Arts & Entertainment

Lanterman Auditorium is a wonderful 812-seat facility which contributes heavily to the arts and entertainment life of La Cañada Flintridge. Named after Frank Lanterman, an early settler, landholder and California assemblyman in the La Cañada Flintridge area, it is booked virtually every day of the year for performances, graduations and meetings by the various La Cañada Unified School District schools; area private schools like the adjacent Learning Castle preschool and La Cañada Preparatory School; and by community nonprofit groups like Revolution Dance, the Pasadena Civic Ballet, Karavan Dance, the La Cañada Junior Theatre, the Assistance League of Flintridge and the La Cañada Girl Scouts.

In addition, during the annual Memorial Day weekend festivities, it is used for various activities including hosting VIP guests and as a staging area.

One month each year, the citizens of La Cañada Flintridge have the opportunity to view exceptional paintings, sculpture, ceramics, drawings and photos, created by the students of the La Cañada Unified School District in grades 7-12. This year the annual student art show will be featured in the foyer of the La Cañada High School auditorium during the entire month of April.

It may be viewed before scheduled performances in the auditorium, during the school’s lunch period and by appointment, said Mike Kauffman, chairman of the La Cañada High School visual arts department.

Items shown will range from pen and ink drawings, to watercolors, charcoal drawings, ceramics (both wheel-thrown and hand-created), figure drawings, still life paintings, sculptures and photography. All are created by students in high school classes or, in the case of photography, in the county-funded Regional Occupational Program.
Approximately 300 students are expected to exhibit their work this year.

The nonprofit Community Center of La Cañada Flintridge has been serving the leisure time needs of area residents since a group of volunteers built the facility in 1949. Over the years, the offerings and focus of the community center has evolved to meet the changing needs of residents from young children to seniors, and everyone in between. Today, the community center runs a preschool for approximately 120 children in a converted house across the parking lot from the main facility. It is also renowned for its huge ceramics program which runs six days a week year-round and boasts five kilns. But the community center also offers a range of arts programs like guitar ninjas program for children, ballroom dancing, ballet, drama and music, as well as exercise classes like yoga and Mindful Children’s Yoga, a STEM program called “Egghead Explorers” and a class on manners for kids.

“There is something for everyone here,” said Executive Director Maureen Bond, “but our bread-and-butter programs are our preschool and youth sports like lacrosse and basketball. We even offer our preschoolers private enrichment classes after their school day is done – in Sports Blitz, cooking, Spanish, ceramics, creative dance and preschool all-stars, to name a few – for an extra fee.”

The community center has a full-time staff of two, another two at the preschool and a part-time staff of 20. The center’s building is owned by the city, but the nonprofit leases it and pays for all maintenance and repairs. All of this is funded by rentals, class fees, donations, two annual and wildly popular ceramics sales in May and December, a wine tasting event in April, a casino night each May during Fiesta Days and a Thanksgiving 5K run, Bond said. This year they will hit the 26th anniversaries of both the Western Round Up and the Thanksgiving Run/Food Drive and the Community Center of La Cañada Flintridge will be celebrating 70 years! The community center is at 4469 Chevy Chase Dr.
For more information, visit their website or phone (818) 790-4353.

La Cañada Flintridge is home to a luxury, eight-screen theater complex at 1919 Verdugo Blvd. Opened in 1995, the theater is owned by Regal.

The theater’s 555 seats are luxury recliners. In addition, the theatre offers reserved seating. Guests are able to select their seat when they purchase their tickets at the box office, on the Regal app, or online, so they know their selected seats will be waiting for them when they walk into the auditorium.

Regal also others patrons its Regal Crown Club, a free loyalty program that rewards its guests who love the movies. Guests receive credits that add up to free soft drinks, popcorn, movie tickets and more. In addition, club members receive $2 “featured candy” on Mondays and $2 popcorn on Tuesdays when they see a movie and show their club card at the box office. Download the Regal App for showtimes and information, or visit the official website.