Old Pasadena Will Transform Shopping Into Interactive Experience With Welcome Stations on Saturday

Seven welcome stations across Old Pasadena will serve as festive hubs this Small Business Saturday, offering everything from holiday photo sessions to cheese tastings as independent businesses create special experiences for visitors. The stations will open at 10:00 a.m. on November 30, all closing at 8:00 p.m. except for one location closing at 6:00 p.m.

Visitors can start their day at any of the seven welcome station locations to receive a free canvas tote bag or Old-Pasadena branded enamel pin while supplies last.

Here are closeup looks at just some of what is planned.

Agnes Restaurant & Cheesery at 40 W. Green Street is preparing both its cheese shop and restaurant for the event.

“It falls right in between two of our busiest times, Thanksgiving and the December holidays and New Year’s,” said Thomas Kalb, co-owner and executive chef.

“We do a lot of activations and a lot of sales out of the cheese shop. We do have a full service restaurant in the back, but Vanessa, my partner in life and business has wonderful options and holiday gifts and platters, and we do the Side and Pies program for both Thanksgiving and the end of the year for the two holidays.”

Portrait Space at 110 W. Green Street, typically open by appointment only, will welcome walk-in visitors for this special event.

“We’re offering mini holiday photo sessions for $40, where clients can try out our self-portrait station (we hand you the remote!) and receive 5 high-quality, print-ready digital files,” Victoria Lee explained. “Our ‘Letters to Santa’ themed photo set includes festive props, making it a perfect opportunity to get a holiday photo while experiencing what a session with us is like.”

The studio, which also serves as an intimate event space for holiday gatherings, workshops, pop-ups, and milestone celebrations, will feature a letter-writing and coloring station for kids to write letters to Santa, complete with apple cider and tea refreshments.

PlayLab Beauty at 25 N. Fair Oaks Avenue in One Colorado marks its first Small Business Saturday since opening six months ago.

“As a lifelong Pasadena-area resident, I’m excited to welcome our community into our store and share the best Korean and Japanese beauty products we’ve curated for everybody,” said Vanessa Nabhani, founder and CEO.

The shop will give full-sized products to 50 lucky shoppers as a special thank-you.

“City-supported initiatives like free transit and special promotions are a tremendous help to small businesses like ours,” Nabhani added. “By making it easier and more enticing for people to explore Pasadena, these efforts bring new and existing customers into our store who might not have otherwise stopped by.”

Other welcome stations include AMT Vintage at 16 E. Holly Street, The Dog Bakery at 36 W. Colorado Blvd. #3 on Mills Place, Rebecca Crews at 52 Hugus Alley (Bokaos Aveda Pop-up in One Colorado), and The Unicorn Store at 12 Douglas Alley in One Colorado, which will close at 6:00 p.m.

Santa’s Helpers will visit independent retailers throughout the day, offering shoppers chances to win American Express gift cards valued at $25, $50, and $100 to spend at Old Pasadena businesses.

To help shoppers locate participating businesses, Old Pasadena has created a Shop Small / Dine Local Google Map marking all welcome stations with a star.

The Pasadena Department of Transportation is offering free rides on Pasadena Transit on both November 29 and 30. For transit information including bus schedules, maps, and real-time arrival updates, shoppers can call (626) 744-4055 or visit PasadenaTransit.net.

Old Pasadena, a 22-block National Register Historic District located 10 miles from downtown Los Angeles, features 200 retail shops and specialty boutiques, as well as 100 restaurants, cafés, and entertainment venues. The first 2 hours of parking cost $1 in the three Park & Walk Garages.