Events

UPDATE:  Pasadena is one of the 50 finalists! The Levitt Foundation will review the finalists and announce the Levitt Music Series grant recipients on November 18, 2025.

The City of Pasadena Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department (PRCS), in collaboration Pasadena Recreation and Parks Foundation (PRPF) is competing to bring a vibrant, free outdoor music series to the Memorial Park Band Shell in Old Pasadena beginning in 2026.

To make this dream a reality, community support is essential.

Residents are encouraged to cast their vote during the public voting period:

FRI SEP 05 ~10 AM - MON SEP 15 ~ 5 PM

Vote online at https://vote.levitt.org, or 

TEXT-to-VOTE at (877) 409-5525 with keyword PASADENA

Voting Takes Place September 5–15!

Reflecting their commitment that all Levitt programs be community-driven, the top 50 Levitt Music Series finalists will be selected through public voting (online and text-to-vote) this September 5 – 15, 2025.  The Levitt Foundation will review the finalists and announce the Levitt Music Series grant recipients on November 18, 2025. (Levitt Foundation, 2025, https://vote.levitt.org/sign-up)

History of the Levitt in Memorial Park

"As the first venture philanthropy project of the Levitt Foundation, Levitt Pavilion Pasadena launched in 2003. Since its opening, the venue has been celebrated for bringing vitality and high-caliber programming back to Memorial Park, which for years prior was largely abandoned and a magnet for crime. Through 2017, free Levitt concerts at the restored WPA-era gold bandshell brought people of all ages and backgrounds together from both Pasadena and the greater Los Angeles metro region, attracting over 75,000 people each summer. The Levitt Foundation is proud of our investment in the Pasadena community, providing significant annual funding to Levitt Pavilion Pasadena for nearly 15 years, and the meaningful social and economic impact created by the Levitt program in Memorial Park." (Levitt Foundation, 2025, https://levitt.org/pasadena-past)

Please click here to read the full press release on the City of Pasadena's website.

The fall edition of ArtNight Pasadena takes place on Friday, October 10, citywide. This art and culture celebration features music, dance, visual art, theater, art-making, storytelling, and history. ArtNight is an ongoing partnership between many cultural institutions and the Cultural Affairs Division of the City of Pasadena. Enjoy a free evening of art, music, and entertainment as Pasadena’s most prominent arts and cultural institutions swing open their doors offering free admission from 6:00-10:00 PM.

ArtNight Pasadena occurs twice per year (spring and fall), where the city’s most prominent museums and cultural institutions open their doors for free and offer special programming. For information on ArtNight, please call the ArtNight Pasadena Hotline at (626) 744-7887 or visit ArtNightPasadena.org and see the complete line-up of events.

Here are a few highlights in and around Old Pasadena:

ARMORY CENTER FOR THE ARTS
145 N. Raymond Avenue
At the Armory, see two exhibitions, make your own art, and enjoy live sets by DJ Soltera. my hands are monsters who believe in magic is on view through December 14, 2025. This exhibition features works of Asian diasporic artists that explore the process of unmaking and remaking the self in their work.  Opening on October 10 in the Mezzanine, Sanctuaries is a group exhibition of Armory contemporary teaching artists who expand upon the meaning and imagination of sanctuaries, true and metaphysical, as spaces of protection, agency, preservation, and healing. Through painting, textile, ceramic, photography, risography, and mixed media, each artist offers a personal exploration of how sanctuaries take form and sustain us.
City-funded MiniGrant: DJ Soltera

CITY OF PASADENA CITY HALL
Transportation Hub
100 N. Garfield Avenue
Enjoy a spooky puppet show, live music, and seasonal art activities. Treat yourself to a snack and catch a free shuttle to another venue.
Food Truck: Pie ‘n Burger
City-funded MiniGrants: music by The Subs, performances by Bob Baker Marionettes