Great Altadena Poppy Festival on Saturday, April 18, 2026 (Photo – Eventbrite)
Altadena’s small businesses have faced an uphill battle since the Eaton Fire devastated the community in January 2025, including a steep drop in foot traffic. The free Great Altadena Poppy Festival on Saturday, April 18, is designed, in part, to help change that, even if just for a day.
By Melanie Hooks
The event kicks off at 10:00 am at Grocery Outlet in Altadena, 2270 Lake Ave., where festivalgoers can pick up a passport and begin collecting stamps from participating small businesses along the route. The goal is to bring customers back through the doors, remind the community that these businesses are open and eager to welcome them, and give residents a reason to celebrate and spend locally.
Beyond supporting local shops, the festival also highlights Altadena’s natural beauty with a scenic drive through the community, offering a chance to witness the transformation of fire-scarred hillsides into vibrant poppy fields.
The festival grew out of the Great Altadena Poppy Project, launched last year by Altadena resident and longtime Pasadena Jaycees volunteer René Amy. After losing his own home in the Eaton Fire, Amy began sowing California poppy seeds across vacant lots with the hope of blanketing the burn scars with the state flower.
Nearly 700 residents joined the effort, and now it’s time to watch those seeds come to life.
RSVP via Eventbrite or the Pasadena Jaycees website.
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