Local Happenings in Pasadena - October 17

The Outside World

New to Pasadena? Here’s some fun one-time and recurring events to check out with your friends!

Seasonal events:

Knott’s Scary Farm

Now - October 31, >$60

Knotts Berry Farm

Marking its 50th year in the running, Knott’s Berry Farm turns into a haunting park of themed mazes and attractions, with scare actors and spooky decorations.

Pasadena Pumpkin Patch

Monday - Friday, 12 pm - 10 pm, $2 entry (best bring cash)

900 N Lake Avenue

This little patch is just up on North Lake Avenue and has been in business for over 20 years! It’s set up in the CVS parking lot and features a wide variety of pumpkins for sale. Come for a good time on the bouncing slides, giant bounce houses, and petting zoo!

‘Carved’

Now - October 29, 6 - 10 pm, $45

Descanso Gardens

Come wander in the beautiful Descanso gardens through an eery pumpkin wonderland filled with floating lanterns, a glow-in-the-dark art installation, looming hay statues, and giant hand-carved pumpkins. The Camellia Forest and Rose Garden will be decorated with festive fall spirit and lit with armies of glowing jack-o-lanterns as you wander through the trail.

Plein Air Art Exhibitions

Fridays 2-6 pm, Saturday & Sundays 1-5 pm, FREE

Armory Center for the Arts

145 North Raymond Avenue, Pasadena, CA

Come explore plein air works from local artists including Caltech’s very own Hillary Mushkin, a research professor of art and design. She is the founder of Incendiary Traces focusing on the limits and power of human and technological observation.

This plein air exhibition is focused on the experience and process of being in our physical landscapes in the context of public and private space, and land surveying and settling.

Recurring:

PCC Flea Market

November 5 and every first Sunday monthly

8 am - 3 pm, FREE

Pasadena City College parking lot

The PCC Flea Market occurs on the first Sunday of every month. The parking lot fits over 400 vendors and mainly features antiques and collectibles. If you’re a big fan of vinyls, there are over 50 vendors selling records in the parking structure. Many students have found great finds on jewelry, clothing, skateboards, and other things you don’t think you’ll need.

Rose Bowl Flea Market

November 12 and ever second Sunday monthly

9 am - 3 pm, $12 regular admission

1001 Rose Bowl Drive, Pasadena, CA

The legendary Rose Bowl Flea Market has been happening on the second Sunday of every month for over 50 years with over 2,500 vendors in the Rose Bowl Stadium. Some vendors accept only cash so make sure to hit up an ATM for those sweet flea finds. A word of advice: to avoid the long box office lines, you can purchase your ticket ahead of time on Eventbrite at their website. If you’re really an early riser, VIP admission is $20 which allows you to access the flea market from 5 am to 9 am, meaning you can get to those valuable finds before most of the crowd.

One-Time:

Watson Lecture Series: The Chemistry of Everything

October 18, 6 pm - 8:30 pm, FREE

Beckman Auditorium

Find out where medical drugs come from! Hosea Nelson (PhD ‘13), Professor of Chemistry, will discuss his research group’s effort to develop new platforms for molecular discovery using advanced methods in electron microscopy. The event begins at 6 pm with music and activities before talk and Q&A at 7:30 pm.

Pasadena Happenings

Your favorite street is getting a rebrand! Earlier this year, the Pasadena City Council granted the Lake Avenue Pedestrian Access Improvements Project to Elecnor Belco Electric, Inc., to fund streetscape improvements on the 1.06-mile long corridor between the Lake Avenue Gold Line Station and California Boulevard. The goal of the project is to improve mobility and accessibility through the installation of two traffic signals and pedestrian scale street lighting. As of now, the current project budget sits at $3,933,090 which will include a new traffic signal at Granite Drive, curb extensions, and widening the sidewalk on Lake Ave north of Colorado Boulevard. Surveying by the City’s contractor will begin in October 2023 and is anticipated to be completed by next summer 2024.