Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Photo – All Saints Pasadena)
Find inspiration from the words and deeds of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., take in the delicate beauty of the Southern California Camellia Show, honor community resiliency, and enjoy Japanese Yokai cosplay, all in the space of one weekend.
By Melanie Hooks
Click on highlighted event titles for more information.
‘Power Up Altadena’ Festival, Jan. 17, 2026.
Friday, January 16, 2026
10:00 am – 11:00 am: Sierra Madre Senior Hawaiian & Polynesian Dance Class, Memorial Park. Join instructor Barbara Dempsey as she leads you in the art of Hula. Bring a lei, flower skirt, or just your desire to dance. (@Memorial Park, Sierra Madre)
5:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Monrovia Street Fair and Market takes place every Friday evening in Old Town Monrovia! (@500 Block of Myrtle Ave. between Lemon Avenue and Colorado Boulevard)
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm: San Gabriel Valley Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance, Group support. (@600 S. Lake Ave., Suite 200 Pasadena CA 91106)
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Caltech Tai Chi Club. Free Hao-style tai chi chuan instruction, beginners welcome. Street, lot and structure parking available & free on-campus after 5:00 pm. (@Hameetman Center, Caltech, Pasadena)
MLK and Jazz (Photo – Graphic Dept.).
Saturday, January 17, 2026
8:00 am – 10:00 am: Altadena Cars and Coffee. Cruise into the parking lot of Gelato and enjoy a morning of community around classic autos. (@Bulgarini Gelato, 749 East Altadena Drive, Altadena)
8:00 am – 11:00 am: Monterey Park Residents Pick Up Free Compost. Bagged compost will be available at a first come, first serve basis. (@Garvey Ranch Park’s west entrance near 751 S. Alhambra Ave., Monterey Park)
10:00 am – 2:00 pm: Monterey Park Resiliency Day in Barnes Park. At this free event, attendees of all ages can honor community pain and healing in the wake of 2023 mass shootings, enjoy music and live performances, and connect through activities including taiko drumming, tai chi, karaoke, meditative poetry writing, sound baths and music therapy. (@Barnes Park, Monterey Park)
11:00 am – 7:00 pm: Power Up Altadena Festival at Westminster Presbyterian. A celebration that reflects Altadena itself, with performances from local artists, inspirational speakers, and live world music genres such as jazz, African rhythms, and Hip Hop. (@Westminter Presbyterian Church, Pasadena)
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm: Free Hong Kong Cinema Classics Festival in Rosemead. Dive into Hong Kong’s golden age of action cinema, where cops and criminals clash in tales of loyalty, honor, and revenge. This program is intended for adults. All films are Rated R and are presented in Cantonese with English subtitles. (@Rosemead Library, Rosemead)
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm: JazzZone Concert for MLK, Jr. Day. Get your groove on with a special concert celebrating both the social justice leader and our resilience as a community. Dancing is encouraged! (@Pasadena Senior Center, Pasadena)
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Pasadena Heritage Series: Batchelder Nature in Relief (Birds) Participants will translate shapes, gestures, and textures into their own relief and surface designs using clay and found materials. (@Pasadena Heritage Blinn House, Pasadena)
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Third @First Concert. California School of the Arts-San Gabriel Valley’s vocal and instrumental ensembles celebrating MLK Day with Gospel music and works by Black composers. (@First United Methodist Church, Pasadena)
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm: Japanese Yokai Night Parade. Explore the spiritual and historical legacies of yokai with experts in Japanese folklore, art history, and pop culture. Stay for a costume contest, music, and Japanese-inspired treats. (@USC Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena)
Pasadena Neighbor Day, 2025 (File Photo – pasadenaneighborday.com)
Sunday, January 11, 2026
8:30 am – 1:00 pm: Alhambra Certified Farmers Market. Find a wide assortment of affordably priced fruits, vegetables, honey, herbs, bread & more from local growers and vendors. (@ 100 South Second Street, Alhambra)
9:00 am – 9:45 am: Faith & Formation: The Sermons of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. An All Saints Church Pasadena remembrance looks back at some of his inspiring sermons and speeches. (@All Saints Church, Pasadena)
2:00 pm – 8:00 pm: Pasadena Neighbor Day. This third event in series encourages residents and businesses to come together in their own unique ways, featuring four live music performances by local acts from Pasadena and surrounding areas. (@Wild Parrot Brewing Company, East Pasadena)
5:00 pm: Altadena Music Theatre’s ‘Cabaret Soirée’. A celebration of AMT’s post-fire revival, featuring a cocktail hour, a special screening of AMT’s 2023 production of Cabaret, and closing with an after-party piano bar. (@Manoukian Performing Arts Center, Pasadena)
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