Big Sunday happily welcomes you to Our Really Big Community Calendar

We try to include all kinds of volunteering and helping opportunities for all kinds of interests, talents, passions, and ages! As you’ll see, these include volunteering opportunities (one-time and long-term) as well as the chance to support a nonprofit by attending fundraising events. Plus, of course, we include all of Big Sunday’s homegrown events, too! Whoever you are, and whatever you do, there is someone out there who could use your help.

If you have questions about our calendar, or would like to add a listing, please contact calendar@bigsunday.org or submit your event/opportunity via the button below.

Big Sunday Event Giving Opportunity! One-time Volunteer Opportunity Ongoing Volunteer Opportunity
Oct
27
Thu
All Peoples’ 74th Anniversary Fundraiser @ The Alexandria (The Palm Court)
Oct 27 @ 6:00 pm

"Peoples Live – All Access"

The gala event will take place at the Palm Court of the Alexandria Ballroom in Downtown L.A. in a night of festivities that will include an exquisite cuisine, community awards, and a silent auction in one of Los Angeles' most prestigious & historic hotels. 

The night's honorees are: 

  • Dan Genung Visionary Award – Anthony Tolbert
  • Joe Ide Community Spirit – Crystal Gonzalez

Tickets to this year's "All Peoples Live: All Access" Gala are now available here

Oct
28
Fri
Amnesty International Western Regional Conference @ Double Tree Hilton Los Angeles Westside
Oct 28 @ 6:00 pm – Oct 30 @ 1:00 pm

amnesty-logoAmnesty International invites you to this year's Western Regional Conference! Join them October 28-30, 2016, as they stand shoulder to shoulder in the great city of Los Angeles to make a lasting human rights impact. The Western Regional Conference brings together hundreds of Amnesty members and other human rights activists from around the country. With the Regional Conference Planning Committee and Regional Office as co-hosts, together they will continue the tradition of engaging in networking opportunities, inspiring plenaries, outstanding keynotes, and hands-on skill-building workshops, as well as shaping the policies of the organization.

Through interactive programs and workshops, exceptional speakers and engaging exhibits, the Regional Conference will facilitate discussions about human rights issues in the United States and around the world and motivate us to take action. As an activist, you will be challenged to initiate change within your own community. This will only happen with you – you need to be there!

For more info, please visit http://www.amnestyusa.org/events/regional-conferences/western.

Oct
29
Sat
AWH: Annual Costume Day @ Ahead With Horses
Oct 29 @ 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

Who doesn’t like to play dress up, right?  Our pals at Ahead With Horses will host their Annual Costume Day on Saturday, October 29th, 2016. Volunteers are needed from 9 am – 4 pm. Available shifts are 9 am – 12 pm; 11 am – 2 pm  and 1 pm – 4 pm. Volunteers who plan to attend from 11 am – 2 pm are asked to wear a costume.  Fun, right?   Volunteers will assist with set-up, running game booths, arts and crafts, handing out candy and possibly help with leading the horses and clean up. To sign up, please contact Michelle today at 818-767-6373!544934_907547665923024_507382542228526153_n

What Is A Western? Film Series: The Big Country (1958) @ The Autry Museum of the American West
Oct 29 @ 1:30 pm – 4:00 pm

This ongoing series explores the wide range of movies that can be considered Westerns, and the ways in which they shape our understanding of the American West. Guest curated by Jon Burlingame, the nation’s leading writer on music for films and television, the September/October screenings demonstrate the range and power of film scores in the Western genre.

Oct
30
Sun
Big Sunday’s 7th Annual Spooky Sunday @ Big Sunday
Oct 30 @ 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Join us for our 7th Annual Spooky Sunday as we host a number of local nonprofits and their families for our Annual Halloween Bash! 

This is one of our most fun events of the year and you do not want to miss it! The festivities will include a costume giveaspooky-sunday-2015_mg_0058way, a portrait studio, our very scary haunted house, trunk-or-treating, tons of arts & crafts, way too much candy and lots more. (Don’t forget to wear your costume!)

