Verdugo Hills Women’s Chorus give Americana program (Photo – FB)
Stretch out and enjoy the three-day weekend with a slew of special events: from flags and family days to fabulous concerts and hikes, there’s something for everyone in the San Gabriel Valley.
By Melanie Hooks
Click on highlighted event titles for more information.
Pasadena Water and Power host an Arroyo Seco Watershed Tour Friday (Photo – PWP)
Friday, May 22, 2026
8:30 am – 10:30 am: Arroyo Seco Public Water Awareness Tour. Join PWP staff for a guided tour of the Arroyo Seco watershed, including water resource enhancements in the upper Arroyo. Participants should plan for an approximately two-mile walk on a dirt trail. (@Meet in the dirt lot off Explorer Rd near JPL.)
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)
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: 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: DBSA San Gabriel Valley Support Alliance. The San Gabriel Valley Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance provides space for weekly group support. (@600 S. Lake Ave., Suite 200, Pasadena)
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm: Play – “Three Lives” by Alex Xander Luu. A one-man show centered around a Chinese-Vietnamese story of American immigration and evolving identity, one that’s taken 35 years to shape and tell. (@Sierra Madre Playhouse)
Field of Heroes, Plaza Park, San Gabriel (Photo – City of San Gabriel FB)
Saturday, May 21, 2026
7:30 am: 2026 Mount Wilson Trail Race. The historic Mount Wilson Trail Race is returning this spring with its full 8.6‑mile course, running from Kersting Court to Orchard Camp and back. (@Kersting Court, Sierra Madre)
8:00 am – 12:00 pm: Certified Farmers Market at Victory Park hosts the farmers who grow the produce sell their fruits and vegetables directly to the public. (@Entrance NW corner of parking lot, corner of Sierra Madre Blvd & Paloma Blvd, Pasadena)
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)
9:00 am – 1:00 pm: San Gabriel Farmers 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)
9:00 am – 3:00 pm: Pasadena Electronic Waste Recycling and Document Shredding Event. Drop-off is available at Park Lot I for accepted electronic items and up to three boxes of documents to be shredded. (@Brookside Park, Pasadena)
10:00 am – 11:00 am: San Gabriel Memorial Day Ceremony & Field of Heroes. Official ceremony at 10:00 am with a field of over 200 flags dedicated to veterans on display through Monday the 23rd. (@Plaza Park, San Gabriel)
11:00 am – 3:00 pm: 30th Annual Pasadena Family Fun Day. This free event will feature arts and crafts, bingo, a tiny tot area, bubble zone, skateboarding expo, food, and activities for all ages. (La Pintoresca Park, Pasadena)
11:00 am – 7:30 pm: Santa Anita Memorial Day Weekend Carnival. The famous race park sets up a huge family carnival on their infield for three days, full of games, rides and delicious treats, plus the usual race events. (Santa Anita Park, Arcadia)
12:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Blossom Market Hall’s Culture Fest. The multicultural food hall celebrates the diverse cultures it houses under one roof with onstage acts and specialty items from small businesses, as well as curated one-day special foods. (Blossom Market Hall, San Gabriel)
4:00 pm: Verdugo Hills Women’s Chorus Free Concert celebrates American folk music with a program of artists such as “Shenandoah,” “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” “St. Louis Blues” and more. (@Mt. Olive Lutheran Church, La Crescenta-Montrose)
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm: Play – “Three Lives” by Alex Xander Luu. A one-man show centered around a Chinese-Vietnamese story of American immigration and evolving identity, one that’s taken 35 years to shape and tell. (@Sierra Madre Playhouse)
Opening of the Mt Wilson dome (Photo – Garrett Rowlan)
Sunday, April 24, 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)
11:00 am – 7:30 pm: Santa Anita Memorial Day Weekend Carnival. The famous race park sets up a huge family carnival on their infield for three days, full of games, rides and delicious treats, plus the usual race events. (Santa Anita Park, Arcadia)
12:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Play Day at Playhouse Village Park. The Playhouse Village Foundation brings giant outdoor board games like chess, Candyland, Uno and more to the park, along with kid-sized crafts and card games. A unique, free afternoon of engagement. (@Playhouse Village Park, Pasadena)
3:00 pm & 5:00 pm: Mt Wilson Sunday Afternoon Concert in the Dome: Mendelssohn and Fauré. This iconic concert series takes place in the mountaintop telescope observatory atop Mt. Wilson, with unrivaled acoustics and views. (@Mt. Wilson Observatory, Mt. Wilson, above Altadena)
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm: Play – “Three Lives” by Alex Xander Luu. A one-man show centered around a Chinese-Vietnamese story of American immigration and evolving identity, one that’s taken 35 years to shape and tell. (@Sierra Madre Playhouse)
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