Historic Pasadena Playhouse (Photo – Pasadena Playhouse)
From Pasadena Playhouse Village’s historic buildings to the brand-new mural of the rebuilt Bob Lucas Library in Altadena, this weekend’s events offer the long view of our beautiful community.
By Melanie Hooks
Click on highlighted event titles for more information.
Middle school students bring to life fun storytelling and valuable life lessons through dance and acting in the family-friendly “Shrek The Musical JR” (Photo – Gabriel Vazquez)
Friday, January 23, 2026
10:00 am – 11:00 am: Sierra Madre Senior Hawaiian & Polynesian Dance Class. 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)
10:00 am – 6:00 pm: Community Mural Painting Sessions at Bob Lucas Library. Sign up for a two hour art volunteer block and help complete a new community mural with other Altadena residents. (@Bob Lucas Library, Altadena)
4:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Thrive Food Bank Presents Free Farmer’s Market. Thrive Food Bank is serving up fresh, local, and free produce every Friday. Aims to fill nutrition gaps in underserved, food insecure LA County populations. (@Iglesia de Nazareth, Pasadena)
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: Shrek JR. The Musical – Student Musical Production. All Souls World Language Catholic School presents its 2026 student musical, a hilarious, heartwarming adventure for the whole family. Livestream available for Friday & Saturday shows. (@All Souls World Language Catholic School, Los Angeles)
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm: San Gabriel Valley Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance, Group support. (@600 S. Lake Ave., Suite 200 Pasadena)
Monrovia’s One City, One Story novel “The Bear” (Photo – City of Monrovia)
Saturday, January 24, 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)
10:00 am – 12:00 pm: Planting Seeds: Remembering the LA Fires. The free, public event will feature a meaningful act of remembrance as attendees plant California poppy seeds on the College’s campus. (@ArtCenter Hillside Campus, Williamson Gallery, Pasadena)
10:00 am – 4:00 pm: Community Mural Painting Sessions at Bob Lucas Library. Sign up for a two hour art volunteer block and help complete a new community mural with other Altadena residents. (@Bob Lucas Library, Altadena)
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm: Playhouse Village Historic District Walking Tour. Pasadena Heritage presents walking tour of Village highlights that include Pasadena Playhouse and Civic Center and 1920s-30s history of city growth. (@Blinn House, 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)
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm: Monrovia’s “One City, One Story” Program Launches at Library Park with crafts & activities, demonstrations, raffle prizes, and even a kids’ book giveaway while supplies last. This year’s book is The Bear by Andrew Krivak, a quiet, powerful story about legacy, survival, and our relationship with the natural world. (@Monrovia Library Park, Monrovia)
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Southern California Camellia Show. After private morning judging, the competitors and winners of the Southern California Camellia Society Show go on display for all LA Aboretum visitors until closing time. (@LA Arboretum, Arcadia)
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Voices of Resilience in Altadena: Invited Poets and Open Mic. Altadena Poets Laureate hosts a gathering of poetry, reflection, and renewal one year since the Altadena fires. (Altadena Main Library Community Room, Altadena)
2:00 pm, 7:00 pm: Shrek JR. The Musical – Student Musical Production. All Souls World Language Catholic School presents its 2026 student musical, a hilarious, heartwarming adventure for the whole family. Livestream available for 2:00 pm show. (@All Souls World Language Catholic School, Los Angeles)
7:00 pm: Holocaust Commemoration and 24-hour Vigil. Immediately following the ceremony, a 24-hour vigil will begin, during which volunteers will read the names of those who were killed. (@Pasadena City Hall, Pasadena)
AlmaNova Duo (Photo – Restoration Concerts Committee)
Sunday, January 25, 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 – 4:30 pm: Southern California Camellia Show. The competitors and winners of the Southern California Camellia Society Show go on display for all LA Aboretum visitors until closing time. (@LA Arboretum, Arcadia)
10:00 am – 4:00 pm: Community Mural Painting Sessions at Bob Lucas Library. Sign up for a two hour art volunteer block and help complete a new community mural with other Altadena residents. (@Bob Lucas Library, Altadena)
10:00 am – 5:00 pm: Pasadena Comic Convention and Toy Show fills the Convention Center’s Halls A & B and Artist Alley Ballroom with special guests, panels, toy displays, and exclusive screenings. Early bird tickets begin at 9:00 am. (@Pasadena Convention Center, Pasadena)
4:00 pm: South Pasadena Restoration Concert series features innovative AlmaNova duo, an innovative flute and guitar duo presenting an eclectic program of chamber music composed by Almer Imamovic, joined by percussionist Till Richter. (@South Pasadena Library, South Pasadena)
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