For more info or to sign up today, please click HERE. 

A Night in Muttley Carlo @ The Via Rodeo
Oct 30 @ 7:00 pm – 10:30 pm

On October 30, Bow Wow Beverly Hills presents “A Night in Muttley Carlo” benefiting The Amanda Foundation. Come as your favorite Bond girl, Bond villain, or your favorite Bond!

Are you a Timothy Dachshund? Roger Maltese? Or Sean Collie?!

Enjoy an elegant evening of Black Jack and Casino gambling, view a killer silent auction, dapper doggy costume contest and a special Halloween Cocktail, The Moonraker Martini!

  • VIP TICKETS: $200james-bone
  • General Admission: $60 in advance, $75 at the door

For more information, go to www.amandafoundation.org.

Oct
31
Mon
Phone Banking for Yes on Prop 56 – $2 Tobacco Tax @ American Cancer Society Pasadena Office
Oct 31 @ 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm

acs-can-logoHelp the American Cancer Society prevent kids from smoking by phone banking to pass Prop 56 – a $2 Tobacco Tax (if you don't smoke, you don't pay!). This year alone, 16,800 California kids will start smoking and taxpayers in CA will pay $3.58 Billion for tobacco-related healthcare costs. Volunteers are needed to get the word out and get voters to the polls! To sign up, go to http://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090f49a8af22a6f49-losangeles and all instructions are detailed. For more information, contact Primo Castro at 213-427-7394.

Nov
3
Thu
LA Arboretum: “What’s Happening in Gardening” Series @ Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden
Nov 3 @ 9:30 am – 12:00 pm

whats-happening-in-gardening-la-arboretum-16Don’t miss the LA Arboretum’s “What's Happening in Gardening” Series!

8 Thursdays, September 15-November 3
9:30am-12pm; $140 for the series; $25 per class
 

These classes are designed to help you keep up with garden news, trends, tips and pests. Each class begins with an open discussion and plant giveaway, followed by a lecture or hands-on workshop from one of the following speakers:

Sept. 15:  Jose & Carrie Hernandez, CJ’s Organic Farm

CJ's Organic Farm grows heirloom vegetables, fruits, and herbs for year-round weekly Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) baskets. They also sell organically grown heirloom vegetables and herb starts for your garden at the CJ’s Organic Farm booth at the Villa Park Farmers’ Market in Pasadena on Tuesday mornings.

Sept. 22: Nancy Bird, Rocks for Your Garden

Nancy Bird, rock expert and owner of NancyRocks, will show beautiful colorful rocks that will compliment your garden. She also will explain the Bureau of Land Management rules and permitting procedures for collecting rocks for free!

Sept. 29: Jill Morganelli, New Gardens & Garden Renovations at the Arboretum

Join Jill Morganelli, the Arboretum’s Horticultural Supervisor, for a discussion about the improvements being made in the gardens to enhance the Arboretum experience for visitors.

Oct. 6: Harold Koopowitz, Fall Blooming Daffodils

Harold Koopowitz currently is first vice president of the American Daffodil Society and editor emeritus for the Orchid Digest, which he edited for 10 years. He is well known internationally for breeding both slipper orchids and miniature daffodils. He is Professor Emeritus of biology in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UC Irvine. He will be signing copies of his new novel, Diamonds and Disas: The Further Adventures of George and Matilda.

Oct. 13: Joe Brosius, Magic Growers

As production manager at Magic Growers, Joe Brosius is responsible for propagating and growing all plant material products. He also is a partner in the nursery and a past president of the L.A. chapter of California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers (CANGC). Joe received his degree in ornamental horticulture from Cal-Poly San Luis Obispo.

