Around & About

CITY COUNCIL ELECTION EVENTS

City Council Candidates Forum — Wednesday, Feb. 9, 6:30 p.m. The seven candidates in the upcoming La Cañada Flintridge City Council election will present their election platforms and answer questions during this forum at Flintridge Preparatory School, 4543 Crown Ave., La Cañada. Sponsors are the LCF Coordinating Council and both La Cañada Kiwanis Clubs. The candidates are incumbents Laura Olhasso and Don Voss plus Michael Davitt, Jacki Harris, James Hill, Charlie Kamar and Robert Richter. The forum will be moderated by the headmaster of Flintridge Prep, Peter Bachmann. For more information call Joyce Ruygrok at (818) 249-8680.

Breakfast with a candidate — Wednesday, Feb. 2, 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.; and Thursday, Feb. 10, 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.. Complimentary breakfast of fresh fruit, scones, muffins, juice and coffee will be served at an event featuring City Council candidate Laura Olhasso at Dish Restaurant, 734 Foothill Blvd. Olhasso will hear residents’ concerns, answer questions and share her vision for the future of La Cañada Flintridge. Reservations to rsvp@lauraolhasso.org are encouraged, but not required.

CLASSES

Western Square Dancing — Thursdays from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sets in Step Dance Club offers this class at the Community Center of La Cañada Flintridge, 4469 Chevy Chase Drive. Ron Durkee is the caller. Dress is casual and the price is $6 (cash) per lesson. Refreshments included. A partner is suggested, but singles are welcome. For more information call Betty Woodhull at (818) 249-2651.

Music Appreciation — Tuesdays beginning Feb. 15, from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Dr. Ted Stern, professor of music at Glendale Community College, conducts this off-campus music appreciation class for adults. This semester will cover “Film Composers and Other Related Stuff.” Classes are held at Crescenta Valley United Methodist Church, 2700 Montrose Ave., Montrose. Cost for the 15-week course is $90. For more information call Dianne at (818) 248-8110 or (818) 445-2300.

EVENTS

Lunar New Year Free Family Festival — Saturday, Jan. 29, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Welcome the Year of the Rabbit at Pacific Asia Museum, 46 N. Los Robles, Pasadena, 91107. All galleries will be open to enjoy along with crafts, demonstrations, food and gift vendors, live music, dance, martial arts, acrobatics and magic. Free.

Clock and Watch Convention — Saturday, Feb. 5, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Chapters 75 and 133 of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors host the annual Greater Los Angeles Regional Clock and Watch Convention at the Pasadena Convention Center Exhibit Hall, 300 E. Green St., Pasadena 91101. Open to the public one day, Feb. 5. Thousands of antique and vintage clocks and watches will be for sale or viewing. Admission is $12.

Camellia Festival — Saturday, Feb. 5, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada, is home to more than 34,000 camellia plants and has been designated an International Camellia Garden of Excellence by the International Camellia Society. Horticulturist Wayne Walker will lead two programs during the festival: A class called “Things to Do with Sinensis” at 11 a.m. and a camellia “walk and talk” through the collection at 1 p.m. The class costs $20 ($10 for Descanso members) and will include a demonstration of applications for tea, such as green-tea ice cream. Advance registration is required and can be made by calling (818) 949-7980. The walking tour is free with admission and no registration is required.

Discovering Mushrooms — Saturday, Feb. 5, 9:30 a.m. Mycologist Florence Nishida leads a program that includes a one-hour lecture giving basic information about mushrooms, then a walk to find and identify mushrooms growing in Descanso Gardens, 1418, Descanso Drive, La Cañada. Free with Gardens admission: $8 adults; $6 seniors/students and $3 children 5-12. Call (818) 949-7980 for more information.

“Sex and the City Zoo 2” — Sunday, Feb. 13, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Presented by the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association in the L.A. Zoo’s Witherbee Auditorium. The event begins with a reception with desserts and wines followed by a presentation by Jason Jacobs with insights about the pros and cons of relationships vs. staying single in the animal kingdom. Proceeds from this fundraiser go to support the Zoo’s wildlife preservation and conservation efforts. Adults only. Tickets are $25 per person for GLAZA members and $35 per person for non-members. Seating is limited and reservations are required by Feb. 9. Call (323) 644-6042 or visit https://www.lazoo.org for online reservations.

Valentine’s Day event at Lanterman House — Sunday, Feb. 13, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. “Love is In The Aire,” a champagne tea and concert of love songs for Valentine’s Day, will be offered at Lanterman House, 4420 Encinas Drive, La Cañada. Cost is $35 per person. For reservations call (818) 790-1421.

