One thing we can count on, as the old year fades to the new here in Southern California, is perfect weather. Sure, we’ve got our rainstorms. We may even have a cold snap or some fog. But we can all agree that the holiday season just doesn’t feel right without a warm breeze, a few sunny days, and the bright blue sky that makes every person stuck in a snowdrift want to book a one-way ticket to Pasadena on New Year’s day.

That’s exactly what Professor Charles F. Holder and his fellow members at the Valley Hunt Club had in mind when they decorated their horse-drawn carriages with flowers and paraded them through the streets of Pasadena on January 1, 1890. In the century-plus since then, this celebration of SoCal’s blooming flowers and bursting oranges has become a production like no other. So watching the Rose Parade go by from the vantage point of a Colorado Boulevard campsite is something everyone should do at least once.

If urban camping is not in the cards for your clan this year, you can have just as much fun camping out in your own living room with the parade on TV. Spread blankets out on the floor. Have a picnic for breakfast, complete with a thermos of hot chocolate. Then, when the last float has left the parade route, avoid the crowds down on Colorado Boulevard and keep the fun going at home with these Rose Parade-themed activities:

Did you know? The youngest Grand Marshal of the Rose Parade was Shirley Temple. Spend the afternoon snuggled up in your jammies, watching classics starring America’s Sweetheart. Be sure to serve up a big bowl of popcorn for munching and some Shirley Temple cocktails for sipping:

Mix two parts ginger ale with one part orange juice and a splash of grenadine. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Did you know? The Rose Parade kicks off every year with a flyover. If you live in Pasadena, step outside as the parade begins to watch the magnificent planes soaring by. Then, spend a little time making some cool paper airplanes of your own. Be sure to decorate them with markers, then arrange hula hoops or targets made out of jump rope on either end of your yard and see who can land their planes on the “base.” Try adding a paper clip to the nose or making small tears in the wings to see if your jet will soar higher.

Did you know? The first Rose Parade Queen was Hallie Woods. She was chosen by her classmates at Pasadena High School in 1905. She sewed her own gown and decorated her own float. So get crafty like the first Rose Parade Queen and make these easy crowns for every princess in your household. Mom, of course, gets to be queen.

• You’ll need a sparkly wire garland for each crown (the kind with gold, sliver or metallic colored stars that can be purchased in a gift wrapping department or at a craft store) and curly ribbon in a variety of matching colors. This may be a good time to raid the holiday wrapping box-you might even have the materials right at home!

• Wrap the wire garland around each child’s head about 3 times. The loop should sit on the hair, but it should not be tight. Finally, wrap the end around to secure.

• Cut two six-foot-long strands of curly ribbon in four colors (you’ll end up with 8 strands of ribbon). Tie ribbons on the back of the crown by folding each ribbon in half, then pushing the ends through the loop and around the wire. You’ll end up with strands about 3 feet long. Alternate the colors. Curl the ends of the ribbon and place it upon your royal heads. Then, stand outside in the front yard and practice your princess waves.

Did you know: The Rose Parade will have 45 floats made with 600 tons of steel, 5,000 gallons of glue, and 18 million flowers. The floats must be decorated using only natural materials, and 25 will win awards. Take a nature walk before the day is done, and craft your findings into floats.

As you walk, pick up leaves, branches, seeds, and other natural materials. You can also cut some flowers from your own yard and then go to town making floats using stuff you find in your recycling bin as a base, like shoe boxes, leftover boxes from holiday gifts, cardboard, and plastic bottles. Once your masterpieces are done, appoint a judge and award homemade ribbons for the most creative, the most hilarious, the most interesting floats, and of course, the most inventive use of flower petals.

Happy New Year!

Julie Ward

Noon Year's Eve Celebration

Your kids can join the Santa Catalina Branch librarians in ringing in the New Year with crafts and activities and a countdown to noon on December 31 from 11:30 AM to 12:15 PM. See the event listing for more details.

Club Mudd

Your kids (ages 6-10) can join the La Pintoresca Branch librarians for Club Mudd and learn how to make animals from clay on Thursdays, January 5 and 12, from 4:15 PM to 5:45 PM. Registration is required, and spots are limited.
 

Winter Frolic Is Back!

Visit Kidspace now through January 8 to enjoy its annual celebration of all things winter with Winter Frolic! Your little ones can explore, create and have fun with the things that make winter a unique season and the holidays a joy. Please check the site for Rose Bowl closures before heading out. And we highly suggest getting tickets in advance, as walk-in tickets are limited.

And while you're at Kidspace and in a wintery kind of mood, make sure you wear your favorite pair of fuzzy socks and reserve your family's time on the Sock Skating Rink. No skates. No ice. Just sliding fun.

Lightscape: Bigger, Bolder, Brighter

Now through January 8, your whole family can be amazed at the LA County Arboretum's annual Lightscape exhibit. The exhibit has grown both in the number of glowing wonders and the length of the trail through the gardens. Keep in mind this does sell out fast, so book your tickets in advance, grab some cocoa and a warm coat, then head out to Arcadia for the evening!
 

