Carefree days and balmy
evenings are here at last, time for
Summer Jubilee and a variety of
other fun-loving family-oriented
activities taking place in and around
Alhambra!

Here are a few upcoming events...

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

• Friday, August 22 – Pacific Asia Museum Free Day – 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Enjoy free admission and parking to view current exhibitions, including “Mingei East and West” (Mingei means “folk art” in Japanese) and “Pacifika: Young Perspectives on Pacific Island Art.” 46 N Los Robles Ave., Pasadena. For more information, visit www.pacificasiamuseum.org.
   
• Saturday, August 23 – The Final Alhambra Summer Jubilee Performance of 2008, 6-10 p.m. – Come enjoy TOWER OF POWER and other local entertainers, along with children’s games and crafts, food and beverage vendors and more! Free admission and parking. South Second Street between Main and Commonwealth. For more complete information, click here
       
• August 24 – Summer Family Fun At Farmers Market – Noon to 3 p.m. Free admission to a summer-long series of events for families with lots of activities & entertainment for youngsters -- Father’s Day coffee mug decorating, spinning disk art, face painting, and much, much more. Each new date in the Summer Family Fun program offers new activities, new entertainment and new adventures -- visit the Farmers Market website to learn about each one -- don’t miss any of them! (Specific Dates: July 13, July 27, 2008, August 10, 2008, August 24, 2008) 6333 W. Third Street, Los Angeles 90036 (Cross Streets: Third / Fairfax); Phone: (323) 933-9211
   
• Through August 28 – Tournament House Tours – 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Thursdays. The Tournament House, operating headquarters of the annual New Year's Day Rose Parade® and Rose Bowl Game®, is open for guided tours of the former home of famous chewing gum manufacturer William Wrigley Jr., as well as the Wrigley Gardens. Free Admission. 391 S Orange Grove Blvd., Pasadena. For more information, visit www.tournamentofroses.com.
    
• Through August 31 – Summer Concerts Under the Stars (at the Levitt Pavilion) at Memorial Park in Pasadena – Free admission to Wednesday through Sunday musical entertainment series, featuring Children’s Entertainment, American Music, World Rhythms, Musica Latina and Jazz Night. Location: 85 E. Holly St. in the heart of Old Pasadena. For more information, including schedule of performances, visit http://www.levittpavilion.com/.
   
• Saturday, September 13, 2008 – Grand Opening Celebration & Festivities at the New Civic Center Library! – 10 a.m. Come enjoy opening day festivities and see all the new books and materials available at the new Civic Center Library. 101 South First Street, Alhambra. For more information, visit www.cityofalhambra.org.
   
• Saturday, September 13, 2008 – Mid-Autumn Moon Festival – 5 p.m.-11 p.m. A beloved family holiday that coincides with the autumn equinox and is celebrated in China and throughout Asia. It is a time when farmers celebrate the harvest, and families in cities and towns everywhere eat moon cakes, tell traditional legends, and enjoy gazing at the full moon.  Festivities will include acrobats, cultural performances, children’s activities, and traditional food. Phoenix Bakery, Chinatown’s oldest bakery, will demonstrate how moon cakes are made. Location: Central Plaza: 943-951 N. Broadway, LA Chinatown 90012. Cost: Free. For more information, visit www.chinatownla.com.
   
• September 26-Nov. 1, 2008 – Old Town Haunt -- Descend into the basement of a 100 year old long abandoned bank building in Old Town Pasadena. Brave discovered catacombs, old vaults, and the creatures that surround you! #1 Rated haunted house attraction in the San Gabriel Valley. (Located in the heart of Old Town Pasadena: 20 N. Raymond @ Colorado). Open Friday and Saturday 7 p.m. to midnight (last ticket sold); Sundays and weeknights 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. (last ticket sold). Cost: $12.50 to $18.50. For more information, visit www.oldtownhaunt.com. 
   
• Saturday, October 25, 2008 – Community Services Department Family Excursion to Underwood Farms’ Fall Festival – 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Enjoy a day of family fun including food, arts and crafts, animal races, live entertainment, pony rides, a petting corral, and more. Pick the perfect pumpkin in the huge pumpkin patch, just in time for Halloween. Also don’t forget to visit the great onsite Country Store. Fee: $15
   
• Saturday, November 15, 2008 – Community Services Department Family Excursion to Birch Aquarium San Diego – 8 a.m.- 7 p.m. Experience close encounters with an array of marine life. Explore the outdoor tide pool plaza which overlooks the Pacific Ocean. Unearth a whole new world of life with the many hands-on exhibits, and discover the secrets of oceanic living. Fee: $20
     
• Through Nov. 9, 2008 – Yoko Ono: Wish Trees at The Armory at One Colorado in Pasadena – Repeats weekly on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from Noon-5 p.m. Yoko Ono presents a major exhibition in the central courtyard consisting of a number of living trees identified with the environment or history of Southern California. Visitors are invited to write wishes on pieces of paper and hang them on the tree branches. Pasadena's wishes are to join wishes from all over the world and be buried in capsules surrounding Ono's public art project in memory of John Lennon. 12 W. Union St., Pasadena. Free Admission. For more information, visit www.armoryarts.org. 
   
