Events

my hands are monsters who believe in magic is a group exhibition that explores an artist’s capacity for the radical reimagination of the self through a process of unmaking and remaking. Featuring contemporary photography, video, and ceramics by ten artists from the Asian diaspora—Alex Anderson, Tommy Kha, Maggie Lee, Jarod Lew, Cathy C. Lu, Diane Severin Nguyen, Miraj Patel, Leonard Suryajaya, Guanyu Xu, and Amia Yokoyama—the exhibition highlights the liberatory possibilities of self-construction and reinvention. The works on view navigate the endless, messy, contradictory, and sometimes grotesque process of understanding oneself in relation to history, materiality, and community. The title of the exhibition quotes a line from Ocean Vuong’s poem “Dear Sara” in Time Is a Mother. my hands are monsters who believe in magic is organized by guest curator Kris Kuramitsu.

Opening Public Celebration
Sunday, May 4
1:00 to 3:30 PM

Join us for the opening celebration on May 4, which includes a drop-in, all-ages artmaking workshop led by Armory Teaching Artist Lark Crable. Participants will create and take home their own "Clay Monster." This event and workshop are free and open to everyone.

About the Curator
Kris Kuramitsu is an independent curator and educator in Los Angeles. As Senior Curator at The Mistake Room in Los Angeles, she organized exhibitions such as Matsumi Kanemitsu: Metamorphic Effects (2014); Cao Fei: Shadow Plays (2015); A Tender Spot: Sky Hopinka and Karrabing Film Collective (2018); and Gaëlle Choisne: Temple of Love – ADORABLE (2019), among others. She curates the Candlewood Arts Festival, a program of temporary public art projects in the Anza Borrego Desert for the Under the Sun Foundation. Additionally, she has organized exhibitions for institutions such as the Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College, Claremont, CA; LAXART, Los Angeles; Instituto Cervantes, Madrid; and the Japanese American National Museum, Los Angeles. She has taught at Harvey Mudd College and was the 2022 curatorial resident at Occidental College, where she organized the exhibition Voice a Wild Dream: Moments in Asian American Art and Activism, 1968-2022. She is the recipient of the 2024 Call to Dream Sam Francis Fellowship.

This summer, the Pasadena Museum of History invites residents and visitors alike to take a step back in time with a series of immersive walking tours that bring the city’s rich cultural and architectural heritage to life.

ARROYO TERRACE & PROSPECT PARK
SAT JUN 14 - 10am - 12pm
The first tour, Arroyo Terrace & Prospect Park, takes place on Saturday, June 14, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, and explores Pasadena’s pivotal role in the American Arts & Crafts movement. Around the turn of the 20th century, the Arroyo Seco and its surrounding hills buzzed with creative energy. Artists, craftspeople, and wealthy patrons helped establish Pasadena as one of the movement’s three national hubs. Participants will follow in the footsteps of influential figures like tilemaker Ernest Batchelder and renowned architects Charles and Henry Greene, discovering the multicultural influences and artistic passions that shaped the city’s identity. The tour begins at the historic Court of Appeals/Vista del Arroyo building (125 S. Grand Ave.) and ends at Orange Grove and California.

• For those unable to make the walk, historian Julia Long will offer an illustrated lecture on Thursday, May 15, at 7:00 pm at the Pasadena Museum of History.

EXPLORING PASADENA ON FOOT
SAT JUN 14 - 10am - 12pm
The second tour, Exploring Pasadena on Foot: Arroyo Terrace & Prospect Park, also scheduled for Saturday, June 14, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, offers a different perspective. Highlighting early residential developments like Westmoreland Place and the tree-lined Prospect Park, the walk showcases homes designed by architectural giants such as Wallace Neff, Myron Hunt, and Frank Lloyd Wright.

• This route starts and ends at the Pasadena Museum of History (470 W. Walnut St.).

SALOONS & SPEAKEASIES
SAT JUL 12 - 10am - 12pm
Rounding out the series on Saturday, July 12, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, is Saloons & Speakeasies, a lively tour through Old Pasadena’s spirited history with alcohol. From the city’s early stance as a “dry” community to the inevitable rebellion of speakeasies and saloons, this walk promises an entertaining dive into Pasadena’s more mischievous side.

• The tour begins at 34 Union St. and concludes next to Lucky Baldwin’s Pub (17 S. Raymond Ave).

Note: All walking tours involve steep inclines and declines. For details and ticketing, visit the Events Calendar at pasadenahistory.org.

• Friday - 3 PM to 10 PM
• Saturday - 1 PM - 10 PM
• Sunday - 1 PM - 10 PM

To celebrate the Fourth of July safely, the Rose Bowl is introducing its first-ever drone show.  

Diners can get a taste of Los Angeles' broad and dynamic dining scene with Dine LA Restaurant Week. The summer edition runs from Friday, July 25, through Friday, August 8, 2025, when nearly 400 LA area restaurants offer special menus and prices.

Dine LA Restaurant Week takes place twice a year and showcases Los Angeles as a premier dining destination while highlighting the diversity of culinary experiences LA has to offer. Global kitchens can be found in culinary neighborhoods across Los Angeles including Old Pasadena. 

Old Pasadena is home to more than 100 restaurants offering a variety of dining experiences. Scroll down for the confirmed Old Pasadena restaurants participating in the summer edition of Dine LA!  Check them out, make a plan, and be sure to make a reservation. Our community of restaurants needs your support!

Participating restaurants offer a special menu for dine-in for lunch and/or dinner.

• Lunch: $15, $25, $35, $45, $55, $65+
• Dinner: $15, $25, $35, $45, $55, $65+

Prices and meal periods vary by restaurant and exclude beverages, tax, and gratuity. There are no tickets or passes required for Dine LA Restaurant Week. Simply dine out at a participating restaurant, ask for the Dine LA Restaurant Week menu, and try a new dish or enjoy an old favorite. Advance reservations are strongly recommended.

We are so proud to announce that 16 restaurants of all cuisines and experiences are joining in this edition to represent Old Pasadena.  Two of these are Michelin-rated venues noted with an M.  Participating Old Pasadena restaurants: