What to do this weekend in Pasadena, California

This edition of the Pasadena weekend guide covers Saturday, October 3 and Sunday, October 4, 2026, and every event in it was re-verified on October 1, 2026 for this refresh. What made the list comes with its published date, time, and venue, and anything that could not be confirmed for these exact dates did not. The guide is published by the Find Homes and Loans desk and hosted by Alejandro Espitia, Broker Associate and REALTOR with Apex Realty and Investments, California license 01213999, with 18+ years across Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Gabriel, and Riverside, in English and Spanish.

All month: Pasadena Walktober, the citywide walking festival

October is Walktober in Pasadena. The citywide walking festival, Walk and Wonder, runs October 1 through 31 and is free, organized by the City of Pasadena's Department of Transportation with Day One and the Pasadena Senior Center. It strings together dozens of guided walks, storywalks, hikes, and community strolls across the city, with the full calendar on the Walktober Pasadena site. This is the festival's opening weekend, so it is the busiest of the month, with events Saturday morning and again Sunday. Most require no more than comfortable shoes and a water bottle.

Saturday morning: the Victory Park Farmers Market

The Victory Park Certified Farmers Market runs Saturday morning from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the 2900 block of North Sierra Madre Boulevard at Paloma Street, in front of Pasadena High School. It is one of Pasadena's two certified farmers markets, with up to 60 certified growers on a typical Saturday, free admission, and EBT accepted. It is a dependable way to stock the fridge for the week and still have the whole day ahead.

Saturday morning: Walktober's opening walks

Walktober opens Saturday with a full morning. The Bird Sit and Walk with the Pasadena Audubon Society, the Gamble House, and Councilmember Tyron Hampton meets at 8:00 a.m. at the Gamble House Bookstore, 4 Westmoreland Place, for a guided bird sit and neighborhood walk around the historic landmark. The City of Pasadena's First Justice Element Walk runs from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m., and the Walktober Storytime and StoryWalk Kickoff lands at Sunnyslope Park at 11:00 a.m. Meeting details for the city-led walks are on the Walktober Pasadena calendar, linked below.

Saturday: the K-12 Black Education Expo at the Pasadena Convention Center

The K-12 Black Education Expo returns to the Pasadena Convention Center on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Conference Center lower level at 300 E. Green Street. It is free and open to the public, aimed at students ages 5 to 18, their families, educators, and community organizations, with 70-plus resources, free books, free health screenings, and AI literacy and wellness programming. Advance registration is recommended through the Black Education Expo site, and paid parking is onsite with Metro access nearby.

Saturday and Sunday: The Visit at the Pasadena Playhouse, closing weekend

The Pasadena Playhouse, the State Theater of California at 39 S. El Molino Avenue, closes its run of Friedrich Durrenmatt's The Visit this weekend, September 9 through October 4, directed by Darko Tresnjak and starring Tony Award winner Jefferson Mays. The production runs about an hour and 45 minutes with no intermission. Saturday offers two shows, a 2:00 p.m. matinee and an 8:00 p.m. performance, and Sunday brings a 2:00 p.m. matinee plus a 7:00 p.m. closing performance. It is the last chance to catch it, so tickets are worth checking early on the Playhouse site.

Saturday and Sunday: the Norton Simon Museum

The Norton Simon Museum at 411 W. Colorado Boulevard is open Saturday from 12:00 to 7:00 p.m. and Sunday from 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. The anchor on view this weekend is The Art of Kandy: Sri Lanka's Last Kingdom (1469-1815), which runs through February 8, 2027. An afternoon here pairs naturally with an early dinner in Old Pasadena.

Sunday morning: an urban hike and a craft and ecology workshop

Sunday starts on foot. The Pasadena Village Urban Hike meets at 8:00 a.m. and is free, part of the Walktober calendar. If you would rather get hands-on, the Earth School of Craft and Ecology runs at Arlington Garden in Pasadena on Sunday at 10:00 a.m., a craft and ecology workshop in one of the city's most beloved public gardens. It was near capacity as of late September, so check the Eventbrite listing and register ahead.

Sunday afternoon: matinee, galleries, and a walking history of Pasadena

Sunday afternoon keeps the options stacked: The Visit has its 2:00 p.m. matinee and 7:00 p.m. closing show, the Norton Simon is open until 5:00 p.m., and the Walktober calendar closes the day with Roots, Removal, Renewal: Japanese Americans in Pasadena at 3:00 p.m., a free guided walk. If you would rather wander Old Pasadena at your own pace, the month-long Old Pasadena Halloween program is running all through October.

Your Pasadena weekend at a glance

Sources for this weekend's guide

• Pasadena Walktober 2026, Old Pasadena
• Walktober announcement, City of Pasadena
• Walktober Pasadena 2026, Eventbrite collection
• Victory Park Farmers Market, Pasadena Certified Farmers' Markets
• Black Education Expo returns to the Convention Center, Pasadena Now
• K-12 Black Education Expo, LA County
• The Visit at the Pasadena Playhouse
• Norton Simon Museum
• Eventbrite, Pasadena events
• Old Pasadena, Events
• Pasadena Now

Why a weekend guide comes from a real estate and financing desk

Because a great weekend is the best evidence for a great neighborhood. The walkable blocks of Old Pasadena, the historic streets around the Gamble House, the quiet avenues behind the Norton Simon, and the family market blocks of Victory Park all do their best on days like this, and that matters if you are weighing a move. Alejandro Espitia is a Broker Associate and REALTOR with Apex Realty and Investments, bringing 18+ years of real estate and home financing experience to buyers, sellers, and investors across Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Gabriel, and Riverside. Fluent in English and Spanish, with California license 01213999, he helps you find the right home and the right loan with straight talk, in a busy market or on a slow Sunday.

Have your own weekend find, or a Pasadena question to go with it? Text Alejandro at 626-314-9170 in English or Spanish, or use the form below to leave your name, email, and optional phone number for a personal reply from the Find Homes and Loans desk.

Written by

Alejandro Espitia

Real Estate Professional · Apex Realty & Investments

Meet the author

This guide is for general information, and is not mortgage, legal, or tax advice. Loan products and rates vary by lender, and all terms come from the lender, never from this website.