Sunday, July 26, 2026

Altadena’s Clothing Swap Rack Gets a Reprieve Through Aug. 8

The Altadena Library-sponsored rack at Loma Alta Park runs six days a week; no donation is required to take something home.

The rules are refreshingly short. Bring up to three clean, gently used adult clothing items. Browse what your neighbors left. Or bring nothing at all and shop the rack anyway — participation does not require a donation.

The Summer Clothing Swap Rack, sponsored by the Altadena Library, has been extended through Aug. 8 at Loma Alta Park. It operates Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Friday and Saturday beginning at 10 a.m.

For a town where thousands of households lost everything in the Eaton Fire and thousands more have moved repeatedly between rentals since, a free clothing exchange in a public park is less a novelty than infrastructure. It sits at a park that has itself become the community’s default gathering place since reopening in May 2025 — a site that also serves as a designated cooling center.

Organizers ask that contributions stay within category: shirts, pants and shorts, dresses and skirts. Shoes, accessories, socks, underwear, coats and jackets, pajamas and children’s clothing are not accepted.

The swap’s extension into August overlaps with the back-to-school stretch, when several other Altadena and Pasadena giveaways — including a backpack distribution at the Rose Bowl the first weekend of the month — are also running.

The Summer Clothing Swap Rack runs through Saturday, Aug. 8 at Loma Alta Park, 3330 N. Lincoln Ave. in Altadena. Hours are Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. For more information, visit altadenalibrary.org. Admission is free. No donation required.