Spring has sprung by the looks of things, with a flurry of events happening in our great outdoors as well as indoors. One offers a view of both: Writer and hiker Ash Czarnota talks to author Johanna Flashman about her guide to the best hikes and microbreweries in Southern California, at 5 p.m. Friday, April 5, at RT Rogers Brewing Co., 38 E. Montecito Ave. No. 1, Sierra Madre. Admission is free.
“Beer Hiking Southern California” is a full-color guidebook covering beaches, the Southern Sierras to the Cleveland National Forest and through the deserts of Joshua Tree National Park. Vroman’s is helping toast its publication, but for more information, visit rtbrew.com.
First Free Friday: Enjoy free admission to the galleries and garden of the Norton Simon Museum from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, April 5. No reservations or advance tickets required. The Norton is at 411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. For more information, call 626-449-6840 or visit nortonsimon.org.
Book it: The nonfiction book club at the Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum tackles the Pulitzer-Prize winning book by Jon Meacham, “American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House.” Meet in-person or on Zoom from 10 a.m. to noon Friday, April 5, at the museum, 15415 Don Julian Road, City of Industry. Admission is free. For more information, email info@homesteadmuseum.org. Participants should read the book before the meeting. Museum staff will occasionally share items from the museum’s collection as it relates to the book. For more information, visit homesteadmuseum.org or call 626-968-8492.
Trails Day: Volunteer to maintain the trails along South Hills Wilderness Area from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, April 6, at 701 E. Mauna Loa Ave., Glendora. Check-in and lunch will be at South Hills City Park, Mauna Loa Ave. Participants will get a free commemorative patch and lunch. Wear long pants, sturdy shoes, sunscreen and a bandanna or hat. Stuff to bring includes gloves, water and bug repellent. Tools for trail work will be provided. For more information, email Dick Swinney at Dswinney@roadrunner.com.
Pasadena City College Flea Market: Find vintage items including clothing, collectibles and vinyl records, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. April 7. Free admission. Upcoming dates: usually the first Sunday of the month. Use the parking structure #5 on Bonnie Avenue (free). The market is in outdoor parking lots 1, 3 (on Hill Avenue) and also in parking lot structure #4 (levels 2 and 3; Del Mar Boulevard). The college is located at 1570 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. 626-585-7906. Email: fleamarket@pasadena.edu. pasadena.edu/community/flea-market. Updates: www.facebook.com/pccfleamarket
Define American: Kimberly Senior directs “One of the Good Ones,” a comedy by Gloria Calderón Kellett through April 7, at the Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. Tickets start at $35. For more information, call 626-356-7529 or visit pasadenaplayhouse.org.
No road to happily-ever-after: Yulin Kuang discusses her novel “How to End a Love Story” with Candice Lim at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 9, at Vroman’s, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. Admission is free. For more information, call 626-449-5320 or visit vromans.com.
Indulge your looky-loo: Tickets are on sale for the 34th annual Bungalow Heaven Home Tour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 28, at McDonald Park, 1000 E. Mountain St., Pasadena. Tickets are $25 advance and $30 day of. Explore Pasadena’s architectural history on this walking tour of the city’s first historical landmark district and get docent-led interior tours of homes in their early 20th century glory. All homes on the tour are on the National Register of Historic Places. This year’s tour will focus on hearths. For more information, visit bungalowheaven.org.
It’s five o’clock somewhere: Escape to Margaritaville in a musical comedy of the same name, featuring Jimmy Buffett’s classic songs, with shows at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 7; 7 p.m. Saturday, April 13; and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 14, at Haugh Performing Arts Center, on the campus of Citrus College, 1000 W. Foothill Blvd., Glendora. Tickets start at $17. For more information, visit haughpac.com or call 626-963-9411.
Free movies: Pasadena Senior Center offers movie screenings at 1 p.m. Fridays, April 5, 12, 19 and 26, at 85 E. Holly St. Admission is free to members and one nonmember guest. To register, visit pasadenaseniorcenter.net and click on “Activities & Events,” then “Friday Movie Matinee.” For more information, call 626-795-4331.
Cherry blossom time: Plaza West Covina, the city of West Covina and the East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center welcomes everyone to its annual Cherry Blossom Festival from 3 to 8 p.m. Saturday, April 13, at the mall, 112 Plaza Drive, West Covina. Admission is free. What’s to experience? Japanese and Japanese-American food, traditional dances and music and a vendor’s market. There will be Japanese taiko drummers and martial arts and photo opportunities with popular Japanese characters. There will also be a Japanese beer garden. Admission is free, but registration is required. For more information, visit plazawestcovina.com.
Musical celebration: The Los Angeles Youth Orchestra presents “A Pastoral Celebration” spring concert at 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 15, at Ambassador Auditorium, 131 S. St. John Ave., Pasadena. Tickets start at $10. Russell Steinberg and Jorge Padron conduct. For more information, visit losangelesyouthorchestra.org.
Bloom in the garden: Aloes, camellias, magnolias and flowering fruit trees are ready to be admired in the gardens of The Huntington, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. The library, art museum and botanical gardens are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and closed on Tuesdays. Plan on what to add to your spring garden from The Huntington’s spring plant sale set for April 26-28. For more information, visit huntington.org/plan-your-visit or call 626-405-2100.
All that jazz: Glendora Woman’s Club invites the community to “Roar into the ‘20s at the GWC,” a fundraiser from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 16, at the clubhouse, 424 N. Glendora Ave. Come for the music, dinner and entertainment by Tony O’Dell Rogers. Reservation deadline is April 6. Tickets are $65 per person. For more information, call 626-598-0554.
