A 29-year-old tradition that survived the Eaton Fire brings Motown to a park just north of Pasadena this weekend.
The Rotary Club of Altadena's free summer concert series hosts the Blue Breeze Band on Saturday, Aug. 15, at 7 p.m. on the lower lawn at Loma Alta Park, 3330 N. Lincoln Ave. in Altadena. The award-winning group covers Motown, R&B, soul, funk and blues, with members who have toured with The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Mary J. Blige and Teena Marie. The set runs until 9 p.m.
It is the sixth of seven free Saturday shows this season, and the 29th summer the Rotary Club has staged the series since launching it in 1997. The only gap: 2020, when COVID-19 shut it down.
The Eaton Fire did not stop it.
The January 2025 fire damaged Farnsworth Park, the series' longtime home, forcing a move to Loma Alta Park. This is the second summer at the new venue, according to Pasadena Now. Loma Alta itself closed after the fire and reopened May 17, 2025, following a $3.4 million renovation that Los Angeles County compressed from a typical 18-month timeline into roughly two months. The county called it the first of Altadena's parks to reopen after the fire.
"Our Rotary Club hopes to help continue building community from those that are displaced and those that are still just returning," Mark Mariscal, the club's executive secretary and an Eaton Fire survivor, told Pasadena Now.
The renovation added two Dodgers Dreamfields, a gymnasium renovated by the LA Clippers Foundation, a satellite senior center and a technology center. Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who chairs the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and represents Altadena's Fifth District, called the park a vital gathering place for a community still healing when she spoke at the May 2025 reopening.
Saturday's concert dovetails with another free event on the same lawn. The Altadena Sheriff's Station hosts National Night Out from 4 to 7 p.m., with free food, live music and children's activities. Families can arrive in the afternoon and stay through the Rotary concert without moving.
The season finale on Saturday, Aug. 22, features Stevie Nicks Illusion, a Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac tribute act. Admission to all shows is free. The Rotary Club sells beer and wine on-site.
Sponsors include the California Community Foundation, MonteCedro, Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts, Toyota Pasadena and Barger's office. The series is staged in partnership with Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation.
Details are at altadenarotary.org or by calling (323) 816-6713.
