Another Hot Day in Pasadena

Good morning, Pasadena. This is News N’ Roses. It’s going to be a scorcher today, with temperatures climbing into the triple digits at 100°. Fun fact: the record high for Sept. 9 in Pasadena is 107°F, set in 2024, so we’re getting uncomfortably close. Stay cool out there!

In today’s News N’ Roses:

• The Rose Bowl’s New Field-Level Club Opens This Week

• Pasadena Zombies Wanted: Learn the ‘Thriller’ Dance

• Civic News

• Restaurant Spotlight

  • Bacchus Kitchen + Wine Bar

• Live Music Lowdown

Let’s get to it.

—Matthew Ramirez

THE DIGEST

The Rose Bowl’s New Field-Level Club Opens This Week

Nearly 1,000 new seats are coming right down to field level at the Rose Bowl. The stadium will unveil its new South End Zone Field Club on Thursday, Sept. 10, marking the first time the Rose Bowl has offered premium seating at field level.

The new space includes more than 750 VIP club seats, an outdoor patio and a private air-conditioned lounge. Fans in the club will also get a close-up view of one of the best parts of game day: teams will enter the field directly through the space.

The project is part of the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation’s larger Lasting Legacy campaign, which is funding a series of improvements to the historic stadium while preserving its famous design. The new club won’t just be used on game days either. The Rose Bowl Quarterbacks Club will hold its 2026 speaker series there beginning this month.

Pasadena Zombies Wanted: Learn the ‘Thriller’ Dance

Want to learn Michael Jackson’s iconic “Thriller” dance, dress like a zombie, and help a good cause while you’re at it? Thrill the World Pasadena is recruiting dancers for its fifth annual performance on Saturday, Oct. 24, when zombies around the globe will perform “Thriller” at the same time. Pasadena’s group is raising money for Pasadena Humane, with participants asked to donate $10.

No dance experience needed! The six-minute routine is repetitive and easy to learn, with several free practices held each week. The group currently ranges in age from 10 to 84, so pretty much everyone is welcome.

Pasadena’s zombies will also pop up for a few flash mobs leading up to Halloween. Interested in joining the horde? Visit thrilltheworldpasadena.com or email [email protected] for practice details.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Wednesday (9/9)

🪚 Woodworking with Side Street Projects: A 6 Week Afterschool Series: A free six-week series where kids ages 5–15 learn hand-tool woodworking skills including sawing, drilling, and hammering to build projects from scratch. Loma Alta Park | Wednesday | September 9 | 3:30–5:45PM

🔬 WOW! That’s STEM: Pasadena-area high school students lead a free kids’ workshop on building earthquake-resistant structures. Hastings Branch Library | Wednesday | September 9 | 4PM

📚 Barks & Books with Sawyer the Therapy Dog: Kids ages 4–12 can read aloud to Sawyer, a therapy dog, in the Children’s Room — first come, first served. South Pasadena Library | Wednesday | September 9 | 4:30PM

🍽️ Hope & Healing Supper Club: A wellness series for adults 50+ combining guided reflection on grief and resilience with a complimentary supper. Village Office Community Room | Wednesday | September 9 | 5–7PM

🎨 Drawing from the Gallery: Bring your sketchbook and draw from works inside the Huntington Art Gallery and Virginia Steele Scott Galleries of American Art. Huntington Art Gallery and Virginia Steele Scott Galleries of American Art | Wednesday | September 9 | 5:30–8PM

🧵 Stitch & Share: Bring a work-in-progress craft project for dedicated craft time alongside other makers. Sierra Madre Library | Wednesday | September 9 | 5:30PM

🧠 Trivia Night: Test your knowledge at Stone Brewing Tap Room’s weekly trivia night hosted by Game Night Trivia. Stone Brewing Tap Room – Pasadena | Wednesday | September 9 | 6PM

🎤 Open Mic Night: Bring a song, poem, story, or anything else you’d like to share, or come listen at this monthly all-ages open mic hosted by Quazar. Altadena Music Center | Wednesday | September 9 | 7PM

🎭 The Visit: Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s dark comedy, directed by Tony Award-winner Darko Tresnjak and starring Jefferson Mays, about a wealthy woman’s conditional offer to save her hometown. Pasadena Playhouse | Wednesday | September 9 | 7:30PM

📚 Kate Stayman-London, in conversation with Maurene Goo, discusses & signs See You Next Tuesday: The author of One to Watch reads and signs her new enemies-to-lovers romance set on a political campaign. Vroman’s Bookstore | Wednesday | September 9 | 7PM

Thursday (9/10)