LA Zoo Lights: Animals Aglow

LA Zoo Lights is back for the 2022/2023 season with another landscape reimagined with lanterns glowing in the shape of animals, flowers, trees, and more! The nighttime fun runs from November 18 through January 22. See the event site for tickets and details.

Pasadena Grows: Native Wildflower Scatter Seed Mix

Your family can join the Hill Avenue Branch librarians in learning about native wildflowers and making your own scattering mix on January 7 from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM. See the event listing for more details.

Sew & Sew: Empowering Youth

Your Teen (ages 15-18) can join the Hastings Branch librarians for four sessions of learning how to use a sewing machine, make alterations, and sew clothes from a pattern. Workshops are on January 7 and 21 and February 11 and 25 from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM. Registration is required, and spots are limited.

Take & Make: Paper Lantern

Your Tween and Teen (ages 9+) can join the Santa Catalina Branch librarians in making paper lanterns with a winter-themed cheer. Registration for craft kits is open from January 9 to 31 or while supplies last. See the event listing for more details.

Signs' N Storytime (ASL): Pop-Up Rabbit Card Craft

Your kids (ages 0-5) can join the San Rafael Branch librarians in celebrating the Year of the Rabbit with stories and a craft on January 10 from 10:30 AM to 11:00 AM. See the event listing for more details.

I Have A Dream Card

Your Tween (ages 9-12) can join the Villa Parke Community Center Branch librarians in celebrating King Day by designing a card and writing down your dreams inside of it on January 11 from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM. See the event listing for more details.

Stitch & Sew!

Your Tween (ages 8-12) can join the Altadena librarians in learning and practicing embroidery on January 7 from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM. No experience is necessary. Registration is required, and supplies are limited.

Fab Lab Foundations: Still Life Drawing

Your Teen (grades 8-12) and adults can join the Altadena librarians in learning still-life drawing techniques using various materials on January 11 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Open to all skill levels. Registration is required.

These events are regularly scheduled, and many do not require registrations. That said, please check with the event host in case of holidays, weather, COVID, or other reasons to cancel or reschedule.
 

Board Game Night

Your family can join others and the Altadena librarians in an evening of board game fun on Mondays through December 19, from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM. No registration is required.

Chess Night

Your family can join other chess lovers and the Altadena librarians in an evening of chess-inspired fun on Tuesdays through November 22, from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM. No registration is required.
 

Afternoon Games

The whole family is invited to the Villa Parke Community Center Branch Library to play games, from board games to giant dominos. The fun happens on Tuesdays, from 2:00 PM till 4:00 PM.

Infant & Toddler Storytimes

Your little ones (ages 0-2) and their caregiver can join the Pasadena librarians weekly at 10:30 AM for 20 minutes of reading, rhyming, and singing fun! 

Lamanda Park Branch - Tuesdays

Allendale Branch - Wednesdays

Preschool Storytime - Pasadena Public Libraries

Your kids (ages 3-5) can join the Pasadena librarians weekly for a selection of stories, songs, crafts, or a short movie. Activities vary by branch.

Villa Parke Community Center Branch - Tuesdays, 10:30 AM till 11:30 AM

Santa Catalina Branch - Wednesday, 10:30 AM till 11:00 AM

San Rafael Branch - Wednesdays, 11:00 AM till 11:30 AM

Lamanda Park Branch - Thursdays, 10:30 AM till 11:00 AM

Linda Vista Branch - Thursday, 10:30 AM till 11:00 AM

Hill Avenue Branch - Saturdays, 10:30 AM till 11:00 AM

Family Films

Villa Parke Community Center Branch hosts a family movie for you on Thursdays, from 3:30 PM till 5:30 PM. Please contact the branch at 626-744-6510 for the movie title. And this is a BYOS (bring your own snacks) event.

Video Game Club

Your Teen (age 14-19) can stop into the Hastings Branch Library Meeting Room on Thursdays, from 4:00 PM till 6:00 PM, for some gaming fun on the Nintendo Switch. They can make new friends and learn fair play every week. No registration is required. Must play well with others.

Crafting with Tish & Tosh

Join the Pasadena Library online for some all-ages crafting fun. You'll learn new crafts all year round. The crafting fun happens on every-other Monday on Instagram Live from 3:00 PM till 3:30 PM.

 

Teen Switch Hour

Your Tweens (ages 8-12) can join the Altadena librarians for some Nintendo Switch fun playing Mario Kart, Mario Party, and Smash Brothers every Thursday from 4:00 PM till 5:00 PM in the Main Library's Community Room. The library has a limited number of systems available. You are welcome to bring your own Switch. .

 

STEAM Team

Your Tweens (ages 9-12) can join the Hastings Branch librarians on the third Monday of most months (Thanksgiving being a usual exception) from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM to learn about science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics. Registration is required, and spots are limited. 

Innovation Lab

Your kid (ages 6-11) can join the Monrovia librarians for a variety of STEM-related activities. No registration is required. Supplies are limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis. See the event listing for more details. All lab sessions are from 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM. Lab dates are:

January 11

January 25

February 8

February 22