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
Mar
2
Thu
LA’s Social Impact Breakfast @ Mount Saint Mary’s University – Doheny Campus
Mar 2 @ 7:45 am – 9:15 am

The next Social Impact Breakfast is on Thursday, March 2, 2017, at Mt. St. Mary’s College.  Two dynamic breakfast speakers who are working to make an impact in LA will share their stories and insights into making that impact.  For more info or to register for the event, please click HERE.Social Impact Breakfast Mar. 2, 2017

Tai Chi @ Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden
Mar 2 @ 9:00 am – 10:30 am

Instructor: Master Arnold Chien
 
Tai Chi is a martial art based on the theory of an ancient classic called “I Ching”.  Kinetic Tai Chi is created by Master Chien based on this foundation coupling with contemporary Physics of potential & kinetic energy. The training sessions include striking, throwing & submission techniques. There are 10 levels of form to advance. Combining this advanced physical routine with Tai Chi’s rich thinking, students will benefit lifelong health, achieve mental superiority and enjoy high level combat skills.
 
Thursdays      
9:00am-10:30am
 
Winter 1st:    1/26, 2/02, 2/09, 2/16
Winter 2nd:   2/23, 3/02, 3/09, 3/16
 
Spring 1st:   4/13, 4/20, 4/27, 5/04
Spring 2nd:  5/11, 5/18, 5/25, 6/01
 
Cost for Classes:

  • $35 per month – members
  • $45 per month – non–members
  • $15 Drop In – per day
  • 10% discount if you sign up for 2 sessions

Pre-registration preferred; To register please call the Education Department at 626-821-4623.

Grandmaster Arnold Chien is the founder of Kinetic Tai Chi, 2012 & 2014 Kungfu master at USC Pacific Asia Museum & 2008 Chinese idol in martial art category. In 2013, he became the first instructor to teach Tai Chi at the legendary Gold’s Gym Arcadia, CA. Chien’s heavy focus on the principle of softness to conquer hardness has helped students to achieve not only the physical limitations, but their mental ones as well, thereby reach the ultimate level of “soft as silk and hard as steel”.

What’s Happening in Gardening @ Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden
Mar 2 @ 9:30 am – 12:00 pm

What's Happening in Gardening
Hosted by Matt-Dell & Rebecca Tufenkian

8 Thursday Classes 
9:30am – 12:00pm; $140 for the series; $25 per class

To register please call the Education Department at 626-821-4623 or pay at the door

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:

 

 

 

January 12: Matt Tufenkian, Propagating Pelargoniums from Cuttings 

Ever wanted to learn more about growing your own easy-care, great-smelling, and beautiful drought-tolerant plants? Now is your chance. Join Matt-Dell as he teaches us how to start our own baby plants from seeds and cuttings.

 

January 19: Lili Singer, Hum on In! Gardening with Our Tiniest Birds

Few creatures are more beloved and admired than hummingbirds, and many species spend all or part of the year in this region. This illustrated lecture discusses how to create, plant and maintain a garden that attracts and supports these little avian wonders year round.

 

January 26: Jo O’Connell, Australian Native Plants

Celebrate Australia Day with Australian Native Plants! Jo O’Connell will share her plant knowledge with us and bring some of her plants to show and sell. Her nursery, Australian Native Plants, was established in the early 1990’s, with the help of her husband, Byron Cox. From the beginning, their vision was to provide plants that are hardy, drought tolerant, cut flower producing, and bird attracting. www.australianplants.com

 

February 2: January Nordman, The Nature of Permaculture; Building Gardens & Community

What would our lives look like if we could weave vibrant habitats throughout our sprawling metropolitan landscape? How do we begin to heal a world that is at odds with itself? Permaculture offers some possible solutions to these questions, as well as a challenge to how we can lead more fulfilling, authenticate lives as we confront the unknown of our current climate of chaos.

 

February 9: Rebecca Tufenkian, Gardens of Downtown Los Angeles

Downtown LA is often thought of as being a cement jungle, but more often than not it is spotted with beautiful gardens and green spaces. Join us on a virtual tour of Downtown Los Angeles, and enjoy the gardens without the blisters and shinsplints.

 

February 16: Brandon Walker, Irrigation Overview

Now is the time re-think your irrigation system. This class will cover different methods of irrigation, including drip vs. spray, as well as ways to work with the new municipal watering restrictions. Brandon Walker is Co-Owner/Operator at J. Harold Mitchell Supply. He brings with him a lifetime of experience working in professional irrigation. www.jhmsupply.com

 

February 23: Susan Eubank, Working with Your Climate: Arboretum Library Resources for Better Gardening

The Arboretum Library is filled with materials about plants and gardens. Susan Eubank, Arboretum Librarian, will show you the best ones to make you a better gardener wherever you live and no matter how much rain comes out of the sky. Susan Eubank has worked in three climates in three botanic garden libraries for almost twenty years and she’s eager to have you dive into the depths of the Library.

