What To Do This Weekend: May 2-4

The New Hollywood String Quartet (Photo – NHSQ)

Start off May with a weekend packed with a little bit of everything–art, music, culture, and even a car show.

By Katlyn Ong

Click on highlighted event titles for more information:

Friday, May 2, 2025

Cinco de Mayo Mercado (File Photo – sangabrielcity.com)

• 8:30 am – 10:00 am: Friday Coffee Meetup
  Discover how Casa Nova’s holistic approach—integrating prefabricated components, off-grid power and water systems, low-impact foundations, and expedited permitting—delivers permanent housing with unprecedented speed and at the lowest cost in the industry (@ FoundrSpace, 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 (@ Memorial Park, Sierra Madre).
• 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Free Admission at the Norton Simon
  Enjoy free admission for all visitors on the first Friday of the month (@ Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena).
• 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Kidspace Free First Fridays
  Kidspace Children’s Museum is opening up their doors for free on the first Friday of every month (@ Kidspace Children’s Museum, Pasadena).
• 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Monrovia Friday Night Street Fair
  Enjoy the charm of Old Town Monrovia (@ Myrtle Avenue, Monrovia).
• 5:30 pm – 9:00 pm: San Gabriel Cinco de Mayo Mercado
  Get ready for an evening filled with music, dance, food, and community as the City of San Gabriel hosts its annual Cinco de Mayo Mercado in the heart of the historic Mission District (@ Historic Mission District, San Gabriel).
• 6:00 pm – 9:30 pm: Pasadena Litfest 2025
  This highly anticipated literary event promises a vibrant weekend, featuring engaging panels, inspiring readings, hands-on workshops, and the unique opportunity to meet over 200 acclaimed authors (@ Pasadena Presbyterian Church, Pasadena).
• 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm: Altadena Artist Reception – Keni Arts
  This series reimagines Altadena in its moment of transition, documenting destruction, renewal, and hope (@ Altadena Main Library, Altadena).
• 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Caltech Tai Chi Club – Fridays
  Learn and practice Hao-style tai chi chuan (@ Caltech – Hameetman Center, Pasadena).
• 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm: DBSA San Gabriel Valley Support Alliance
  San Gabriel Valley Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (@ DBSA San Gabriel Valley, Pasadena).

Saturday, May 3, 2025

A panel discussion at Litfest (File Photo – W.K.)