👩‍💼 Los Angeles County Women’s Leadership Conference 2026: A full-day leadership conference for women hosted at the Pasadena Convention Center. Pasadena Convention Center | Thursday | September 10 | 8AM–5PM

🫔 Tamales Preorder Pick Up: Handmade tamales from PACTL’s Cocina de las Abuelas are available for pickup at the Village office, sold in sixes. Pasadena Village Office | Thursday | September 10 | 9:30AM–4:30PM

🏘️ Meet Me at the Village! (In Person Edition): A drop-in gathering at the Pasadena Village office for members and neighbors to connect in person. Pasadena Village Office | Thursday | September 10 | 10AM

🏮 Chinese Club of San Marino: A monthly lecture or workshop focused on Chinese language and culture, open to all without registration. Crowell’s Barth Community Room | Thursday | September 10 | 10:30AM–12PM

🤝 Village Connections: Learn & Connect: Details about this event’s program weren’t available in the source. Washington Park Community House | Thursday | September 10 | 2PM

🌿 Chinese Medicinal Garden Talk and Walk: A guided talk and walk through The Huntington’s Chinese medicinal garden. The Huntington’s Ahmanson Classroom | Thursday | September 10 | 2:30–4PM

🎲 Board Game Cafe (Ages 11-17): A monthly after-school drop-in at Crowell Library with tabletop games and snacks provided. Crowell’s Barth Community Room | Thursday | September 10 | 3–4PM

🎮 Video Game Club: Teens ages 14–19 drop in to play Nintendo Switch games, no registration required. Hastings Branch Library | Thursday | September 10 | 4PM

🌽 South Pasadena Farmers’ Market: Certified California-grown produce, prepared food vendors, and live music under a canopy of trees near the Gold Line station. South Pasadena Farmers’ Market | Thursday | September 10 | 4–8PM

🥃 El Portal’s Annual Tequila & Mezcal Tasting: A wide range of tequilas and mezcals to sample in the courtyard, with live music, raffles, and bocadillos. El Portal Mexican Restaurant | Thursday | September 10 | 5:30–8:30PM

🐾 Tablin’ at City of La Cañada Flintridge Community Preparedness Day: Pasadena Humane’s outreach team will have a table with information about their programs and services. Olberz Park, One Civic Center Dr. | Thursday | September 10 | 6–8PM

🎭 Broadway Gamble Ramble 2026: Small groups move through the Gamble House encountering live dance, theatre, and narrative performances tracing Broadway’s history. The Gamble House | Thursday | September 10 | 7PM

🎭 August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom: Gregg T. Daniel directs Wilson’s play set in a 1927 Chicago recording studio, where blues singer Ma Rainey’s session erupts into conflict among her band. A Noise Within | Thursday | September 10 | 7:30PM

📚 Michelle Berenfeld discusses & signs “Lessons from a Lost Republic”: Classics professor Michelle Berenfeld presents her book arguing the Roman Republic’s collapse — not the Empire — holds the relevant warnings for American democracy today. Vroman’s Bookstore | Thursday | September 10 | 7PM

🌱 Little Shop of Horrors: Altadena Music Theatre performs the cult classic musical inside Mountain View Mausoleum, with a cast tackling doo-wop and soul numbers like “Suddenly Seymour.” Mountain View Mausoleum | Thursday | September 10 | 8PM

Upcoming Events

Upcoming events are regularly added to the News N’ Roses events page.

*Nothing in this section is sponsored. These are just the things you need to know. I’ll always let you know if something is sponsored!

CIVIC NEWS

Pasadena City Council Meetings Are Now On Tuesdays

Pasadena City Council meetings are moving from Mondays to Tuesdays. The council approved the change to make it easier to schedule meetings around holidays, which often fall on Mondays, and to give staff more time to prepare after the weekend. The switch begins with special Tuesday meetings in September before becoming the regular schedule.

Arts & Culture Commission Meeting

The Arts & Culture Commission meets Wednesday, September 9, at 5:30PM at the George Ellery Hale Building Hearing Room. The commission meets monthly to discuss matters related to arts and culture in Pasadena. Click here to view agenda.

Urban Forestry Advisory Committee Meeting

The Urban Forestry Advisory Committee meets Wednesday, September 9, at 6PM at City Yards – Public Works. The committee advises the city on matters related to Pasadena’s trees and urban forest. Click here to view agenda.

Human Services Commission Meeting

The Human Services Commission meets Wednesday, September 9, at 6PM at the Jackie Robinson Community Center. The commission focuses on community needs, human services, and programs that support Pasadena residents. Click here to view agenda.

