What To Do This Weekend: October 2-4, 2026

Black Education Expo at Pasadena Convention Center (Photo – blackeducationexpo.com)

Delicious eats. Enriching brain treats. Film festival fun. Ballet beauty. A salsa workshop, house music in the park, a world-premiere theater production … just dipping a toe into the San Gabriel Valley’s riches this weekend.

By Melanie Hooks

Click on highlighted events for full information.

San Gabriel Dumpling & Beer Festival, 2019 (File Photo – sangabrielcity.com)

Friday, October 2, 2026

8:15 am – 9:45 am: Friday Coffee Meetup. Monthly tech entrepreneur special guest with conversation and coffee. This month: Maria Cannizzo, Founder & CEO of Kelvon, will break down how prediction markets work, what’s driving their growth, who’s participating, and where the industry is headed. (@Foundr Space, Pasadena)

10:00 am – 11:00 am: Sierra Madre Senior Hawaiian & Polynesian Dance Class. Led by instructor Barbara Dempsey, all are welcome to learn and practice the art of hula. (@Memorial Park, Sierra Madre)

2:00 pm – 9:30 pm: Highland Park International Film Festival features 90-minute programming slots of films by genre and theme, followed by a nightly 10:00 pm after-party at The Offbeat Bar, 6316 York Blvd. (@Garibaldini Society, Highland Park)

4:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Free Admission at the Norton Simon Museum. During these hours, all visitors receive free admission to the museum’s galleries and beautiful garden. No reservations or advance tickets are required, just stop by and explore. (@Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena)

4:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Kidspace Free First Fridays. Enjoy a variety of hands-on activities for small hands and minds. Once/month free day requires online reservations. (@Kidspace Children’s Museum, Pasadena)

4:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Thrive Food Bank Presents Free Farmer’s Market. Thrive Food Bank is a Los Angeles County food bank that provides free farmer’s markets which offer fresh locally sourced fruits and vegetables to food insecure populations. (@Igelesia  de Nazareth, Pasadena)

5:00 pm – 10:00 pm: Monrovia Friday Night Street Fair. Enjoy the pedestrianized downtown with food vendors, boutiques, craft booths, frequent live music, and more. (@500 block Myrtle Ave. between Lemon Ave. & Colorado Blvd.)

6:00 pm – 8:00 pm: Baila con Migo Salsa Class. Offered in conjunction with Latino Heritage Month, this high-energy, hands-on workshop offers participants the opportunity to learn the fundamental steps, rhythm, and passion of salsa dancing. For ages 18+. (@Villa Parke Community Center, Pasadena)

6:00 pm – 10:00 pm: San Gabriel Dumpling and Beer Festival. This year’s festival introduces the Dumpling Bowl, where Southern California dumpling makers will compete for the title of 2026 Dumpling Bowl Champion. (@San Gabriel Mission District)

6:30 pm: Heritage Square Park: Little Women Ballet Immersive Experience. Audiences will enter the museum’s historic houses and follow the March sisters’ story from house to house. Costumed characters will guide guests as they watch intimate ballet vignettes performed just feet away. (@Heritage Square Museum, Los Angeles)

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, no registration required. (@Caltech Hameetman Center)

7:00 pm – 9:00 pm: DBSA San Gabriel Valley Support Alliance. Fighting isolation via support groups, which can change the gene expression that triggers Bipolar Disorder and Depression. (@600 S. Lake Ave., Suite 200, Pasadena)

7:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Janus Film Screenings at South Pasadena Library. Monthly free screenings of films from the Janus film catalog. This month’s movie: “Eyes Without a Face” (1960) A surgeon causes a car accident which leaves his daughter disfigured and goes to extreme lengths to give her a new face. (@South Pasadena Library, Community Room)

8:00 pm: Echo Theater Company: “The Peterson Show” World Premiere. Directed by Michelle Bossy, the action centers around five former child stars reuniting in Los Angeles as the legacy of their iconic TV father collapses into scandal. (@Atwater Village Theater Complex)

Fun for all ages at Monterey Park’s Electric Park (Photo – Melissa Michelson)

Saturday, October 3, 2026

8:00 am – 10:00 am: Altadena Cars and Coffee. Classic car enthusiasts meet every Saturday morning to chat and find ways to help their Altadena neighbors recover. (@Bulgarini Gelato parking lot, Altadena)

8:00 am – 12:00 pm: Pasadena Certified Farmers Market at Victory Park. In a certified market, the farmers who grow the produce sell their fruits and vegetables directly to the public. It is where the agrarian community relates to the urban community. (@Victory Park, Pasadena)

9:00 am – 1:00 pm: San Gabriel Farmers Market. Featuring 20 or more vendors each week, the market offers an ever-changing selection of seasonal produce, artisan foods, fresh-baked breads and pastries, locally harvested honey, flowers, and handcrafted goods. (@in front of Mission Playhouse, San Gabriel)