• 8:15 am – 12:00 pm: STEM Savvy – Girls Science Day at PCC
  The free event is full of fun, hands-on, STEM activities with small groups of chaperoned middle school girls paired with women in STEM careers and college women in STEM majors (@ Pasadena City College, Pasadena).
• 9:30 am – 5:00 pm: 60th Annual Sierra Madre Art Fair
  Enjoy a weekend filled with art and live music (@ Memorial Park, Sierra Madre).
• 10:00 am – 2:00 pm: Arcadia WaterFest 2025 – A Celebration of Conservation and Community
  WaterFest offers interactive educational booths, environmental displays, and informative presentations about water conservation. along with free water-saving materials, live music, food vendors, and family-friendly activities (@ Arcadia County Park, Arcadia).
• 10:00 am – 5:30 pm: Pasadena Litfest 2025
  This highly anticipated literary event promises a vibrant weekend, featuring engaging panels, inspiring readings, hands-on workshops, and the unique opportunity to meet over 200 acclaimed authors (@ Pasadena Presbyterian Church, Pasadena).
• 10:00 am – 12:00 pm: World Tai Chi and Qigong Day at Caltech
  Whether you’re a seasoned practitioner or completely new to the art, everyone is encouraged to join in and experience the gentle power of these ancient Chinese practices (@ Hameetman MPR at Caltech, Pasadena).
• 11:00 am – 4:00 pm: Monrovia Sisters Anna and Sophia Jones to be Honored with Grave Markers
  Two notable African American sisters from Monrovia, whose graves have remained unmarked at Live Oak Memorial Park, will finally receive recognition with the addition of grave markers (@ Second Baptist Church, Monrovia).
• 11:00 am: UCLA Spring Showcase & Cinco de Mayo at the Rose Bowl
  The free family-friendly event will be an opportunity to get an inside look at the 2025 Bruins while enjoying the Cinco de Mayo Marketplace, boxing in the Court of Champions, food, and music at America’s Stadium (@ Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena).
• 11:27 am – 3:33 pm: A.R.F! Accessibility Resource Fair at Pasadena City Hall
  The fair will feature over 40 booths representing local organizations, service providers, and vendors offering information, demonstrations, and support for individuals with disabilities and their families (@ Pasadena City Hall, Pasadena).
• 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm:  Super 8mm Filmmaking Workshop
  Come learn the fundamentals of Super 8mm filmmaking, get hands-on experience with the cameras, and participate in a demonstration of the eco-friendly development process (@ Altadena Main Library, Altadena).
• 2:00 pm – 4:30 pm: Pasadena Symphony –Beethoven “Pastoral” Symphony
  Brett Mitchell wraps his inaugural season in a cloak of exquisite musical beauty, concluding with a sense of optimism and joy for Beethoven’s expansive “Pastoral” Symphony (@ Ambassador Auditorium, Pasadena).
• 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Senator Sasha Renée Pérez Leads Community Briefing
  Senator Pérez will provide key updates on current bills, the state budget, and discuss their impact on the recent Eaton Fire (@ The Maxwell House, Pasadena).
• 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm: WeOlive Comedy Night
  Enjoy a rotating lineup of some of the best local and national comedians every first Saturday of the month (@ We Olive, Pasadena).

Sunday, May 4, 2025

1962 Ferrari 250 SWB owned by Ron Hein (Photo – Old Pasadena)

• 8:00 am – 3:00 pm: Pasadena City College Flea Market
  The 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 (@ Pasadena City College, Pasadena).
• 8:30 am – 1:15 pm: Alhambra Certified Farmers Market
  Find a wide assortment of affordably priced fruits, vegetables, honey, herbs, bread, and more (@ 2nd St. between Main and Commonwealth, Alhambra).
• 8:30 am – 11:30 am: Beginner’s Bagel Bike Ride in Pasadena
  If you know how to ride a bike, but feel nervous riding with traffic, this Beginner’s Bagel Ride is the ride for you (@ Caltech – Lot 10, Pasadena).
• 9:30 am – 5:00 pm: 60th Annual Sierra Madre Art Fair
  Enjoy a weekend filled with art and live music (@ Memorial Park, Sierra Madre).
• 10:00 am – 3:00 pm: Concorso Ferrari 2025
  The magnificent line-up includes Ferraris from 1955 to the present, spanning 70 years of amazing automobiles (@ Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena).
• 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Museums of the Arroyo Day
  Six museums along the Arroyo Seco will offer free admission to a day of cultural events, kid’s activities, and family fun (See event’s description for location).
• 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm: P.S. ARTS in the Park
  Enjoy a day of joyful creativity with hands-on art activities, led by P.S. ARTS Teaching Artists (@ Playhouse Village Park, Pasadena).
• 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm: Workshop on Protecting Our Vital Organs
  Come explore how Tai Ji Men Qigong exercises can be incorporated into your daily routine for better balance and health (@ Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy, Pasadena).
• 3:00 pm: Mt. Lowe Chamber Players Interactive Family Concert in Altadena
  Enjoy an interactive family concert (ages 3 and up) featuring wind instruments with reeds (@ Altadena Main Library, Altadena).
• 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm: South Pasadena Restoration Concert – New Hollywood String Quartet
  The New Hollywood String Quartet, the Restoration Concerts’ Quartet in Residence, will be featured at the upcoming Restoration concert (@ South Pasadena Public Library Community Room, South Pasadena).