What to Do This Weekend: January 30 – February 1, 2026

San Gabriel Valley Symphony’s Lunar New Year Festival Concert (Photo – sgsymphony.org)

Lunar New Year Festivals go into full swing this weekend, new books are celebrated with author talks, a local icon’s Pasadena childhood is explored, an Irish national treasure brings his art to town, and local filmmakers shine a light on some area luminaries in a documentary about the Altadena African-American community.

By Melanie Hooks

Click on highlighted event titles for more information.

Photograph of Jackie Robinson at the White House, circa 1957 (Photo by White House photographer Abbie Rowe)

Friday, January 30, 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)

10:30 am – 12:30 pm: Rose Bowl Stadium Tours. Held the last Friday of every month, a tour of the famous Rose Bowl Stadium gives a peek behind the scenes including the 1922 locker room and working press box. (@Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena)

11:00 am – 1:00 pm: Jackie Robinson: Beyond Baseball. Attendees will explore Robinson’s childhood in Pasadena, the sports he played and loved before baseball, and lesser-known moments from his early life. (@Jackie Robinson Community Center, Pasadena)

4:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Thrive Food Bank Free Farmer’s Market. Volunteer organization offers fresh locally sourced fruits and vegetables to food insecure populations. All welcome. (@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 – 9:00 pm: Monthly Queer Social. An opportunity for queer folks across the San Gabriel Valley to gather and enjoy a night of music, community, and good vibes. Dress code: Fabulous! (@San Gabriel Valley LGBTQ Center)

7:00 pm – 9:00 pm: San Gabriel Valley Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance. Group support. (@600 S. Lake Ave., Suite 200 Pasadena)

DIAVOLO T.R.U.S.T. Architecture in Motion (Photo – DIAVOLO)

Saturday, January 31, 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: Free Bilingual Tech Help for Seniors/Ayuda Técnica para Mayores in Altadena. Bilingual high school volunteers offer IT aid to seniors for phones, laptops, and more. Spanish/English. (@The Collaboratory, Altadena)

10:00 am – 9:00 pm: Monterey Park Lunar New Year Celebration. The traditional New Year lion and dragon dancers will kick off the free festival Saturday morning, paired with vendors, live entertainment, food and amusement rides. (@Downtown Monterey Park)

11:00 am – 1:00 pm: DIAVOLO T.R.U.S.T. Show of Circus Arts and Movement. The acrobatic, air-born movement illustrates that teamwork is as essential in dance as it is in life. (@Sierra Madre Playhouse, Sierra Madre)

1:00 pm: Award-Winning Writer Claire Jia Presents Debut Novel “Wanting”. Jia’s novel takes place across three lives and two countries and explores how far we will go for friendship, romance, and dreams. In conversation with UC Irvine Professor Christopher Fan in Mandarin and English. (@Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library, Monterey Park)

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)

4:00 pm: Young Adult Horror Author Rebekah Faubion Debuts Novel “Lost Girls of Hollow Lake”. In conversation with writer Veronica Bane, Faubion discusses themes of isolation, queer teen identity, and best friend animals in her book that centers on eight teenage friends who journey to an island with only five returning. (@Vroman’s Bookstore, Pasadena)

7:00 pm: San Gabriel Valley Symphony’s Lunar New Year Festival Concert. Prior to start, a special Lantern Rite Festival will launch the concert at the historic mission, featuring three world premieres by AAPI composers. (@San Gabriel Mission Arcángel, San Gabriel)

8:00 pm: Caltech Jazz Guest Artist Concert. Under the direction of Barb Catlin, the annual Jazz Guest Artist Concert features New York saxophonist Sarah Hanahan, Los Angeles saxophonist Chuck Manning, and guitarist Zachary Caplinger. (@Beckman Auditorium, Caltech, Pasadena)

Monterey Park Lunar New Year Festival (File Photo – montereypark.ca.gov)

Sunday, January 25, 2026

8:00 am – 3:00 pm: Pasadena City College Flea Market. Known primarily for selling antiques and collectibles, with the products varying from high-end antiques to rummage sale-type items. Free entry. (@PCC Parking Lots East and West, Pasadena)

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)

10:00 am – 5:00 pm: “Radical Histories” Opens at The Huntington.On loan from the Smithsonian, this collection of 60 bold prints by 40+ artists and collectives chronicles over six decades of Chicano printmaking. (@The Huntington Museum, San Marino)

10:00 am – 7:00 pm: Monterey Park Lunar New Year Festival. Features vendors offering unique gifts and specialty items, food booths with various types of delectable items, amusement rides, and lots of live entertainment. (@Downtown Monterey Park)

3:00 pm – 6:00 pm: Art Exhibition Opening for “Patrick Graham: Notes from Ireland”. A rare opportunity to view a compelling selection of large scale paintings and poignant drawings by Graham, credited by art historians with changing the face of Irish painting. (@Jack Rutberg Fine Arts Gallery, Pasadena)

4:30 pm – 8:00 pm: Beneath the Ashes: The Past Reimagined Documentary Premiere. Join local filmmakers Hrag Yedalian (Director) and Brandon D. Lamar (Producer) as they unveil their film about of the historic African-American Altadena community and its fight to rebuild after the Eaton Fire. Free with RSVP requested. (@AGBU Cultural Center, Pasadena)