Oct. 20: Christine Anthony, Cook Now from Your Garden & Plant Now in Your Garden

A seasonal look at the edibles you're harvesting now and what to do with them, followed by a discussion of what is best to plant now for your meals in the months to come. Christine Anthony, the Renee's Garden Seeds rep to the Arboretum and a UCCE Master Gardener, will share practical tips learned from life long experience in the garden and the kitchen. Please be prepared to share your recipe ideas and gardening tips with one and all.

Oct. 27: Nicholas Staddon, The New American Garden

Nicholas Staddon travels the United States and the world in search of new trends and great plants for American gardens. In his lively and informative presentation, he’ll discuss some of the issues facing American gardeners today: invasive plants, the water situation, the plight of the pollinators, and what the solutions might be. Nicholas also will share some of his very best plant suggestions for our region.

Nov. 3: Leigh Adams: Permaculture: A Gardener’s Perspective

Interpretive horticulturalist and creator of the Crescent Garden, Leigh Adams will give us an overview of her experience working with Permaculture. She will then lead us on a private tour of the garden she created “behind the scenes” at the Arboretum.

http://www.arboretum.org

Nov
5
Sat
North American Reptile Breeders Conference & Trade Show @ Pasadena Convention Center
Nov 5 – Nov 7 all-day

photo-for-calendar-listingsThe North American Reptile Breeders Conference & Trade Show welcomes families, students, reptile professionals and enthusiasts to its Pasadena show this November. Attendees will get an up-close view of reptiles of all shapes and sizes including snakes, frogs, turtles, geckos, iguanas, and tortoises – all are available for sale. In addition to viewing exotic and rare breeds, admission to the show includes educational sessions from some of the industry’s most respected experts as they discuss specific species and habitats during various presentations throughout the weekend. Whether you are a reptile aficionado or entering the world of “herping” for the first time, this high quality, captive-bred-only reptile show is sure to entertain.

  • USARK Auction Saturday, November 5, 2016, at 6:00 p.m. at the Pasadena Convention Center

Everyone is welcome. Admission is free and includes hors d’oeuvres. All proceeds from the live auction will benefit USARK (the United States Association of Reptile Keepers), a non-profit organization advocating for the practice of Herpetoculture.

For more information, please visit http://narbc.com/Pasadena/tickets_narbc_pasadena.html.

Help Save the Environment @ Starr Ranch Sanctuary
Nov 5 @ 9:00 am – 12:30 pm

Audubon California’s 4000-acre Starr Ranch Sanctuary in southeast Orange County is pleased to invite you take part as a volunteer "Weed Warrior." Weeds can alter habitats and have negative effects on wildlife. Volunteers help remove periwinkle, English ivy, and English plantain using non-chemical methods.

No experience necessary. Training and tools provided. Please wear clothes that can get dirty, long pants, close-toed shoes and layers for changing weather. Bring snacks and a picnic lunch, if you wish. A personal water bottle, a hat and sunscreen are strongly recommended.

Adults and children ages 8 and older are welcome. Children under 13 must be accompanied by adults. It fulfills community service requirements. Please take a look at our volunteer days from November 2016 through May 2017. Find the dates that work for you. Reserve your place by clicking this link https://goo.gl/forms/hOcNhQmHFzXUHdHm2.

2016-2017 Saturday Volunteer Days
9 am – 12:30 pm each date (*except April)

  • November 5 & 19
  • December 3 & 10
  • January 7 & 21
  • February 11 &25
  • March 11 & 25
  • *April 8, 15, & 29 (1:30pm – 4:30pm)
  • May 13 & 20

If you can’t find a date that works for you and would still like to volunteer, it is possible to volunteer any day during the week, Monday – Friday. Please reply with a suggested date to Sandy at sdesimone@audubon.org and she will get back to you.

How it Works

You can SEARCH by scrolling through the Months or by selecting different Categories or Tag functions. For a totally different view, try the Posterboard or Stream options! Feel free to submit an item for the calendar by clicking the “Submit Your Event / Opportunity” button above at the right-hand side of the page. Questions? Email calendar@bigsunday.org.