Friday, July 11.

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

Vaud & the Villains will perform cabaret and jazz Saturday, July 5, at 8 p.m. at the Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts at Memorial Park. Bring a picnic dinner or purchase food at the park. A pre-concert festival will begin at 6:30 p.m.

The Old Pasadena Film Festival kicks off with "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!" (1987, PG), a spoof of B movies that is widely heralded as one of the best bad movies ever made, Saturday, June 5, at 8:30 p.m. in Central Park. Scientists band together to save the world from mutated tomatoes that kill! Music will begin and food will be available for purchase at 7 p.m. The film festival features 23 screenings at locations throughout Old Pasadena through July 27.
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The Old Pasadena Film Festival presents "Moonrise Kingdom" (2012, PG-13) starring Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, Ed Norton and Tilda Swinton Saturday, July 5, at 8:30 p.m. in the courtyard at One Colorado. A Boy Scout troop leader and the local sheriff mobilize a search for a lovestruck boy and girl. Music will begin and food will be available for purchase at 7 p.m. 

Ambassador Auditorium's fifth annual car show Sunday, July 6, from noon to 3 p.m. will feature more than 50 vintage cars, General George Patton's command vehicle, the original Futureliner bus that debuted at the 1939 World's Fair and much more.

Billy Mitchell & Friends will perform jazz Sunday, July 6, at 7 p.m. at the Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts in Memorial Park. Bring a picnic dinner or purchase food at the park. A pre-concert festival will begin at 5:30 p.m.
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The Old Pasadena Film Festival presents "Who Does She Think She Is?" (2008) Sunday, July 6, at 7:30 p.m. at Armory Center for the Arts. The documentary features five women who combine mothering and creativity, partnering and independence, and economics and arts in their lives.
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Take a photographic journey around the Bay of Naples Monday, July 7, at 7:30 p.m. at Distant Lands and go to places seldom seen by tourists, including the castle complex at Caserta, the ancient village of Caserta Vecchia, the volcanic island Ischia, the Roman villas at Castellamare Stabia, the Greek ruins at Paestum and more.

You don't have to be a senior citizen or a member of the Pasadena Senior Center to recycle your old electronics there Monday, July 7, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the patio.

The Folk Collection will perform Americana music at its best with songs made famous by Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan and other greats Tuesday, July 8, from 6 to 7 p.m. at the bandshell in Memorial Park. Bring a picnic dinner or purchase food at the BBQ shack.

Activities for Pasadena Public Library's Summer Reading Challenge include the following (and much more!):

• For adults: Learn helpful phrases to use when traveling in France Wednesday, July 9, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Sunroom at Pasadena Central Library.
• For children: Storyteller Karen Rae Kraut will present "Don't Ever Step on a Snake" Thursday, July 10 at 10 a.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Pasadena Central Library.  
• For teens: Letter-writing contest through Aug. 3 to win two free tickets to see One Direction at the Rose Bowl Stadium.
• Download Pasadena Public Library's summer newsletter for the full Summer Reading Club schedule. 

Pianist Polli Chambers-Salazar will perform Wednesday, July 9, from 12:10 to 12:40 p.m. for the popular Music at Noon recital series. Bring a sack lunch and chat with other concert-goers after the performance. 

"Up" (2009, PG) with the voice talents of Ed Asner and  Christopher Plummer will be shown Wednesday, July 9, at 1 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Pasadena Central Library.

The La Pintoresca Teen Education Center will show the film "Captain America" (2011, PG-13) Wednesday, July 9, at 5 p.m. for ages 12 to 18. A movie will be shown every week this summer during the center's Super Hero Film Festival. Popcorn and refreshments are provided.

The Party Animals will perform interactive rock for children and families (and everyone!) Wednesday, July 9, at 7 p.m. at the Levitt Pavilion in Memorial Park. Bring a picnic dinner or purchase food at the park. A pre-concert festival will begin at 5:30 p.m.

Bill Nye, CEO of The Planetary Society, will be among the presenters discussing the future of solar sailing, possibly the only practical way for unmanned spacecraft to reach the stars, Wednesday, July 9, at 7 p.m. at KPCC Radio's Crawford Family Forum.
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The Old Pasadena Film Festival presents the documentary "Arise" (2012) narrated by Daryl Hannah Thursday, July 10, at 7 p.m. at Armory Center for the Arts. Extraordinary women around the world come together to help heal injustices against Planet Earth. A discussion will follow the screening.

"Frozen" with the voice talent of Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel will be shown Thursday, July 10, at 7:45 p.m. outdoors in the park at Villa-Parke Community Center. Friends encounter a number of obstacles and characters during an epic journey.

Cecilia Noël will perform Cuban, salsa and more Thursday, July 10, at 8 p.m. at the Levitt Pavilion in Memorial Park. Bring a picnic dinner or purchase food at the park. A pre-concert festival will begin at 6:30 p.m.

You don't have to a member of the Pasadena Senior Center to see the film "Frozen" (2013, PG) there Friday, July 11, at 1 p.m. Subtitles are included for any viewers with hearing impairments.

"The Lego Movie" (2014, PG) will be shown Friday, July 11, at 7:45 p.m. outdoors at Robinson Park. An ordinary Lego construction worker joins a quest to stop an evil tyrant from gluing the Lego universe into eternal stoppage. 

"Frozen" will also be shown outdoors at Victory Park Friday, July 11, at 7:45 p.m.
 

Austin-based singer-songwriter David Garza will perform rock and pop with a Latin feel Friday, July 11, at 8 p.m. at the Levitt Pavilion in Memorial Park. Bring a picnic dinner or purchase food at the park. A pre-concert festival will begin at 6:30 p.m.

You've heard of dinner and a movie. Now there's swimming and a movie at the Villa-Parke Community Center pool! The first film in this summer's Dive-In Movie Fest is Monsters University Friday, July 11, at 8 p.m. A movie will be shown at the pool every Friday through Aug. 15.

 

The Old Pasadena Film Festival presents the documentary "Go Ganges!" (2012) Friday, July 11, at 8 p.m. at Distant Lands. Television producers and adventurers Josh Thomas and J.J. Kelley go on an epic adventure along India's sacred River Ganges.

The Old Pasadena Film Festival presents "The Odd Couple" (1968, G) starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau Friday, July 11, at 8:30 p.m. in Hugus Alley at One Colorado. Two friends try sharing an apartment but their ideas of housekeeping and lifestyles are as different as night and day. Music will begin and food will be available for purchase at 6 p.m.


Photo credits: Isiah Carey's Insite, Evolve or Die, Napoli Nobilissima, IMDB, Pasadena Now, The Folk Collection, Framingham Public Schools, Wallpaper 2020, Levitt Pavilion, Air Force Print News Today, NASA,  Mezcla, Walt Disney Company, Oneanta Film Festival, Lasso the Movies, Cinema Arts Centre.