What to do this weekend in Pasadena, California

The weekend of September 19 and 20 is a full one in Pasadena: a farmers market on Saturday morning, a free family storytime and an autumn concert at the Gamble House, the final day of an Armory exhibition with a curator walkthrough, chess in the Norton Simon sculpture garden, a walking food tour of Old Pasadena, and a brand-new exhibition of Day of the Dead photographs opening at the Huntington. I am Alejandro Espitia, a Broker Associate and REALTOR with Apex Realty and Investments, and Pasadena is my home turf. With more than 18 years serving Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Gabriel, and Riverside, licensed in California and fluent in English and Spanish, I check the local listings each week so you can spend your weekend out enjoying the city instead of researching it. Every event below comes from a current public listing verified this week, with sources at the bottom of the post.

Saturday morning: the farmers market at Victory Park

Start Saturday at the Pasadena Certified Farmers' Market at Victory Park, on the 2900 block of North Sierra Madre Boulevard at Paloma Street, right in front of Pasadena High School. It runs every Saturday morning, roughly 8:30 am to 12:30 pm (some current listings say 8:00 am to noon, so check the market page below for the exact window). Entry is free, the market accepts EBT and CalFresh, and it is the most relaxed way to fill a tote with local produce before the day takes off.

Saturday late morning: storytime at the Gamble House

If you have little ones along, the Gamble House, 4 Westmoreland Place, hosts a free Musical Storytime on Saturday, September 19, from 11:00 am to noon, presented with the Pasadena Conservatory of Music. This week the session reads “To See An Owl” by Matthew Cordell with live music, it is drop-in with no reservation, and it is a lovely, low-key way to introduce kids to a landmark Arts and Crafts home.

Saturday midday: taste your way through Old Pasadena

For a grown-up treat, the Old Pasadena Food Tasting Walking Tour by Melting Pot Food Tours runs every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, including Saturday, September 19 and Sunday, September 20. It departs at 10:30 am and winds through the alleys and side streets of Old Pasadena for about three and a half hours, ending near 2:00 pm. The meeting point is near 155 S. Raymond Avenue, with the exact spot confirmed after you book. Tickets are about 119 dollars for adults and 65 for children 13 and under, and reservations are taken through the Melting Pot Food Tours site.

Saturday afternoon: a final look at the Armory

The Armory Center for the Arts, 145 N. Raymond Avenue, is free every time it is open: on Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 to 5:00 pm. Saturday, September 19 is the last day of the current exhibition “all the ways to hold this land tender,” and from 2:00 to 3:00 pm there is a free closing walkthrough led by curator Danielle A. Hill. The standout continuing show is “Nurtured Flames: The Medicine of Fire” by the Indigenous collaborative Meztli Projects, on view through January 16, 2027.

Saturday afternoon: chess at the Norton Simon

The Norton Simon Museum, 411 W. Colorado Boulevard, is open Saturday from noon to 7:00 pm, and on Saturday, September 19 at 4:00 pm it hosts “Checkmate! Chess at the Norton Simon Museum”, a chess evening in the Sculpture Garden. Admission is 20 dollars for adults and 15 for seniors, free for members, students, and ages 18 and under. The special exhibition “The Art of Kandy: Sri Lanka's Last Kingdom” is on view through February 8, 2027.

Saturday evening: autumn music at the Gamble House

End Saturday somewhere special. The Gamble House's “Music Through the Seasons: Autumn” concert plays Saturday, September 19 from 5:00 to 7:15 pm, with the featured ensemble Echoes of China performing Chinese folk music in and around the house. Tickets are booked through the Gamble House site, and docent-guided tours are available through the afternoon.

Sunday: Old Pasadena on foot, then a quiet museum

Sunday keeps the momentum. The Old Pasadena Food Tasting Walking Tour runs again at 10:30 am, the Armory is free from 1:00 to 5:00 pm with “Nurtured Flames” still on view, and the Norton Simon is open noon to 5:00 pm if you would rather spend a calm afternoon with the collection. Any one of the three makes a gentle Sunday.

Sunday: Day of the Dead photographs at the Huntington

Just across the border in San Marino, the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, 1151 Oxford Road, opens a new exhibition on Sunday, September 20: “Laura Aguilar: Day of the Dead,” a collection of photographs Aguilar made from 1984 to 1992 documenting Día de los Muertos celebrations in homes and at public events across Los Angeles, on view through March 1, 2027. The Huntington is open 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on weekends, and advance reservations are required, so book before you drive over.

Sunday evening: Broadway, one room at a time

Close the weekend with theater. The “Broadway Gamble Ramble” by Lineage Performing Arts Center returns to the Gamble House on Sunday, September 20 with a 7:00 pm curtain: a site-specific, walk-through musical that moves the audience through the rooms of the house while celebrating American musical theater. Tickets are about 54 dollars for general admission, with lower pricing for seniors and students, and these performances are popular, so booking ahead is the safe move.

A note for next weekend: the Pasadena Chalk Festival

Looking further ahead, the free Pasadena Chalk Festival returns on Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, September 27 at its new home in Brookside Park, 480 N. Arroyo Boulevard, with more than 500 artists turning the pavement into chalk murals, plus live music, food trucks, and a silent auction. It is a favorite family weekend and worth marking on the calendar now.

One honest schedule note

Event details can shift: a curtain time, a tour meeting point, or a ticket button can always change at the last minute, and a few listings quote slightly different hours. Check each link below before you go, and you will have a perfect weekend. If you have a favorite Pasadena event I missed, text me and I will add it to next week's edition.

Sources: Pasadena Certified Farmers Markets, Victory Park, Gamble House Musical Storytime, Old Pasadena Food Tasting Walking Tour, Armory Center for the Arts, Norton Simon Museum, Music Through the Seasons at the Gamble House, Laura Aguilar: Day of the Dead, The Huntington, Broadway Gamble Ramble at the Gamble House, and Pasadena Chalk Festival.