Planning Commission Meeting

The Planning Commission meets Wednesday, September 9, at 6:30PM in the City Hall Council Chamber, Room S249, to discuss planning and land-use matters in Pasadena. Click here to view agenda.

Legislative Policy Committee Meeting (Special Meeting)

The Legislative Policy Committee will hold a special meeting Thursday, September 10, at 4PM in the City Hall Council Chamber, Room S249, to discuss legislative and policy matters affecting Pasadena. Click here to view agenda.

RESTAURANT SPOTLIGHT

Bacchus Kitchen + Wine Bar

Bacchus Kitchen + Wine Bar has been part of Pasadena’s dining scene since 2015, led by Chef Claud Beltran. Located on Washington Boulevard, the restaurant serves seasonal New American food with a menu that pulls from a wide range of influences.

The menu can move from small plates and salads to seafood, pasta, chicken, steak and slower-cooked dishes. Bacchus also leans into comfort food, but usually with a more creative spin. Past and current menus have featured dishes like burrata, risotto, braised short rib, roast chicken, shrimp and grits, chilaquiles and seasonal desserts. Special-event dinners often get even more elaborate, with multi-course menus designed around a particular wine region or producer.

Wine is a major part of the experience. Bacchus offers a rotating wine list and regularly hosts dinners with visiting winemakers, giving guests a chance to try several pours paired with a full meal. Those events can range from Italian wine nights to dinners focused on specific estates and regions.

The Jeff Hamilton Trio returns Sept. 11 and 12 for two nights of live jazz. Hamilton is joined by bassist Jon Hamar and pianist Tadataka Unno, with dinner-and-show tickets that include a three-course meal. That menu starts with panko-fried avocado and moves into a choice of braised short rib or roast chicken, followed by pineapple upside-down butter cake.

On Sept. 17, Bacchus hosts “The Italian Job,” a wine dinner featuring producers from Calabria, Brunello di Montalcino and other Italian regions. Another Italian wine dinner follows Sept. 23, this time with Chiara Damilano of the Barolo estate Damilano and a five-course meal paired with six wines.

There’s also chamber music on Sept. 19 with pianist Timothy Durkovic, violinist Jessica Guideri and french horn player Laura Brenes performing works by composers including John Williams, Schumann and Brahms.

Then on Sept. 27, Bacchus closes out the month with a free staged reading of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. Donations will go toward future theatrical productions at the restaurant.

For a neighborhood restaurant, Bacchus packs a lot into one calendar: seasonal food, wine dinners, live jazz, classical music and theater, all in the same space.

Bacchus Kitchen + Wine Bar is located at 1384 E. Washington Blvd. in Pasadena.

WEATHER

Wednesday

100 🌡️ 74 |☀️| 💨 SW 7 mph

🌆 Air Quality Index: 38 (Good)

Thursday

94 🌡️ 72 |☀️| 💨 S 7 mph

Temperature readings taken from the Pasadena Doppler Radar.

LIVE MUSIC

🎸 Music at Noon: Taro Wayama & David Lee Ruest: Japanese-born guitarist Wayama and violinist Ruest perform a free 30-minute midday concert. Pasadena Presbyterian Church | Wednesday | September 9 | 12:10–12:40PM

🎸 The David Eastlee Trio: Guitarist David Eastlee leads a trio performing jazz standards. Edwin Mills | Wednesday | September 9 | 6PM

🎤 Open Mic Night: Bring a song, poem, story, or anything else you’d like to share, or come listen at this monthly all-ages open mic hosted by Quazar. Altadena Music Center | Wednesday | September 9 | 7PM

🎸 The Belair Lip Bombs: The Australian indie-rock four-piece brings its mix of quick rhythms, warm guitar melodies and power-pop songwriting to Lodge Room. Lodge Room (Highland Park) | Wednesday | September 9 | 7PM

🎸 Live Music at Farmhouse: Multi-genre LA guitarist Stuart Crespo plays at the Farmhouse with drinks and food available. Descanso Gardens | Thursday | September 10 | 6–8PM

🎸 Doug MacDonald: Jazz guitarist Doug MacDonald brings a career shaped by performances with artists including Ray Charles, Rosemary Clooney, Buddy Rich and Ray Brown. Edwin Mills | Thursday | September 10 | 6PM

🎸 The Damnwells – Celebrating 20 Years of Air Stereo: The Damnwells mark the 20th anniversary of Air Stereo with a special performance at Lodge Room. Lodge Room (Highland Park) | Thursday | September 10 | 7PM

THANKS!

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