What’s New in Pasadena March 2023

MARCH STORY IDEAS

Apple TV’s Shrinking filmed in Pasadena

The new Apple TV show Shrinking, featuring Jason Segel and Harrison Ford, is based in Pasadena. There’s a series of scenes filmed in front of the Castle Green, along with additional filming locations include the Rose Bowl Stadium, Copa Vida in Old Pasadena, Central Park Pasadena, and more!

Botanical Gardens in Pasadena in Bloom

Pasadena, California is where the sunshine blankets over a horticultural paradise that was once an acorn-rich home for the Tongva tribe, whose name translates to “people of the earth.” Later, Mexican and American ranchers cultivated citrus groves and vineyards before Pasadena became a west coast escape for wealthy, wintering east coasters with large estates. The vogue of building opulent estate gardens in the early 1900s set the groundwork for Pasadena as a botanical paradise, home to many acclaimed public gardens, the urban forest, roses, and some of the nicest nurseries in the country.

What’s in bloom:

• See the Camellias now at Descanso Gardens and The Huntington Gardens
• Go bird watching at Arlington Gardens
• 30,000 tulips will bloom at Descanso Gardens in March, cherry blossoms in the Japanese Gardens in April
• See the cherry blossoms at the Japanese Garden in The Langham Huntington, Pasadena this spring
• Explore The Huntington Gardens’ 16 Botanical Gardens

Read the new botanical gardens blog: Pasadena’s Botanical Gardens

NEW RESTAURANTS AND EATERIES

The Panda Inn in Pasadena is the origin story of the Panda Restaurant group, and it is celebrating 50 years with a full-scale renovation of the restaurant to be unveiled later this year. With that, did you know the first Trader Joe’s was also in Pasadena?

Colette Pasadena
Taste the rich cultural flavors of the San Gabriel Valley’s large Asian population at Colette in Pasadena. This former brunch spot was taken over by renowned chef Peter Lai of Embassy Kitchen, and the spot now delivers authentic Cantonese-style dim sum with a modern Californian twist. Enjoy dishes like a crispy abalone tarte, the golden yolk fried pumpkin, lotus leaf wrapped with torched cheese, and crispy stuffed chicken with shrimp paste.
975 N Michillinda Ave. | www.instagram.com/_colettepasadena

Bar Chelou
Drawing inspiration from the eclectic, boundary-eschewing bistromie
movement in Paris, Bar Chelou is Pasadena’s first neo-bistro. From Chef/Owner Douglas Rankin comes a casual, convivial space for everyday dining. The menu boasts sharable dishes with flavors found around the world, like “the numbing heat of Sichuan peppercorns cutting the richness of a classic au poivre, or the sea-breeze inflected depth of aonori in what otherwise looks like a straight-from-Madrid papas bravas. The beverage program is crafted with the help of Taylor Parsons with food-friendly apertifs, classic cocktails, and a rotating mix of small production wines.
36 S El Molino Ave., Pasadena | www.barchelou.com

Le Chateau De Tien Tao
From the team behind Chateau Andy and Chateau Zoe from Taiwan’s Michelin Guide, Chateau Tien Tao presents a brand-new menu that elevates the traditional Taiwanese beef noodle soup in Pasadena. The renowned beef soups are simmered and prepared for over 24 hours. Enjoy with the marinated meat trifecta and an array of cold pickled side dishes.
69 W Green St., Pasadena, CA | https://www.yelp.com/biz/chateau-tien-tao-pasadena

L’Moon
L’Moon Creamery specializes in loose leaf brewed teas and spotlights their Thai Tea with a Thai Tea Soft Serve hugged by a bed of honey boba. You can then turn that soft serve into a float with a selection of milk teas, matchas and hojicha lattes. The menu boasts a wide variety of milk teas alongside fresh baked cookies.
1045 E Green St., Pasadena, CA | https://www.lamooncreamery.com/

Callisto Tea House
Fueled by a passion for tea and storytelling, Callisto Tea House is a woman-owned space offering high quality single origin teas from around the world. Try the Kung Fu Tea service, a traditional tea ceremony with origins in Fujian, China that incorporates meticulous timing and temperatures to maximize the taste of specific tea varietals. Focusing on the origin of each tea varietal, Callisto Tea House celebrates the entire cultivation process from farm to cup. Enjoy with a selection of mini toasts and pastries like the tangerine marmalade toast, black sesame toast, lemon ginger scone, pandan cookies, and ube blondies. The tea house highlights woman-owned farms and distributors and works to support Pasadena’s Friend In Deed nonprofit.
1359 N. Altadena Dr. Pasadena, CA | www.callistoteahouse.com

