Looking for Something to Do? Free Events Oct. 29 to Nov. 4

Here are events scheduled Saturday, Oct. 29, to Friday, Nov. 4.

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

Children will decorate pumpkins with glitter and washable markers Saturday, Oct. 29, from 10 a.m. to noon in the courtyard at One Colorado. Pumpkins and all materials will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

Oak trees are iconic symbols of California's natural heritage. A Celebration of Oaks Saturday, Oct. 29, from 10 a.m. to noon at Eaton Canyon Nature Center will include free oak trees to the first 100 to arrive (one per household), a presentation on oak-tree care, discussion with "Pasadena Oaks" author/artist Jennifer Bentson, children's activities and more. Bring lunch for a noon picnic under the oaks. 

Express your thoughts and ideas using paints, pencils, markers, printmaking, face painting and even a knitting machine Saturday, Oct. 29, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Big Draw LA in front of John Muir High School sponsored by Muir's Arts Entertainment and Media Academy, Side Street Projects, Light Bringer Project, Armory Center for the Arts, local artists and art providers. People of all ages, including families with children, are welcome.

Can a song change the world? Students in Beijing's Tiananmen Square wore shirts that read "We Shall Overcome" and shipyard workers in Gdansk, Poland, named their movement "Solidarność" ("Solidarity") after the 1915 American labor anthem "Solidarity Forever." Folk singer and music historian Ross Altman will present a lively tribute to the 10 greatest protest songs of the 20th century Saturday, Oct. 29, from 2 to 3 p.m. at Allendale Branch Library.

The Fall Festival at Victory Park Saturday, Oct. 29, from 3 to 7 p.m. will celebrate past eras with live entertainment, teen zone, face painting, crafts, scavenger hunt, all-ages costume contest (including dogs!) and more. Some additional activities will be fee-based. 

Self-guided tours of Day of the Dead / Dia de los Muertos altars continue Saturday, Oct. 29, and Sunday, Oct. 30, at business throughout Old Pasadena during participating business hours. Judges will present awards for the best traditional and contemporary altars. See the list and map of altar locations here. 

Bring your dog(s) to the Growl-O-Ween costume parade Sunday, Oct. 30, beginning at 10 a.m. at The Dog Bakery, then vie for prizes in a costume contest for dogs and their human companions. 

Quatuor pour la Fin du Temps (Quartet for the End of Time) by French composer Olivier Messiaen will be performed Sunday, Oct. 30, at 2 p.m. in Barrett Hall at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music. Messiaen composed the work when he was a prisoner of war in 1941 at Stalag VIIIA during World War II; it premiered the same year outdoors on a rainy night for about 400 prisoners, guards and German officers.

Calavera face painting, craft activities, Mariachi Tesoro, Tlanextli Tlocopan Aztec Fire Dancers, storyteller Olga Loya and much more fun is in store at the Day of the Dead / Dia de los Muertos Family Fiesta Sunday, Oct. 30, from 2 to 6 p.m. at 100 E. Union St. (walkway between Colorado Boulevard and Holly Street) in Old Pasadena. 

Come dressed in a costume (no masks) and enjoy pumpkin decorating, arts and crafts, sweet treats and more Sunday, Oct. 30, from 3 to 5 p.m. at Paseo Colorado. All ages are welcome.

"The Book of Life" (2014, PG) with the voice talents of Diego Luna and Zoe Saldana will be shown Sunday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m. in the courtyard at One Colorado. A young man torn between fulfilling the expectations of his family and following his heart embarks on an adventure that spans three fantastic worlds where he must face his greatest fears.

School-aged children are invited to stop by Hastings Branch Library in costume Monday, Oct. 31, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and receive a free "Goosebumps" book (one per person while supplies last).

Spooky music from Fantasia, Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, Phantom of the Opera and more will be performed by organist Imre Szilas Monday, Oct. 31, at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church.

The 1965 Addams Family episode "Halloween Addams Style" and the 1984 film "Gremlins" will be shown Monday, Oct. 31, at 7 p.m. in the courtyard at One Colorado.

Mezzo soprano Nancy Sensenbach will perform three modern arias; pianist Agatha Hou will perform works by Liszt, Rachmaninoff and Medtner; soprano Carol Lande, clarinetist Trudi Anderson and pianist Geraldine Keating will perform a trio by Schubert; and violinist Svetlana Oganesion, violist Roberta Wilcox and pianist Shushan Hakobyan will play a trio by Ignaz Lachner Tuesday, Nov. 1, at 12:30 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. Sponsored by Tuesday Musicale of Pasadena.

The first Tuesday of every month is Free Family Night at Kidspace Children's Museum. On Tuesday, Nov. 1, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. celebrate festive Day of the Dead / Dia de los Muertos traditions with plenty of activities for children and families, from calavera face-painting stations to a special cultural performance at 6 p.m. 

Celebrate Dia de los Muertos / Day of the Dead at Villa-Parke Community Center Tuesday, Nov. 1, from 5 to 8 p.m. with entertainment by Aztec Dance Yankuititl and Ballet Folklorico Nahuatze, calavera face painting, children's activities, altars decorated by local agency partners and much more.

Preschool-aged children are invited to Sunny Tales: Giving Thanks Wednesday, Nov. 2, from 11 a.m. to noon at the Finnish Folk Art Museum on the grounds of the Pasadena Museum of History. Each child will create a fun Thanksgiving-themed craft to take home after the stories.

"Iron Jawed Angels" (2004, NR) starring Hilary Swank and Anjelica Huston will be shown Wednesday, Nov. 2, at 1 p.m. in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Central Library. Defiant activists take the women's suffrage movement by storm, putting their lives at risk to help American women win the right to vote.

Children will be amazed when John Abrams performs an animal magic show with his exotic pets Thursday, Nov. 3, at 3:30 p.m. at Lamanda Park Branch Library. 

The next supply of garden-ready mulch from Pasadena Public Works Department street tree trimmings will be available Friday, Nov. 4, at the southeast corner of the parking lot at Victory Park. Bring your own shovel, container and gloves between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. The mulch supply is replenished once a month from February to November and is available to Pasadena residents only. 

The first Friday (and third Thursday) of every month is Free Admission Day at the Pasadena Museum of California Art. On Friday, Nov. 4, from noon to 5 p.m. enjoy the current exhibitions and everything else the museum has to offer.

"Café Society" (2016, PG-13) starring Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart will be shown Friday, Nov. 4, at 1 p.m. in the Scott Pavilion at the Pasadena Senior Center. A young Bronx native moves to Hollywood in the 1930s and falls in love with the secretary of his powerful uncle, an agent to the stars, then returns to New York where he gets swept up in the vibrant world of high society. You do not have to be a member of the Pasadena Senior Center to attend.

The first Friday of every month is Free Admission Day at Norton Simon Museum. On Friday, Nov. 4, from 5 to 8 p.m. enjoy the current exhibitions and everything else the museum has to offer.

Learn how to prepare for the Great American Solar Eclipse of 2017 during a special presentation Friday, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m. at Caltech's Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics (south side of California Boulevard -- #17 on this map) and then stargaze through powerful telescopes. 

Photo credits: Gardens, One Oak Grower's Blog, BTV, NPR, City of Pasadena, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Cover My Tunes, Spanglish Baby, Paseo Colorado, Twentieth Century Fox, Preschool of Rock, Filmways Television, Amblin Entertainment, Red Bubble, Mommy Poppins, Parenting, HBO, John Abrams, City Watch, Pasadena Museum of California Art, FilmNation Entertainment, Norton Simon Museum, NASA.