9:00 am – 2:00 pm: Black Education Expo. The event will feature more than 70 resources, Google AI literacy, wellness programming, college and career pathways, free books and a complimentary bus from South Los Angeles. Admission is free and open to the public. (@Pasadena Convention Center)

9:00 am – 11:00 am: City of Pasadena’s First Justice Element Walk. For this specific excursion, the City hosts are focusing on how our neighborhoods impact our daily health. The walk will explore ways to improve physical and active living, safer and greener streets, and overall cleaner air. (@Robinson Park and Recreation Center, Pasadena)

10:00 am – 12:00 pm: Charles White Park Groundbreaking in Altadena. The morning will include an opening program, a ceremonial tree planting, refreshments, and a Kids’ Art Corner. Attendees will also receive a preview of plans to rejuvenate and enhance the park, including features that honor the legacy of African American artist Charles White. (@Charles White Park, Altadena)

10:00 am – 3:00 pm: South Pasadena Public Library Genealogy Fair. Throughout the day, exhibitors will share information about family history, cultural heritage and regional research. Attendees also can participate in presentations covering a variety of genealogy topics. (@South Pasadena Library)

12:00 pm – 9:30 pm: Highland Park International Film Festival features 90-minute programming slots of films by genre and theme, followed by a nightly 10:00 pm after-party at The Offbeat Bar, 6316 York Blvd. (@Garibaldini Society, Highland Park)

3:00 pm: Heritage Square Park: Little Women Ballet Immersive Experience. Audiences will enter the museum’s historic houses and follow the March sisters’ story from house to house. Costumed characters will guide guests as they watch intimate ballet vignettes performed just feet away. (@Heritage Square Museum, Los Angeles)

4:00 pm – 10:00 pm: Electric Park. The series aims to foster community engagement by showcasing talented DJs in a vibrant, positive atmosphere. Headliner Morgan Page will spin “Classics Only.” Food trucks, art, family games, vendors, adult beverages, and more will be available. (@Barnes Park, Monterey Park)

6:30 pm: Heritage Square Park: Little Women Ballet Immersive Experience. Audiences will enter the museum’s historic houses and follow the March sisters’ story from house to house. Costumed characters will guide guests as they watch intimate ballet vignettes performed just feet away. (@Heritage Square Museum, Los Angeles)

7:30 pm: Singer-Songwriter Sarah McQuaid Opens Pasadena Folk Music Society Season. Singer-songwriter Sarah McQuaid’s lush, velvety voice combines with her engaging personality on acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards and (occasionally) drum to create a truly immersive experience. (@Knox Presbyterian Church, Pasadena)

Little Women Ballet: Amy and Laurie dance a flowing duet beside the piano in a candlelit-parlor (Credit: Edie Tyebkhan)

8:30 am – 1:00 pm: Alhambra Certified Farmers Market. Find a wide assortment of affordably priced fruits, vegetables, honey, herbs, bread, and more from local growers and vendors every week. (@100 South Second St., Alhambra)

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. Free admission. (@East & West parking lots, Pasadena City College)

10:00 am – 11:30 am: “Tehrangeles Vice” Vinyl Listening Party at The Huntington with Iranian Singer Faunoos. Sunday’s session features the 2025 compilation Tehrangeles Vice (Iranian Diaspora Pop 1983–1993). Released by the Discotchari label, the compilation showcases the dynamic Iranian music scene that flourished in exile after the 1979 revolution, from Westwood to Glendale to the San Fernando Valley. (@The Huntington, San Marino)

2:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Highland Park International Film Festival features a 90-minute programmed slot of films by genre and theme at 2:00 pm, followed by an awards gala at 7:00 pm. (@Garibaldini Society, Highland Park)

3:00 pm: Heritage Square Park: Little Women Ballet Immersive Experience. Audiences will enter the museum’s historic houses and follow the March sisters’ story from house to house. Costumed characters will guide guests as they watch intimate ballet vignettes performed just feet away. (@Heritage Square Museum, Los Angeles)

5:00 pm – 7:00 pm: GLOW BIG Teen & Kid Open Mic Night at Scribble CC in Highland Park. Scribble Community Center invites performers under 18 years of age, accompanied by an adult, to take the stage for a fun, musical night onstage. (@ScribbleCC,  5541 York Boulevard, Highland Park)

6:30 pm: Heritage Square Park: Little Women Ballet Immersive Experience. Audiences will enter the museum’s historic houses and follow the March sisters’ story from house to house. Costumed characters will guide guests as they watch intimate ballet vignettes performed just feet away. (@Heritage Square Museum, Los Angeles)