Fall Plans: Ballet, Ghost Stories & Día de los Muertos

Good morning, Pasadena. This is News N’ Roses. A nightclub in Japan is going viral for hosting a “book rave,” where people read on the floor under moody lights while a DJ plays ambient music. So basically, it’s a library with a DJ, better lighting, and somehow even fewer chairs.

In today’s News N’ Roses:

• Little Women Comes to Life at Heritage Square

• Boo-sadena Brings Halloween to the Junior League

• Pasadena Pro Musica Celebrates Día de los Muertos

• Civic News

• Restaurant Spotlight

  • Miya

• Live Music Lowdown

Let’s get to it.

—Matthew Ramirez

P.S. Sorry about yesterday’s subject line blip. I forgot to update it.

THE DIGEST

Little Women Comes to Life at Heritage Square

This weekend, Heritage Square Museum is turning into the world of Little Women for a three-day immersive ballet experience.

From Oct. 2–4, guests will move through the museum’s historic Victorian homes while costumed characters guide them through scenes inspired by the March sisters. Instead of watching from a theater seat, you’ll see ballet vignettes performed up close from room to room. The experience also includes autumn treats, Victorian-style dancing with the cast, new period music, Civil War-era costumes and updated choreography.

Evening performances add a fun seasonal touch with a Victorian fortune teller offering tea-leaf readings, apple-seed readings and other historically inspired fortune-telling activities. The cast includes more than 20 professional dancers ranging in age from 10 to 75, all dressed in handmade 19th-century costumes. It’s a mix of ballet, history and fall atmosphere, all set inside one of LA’s most unique historic spaces. Click here for tickets.

Boo-sadena Brings Halloween to the Junior League

The Junior League of Pasadena is trying something new for Halloween this year with Boo-sadena, a two-part fundraiser on Saturday, Oct. 24.

From 4–6 PM, families can stop by the League’s Madison Avenue headquarters for Hallowed Halls, with trick-or-treat stations, Pasadena ghost stories, pumpkin painting, yard games, a fortune teller and a costume contest at 5:30 PM. Kids will get a trick-or-treat passport to collect stamps as they make their way through the house and yard.

Then things shift after dark. The 21+ At Dusk portion starts with a porch reception before guests board a chartered mini bus for an 80-minute narrated tour past places like the Colorado Street Bridge, Castle Green and the historic homes along Orange Grove.

Tickets start at $10 for kids and $15 for adults, while the evening tour is $65 and limited to 28 people. Proceeds support the Junior League’s community programs. Click here for more information.

Pasadena Pro Musica Celebrates Día de los Muertos

Pasadena Pro Musica is marking Día de los Muertos with an afternoon of music on Sunday, Oct. 25.

The community choir will perform Mexican folk songs, contemporary works and “Remember Me” from Coco as part of a program centered on remembering loved ones who have passed.

Pasadena Pro Musica has been performing in the community since 1964, and this concert will be held at Neighborhood Church, 301 N. Orange Grove Blvd., beginning at 4 PM.

A free reception will follow the performance. Tickets are $25 for adults, while children under 12 are free. Click here for more information.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Wednesday (9/30)

🧠 Trivia at Stone Brewing Tap Room: Trivia night and craft beer every Wednesday. Stone Brewing Tap Room | Wednesday | September 30 | 6PM

🧠 Pub Trivia At The Blind Donkey: Pub trivia, drinks and friendly competition every Wednesday. The Blind Donkey | Wednesday | September 30 | 7:30PM

🎬 Landmark Pasadena: Retro Replay: The Stepford Wives: The 1975 psychological thriller screens at two showtimes. Landmark Theatres Pasadena | Wednesday | September 30 | 2PM & 7:15PM

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

📖 Megan Mostyn-Brown discusses & signs The Need: Author Megan Mostyn-Brown discusses and signs her book at Vroman’s. Vroman’s Bookstore | Wednesday | September 30 | 7PM

Thursday (10/1)

🚶 Walktober 2026: Week Without Driving: A city-wide challenge to go car-free for a week, spotlighting the one-third of Americans who don’t have access to driving. City-wide | Thursday | October 1 | All day

🌿 Shadow Hills Nature Journal Club: A free monthly meetup at Arlington Garden where participants sketch and record nature observations using John Muir Laws’ journaling methods. Arlington Garden Pasadena | Thursday | October 1 | 9:30–11:30AM

