Pasadena Mural Ride kicks off Pasadena Bike Month of May (Photo – Eventbrite)
Bike rides, flamenco dance-alongs, graduate art exhibits, and an annual literary festival are just some of this weekend’s delights in the San Gabriel Valley.
By Melanie Hooks
Click on highlighted event titles for more information.
Days of Future Past: ArtCenter MFA Graduate Exhibition (Photo – ArtCenter.edu)
Friday, May 1, 2026
8:15 am – 9:45 am: Friday Coffee Meetup features tech and entrepeneurial speakers for the free meetup over coffee. This month features Lizzy Okoro Davidson, an experienced founder turned consultant and speaker with a decade of experience building teams, designing strategy, events and digital marketing. (@FoundR Space, Pasadena)
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)
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)
4:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Norton Museum Free Admission Day. Take advantage of the monthly late afternoon free admission into this world-class home of Old Masters and modern visionaries alike. (@Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena)
4:00 pm – 7:00 pm: KidSpace Free Fridays welcomes pre-registered guests once/month for free tickets to this interactive Children’s Museum. (@KidSpace Museum, Pasadena)
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Days of Future Past: ArtCenter MFA Exhibition invites the public to view graduating MFA students’ work at Days of Future Past, in which seven featured graduating artists mine the recent past to explore our present condition. (@ArtCenter College of Design’s South Campus, 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)
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm: “ICE Out of Alhambra” Event. A weekly event taking place every Friday at the corner of Main Street and Garfield Avenue. Organizers describe the gathering as a show of support for the community and a call to protect neighbors. (@corner of Main St. & Garfield Ave., Alhambra)
6:30 pm – 9:00 pm: LitFest in the Dena: Day One kicks off the free two-day literary festival, full of panelists, signings and workshops aimed at readers and writers from near and far. (@Pasadena Presbyterian Church)
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 event. (@Hameetman Center, Caltech, Pasadena)
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Monthly Queer Social at SGVLGBTQ Center 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! (@SGVLBGTQ Center, El Monte)
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Free Janus Film Club Screenings are featured once/month. This month features 1997’s Taste of Cherry, in which an Iranian man drives his car in search of someone who will quietly bury him under a cherry tree after he commits suicide. (@South Pasadena Public Library, Community Room)
A panel discussion at Litfest (File Photo – W.K.)
Saturday, May 2, 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 – 12:00 pm: Pasadena Certified Farmers Market at Victory Park features direct produce sales and goods from growers. This week, look for a Pop-In Booth from Pasadena Water & Power to enter a waterwise giveaway. (@Victory Park, Pasadena)
9:00 am – 1:00 pm: Green Schools Tour with Active SGV. The free set of school tours features green spaces within San Gabriel school campuses. Docents available as well as self-guided experiences. (@See event details for locations in Pasadena, Rosemead, Altadena, Eagle Rock and El Monte.)
9:00 am – 1:00 pm: San Gabriel Farmers Market. Grand Reopening Day of weekly market. In front of the Mission Playhouse and steps from Blossom Market Hall, indulge in a wide variety (over 20 vendors) of fresh local produce, artisan foods, baked goods, flowers, and more. (@outside Mission Playhouse, San Gabriel)
9:30 am – 12:30 pm: Pasadena Mural Ride takes a casual bike ride around the diverse public art on display in Pasadena to help launch Pasadena Bike Month. Meet up @USC Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena.
10:00 am – 5:00 pm: LitFest in the Dena: Day Two of the free two-day literary festival, full of panelists, signings and workshops aimed at readers and writers from near and far. (@Pasadena Presbyterian Church)
11:00 am – 12:00 pm: Ecos de España: Family-Friendly Spanish Music and Dance features classical Spanish flamenco, guitar, singers and dancers, and encourages audience participation, especially among kids. (@Sierra Madre Playhouse)
11:00 am – 2:00 pm: Friends of Pasadena Public Library Book Sale will feature a wide selection of gently used items, including books, DVDs, CDs, LPs, and a large assortment of children’s titles. (@The Friends Bookstore, Pasadena)
12:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Spring 2026 ArtCenter Grad Show presents the work of graduating undergraduate and graduate students at its Spring 2026 Grad Show. The free, public show follows the ticketed graduation ceremony at the same site. (@Pasadena Civic Center, Exhibit Halls A & B)
4:30 pm – 6:00 pm: Thurgood Marshall PTSA’s Scholarship and Giggles Show takes center stage at Pasadena’s Ice House Comedy Club, featuring a large slate of comedians and sketch artists. The $30 ticket raises money for student scholarships. (@Ice House, Pasadena)
7:30 pm: Ensemble VIII Music: Organ Concerto Rarities takes full advantage of the pristine Æolian-Skinner organ for a full program of organ concertos by Samuel Barber, Francis Poulenc, William Herschel, and Josef Rheinberger. The concert is presented in association with the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. (@Pasadena Presbyterian Church)
Plant Sale for Bungalow Heaven Kids Club (Photo – Wafic Khalil)
Sunday, May 3, 2026
7:00 am – 9:00 pm: National Ride A Bike Day encourages a full day of the joys of cycling by offering discounts and freebies at participating business locations. (@See Event Details.)
8:00 am – 3:00 pm: Pasadena City College Flea Market is known primarily for selling antiques and collectibles, with the products varying from high-end antiques to rummage sale-type items. Over 400 vendors to browse. (@East & West parking lots, Pasadena City College)
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 – 2:00 pm: Bungalow Heaven Kids Club: Spring Plant Sale supports the Pasadena historical neighborhood’s youth programs. Enjoy the delicious treats of the bake sale & the great family fun games while picking out treats from loads of waterwise specimens. (@Bungalow Heaven, Pasadena)
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm: GLOW BIG Teen & Kid Open Mic Night welcomes youth under age 18 to take the stage and create a supportive and joyful space where young people can come together, share their love of music, practice performing regularly, make mistakes, try again and grow. (@Scribble Community Center, Highland Park)
Leave a Reply