🌱 Patch AM: Which Pasadena students made the 2026 Rose Queen and Court?

Hi there, Pasadena! We've got your morning read ready! Read on to stay connected. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

• Which Pasadena students made the 2026 Rose Queen and Court?
• How Pasadena’s new City Plaza is changing your walk downtown
• How an Alabama high school band is lighting up Pasadena this week

Also on today's calendar: Sunday Pasadena-Paint Nite with Boozy Pigments and 2 more events.

Today's riddle: I think I’ll wear only one boot today. 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Wednesday: Periods of rain, with a high of 64 and low of 56 degrees.
• Thursday: Heavy rain and a thunderstorm, temps: high: 62, low: 52.
• Friday: Cloudy with showers around, with a high of 65 and low of 54 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Rose Parade 2026: Meet this year's Rose Queen and Court (pasadenastarnews.com) — Pasadena readers can meet the 2026 Rose Queen and Court, including two students who live in Pasadena and a Pasadena City College aerospace engineering major. The story explains who’s eligible from the Pasadena Area Community College District, highlights local ties to Caltech, PCC, and John Muir High, and shares how these young women serve the wider San Gabriel Valley community.
   

2. Video: In the Spring of 2025, a vibrant PEDC's Pasadena City Plaza transformed the pedestrian experience, weaving a connection between jail and the courthouse. (pasadenian.com) — A new Pasadena City Plaza now links the Municipal Courthouse and Police Department with a safer, more pleasant walking route in this heavily used corridor. Finished in April 2025 by the Pasadena Economic Development Corporation, the project upgrades pedestrian safety, comfort, and accessibility while signaling the city’s broader push to improve everyday public spaces for residents and visitors.
   

3. Homewood High School Patriot Band prepares for Rose Parade performance (wbrc.com) — Pasadena is buzzing as Alabama’s Homewood High School Patriot Band arrives to perform in the 2025 Rose Parade and at Pasadena City College, after a stop at Disneyland. While in town, the students also supported an Altadena nonprofit with clothing and cold-weather donations, blending high-energy performances with community service ahead of the Rose Bowl festivities.
   

4. LA Youth Orchestra to hold auditions for spring 2026 season (smmirror.com) — Pasadena’s Ambassador Auditorium is among the key stages where the Los Angeles Youth Orchestra has recently performed, and local families may see their young musicians follow in those footsteps. The ensemble is holding auditions January 3–4 for its spring 2026 season, which will feature American-themed repertoire and a potential Carnegie Hall trip for students accepted through these tryouts.
   

5. SLO Speed Ahead: Cal Poly Finalizes Jungle Float for Pasadena's Rose Parade (keyt.com) — In Pasadena, Cal Poly students are putting the final touches on their “Jungle Jumpstart” float for Pasadena’s Rose Parade, the only student-designed and student-built entry in the lineup. Their rainforest-themed creation, highlighting “The Magic in Teamwork,” blends intricate floral design with clever mechanical features that will roll past local spectators during Thursday’s Tournament of Roses.
   

📸 Around Pasadena

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Pasadena

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

Friday January 2

• Ice House Comedy: Laugh Bombs
  Ice House Comedy Club , 24 N Mentor Ave , Pasadena
  9:30 pm

Saturday January 3

• Ice House Comedy: The Twin New Year Show (chinese show)
  Ice House Comedy Club , 24 N Mentor Ave , Pasadena
  7:30 pm
• Ice House Comedy: The Twin New Year Show (English Show)
  Ice House Comedy Club , 24 N Mentor Ave , Pasadena
  9:30 pm

Sunday January 4

• Sunday Pasadena-Paint Nite with Boozy Pigments
  Hilton Pasadena , 168 S Los Robles Ave , Pasadena
  7:00 pm

Sunday January 11

• Jouyssance presents "Joyeux Noel"
  St Luke's Episcopal Church , 122 California Ave , Monrovia
  4:00 pm

📣 Pasadena Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

🗓 Events Nearby

Wednesday December 31

• Noon Year’s Eve Party - Southern California Children's Museum
  Southern California Children's Museum , 459 E Colorado Blvd , Pasadena
  9:00 am
• Computer Classes
  Harbor Gateway Branch Library Harbor City -
  3:00 pm
• DON RANDI QUEST
  The Baked Potato , 3787 Cahuenga Blvd , Studio City
  8:00 pm

Friday January 2

• Ice House Comedy: Laugh Bombs
  Ice House Comedy Club , 24 N Mentor Ave , Pasadena
  9:30 pm

Saturday January 3

• Knitting and Crochet Club
  Harbor Gateway Branch Library Harbor City -
  1:00 pm
• Ice House Comedy: The Twin New Year Show (chinese show)
  Ice House Comedy Club , 24 N Mentor Ave , Pasadena
  7:30 pm
• Ice House Comedy: The Twin New Year Show (English Show)
  Ice House Comedy Club , 24 N Mentor Ave , Pasadena
  9:30 pm

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Pasadena PatchAM possible:

• Mindsee.it — (646) 663-8317
  Teach your kids they can achieve the impossible!
• LA Fire Justice — (626) 684-3315
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• Authentic Kratom is Open for Traditional Kratom Sale — (323) 854-7791
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Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• Resolve This! —Jack Von Bulow Read on Patch

• This is Rugby, He escaped from his owners today (12/29) around noon -Mountain Street in Pasadena.
  Please do not chase him but if you happen to see him please contact Phillip at (626) 710-7299. He is microchipped and wearing a pink collar. Most… (Nextdoor NE Pasadena)
• Can anyone assist me in determining if it's feasible to install a lock on these French doors?
  The knob is currently broken off. I'm interested in adding a lock and key system, but the doors are quite thin. Any advice would be appreciated! (Nextdoor Garfield)

• SAS Retail Services posted a job opening for Retail Merchandiser in Pasadena. Apply here.
• Pasadena Unified School District posted a job opening for Middle School Teacher - Core Setting DLI: Spanish | 2025-2026 School Year in Pasadena. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Pasadena here.

Ok Pasadena! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I heard there’s only a 50 percent chance of snow.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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