• Ongoing -- The new Garden of Flowing Fragrance at the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens is drawing crowds who want to see the $18.3 million addition built as a traditional Chinese garden. Craftsmen traveled from China to build the stone bridges and pavilions. The Huntington is open noon-4:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays and Monday holidays. $15-$20; $12-$15 seniors; $10 students; $6 ages 5-11. 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. For more information, please call (626) 405-2100, or visit www.huntingtonlibrary.org  
   
• Ongoing – Campo Gorilla Reserve – If you haven’t heard, six low-land gorillas are now back at the L.A. Zoo and living in their new $19 million habitat. Zoo visitors will journey along a forested pathway for close-up views of the gorillas and their plush digs. There are two separate habitats—one for a family troop of gorillas led by a silverback male named Kelly and the other habitat for a pair of bachelors. The three-quarter acre Campo Gorilla Reserve completes the Zoo’s Great Ape Forest and distinguishes the Los Angeles Zoo as one of only a handful of zoos to house three species of great apes: chimpanzees, orangutans and gorillas. The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens is located in Griffith Park at the junction of the Ventura (134) and Golden State (5) freeways. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 2 to 12. The Zoo is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. For general information, call (323) 644-4200. 
   
• Ongoing – Tuesday Night Hikes at Griffith Park - Meet at 6:45 p.m.; hike begins at 7 p.m. See the other kind of night life in Hollywood, and the other kind of stars. The Sierra Club leads these two hour hikes through the park; children (ages 8 and up) are welcome as long as they're with an adult. Wear comfortable shoes and meet at the Upper Merry-Go-Round parking lot.
   
• Ongoing Wednesdays – Family Story Time at the Alhambra Public Library – 7 p.m. Share some quality family time at this fun activity featuring stories, songs, puppets and crafts for children of all ages. For more information, call (626) 570-5008, ext. 5630.
   
• Ongoing:  Saturday Mornings - Family Nature Walk - 9 a.m.-11 a.m. Families gather outdoors for a guided walk in Eaton Canyon Natural area. The hike is appropriate for small children. Walking shoes, sunscreen, water and a hat are recommended. Participants should meet in front of the Nature Center building, 1750 N. Altadena Dr., Pasadena. (626) 398-5420.
   
• Ongoing on Saturdays (10 a.m. to noon) and Monday and Tuesday Evenings (6 to 8 p.m.) -Healthy Eating Lifestyle Program - A five-session nutritional and exercise workshop designed to help families with kids who are at risk for being overweight. Classes include smart shopping tips, family meal planning advice, creating simple recipes, games, parties and activities for kids aged 5 to 12 and their entire families. Families must register and complete medical screening in order to attend. Contact health educator Kam Miller at 626-397-3660 or via email: healthy.eating@huntingtonhospital.com. Huntington Hospital, 100 W. California Blvd., Pasadena.
   
• Ongoing on Sunday Mornings from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. - Alhambra Farmer's Market - Do you savor country fresh fruits and vegetables that are tasty and chock full of vitamins and minerals for good health? Surely then, you'll want to make a trip to Alhambra's Farmer's Market which is held every Sunday rain or shine (except Easter) from 8 a.m. to 1p.m. on Monterey Street––one block east of Garfield and one block south of Main Street. The market features over 600 varieties of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as various kinds of flowers and plants. For more information on the Farmer's Market, call (626) 570-5081.
   
• Griffith Observatory - Restored to its 1930s grandeur, from the murals to marble floors, and with more than twice the exhibit space. The new Richard and Lois Gunther Depths of Space gallery displays huge planetary models of our solar system and a vast photo wall spotlighting more than a million galaxies. The Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon Theater offers films, lecture and exhibits, while a new state-of-the-art domed ceiled now appears seamless. Reservation center hours: Mon.-Fri., 10:00 a.m.-8:30 p.m.; Sat.-Sun., 8:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. While admission to the grounds, exhibit halls and telescopes is free, there is a non-refundable charge for the required timed-entry and shuttle reservation, as parking is off-site at three locations. General reservations are $8 each; Children 5-12 years, $4 each; Children 4 years and under, Free; Seniors 60+, $4 each. There is also an admission charge to the Samuel Oschin Planetarium. For reservations or more information, call (323) 664-1181 or visit their website.
   
• Anytime - The Huntington Library - Nature activities are scheduled on Saturdays from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Kids of all ages can explore the world of nature at hands-on plant discovery carts located at the Lily Ponds, Desert Garden and Japanese Garden. Older kids can examine plant cross-sections under a microscope, learn how plants and animals use camouflage, compare soil and water samples, or look for local wildlife using a field guide. Younger children can make leaf rubbings, examine seed pods, create origami, or experience “a bug’s life” through insect puppet play. On the first Saturday of each month, nature crafts are also offered near the entrance pavilion. No reservations required; free with museum admission. $15 adults, $12 seniors (65+), $10 students (ages 12-18 or with student I.D.), $6 for youth (ages 5-11), free for children under 5. Information: 626-405-2100. 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino.

For additional events and family-themed information, see the following websites:
AsianFamily.com
Dorothyswebsite.org (lists events taking place in L.A., Orange & San Bernardino Counties)
FamilyCorner.com
FamilyFun.com
FunSites.com - "Your Family-Friendly Website"
Family Geneology Information
KCET: Kids & Family