Thursday, November 27, 2025

Turkey Day Is Just the Start: Thanksgiving Weekend Is Packed with Local Events

STAFF REPORT

[Editor’s note: For all the event details, click on our calendar of events listings]

Thanksgiving in Pasadena isn’t just about turkey and pumpkin pie — it’s a full-on celebration of community, tradition, and holiday magic.

From the crack of dawn on Thursday through the final twinkling lights on Sunday night, the region hums with energy, offering locals and visitors alike a chance to lace up, stroll through glowing gardens, shop small, and soak in the season’s joy.

The holiday kicks off early on Thanksgiving morning, when sneakers hit the pavement at two beloved traditions. At Olberz Park, the Community Center of La Canada Flintridge hosts its long-running Thanksgiving Run & Food Drive, blending fitness with philanthropy. Just down the road, the 8th Annual Rose Bowl Turkey Trot returns for its eighth year, inviting families to jog, walk, or simply revel in the festive atmosphere around Pasadena’s most iconic stadium.

By Friday, the mood shifts from brisk morning runs to dazzling evening spectacles. Enchant Los Angeles at Santa Anita Park transforms the racetrack into a storybook world of glowing trails, ice skating, and festive flavors, while Enchanted Forest of Light at Descanso Gardens unveils a nighttime wonderland of interactive installations and luminous sculptures. And for sports fans, history is made at the Rose Bowl Stadium, which hosts the 2025 CIF SS Division 1 Football Championships — only the second time in 81 years that the venue has staged this high school showdown.

Saturday is all about community connection. Farmers’ markets in Pasadena and La Cañada brim with fresh produce and local goods, while Small Business Saturday encourages shoppers to support Pasadena’s independent retailers and restaurants. Creativity and tradition intertwine across the day: Altadena’s Winter Bloom Market & Gathering celebrates local makers and wellness, the Altadena Library offers hands-on bookbinding workshops, and the LA County Arboretum hosts a Victorian holiday marketplace complete with Santa and cottage tours. Theater lovers are spoiled for choice, with multiple performances of Bob Baker’s whimsical “Nutcracker” at the Sierra Madre Playhouse and the timeless “A Christmas Carol” at A Noise Within.

By Sunday, the weekend crescendos into a blend of reflection and festivity. Participants join Pasadena Humane for a Cemetery Wildlife Walk — described as an evening wildlife walk, though listed from 6:30 to 8:00 a.m. — while families flock to Kidspace Children’s Museum for its playful Winter Frolic. Vroman’s Bookstore becomes a hub of artistry and music, hosting both an Artisan’s Holiday Market on the Paseo and a free Holiday Concert by Café Luar. As evening falls, the glow returns: Santa Anita Park and Descanso Gardens once again light up with immersive holiday experiences, closing the weekend on a magical note.

Whether you’re chasing a finish line, wandering through illuminated gardens, or discovering treasures at a local market, Thanksgiving weekend here is more than a holiday. It’s a living tradition, a reminder that gratitude and joy are best shared in the company of friends and neighbors.

For event details, click on our calendar of events listings