Stars as seen from Death Valley (File Photo – Gareth Peries)
Chamber music, contemporary riffs, art in the garden and on the trail; talks on democracy, the stars and architecture; personal histories and Armenian cultural celebration — how to fit it all in?!
By Melanie Hooks
Click on highlighted event titles for more information.
Golden Hour: Music in the Garden fills select Friday hours at Norton Simon Museum’s Sculpture Garden (Photo – nortonsimon.org)
Friday, May 29, 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 Tour. Your tour guide will lead you through behind the scenes locations at the stadium, including the classic stadium seating, original 1922 locker room, the new Terry Donahue Pavilion, the Loge Lounge, the Working Press Box, and more. (@Rose Bowl Stadium, 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)
4:30 pm – 6:30 pm: Golden Hour Music in the Norton Simon Garden. On select Fridays in May through August, stop by the Museum for a casual and creative music-centered afternoon, featuring a range of musical styles programmed by musician Masatoshi Sato. (@Norton Simon Museum, 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: San Gabriel Valley Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance. Group support. (@600 S. Lake Ave., Suite 200, 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! (@SGVLGBTQ Center, El Monte)
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm: Caltech Stargazing Lecture and Sky Viewing. Dr. Katie Bouman will explore how physics and machine learning are working together to illuminate parts of the universe that are difficult — or even fundamentally impossible — to observe directly., followed by a Q&A panel and sky viewing hour. (@Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pasadena)
Pasadena Armenian Festival (Photo – VisitPasadena)
Saturday, March 30, 2026
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)
8:15 am – 10:15 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: Head to Mission Drive, in front of the Mission Playhouse, to indulge in a wide variety (over 20 vendors) of fresh local produce, artisan foods, baked goods, flowers, and more. (@Mission Playhouse, San Gabriel)
10:00 am – 1:00 pm: Walking Altadena Exhibition with UCLA Architecture Dept. The day features an immersive 2-hour exhibition with student work and presentations that reimagine Altadena’s historic walking tour under post-fire conditions. (@Bob Lucas Memorial Library and Literacy Center, Altadena)
11:00 am – 7:00 pm: Second Annual Pasadena Armenian Festival. Attendees can expect a lively blend of traditional food, artisan vendors, cultural dance performances, live music, and family‑friendly activities designed to showcase the richness of Armenian heritage. (@Victory Park, Pasadena)
12:00 pm: One Book Discussion: George Takei’s Memoir “They Called Us Enemy” Local readers are invited to gather on Saturday, May 30, at 12:00 pm in the library’s Friends Room for a community discussion of the book. Light refreshments will be served. (@Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library)
12:00 pm – 3:00 pm: LA Fixit Clinic in El Monte. Bring a broken household item for hands-on training to repair it. Free to attend, but participation is required (not a drop-off). (@El Monte Library)
3:00 pm – 6:00 pm: Altadena Forever Community Picnic. The County of Los Angeles is sponsoring this Altadena community gathering for a fun afternoon picnic at Loma Alta Park to “Gather, Connect, Belong” and will feature both a Mindfulness Zone and a Youth Zone. (@Loma Alta Park, Altadena)
3:00 pm – 4:30 pm: Caltech Chamber Music Concert. Caltech undergraduate and graduate students from around the world perform chamber music for strings, winds, and piano by Mozart, Corelli, Boccherini, Haydn, Brahms, Weber, and more. (@Dabney Hall Lounge, Caltech, Pasadena)
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm: Monterey Park Library Teen Prom. Sponsored by the Junior Friends, the event will feature an evening of music, fun, and celebration while welcoming the newly elected Junior Friends Board. (@Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library)
8:00 pm: The Satie Project: Puppetry, Clowning and Four-Hand Piano Mash-Up. Piano Spheres joins forces with performer and puppet artist David Gordezky to present “The Satie Project,” an inventive multimedia performance blending the music of French composer Erik Satie with puppetry, cabaret, and contemporary composition. (@Boston Court Pasadena)
8:00 pm: Comic Opera “The Maestro” The witty one-act parody of the music business, reimagined and produced by Source/Filter Music. Baritone Caleb Yanez Glickman stars as the self-important conductor who lectures and berates his orchestra while attempting to lead it. (@Sierra Madre Playhouse)
Caltech Chamber Music Concert Dabney Lounge (Photo – Caltech PVA)
Sunday, March 31, 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)
10:00 am – 2:00 pm: 2026 ArtCenter Design Invitational features automotive and transportation models, focusing on Italian design. Many models are created by the ArtCenter’s own Transportation Design department, often regarded as the most influential in the world. Tickets available online ($35) and free for ArtCenter students/faculty & youth 18 and under. (@ArtCenter Hillside campus, Pasadena)
11:30 am: “Our Democracy Deserves Protection” Talk. Longtime FUMC Pasadena member Marilynne Kennedy Wilander, a retired teacher and assistant principal, now serves as Elected Director in Development for the Pasadena Area League of Women Voters. Wilander will outline the League’s ongoing work to defend voting rights and strengthen democratic systems. (@First United Methodist Church, Pasadena)
12:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Free Museums of the Arroyo (MOTA) Day. Enjoy free entrance and special activities at five cultural institutions along the Arroyo Seco: Lummis Home, Heritage Square, Pasadena Museum of History, Los Angeles Police Museum and The Gamble House. (@listed Pasadena and Highland Park Museums)
2:00 pm: The Satie Project: Puppetry, Clowning and Four-Hand Piano Mash-Up. Piano Spheres joins forces with performer and puppet artist David Gordezky to present “The Satie Project,” an inventive multimedia performance blending the music of French composer Erik Satie with puppetry, cabaret, and contemporary composition. (@Boston Court Pasadena)
2:30 pm – 4:00 pm: Caltech Chamber Music Concert. Caltech undergraduate and graduate students from around the world perform chamber music for strings, winds, and piano by Mozart, Corelli, Boccherini, Haydn, Brahms, Weber, and more. (@Dabney Hall Lounge, Caltech, Pasadena)
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm: Altadena Crest Trail’s Mural Unveiling: From Rails to Trails Community leaders, artists and residents will gather Sunday, May 31, at 4:00 pm for the unveiling of Altadena’s largest mural to date, a sweeping public artwork honoring the history of Mt. Lowe and the historic railroads that once transported visitors into the San Gabriel Mountains. (@Altadena Crest Trail)
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