 

March 2: Edwina Pellikka, A History of Plant Based Fabrics & Plant Based Dyes

Edwina Pellikka is a Master Dyer and owner of A Dyeing Art, a high-end textile art studio. She has worked with LucasFilm for a 9-month stint dyeing fabric, hand airbrushing, and aging all the monsters for his third film in the Star Wars series, “Return of the Jedi”, which afforded her the opportunity to open A Dyeing Art in Los Angeles, catering to clients from Film & Television and Live Performances to Interior Design Furnishings & High End Fashion. Her company serves clients in America, Canada, Latin America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and elsewhere around the globe.

Mar
4
Sat
Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure® Fulfillment Event – Pasadena @ New Balance Pasadena
Mar 4 @ 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure® Fulfillment Event - Pasadena @ New Balance Pasadena | Pasadena | California | United States

To make event participation on March 11 for this year's 20th annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure® at Dodger Stadium easier for everyone, three local area "fulfillment" events will be held the week prior to the Race.

Here participants may sign up and receive all the materials they will need for the race, including their t-shirt and race-bib number. New Balance will also offer an in-store discount to registered race participants on items purchased on these days.

To participate in the Race, call 310-575-3011 or visit www.komenlacounty.org/race

Oil Painting: Capture the Beauty of Nature @ Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden
Mar 4 @ 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Oil Painting: Capture the Beauty of Nature

Saturdays, (6 week sessions):
January 14 – February 18
February 25 – April 1
April 8 – May 13
May 20 – June 24
1:00pm – 3:30pm

Ron Pettie, Instructor
$69 Arboretum members / $79 non-members (includes Arboretum admission)
All materials are included.
 
Capture the beauty of nature! The instructor will guide a beginner to draw and paint with confidence. More advanced students will be able to paint independently at their own pace and will be able to choose their own subjects.
 
Each subsequent six-week class will explore other areas of painting such as landscape, still life, domestic animals, structures, deserts, and seascapes. Master artist Ron Pettie will guide you on this adventure.
 
At the end of a six-week session students will learn the following:

  • Composition styles
  • How to read a color chart
  • Color mixing
  • How to use the grid system and the rule of thirds
  • Use of dark and light values and gray scales
  • Learn a variety of techniques for painting , including using different brushes and the palette knife for texture and depth
  • How to use the magic frame on photographs
  • Self-Critiquing – Standing back and squinting
  • Choosing a signature

 
Reservations REQUIRED; To register please call the Education Department at 626-821-4623.

Mar
9
Thu
Tai Chi @ Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden
Mar 9 @ 9:00 am – 10:30 am

Instructor: Master Arnold Chien
 
Tai Chi is a martial art based on the theory of an ancient classic called “I Ching”.  Kinetic Tai Chi is created by Master Chien based on this foundation coupling with contemporary Physics of potential & kinetic energy. The training sessions include striking, throwing & submission techniques. There are 10 levels of form to advance. Combining this advanced physical routine with Tai Chi’s rich thinking, students will benefit lifelong health, achieve mental superiority and enjoy high level combat skills.
 
Thursdays      
9:00am-10:30am
 
Winter 1st:    1/26, 2/02, 2/09, 2/16
Winter 2nd:   2/23, 3/02, 3/09, 3/16
 
Spring 1st:   4/13, 4/20, 4/27, 5/04
Spring 2nd:  5/11, 5/18, 5/25, 6/01
 
Cost for Classes:

  • $35 per month – members
  • $45 per month – non–members
  • $15 Drop In – per day
  • 10% discount if you sign up for 2 sessions

Pre-registration preferred; To register please call the Education Department at 626-821-4623.

Grandmaster Arnold Chien is the founder of Kinetic Tai Chi, 2012 & 2014 Kungfu master at USC Pacific Asia Museum & 2008 Chinese idol in martial art category. In 2013, he became the first instructor to teach Tai Chi at the legendary Gold’s Gym Arcadia, CA. Chien’s heavy focus on the principle of softness to conquer hardness has helped students to achieve not only the physical limitations, but their mental ones as well, thereby reach the ultimate level of “soft as silk and hard as steel”.

Mar
11
Sat
Susan G. Komen L.A. County – 20th Annual Race for the Cure® @ Dodger Stadium
Mar 11 @ 8:00 am – 12:00 pm

komen-logoMore than pink.

If you are like most people, you know someone who has had breast cancer. One in eight women, and some men, will have the disease during their lifetime.

Now imagine a world without breast cancer. That's the vision of Susan G. Komen.

