For most of this week, some of the world’s leading astrophysicists have been inside the Pasadena Convention Center, presenting research on black holes, gravitational waves, and the deep structure of the cosmos to their peers. Tonight, two of them step outside — and into a beer garden.
The City of Astronomy Festival, a weeklong series of free public events timed to the 248th meeting of the American Astronomical Society, closes with two final programs: an Astronomy on Tap session tonight at Dog Haus Biergarten in Old Pasadena and a family-focused Tour of the Universe on Thursday evening at Villa Parke Community Center. Neither requires tickets or reservations. Both are free.
Tonight’s Astronomy on Tap features Kyle Kremer and Floor Broekgaarden, both assistant professors of astronomy and astrophysics at UC San Diego. Kremer, a theoretical astrophysicist who recently received the American Astronomical Society’s Helen B. Warner Prize, will speak on black holes, neutron stars, and white dwarfs in globular clusters. Broekgaarden, whose research centers on what she calls “gravitational-wave paleontology,” will present on black holes as cosmic fossils — using the faint signals from colliding objects detected by instruments like LIGO to reconstruct the life histories of dead stars.
The format is informal. Each speaker gives a 20-minute talk. Between presentations, there is pub trivia with astronomy-themed prizes, guided stargazing through telescopes when skies are clear, and often live rock music. The event runs from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on the outdoor patio at 93 East Green Street. Food and drinks are available at happy hour prices. The program is open to all ages, according to Caltech Astronomy, which organizes the Los Angeles chapter of Astronomy on Tap.
Thursday’s Tour of the Universe turns to a younger audience. Hosted by Carnegie Observatories in collaboration with the City of Pasadena Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department, the program is designed for children ages 5 to 12. It features interactive stations where children can explore space through hands-on activities, with support from partners including the Giant Magellan Telescope, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Sky-Watchers USA, and The Planetary Society. A free telescope will also be given away during the event.
The festival’s five events this week were organized under the City of Astronomy banner, a coalition of Pasadena-based scientific institutions — including Caltech, Carnegie Observatories, JPL, and The Planetary Society — that has staged free public science programming since 2016. The June 2026 edition was scheduled to coincide with the AAS meeting, which brought astronomers from around the world to the Pasadena Convention Center from June 14 through 18.
Pasadena has been a center for astronomical research for more than a century, home to institutions whose work has included the discovery that the universe is expanding, the detection of gravitational waves, and the first evidence of dark matter, according to the City of Astronomy organization.
Astronomy on Tap takes place Wednesday, June 17, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Dog Haus Biergarten, 93 East Green Street, Pasadena; admission is free, no reservations are required, and the event is open to all ages. Nearby parking is available at Old Pasadena’s Schoolhouse Parking Facility at 33 East Green Street, where the first two hours cost $1. Tour of the Universe takes place Thursday, June 18, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Villa Parke Community Center, 363 East Villa Street; admission is free, no reservations are required, and the program is designed for children ages 5 to 12. Street parking is available. For additional information, including directions and the full schedule of events, visit cityofastronomy.org.
Tonight, the telescopes will be pointed skyward on a patio behind a hot dog restaurant in Old Pasadena. Tomorrow, a child at Villa Parke may take one home.
