Responding to pressure from citizens, South Pasadena City Council on Wednesday May 1 will decide whether to bring back the controversial Finance Ad Hoc Committee it voted last month on a split 3-2 vote to dissolve. Council established the FAHC February 21 after hearing a presentation based on a model developed by city contractor NHA Advisors projecting current and general fund deficits ranging between $1.8 million and $3.9 million over the next five years. That prompted Mayor Evelyn Zneimer to declare a “fiscal emergency.” It caused the city’s standing Finance Commission to delay Finance Dire ..read more

Let’s keep the music rockin’, post Eclectic Music Festival. Come on out to Wine & Song at Lost Parrot Cafe Wednesday evening at 7pm. The food is great, the wine is flowing, and the music is smokin’! This Wednesday will feature Trailand Eltzroth, an indie singer-songwriter and composer who grew up in Jackson and has been involved in the Mississippi arts scene for over a decade. He graduated from Belhaven University and finished a master’s degree in composition at The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Cardiff, Wales in 2019. He is also a gardener, birder and stargazer. The son of a tr ..read more

Hotbox Vintage is thrilled to enhance the musical offerings of this year’s Eclectic Music Festival and Arts Crawl with an exclusive lineup of live performances. Located at 1125 Mission Street, Hotbox Vintage will transform into a dynamic venue for live music, adding to the overall vibrancy of the festival happening today, April 27th from 3 PM to 10 PM. Also featuring: ‘Build your own bouquet’ bar! Back by popular demand, the hotbox crew has put a magical touch on this year’s music event with a carefully procured arrangement of vintage vases and gorgeous fresh flowers — just for you indulge in ..read more

Experience the allure of the Southwest’s rich heritage at the “Piles of Pawn” Spring Edition sale, only at Santa Fe Crafts Native American Gallery. For two exclusive days, Friday and Saturday, May 3rd & 4th, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM, we invite you to explore a curated selection of vintage Southwestern Native American jewelry. PHOTO: Steven Lawrence | South Pasadenan News | Santa Fe Crafts Native American Gallery | Extraordinary solid sterling silver concha belt is one of three designed by renowned Pueblo sculptor/ceramicist Tammy Garcia The doors of our gallery on Mission Street will swing open ..read more

Danny Feldman, Producing Artistic Director of Pasadena Playhouse, the State Theater of California and recipient of the 2023 Regional Theatre Tony Award, announces casting for its new production of the Tony Award winning musical Jelly’s Last Jam (May 29 to June 23), featuring a book by George C. Wolfe, music by Jelly Roll Morton, and lyrics by Susan Birkenhead with musical adaptation and additional music composed by Luther Henderson. The production will be directed by Kent Gash, with music direction by Darryl Archibald, and choreography by Dell Howlett. The cast of Jelly’s Last Jam is led by J ..read more

The 14th Annual Eclectic Music Festival and Arts Crawl returns to South Pasadena’s central business district on Saturday, April 27, 2024, from 3 pm to 10 pm. The free, family-friendly festival will host over 50 musical acts, an Artisans’ Alley vendor pop-up, interactive art activities, a children’s activity zone, beer garden, food trucks, and special activities at area merchants. Visit TheElectic.Rocks for performance schedules, a festival map, and more information on this showcase of South Pasadena’s talent and charm. The Eclectic offers something for everyone, with 11 music stages featuring ..read more

As the curtain draws near on final acts in Caltrans’ ill-fated, 70-year attempt to build a freeway through South Pasadena—disposition of the properties it acquired to do so—final rules are being put into place. Caltrans will hold a hearing Friday, April 26 to take comment on the permanent rules it’s proposed to guide sales of properties it owns in the former SR 710-Extension corridor. Effected properties are in El Sereno, Pasadena and South Pasadena and include 100 vacant single-family homes and multi-family units. The hearing, set for 5 to 8 pm at South Pasadena High School, coincides with t ..read more

Join South Pasadena Middle School students as they kick off their shoes and perform in the Spring Musical production, “Footloose,” on April 25-28. The SPMS Spring Musical is offered as an Afterschool program by the South Pasadena Educational Foundation (SPEF) and is a production of the San Gabriel Valley Music Theater (SGVMT). Students have the opportunity to participate both onstage and off, in acting, costuming, and stage crew roles. SPEF has long championed theater and the arts for South Pasadena students with the annual Fifth Grade Musical and the post-pandemic return of the SPMS Musical ..read more

While its name might sound new to some, oh make that many, the game itself has been around for centuries, deeply rooted in a far away country only to find a solid footing years later in South Pasadena. It’s called Kubb, pronounced “koob,” and, according to John Pettersson, it is Scandinavian in origin, and rumored to have been played by the Vikings, who used skulls and femurs of their vanquished instead of the wooden blocks and batons used today. PHOTO: provided by John Pettersson, commissioner of LA Kubb Club | The South Pasadenan | Local, area and national players, currently honing their sk ..read more

The ebullient, young cast of Bright Star, at South Pasadena High School, leaves it all on the stage and sings their earnest hearts out in this tender, Americana bluegrass tale of young love, unbearable loss, redemption and forgiveness. What a joy to discover yet a new facet of the musical’s writer, Steve Martin. Here his writing is softhearted and poignant with flashes of sharp wit. Martin won a Grammy in 2010 for his first bluegrass album and subsequently collaborated with folk artist, Edie Brickell, which led to them creating Bright Star together in 2016. The score is chock-full of toe-tapp ..read more