The Los Angeles County affiliate hosts its 20th Annual Race for the Cure® at Dodger Stadium on March 11.

Sign up at www.komenlacounty.org/race.

Crescent Farm Series @ Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden (Meet at the Crescent Farm)
Mar 11 @ 10:00 am

Instructor: Crescent Farm Staff

Learn about water conservation and sustainable gardening, with hands-on experience! The Crescent Farm, located in the heart of the Arboretum just west of Baldwin Lake, is a reclaimed landscape where we explore new and ancient horticulture techniques for water conservation and food production. This is an educational training series.  Please bring gloves, drinking water; wear close-toed shoes and a hat.

March 11 – California Meadow

Spend a spring morning in a beautiful meadow at Crescent Farm!  Last November we demonstrated how to plant a California-friendly wildflower meadow as a lawn alternative and in this workshop we explore its progression.  Plant ID, habitat building and meadow maintenance will be discussed.

April 22 – Pollinators

Crescent Farm provides amazing habitat where our local fauna thrives.  In the design and development phases of building Crescent Farm special consideration was given to plant selection and how these plants establish superior homes for native bees, birds and butterflies.  Introducing pollinators into your yard adds interest, photo and learning opportunities for the whole family.

May 20 – Weaving / Basketry

Learn to use your bio-mass (plant waste) to create garden structures.  Simple weaving techniques can use leaves as cordage, branches as trellises, tomato cages, shade shelters, and various long lasting leaves as weavers.  Design and build compost structures, plant guards and soil traps in your own Crescent Garden.

 June 17 – Crescent Farm Horticulture

Explore horticulture at Crescent Farm. Tour our choices for low water lawn alternatives, California native ethnobotanic plants of our local indigenous tribes, arid climate orchard trees and native wildflowers! Get ideas for your home landscape from our New California Landscape. Growing tips will also be discussed.LA County Arboretum logo

Oil Painting: Capture the Beauty of Nature @ Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden
Mar 11 @ 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Oil Painting: Capture the Beauty of Nature

Saturdays, (6 week sessions):
January 14 – February 18
February 25 – April 1
April 8 – May 13
May 20 – June 24
1:00pm – 3:30pm

Ron Pettie, Instructor
$69 Arboretum members / $79 non-members (includes Arboretum admission)
All materials are included.
 
Capture the beauty of nature! The instructor will guide a beginner to draw and paint with confidence. More advanced students will be able to paint independently at their own pace and will be able to choose their own subjects.
 
Each subsequent six-week class will explore other areas of painting such as landscape, still life, domestic animals, structures, deserts, and seascapes. Master artist Ron Pettie will guide you on this adventure.
 
At the end of a six-week session students will learn the following:

  • Composition styles
  • How to read a color chart
  • Color mixing
  • How to use the grid system and the rule of thirds
  • Use of dark and light values and gray scales
  • Learn a variety of techniques for painting , including using different brushes and the palette knife for texture and depth
  • How to use the magic frame on photographs
  • Self-Critiquing – Standing back and squinting
  • Choosing a signature

 
Reservations REQUIRED; To register please call the Education Department at 626-821-4623.

Mar
16
Thu
Tai Chi @ Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden
Mar 16 @ 9:00 am – 10:30 am

Instructor: Master Arnold Chien
 
Tai Chi is a martial art based on the theory of an ancient classic called “I Ching”.  Kinetic Tai Chi is created by Master Chien based on this foundation coupling with contemporary Physics of potential & kinetic energy. The training sessions include striking, throwing & submission techniques. There are 10 levels of form to advance. Combining this advanced physical routine with Tai Chi’s rich thinking, students will benefit lifelong health, achieve mental superiority and enjoy high level combat skills.
 
Thursdays      
9:00am-10:30am
 
Winter 1st:    1/26, 2/02, 2/09, 2/16
Winter 2nd:   2/23, 3/02, 3/09, 3/16
 
Spring 1st:   4/13, 4/20, 4/27, 5/04
Spring 2nd:  5/11, 5/18, 5/25, 6/01
 
Cost for Classes:

  • $35 per month – members
  • $45 per month – non–members
  • $15 Drop In – per day
  • 10% discount if you sign up for 2 sessions

Pre-registration preferred; To register please call the Education Department at 626-821-4623.

Grandmaster Arnold Chien is the founder of Kinetic Tai Chi, 2012 & 2014 Kungfu master at USC Pacific Asia Museum & 2008 Chinese idol in martial art category. In 2013, he became the first instructor to teach Tai Chi at the legendary Gold’s Gym Arcadia, CA. Chien’s heavy focus on the principle of softness to conquer hardness has helped students to achieve not only the physical limitations, but their mental ones as well, thereby reach the ultimate level of “soft as silk and hard as steel”.

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.