EXHIBITS

Christina Song’s “Paper Idylls” — Jan. 28 through Feb. 19; opening reception is from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Jan. 28. Modest Fly Art Studio Gallery, 7576 Foothill Blvd., Tujunga 91042, shows the work of Christina Song, a graduate of Art Center College of Design. Song’s work consists primarily of cut paper, mixed media, three-dimensional objects, drawings and paintings.

KIDS’ PICKS

Spanish Dance — Saturday, Jan. 29, 3 p.m. The La Cañada Flintridge branch of the county of Los Angeles Public Library hosts Spanish flamenco dancer Susana Elena and Spanish classical guitarist Almer Imamovic as part of an ongoing series of programs aimed at providing free arts and literary events for children and their families. Susana Elena introduces Spanish dance to children as young as 5. At the show’s end, children are invited on-stage to join in a simple rumba flamenco danced with scarves. A castanet lesson is offered to those interested after the show. Almer Imamovic plays compositions created for the Spanish guitar. The library is located at 4545 N. Oakwood Ave.

Winter Acorn Bear for toddlers — 4 weeks, beginning Friday, Feb. 4, 10:30 a.m. Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada. For children 2 to 4 and their caregivers. Includes story time, crafts and a snack. Class fee includes child’s T-shirt. Cost is $45 ($35 Descanso members); $25 sibling ($15 Descanso member sibling). Registration is required and can be made by calling (818) 949-7980.

‘Faery Tours’ of the Enchanted Forest at Descanso — Saturday, Feb. 5, 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Forest faeries lead children and adults through the Descanso Gardens camellia collection during the Camellia Festival. First come, first served. Free with admission: $8 general, $6 seniors/students with I.D.; $3 children 12-5. For information call (818) 949-4200.

Valentine’s Day in 3D — Saturday, Feb. 12 and Sunday, Feb. 13. “Love-in 3-D” at Kidspace Museum offers children the opportunity to make 3-D pop-up greeting cards, create “love bugs,” make heart-shaped soap and Valentine’s Day bracelets. Some activities are fee-based; check https://www.kidspacemuseum.org for more details. The museum is located at 480 N. Arroyo Blvd., Pasadena.

LECTURE

“Art, Architecture and California Culture: The Works of Kenton Nelson” — Saturday, Jan. 29, 1 p.m. American scene painting, Regionalism and the work of WPA artists of the 1930s inspires the current work of Pasadena artist Kenton Nelson. The lecture will take place at the Ahmanson Auditorium, Art Center College of Design, 1700 Lida Street, Pasadena. Cost: $12 to the general public and free to members of Friends of the Gamble House. Immediately after the lecture, Nelson will open his Pasadena studio for viewing. Cost of this tour is $20 for general tickets and $15 for members of Friends of the Gamble House. Reservations are required. Call (626) 793-3334, ext. 52 or visit https://www.gamblehouse.org.

PERFORMANCE

Rachmaninoff’s “Concerto No. 2 for Piano and Orchestra” — Friday, Jan. 28, 8 p.m. Pasadena Community Orchestra, under the direction of Alan Reinecke, presents Charles Parson performing Sergei Rachmaninoff’s “Concerto No. 2 for Piano and Orchestra.” The orchestra will also play Antonin Dvorak’s “Othello Overture” and “Variations on a Theme of Haydn” by Johannes Brahms. This free concert will be presented in the sanctuary of First Church of the Nazarene, 3700 E. Sierra Madre Blvd., Pasadena. For more information call (626) 445-6708 or go online to https://www.pcomusic.org.

“Museum” — Feb. 3, Feb. 4 and Feb. 5 at 8 p.m.; matinee Feb. 5 at 2 p.m. The Pasadena City College Performing and Communication Arts Division will perform “Museum” in The Little Theater (Room C106) at PCC, 1570 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. The play was written by Tina Howe and is directed by PCC instructors Duke Stroud and Whitney Rydbeck. Tickets are priced at $10 general admission and $5 for PCC students, PCC staff and seniors. They will be sold at the door starting one hour prior to curtain time. For more information call (626) 585-7216.

Brass & Jazz Bash — Friday, Feb. 11. The Crescenta Valley Arts Council presents its fourth annual music Bash at La Crescenta Presbyterian Church, 2902 Montrose Ave., La Crescenta. Professional brass players will jam with student musicians from Crescenta Valley and other Southland schools for a concert that’s open to the public. To learn more go online to crescentavalleyartscouncil.org.

To submit calendar listings, send an e-mail with the pertinent details to lcnews@valleysun.net.