🛍️ Shop for A Cause: Mission Street merchants including Julienne, Single Stone, and J. McLaughlin donate a portion of sales to Cancer Support Community San Gabriel Valley. Mission Street, San Marino | Thursday | October 1 | 1:30–5PM

🎨 Sound of Water Artist Conversation: An artist talk tied to the Sound of Water exhibition at Descanso Gardens’ gallery space. Sturt Haaga Gallery, Descanso Gardens | Thursday | October 1 | 4PM

🎮 Video Game Club: Teens ages 14–19 drop in to play Nintendo Switch games, no registration required. Hastings Branch Library | Thursday | October 1 | 4PM

🥦 South Pasadena Farmers’ Market: A weekly outdoor farmers’ market with fresh produce and local vendors. South Pasadena Farmers’ Market | Thursday | October 1 | 4–8PM

🎤 Breaking the Ice Open Mic: Comedians and performers take the stage at Ice House’s California Room for an open mic night. Ice House Comedy Club’s California Room | Thursday | October 1 | 6PM

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

Code Enforcement Commission Meeting

Pasadena’s Code Enforcement Commission meets Thursday, October 1 at 4PM in the George Ellery Hale Building Hearing Room, 175 N. Garfield Ave. Click here to view the agenda.

Pasadena Rental Housing Board Meeting

The Pasadena Rental Housing Board meets Thursday, October 1 at 6PM in the City Hall Council Chamber, Room S249. The meeting can also be joined via Zoom. Click here to view the agenda.

RESTAURANT SPOTLIGHT

Miya

If you’re craving Thai food, MIYA มีญ่า in Altadena is easily one of the best Thai spots I’ve had around here.

Miya specializes in homestyle Thai cooking, and the menu has pretty much everything you’d hope for: pad Thai, pad see ew, drunken noodles, khao soi, fried rice, curries, soups, and plenty of wok-fired dishes.

Some of the standouts include the crispy pork belly basil, beef panang curry, khao soi, crab fried rice, and fried chicken with papaya salad. They also have classics like tom yum and tom kha, plus plenty of vegetarian and gluten-free options like pumpkin curry.

One thing that makes Miya especially interesting is Plant-Based Tuesday, when the entire menu goes meat-free. And if you’ve never been, the restaurant itself is small, casual, and packed with personality, with Thai movie posters and artwork covering the walls.

You’ll find Miya at 2470 Lake Ave. in Altadena, open Tuesday through Sunday from 11AM–9PM.

Check out Miya and the full menu here.

WEATHER

Wednesday

84 🌡️ 62 |☀️| 💨 S 8 mph

🌆 Air Quality Index: 58 (Moderate)

Thursday

88 🌡️ 64 |☀️| 💨 SW 6 mph

Temperature readings taken from the Pasadena Doppler Radar.

LIVE MUSIC

🎸 Music at Noon: Joe LoPiccolo, jazz guitar: Joe LoPiccolo performs a short jazz guitar set at a free midday concert series. Pasadena Presbyterian Church | Wednesday | September 30 | 12:10–12:40PM

🎷 Jumpin Joz Band: Swing, jump, jazz, early R&B and old-school rock ’n’ roll inspired by artists including Count Basie, Louis Prima, Benny Goodman, Ella Fitzgerald and Ray Charles. Edwin Mills | Wednesday | September 30 | 6PM–10PM

🎸 DARKSIDE: The trio of Dave Harrington, Nicolas Jaar and Tlacael Esparza returns to Lodge Room with a residency built around improvisation and material from across their catalog. Lodge Room (Highland Park) | Wednesday | September 30 | 7PM

🎤 School House Rocks: RAEGAN: Singer-songwriter RAEGAN performs her theatrical alt-pop music in a one-woman show at Bob Baker Marionette Theater. Bob Baker Marionette Theater | Wednesday | September 30 | 8PM–11:45PM

🎸 Doug MacDonald: Jazz guitarist Doug MacDonald brings a bop-based style shaped by decades of performing with musicians including Ray Brown, Rosemary Clooney, Buddy Rich and Ray Charles. Edwin Mills | Thursday | October 1 | 6PM–10PM

THANKS!

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