For the ladies: The College Women’s Club of Pasadena will celebrate and recognize scholarship recipients at a lunch at noon May 7, at The Blinn House. The event is open to members of the 103-year-old women’s club as well as invited guests. For more information, visit cwcpasadena.org.
Save the date: LitFest in the Dena is happening the weekend of May 4 and 5 at Mountain View Mausoleum, 2300 N. Marengo Ave., Altadena. “Books that Made the Neighborhood” features more than 150 authors and performers in workshops and readings. Admission is free. For more information, visit LitFestinthedena.org.
Ongoing events
A shared heritage: An exhibition of 43 works by Sargent Claude Johnson is on display at The Huntington through May 20. Johnson was a California artist considered the West Coast’s key connection to the Harlem Renaissance. This is the first exhibit devoted to the artist’s work in more than 25 years. The Huntington is at 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. For more information, visit huntington.org or call 626-405-2100.
Rose to the occasion: Buy Pasadena-branded totes, stickers, water bottles and T-shirts from the city’s official online merchandise store. Shop the first offerings from “Threads of Pasadena” from CLSC, founded by the grandson of Matthew “Mack” Robinson and great-nephew of Jackie Robinson. The store is at visitpasadena.myshopify.com. Items are also available at the Pasadena Visitor Center, 300 E. Green St. For more information, visitpasadena.com.
Turn the page: The newest bookstore in town isn’t new. The Friends of the Pasadena Public Library Bookstore invites all readers to choose from used books, DVDs, CDs, LPs and lots of children’s books. Store hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Saturday, closed Friday and Sunday. The bookstore is at the Jefferson Elementary School campus, 1500 E. Villa Ave., between Hill and Allen avenues, in Pasadena. Donations are welcome. For more information, email Adrienne at phrogg8@gmail.com.
To market: The new Altadena Neighborhood Farmers Market is open from 4 to 8 p.m. Fridays, at Loma Alta Park, 3330 N. Lincoln Ave., Altadena. Admission is free. The nonprofit Raw Inspiration offers the market as a way for children to learn the value of organic gardening and healthy eating. For more information, email info@rawinspiration.org or visit rawinspiration.org.
Farm fresh everything: The Farmer’s Market @ Mt. SAC is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays, at Parking Lot B, 1100 N. Grand Ave., Walnut. Sample French pastries from Le Honore’ French Bakery, in-season fruits and vegetables, an Asian vegetables stand, arts and crafts along with ready-to-eat dishes such as dumplings. Lots of vendors offer handmade items and plants too. For more information, call 909-869-0701, email info@regionalchambersgv.com, visit regionalchambersgv.com or find “MtSacFarmersMarket” on Facebook.
Market news: Duarte Farmer’s Market is open from 4 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, at the southeast corner of the Santa Teresita Assisted Living parking lot, 819 Buena Vista St., Duarte. Say hello to the Carmelite Sisters, shop for dinner, pick up sweet treats and discover new vendors. For more information, visit duartechamber.com/duarte-farmers-market.
Helping hands: Low-Cost Community Counseling Center serves the Whittier, Santa Fe Springs, Pico Rivera, Norwalk and surrounding areas. It offers low-cost counseling for individuals, couples and families as well as parenting, women’s support and substance abuse groups. For more information, call 562-903-7777, email lowcostcommunitycounseling@gmail.com or visit low-costcounseling.org.
Book a castle visit: Rubel Castle is an elaborate folk-art medieval castle in the foothills of Glendora, with five-story tall towers solidly built out of junk and river rocks by the late Michael Rubel and his friends. The castle offers eight scheduled tours each month. Tours are two hours long. Admission is $20 for adults and $10 for guests ages 8-18. Rubel Castle is at 844 N. Live Oak Ave., Glendora. For more information, visit rubeltours.org or call (626) 963-0419.
It’s all lapidary: The Pasadena Lapidary Society meets from 7 to 8:45 p.m. on the third Tuesday of the month, except December, in the Fellowship Hall of Santa Anita Church, 226 W. Colorado Blvd., Arcadia. All were welcome. For more information, visit pasadenalapidary.org, or check out their social media on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Wednesday night market: Whittier Uptown Association presents Wednesday Night Markets from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays, on historic Greenleaf Avenue, from Wardman to Bailey streets. Stroll past local vendors, food and art. For more information, visit whittieruptown.org or call (562) 696-2662.
Play ball: Pasadena Senior Center sponsors Crown Valley senior co-ed softball teams. Players meet for practice and scrimmage games from 8 to 10 a.m. Mondays at Farnsworth Park in Altadena and Thursdays at Arcadia County Park. Players over 50 are welcome. For more information, call Marge Mayotte-Hirn at (626) 377-5631; email ssbslugger@yahoo.com or visit intercitysoftball.org.
Local history: Monrovia Historical Museum is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Thursdays and Sundays, at 742 E. Lemon Ave. Come and discover Monrovia’s amazing history. Admission is free. Docent-led tours are available. For more information, call (626) 357-9537 or visit monroviahistoricalmuseum.org.
New horizons: The Arcadia Travelers Club, designed for seniors 50 and older interested in travel and fellowship, is a nonprofit that offers day outings and extended day trips. It is open to anyone for a $10 annual fee. The group meets monthly at the Arcadia Community Center, 365 Campus Drive, Arcadia. For more information, visit arcadiatravelers.org or call (626) 821-4377.
It’s in the cards: West Covina Cribbage Club welcomes new members to its weekly meetings at 6 p.m. Mondays, at Denny’s, 1150 S. Seventh Ave., Hacienda Heights. For more information, call Elaine at (626) 330-3170.
Send calendar items to Anissa V. Rivera at sgvncalendar@gmail.com. Please send items at least three weeks before the event. Please list phone, email and/or website for additional information.
