Dancing Storytellers bring “Indian Mythology and Me” to families for an interactive afternoon at Sierra Madre Playhouse Saturday (Photo – dancingstorytellers.com)
Sure, it’s hot, but so are the entertainment and community connections throughout the San Gabriel Valley. Explore a larger world through history at the Rose Bowl, experience Indian mythology onstage in Sierra Madre, discover artistic visions at ArtCenter College of Design, tickle your funny bone at a comedy festival, and enjoy performances by any number of musical virtuosos.
By Melanie Hooks
Click on highlighted events for full information.
Sierra Madre Movies in the Park (Photo – cityofsierramadre)
Friday, August 28, 2026
10:00 am – 11:00 am: Sierra Madre Senior Hawaiian & Polynesian Dance Class. Led by instructor Barbara Dempsey, all are welcome to learn and practice the art of hula. (@Memorial Park, Sierra Madre)
10:00 am – 8:00 pm: ArtCenter College of Design’s “Kaleidoscope: A Reflection of Staff Artwork” is the fourth annual art exhibition celebrating the creative practices of ArtCenter staff. (@Fine Art Gallery ArtCenter College of Design, South Campus, 1111 S. Arroyo Parkway, 2nd Floor)
10:30 am – 12:30 pm: Rose Bowl Stadium Tours. Your tour guide will lead you through behind the scenes locations at the stadium, including the classic stadium seating, original 1922 locker room, the new Terry Donahue Pavilion, the Loge Lounge, the Working Press Box, and more. (@Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena)
11:00 am – 1:00 pm: Snacks & Chats With A Housing Counselor. The free public event will bring together the Rent Stabilization Department, Friends In Deed, the Housing Rights Center and the City of Pasadena Department of Housing at one community location. Residents will have an opportunity to learn about housing services, programs and resources available throughout Pasadena. (@Jackie Robinson Community Center, Pasadena)
4:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Thrive Food Bank Presents Free Farmer’s Market. Thrive Food Bank is a Los Angeles County food bank that provides free farmer’s markets which offer fresh locally sourced fruits and vegetables to food insecure populations. (@Igelesia de Nazareth, Pasadena)
4:30 pm – 6:30 pm: Golden Hour Music in the Norton Simon Garden. A casual and creative music-centered afternoon in the sculpture garden, featuring the Jazz Trio of David Tranchina (bass), Joe Santa Maria (saxophone), and Trevor Anderies (drums). (@Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena)
5:00 pm – 10:00 pm: Monrovia Friday Night Street Fair. Enjoy the pedestrianized downtown with food vendors, boutiques, craft booths, frequent live music, and more. (@500 block Myrtle Ave. between Lemon Ave. & Colorado Blvd.)
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Caltech Tai Chi Club. Learn and practice Hao-style tai chi chuan. Additional practice includes Yang-style tai chi, kung fu, and other bare-hand and weapon forms. Free, no registration required. (@Caltech Hameetman Center)
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm: DBSA San Gabriel Valley Support Alliance. Fighting isolation via support groups, which can change the gene expression that triggers Bipolar Disorder and Depression. (@600 S. Lake Ave., Suite 200, Pasadena)
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Monthly Queer Social at SGVLGBTQ Center. Monthly Queer Social is an opportunity for folks across the San Gabriel Valley to gather and enjoy a night of music, community, and good vibes. Dress code: Fabulous! (@SGVLGBTQ Center, El Monte)
7:00 pm – 11:00 pm: San Gabriel Valley Comedy Festival. Two performances/night feature comics from around the country nightly through Saturday eve. Friday’s shows are hosted by Chris Miller, is New Joke City: an interactive comedy riff show. Watch jokes born live—or jump in and help shape them with the crowd. (@Astronaut City Comedy Club, Arcadia)
