Looking for Something to Do? Free Events July 30 to Aug. 5

Here are events scheduled Saturday, July 30, to Friday, Aug. 5.

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

California Assemblyman (and former Pasadena City Councilman) Chris Holden's annual summer block party on his street Saturday, July 30, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. will feature live music, free hot dogs and lemonade, children's activities, free school backpacks, classic car show, game trucks, community resource fair and much more, 

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

• For all ages: Enjoy a reading of "The Repayment of the Crane" and a musical performance featuring traditional Japanese instruments Saturday, July 30, at 2 p.m. at Hill Avenue Branch Library.
• For teens 13+: Engage in an afternoon of epic battles and a lot of fun with a Super Smash Brothers for Wii U throwdown Tuesday, Aug. 2, at 3:30 p.m. at Santa Catalina Branch Library.
• For tweens 9 to 12: Ready for some fun and friendly competition? Come to an afternoon of board games and snacks Tuesday, Aug. 2, at 4 p.m. at Hastings Branch Library.
• For children: Play drums from around the world provided by Chazz Ross as he shares stories about history, music and culture Wednesday, Aug. 3, at 11 a.m. at Villa-Parke Branch Library.
• Download Pasadena Public Library's newsletter for a full list of summer activities.

Peter Asher with Terry Sylvester and Denny Laine will perform Saturday, July 30, at 8 p.m. at the Levitt Pavilion. Bring a lawn chair or a blanket plus a picnic or purchase dinner at the park. A pre-concert festival will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Old Pasadena Summer Cinema presents "Beetlejuice" (1988, PG) starring Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder Saturday, July 30, at 8:30 p.m. at Central Park. A couple of recently deceased ghosts contract the services of a crude spirit to remove the obnoxious new owners of their house. Come as early as 7 p.m. for DJ music. Bring a beach chair or a blanket plus a picnic or purchase dinner at the park.

Old Pasadena Summer Cinema presents "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb" (1964, PG) starring Peter Sellers and George C. Scott Saturday, July 30, at 8:30 p.m. in the courtyard at One Colorado. An insane general triggers a path to nuclear disaster that a war room full of politicians and generals frantically tries to stop,

The Playhouse District Summer Jazz Concert Series presents the Bobby Matos Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble Sunday, July 31, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the courtyard outside Vroman's Bookstore. 

Billy Mitchell and Friends will perform jazz Sunday, July 31, at 7 p.m. at the Levitt Pavilion. Bring a lawn chair and a blanket plus a picnic or purchase dinner at the park. A pre-concert festival will begin at 5:30 p.m. 

The first Tuesday of every month is Free Family Night at Kidspace Children's Museum. On Tuesday, Aug. 2, from 4 to 8 p.m. children are invited to celebrate the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics by testing their skills on the Kidspace Olympic course, creating Olympic crown laurels, enjoying a cultural performance at 6 p.m. and much more.

National Night Out, which raises crime prevention awareness, fosters community-police partnerships and strengthens neighborhood spirit and unity, is Tuesday, Aug. 2. The Pasadena Police Department will host a kickoff party at 5 p.m. with plenty of activities at Washington Park; Central Library and Hastings Branch Library will host activities from 5 to 7 p.m. ranging from movies and refreshments to crafts and games; and neighborhoods throughout Pasadena will host block parties from 6 to 10 p.m.

Pasadena Senior Center's Concerts in the Park presents Susie Hansen Latin Jazz Band Tuesday, Aug. 2, at 6 p.m. in the band shell at Memorial Park. Bring a lawn chair or a blanket plus a picnic or purchase dinner at the park. You do not have to be a senior citizen or a member of the Pasadena Senior Center to attend.

Sunny Tales: A Day at the Circus Wednesday, Aug. 3, from 11 a.m. to noon at Pasadena Museum of History will feature a storyteller regaling tales about the greatest show on earth, then each child will create a circus-themed craft and get free admittance to the museum's current exhibition Flying Horses & Mythical Beasts: The Magical World of Carousel Animals.

The Whyman Project will perform Wednesday, Aug. 3, from 12:10 to 12:40 p.m. for the popular Music at Noon recital series at Pasadena Presbyterian Church. 

"Crooked Arrows" (2012, PG-13) starring Brandon Routh and Gil Burningham will be shown Wednesday, Aug. 3, at 1 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. A young Native American man is eager to modernize his tribe's casino in exchange for coaching the reservation's struggling high school lacrosse team.

Paseo Colorado's Moonlight Movies presents "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" (2015, PG-13) starring Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher Wednesday, Aug. 3, at 8 p.m. outdoors in the Garfield Promenade (street level). Three decades after the defeat of the Galactic Empire, a new threat has arisen and only a ragtag group of heroes can stop it. Come as early as 6:30 p.m. to snag a seat.

The Party Animals will perform children's music Thursday, Aug. 4, at 7 p.m. at the Levitt Pavilion. Bring a lawn chair or a blanket plus a picnic or purchase dinner at the park. A pre-concert festival will begin at 5;30 p.m.

"Concussion" (2015, PG-13) starring Will Smith and Alec Baldwin will be shown Friday, Aug. 5, at 1 p.m. in the Scott Pavilion at the Pasadena Senior Center. An accomplished pathologist uncovers the truth about brain damage in NFL football players who suffer repeated concussions in the course of normal play. Based on a true story. You do not have to be a member of the Pasadena Senior Center to attend.

The first Friday (and third Thursday) of every month is Free Admission Day at the Pasadena Museum of California Art. On Friday, Aug. 5, from noon to 5 p.m. enjoy the current exhibitions and everything else the museum has to offer.

Admission to the Norton Simon Museum is free the first Friday of every month. On Friday, Aug. 5, from 5 to 8 p.m. enjoy the exhibition "Duchamp to Pop" featuring works by Marcel Duchamp, Andy Warhol, Ed Ruscha and George Herms.  

Take a tour of the Tournament House any Thursday at 2 p.m. or 3 p.m through Aug. 25. Owned by the City of Pasadena, the former Wrigley Estate is home to the Tournament of Roses Association. A docent will lead you through the 18,500-square-foot Italian Renaissance mansion built in 1906. In addition to 21 magnificent rooms, you'll see displays and collections related to Rose Bowl Games, Rose Queens and the their Courts and plenty of historic memorabilia from football trophies to tiaras. Then visit the adjacent Wrigley Gardens with 1,500 varieties of roses.



Photo credits: Ann Erdman, Book It Summer, Peter Asher, Geffen Company, Columbia Pictures Corporation, Typhoon Santa Monica, Billy Mitchell, Kidspace Children's Museum, National Night Out, NATW, Susie Hansen Latin Band, Vecteezy, The Whyman Project, Sports Studio, Lucasfilm, The Party Animals, Cantillon Company, Pasadena Museum of California Art, Norton Simon Museum, Tournament of Roses Association