NEW IN ATTRACTIONS

Ice House Comedy
The iconic Ice House Comedy Club reopened last month with opening weekend headliners Margaret Cho, Bill Burr, Brad Williams and more. In March, The Ice House will welcome Gabriel Inglesias, Jay Mohr, Brian Monarch, Sharon Mahoney, Slanted Comedy, Hive Comedy, and more.
https://icehousecomedy.com/

Rose Bowl Public Tours
On the last Friday of every month, the iconic Rose Bowl Stadium opens its doors for public tours. Walk through a National Historic Landmark where countless moments in history have been made.
https://www.rosebowlstadium.com/events/details/341/public-tours

Butterfly Season at Kidspace Children’s Museum
Butterfly season kicks off at Kidspace Children’s Museum this March to celebrate the habitat and life cycle of butterflies and other pollinators. Families can dig-in and connect with new exhibits, visit the bug safari, create a caterpillar out of clay and add seeds in it to watch it sprout, dress up like a butterfly in fantasy flutter-by, and adopt a live caterpillar to watch it transform into a Painted Lady butterfly to release.
480 N Arroyo Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91103 | https://kidspacemuseum.org/

Descanso Garden’s New Gift Shop
Visitors flock to Descanso Gardens in March to chase the peach blossoms and 30,000 tulips in bloom and in April to catch the cherry blossoms in the Japanese Garden. On March 12, Descanso Gardens will be celebrating a refreshed gift shop featuring a new curation of products from local artisans and makers.
1418 Descanso Drive, La Canada Flintridge | https://www.descansogardens.org/

Norton Simon Museum
Saint Sebastian: Anatomy of a Sculpture is a new exhibition that explores a 15th century Italian painted sculpture that held profound spiritual meaning for its makers and original audience. Also on display is Paul Gauguin’s The Swineherd (1888) on long term loan from LACMA, who received the painting as a gift from Lucille Ellis Simon. The painting reunites with Simon’s collection of related post-impressionist art. Visit the sculpture garden to enjoy the garden café, outdoor concerts, drawing classes, and other activities. Enjoy the award-winning audio tour while visiting.
411 West Colorado Blvd. Pasadena, CA | https://www.nortonsimon.org/

MARCH EVENTS CALENDAR

March 4-5: A&E Networks presents AlienCon®
AlienCon® returns to the Pasadena Convention Center, a convention that takes a serious and scientific look at the possibility of alien life. The convention is inspired by the popular History Channel shows, “Ancient Aliens,” “The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch,” “The Unexplained,” and “The Proof Is Out There.” Some of the guests include former defense intelligence officer with the Office of Naval Intelligence and Director of the UAP Task Force Jay Stratton; investigative journalist George Knapp; Giorgio A. Tsoukalos, co-executive Producer of “Ancient Aliens”; and Nick Pope, who worked for the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense, investigating UFOs and other mysteries for the British government.

March 10: ArtNight Pasadena
Enjoy a free evening of art, music and entertainment as Pasadena’s most prominent arts and culture institutions swing open their doors from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. See the full lineup, including Gamble House, Pasadena Museum of History, the Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena Playhouse,

March 4 & 12: Pasadena Women’s History Tours with Exploring Pasadena
Join Pasadena native Julia Long (??) for a special edition of Exploring Pasadena’s walking tours to honor Women’s History Month. The Women of Orange Grove tour will be on March 4 and the Women of Downtown Pasadena will be on March 11.

March 12: Women’s History Celebration at USC Pacific Asia Museum
On March 12, the USC PAM offers free Second Sundays with special Women’s History Month activities. The afternoon will highlight Asian and Asian Artists and include a Mixed Media Self Portrait Workshop with artist Ching Ching Chen. In the Crossroads Gallery, guests will hear stories of impactful female artists.

March 12: Power Station World Tour
Power Station, the award-winning Taiwanese Mandopop, soft-rock duo, composed of Yu Chiu-hsin and Yen Chih-lin, will perform at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.

March 30: Higher Ground – The Music of Liberation of the 1970s
MUSE/IQUE presents a performance highlighting the decade that gave us funk, punk, disco, and even harder rock in an exploration of personal liberty at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.
300 E Green St.

March 31: Rose Bowl Stadium Tour
Held on the last Friday of every month at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., public tours include an exploration of the original 1922 Locker Room, an up-close look at the iconic field, and more.
1001 Rose Bowl Drive


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About Visit Pasadena

The Pasadena Convention & Visitors Bureau (Visit Pasadena) is a non-profit marketing organization dedicated to promoting Pasadena as a leading meeting, convention and leisure travel destination. It is responsible for the sales and marketing efforts to attract meetings, conventions, events, and leisure travel. Through the impact of travel, Visit Pasadena enhances the local economy for the well-being of the community. For more information, go to www.visitpasadena.com. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook at @VisitPasadena.


Visit Pasadena Media Contact:
Anna Yan
Communications Manager
ayan@visitpasadena.com
Office: (626)817-5606