7:15 pm: Free Sierra Madre Movie in the Park Screening: “The Super Mario Bros. Movie”. Community members are encouraged to bring blankets, lawn chairs, and snacks while enjoying the final movie under the stars for Sierra Madre’s summer series. (@Memorial Park, Sierra Madre)
7:30 pm – 9:30 pm: Old Pasadena Sunset Sessions at One Colorado Courtyard. Experience and enjoy free live music, golden-hour ambiance, and expertly crafted libations from Javier’s at One Colorado’s musical “Sunset Sessions” while California soul act Caught A Ghost performs. (@One Colorado Courtyard, Old Pasadena)
8:00 pm: Playhouse Village Park Free Movie Screening: “The Sandlot”. The final film in the free throwback ’90s lineup, celebrating its 30th anniversary with movies from the decade in which the park was founded. (@Playhouse Village Park, Pasadena)
Scarlett Strallen is one of three featured vocalists at Pasadena POPS Saturday for Andrew Lloyd Webber eve (Photo – pasadenasymphony-pops.org)
Saturday, August 29, 2026
8:00 am – 10:00 am: Altadena Cars and Coffee. Classic car enthusiasts meet every Saturday morning from 8:00 am – 10:00 am to chat and find ways to help their Altadena neighbors recover. (@Bulgarini Gelato parking lot, Altadena)
8:00 am – 12:00 pm: Pasadena Certified Farmers Market at Victory Park. In a certified market, the farmers who grow the produce sell their fruits and vegetables directly to the public. It is where the agrarian community relates to the urban community. (@Victory Park, Pasadena)
9:00 am – 1:00 pm: San Gabriel Farmers Market. Featuring 20 or more vendors each week, the market offers an ever-changing selection of seasonal produce, artisan foods, fresh-baked breads and pastries, locally harvested honey, flowers, and handcrafted goods. (@in front of Mission Playhouse, San Gabriel)
11:00 am – 1:00 pm: Dancing Storytellers Bring Indian Myths to Life in Family-Friendly Program. A special interactive performance designed for K-5 audiences, the show brings Indian myths to life through a vivid blend of classical South Asian dance, folk movement, theater, rhythm, and playful audience engagement. (@Sierra Madre Playhouse)
11:00 am – 5:00 pm: LA County Hazardous & E-Waste Free Disposal Drop-off. Bring your accepted hazardous and e-waste to help protect public health and the environment by disposing of the waste responsibly. (@Public Works Headquarters, Alhambra)
1:00 pm – 3:30 pm: Monterey Park Library Free Film Screening and Discussion: Taiwan’s “My Favorite Season” (1985). Beginning with a free screening of the Taiwanese film, the afternoon then includes a community discussion about preserving Chinese history through cinema from Hong Kong and Taiwan. (@Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Public Library)
6:00 pm: Levitt VIBE Pasadena Music Series. Emerging acts John White and Lina Cooper open for headliner Alejandro Aranda. His catalog moves fluidly between folk, pop, and experimental rock and is familiar to audiences of American Idol as the runner-up from Season 17. (@Memorial Park, Pasadena)
7:30 pm: Pasadena POPS Concert Series. Music of the Night: Andrew Lloyd Webber & Friends. Features soloists Valerie Perri, Hugh Panero, and Scarlett Strallen. (@LA Arboretum, Ayers Hall, Arcadia)
Buster Keaton comedic shorts at San Gabriel Mission Playhouse Sunday (Photo – Museum of the Moving Image)
Sunday, August 23, 2026
8:30 am – 1:00 pm: Alhambra Certified Farmers Market. Find a wide assortment of affordably priced fruits, vegetables, honey, herbs, bread, and more from local growers and vendors every week. (@100 South Second St., Alhambra)
2:30 pm: Silent Movie Sunday at San Gabriel Mission Playhouse. Enjoy a program of Buster Keaton comedic shorts in the historic venue. Making the experience even better is live accompaniment by organist Russ Peck on the Playhouse’s 1924 Mighty Wurlitzer organ. (@San Gabriel Mission Playhouse)
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