MADE IN DENA Is Outside This August: Five Community Pop-Ups Across Pasadena and Altadena

From Pasadena City Hall and Victory Park to The Paseo and the Altadena Community Corner, MADE IN DENA is closing out summer where the brand belongs—out in the community.

August is shaping up to be a major month for MADE IN DENA.

Over the next several weeks, we are scheduled to appear as an official vendor at five community events throughout Pasadena and Altadena, giving supporters multiple opportunities to shop MADE IN DENA in person, discover upcoming releases before they hit the website, and even get their hands on a few things we normally don't sell online.

For us, pop-ups have always meant more than setting up a table and selling merchandise. MADE IN DENA was built around the culture, history, creativity and people of Pasadena and Altadena. Being physically present at the events that bring our communities together is an important part of what this brand represents.

And this month, we're taking that presence to another level.

From a community cookout and local film festival to live music at Pasadena City Hall, another evening at The Paseo and a Sunday gathering in Altadena, there are plenty of chances to catch us.

August 9: 4th Annual Freedom Cookout at Victory Park

Our August run begins Sunday, August 9, with the 4th Annual Freedom Cookout, presented by Free Da People at Victory Park, 2575 Paloma Street in Pasadena, from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM.

The Freedom Cookout is exactly the type of event MADE IN DENA loves supporting: a gathering built around community, culture, food and bringing people together. Victory Park provides the perfect setting for an afternoon where families, friends and neighbors can come out, eat, connect and enjoy Pasadena.

MADE IN DENA will be vending throughout the event, so stop by our booth while you're there. Whether you've been supporting us for years or have only recently discovered the brand, this will be one of several opportunities this month to see our products outside of a computer or phone screen.

And there may be a few surprises waiting at the booth.

August 15: Black August Film Festival — Beneath the Ashes: The Past Reimagined

On Saturday, August 15, we'll be at the Black August Film Festival at the Flintridge Center, located at 236 W. Mountain Street in Pasadena.

One of the featured films will have particular significance to our community.

Beneath the Ashes: The Past Reimagined, produced by Brandon D. Lamar and directed by Hrag Yedalian, will screen as part of Block 12 at 6:00 PM.

The documentary explores a story deeply connected to Pasadena, Altadena and the ongoing conversation surrounding history, loss, resilience and what comes next. For a community still living with the consequences of the Eaton Fire, the very idea of examining what exists beneath the ashes carries a weight that goes far beyond a film title.

MADE IN DENA is proud to be present as a vendor for an event creating space for Black filmmakers, community storytelling and perspectives that deserve to be seen and heard.

August 16: QUES in the City at Pasadena City Hall

The very next day brings another milestone.

On Sunday, August 16, MADE IN DENA will make our first-ever vending appearance at Pasadena City Hall for QUES in the City: A Summertime Musical Extravaganza, presented by the Zeta Tau Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

The event runs from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM at Pasadena City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Avenue, and features the Blue Breeze Band, with an opening performance by the John Tirabasso Youth Jazz Ensemble.

For MADE IN DENA, there's something special about this one.

Pasadena City Hall is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the city and a symbol that has appeared throughout the visual language of our brand. To now bring MADE IN DENA products directly onto the grounds of City Hall represents another step in the evolution of a company created specifically to represent Pasadena and Altadena.

Admission to QUES in the City is $30, but here's something important for MADE IN DENA supporters: our vendor booth is expected to be positioned in an area accessible to the general public. That means you should be able to stop by and shop with us even if you're not attending the ticketed concert itself.

And this could be a particularly good pop-up to visit if you want a first look at what's coming for fall.

August 27: Jazzy Jam Summer Series at The Paseo

On Thursday, August 27, MADE IN DENA returns to The Paseo Courtyard for another installment of the 2026 Jazzy Jam Summer Series Concert.

If you've attended one of the Jazzy Jam events already, you know this is much more than simply showing up for a concert.

The evening combines live music, food, local vendors, community organizations and activities in the middle of Pasadena. Based on the established Jazzy Jam format, the pre-show begins at 6:00 PM, with the main concert beginning at 7:00 PM.

The August edition will feature a new band and chef, while much of the experience that has made the series popular will remain familiar. Guests can expect DJ T3, arts and vendors, raffles and prizes, community connections, games and entertainment, a 360 photo booth, line dancing and good summer energy throughout the courtyard. A wine bar offers wine along with cold drinks, mocktails and other refreshments.

General seating is free, and guests can bring their own chairs, with reserved seating also available.

We recommend arriving early.

At previous Jazzy Jam events, MADE IN DENA has been set up and ready for business before the official pre-show begins. Coming early gives you time to visit our booth, browse the other vendors, grab something to eat and get situated before the music gets underway.

It's one of those Pasadena summer evenings where shopping local, live entertainment and community all come together in one place.

August 30: Sunday Funday at the Altadena Community Corner

We'll close out the month on Sunday, August 30, back in Altadena for Sunday Funday at the Altadena Community Corner, hosted by Krystal Lopez and the Juicy Little Society at 2540 N. Fair Oaks Avenue.

This location carries tremendous meaning.

The Community Corner stands on the grounds where Juicy Little Society's original youth clubhouse once stood before it was destroyed during the Eaton Fire. Rather than allowing that loss to end the work, Krystal Lopez and her team continued serving Altadena and ultimately helped transform the property into a renewed gathering place for the community.

MADE IN DENA was proud to be present for the Community Corner's grand opening on August 5, and we're equally proud to return as a vendor for Sunday Funday.

Juicy Little Society has become an important part of Altadena's ongoing recovery, providing food distributions, youth mentorship, community events and resources for families affected by the fire. Supporting organizations doing that work is part of what "support local" should actually mean.

It isn't simply where you spend your money.

It's where you spend your time, where you show up and who you stand beside.

Ask Us About the MADE IN DENA "Secret Menu"

Here's where August gets even more interesting.

For a limited time, MADE IN DENA will be experimenting with something we're calling our Secret Menu.

Some of these products may not appear on our website. Some may not even be displayed prominently at every booth. But if you know, you know to ask.

Among the first Secret Menu products are DENABUTTER Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies, our locally inspired take on a rich peanut butter chocolate chip cookie, and DENANADE Exotic Beverages, another MADE IN DENA concept we're beginning to introduce directly to the community.

Both will be available at select pop-ups while supplies last.

The Secret Menu gives us an opportunity to test new ideas directly with the people who support MADE IN DENA before deciding how far we want to take them. Instead of every new concept immediately becoming a full-scale product launch, some things can begin the old-fashioned way: people hear about them, pull up, ask for them and tell somebody else.

So even if you don't see DENABUTTER or DENANADE sitting on the table, ask us if we have any.

You might be glad you did.

Get an Early Look at the Crown Collection

Our August pop-ups will also offer something for supporters who have been watching what's coming next from MADE IN DENA.

Fall is going to be big.

Throughout select August appearances, we'll begin offering early releases and preorder opportunities from our upcoming Crown Collection, including pieces connected to the MADE IN DENA Crown City Varsity Collection.

That means our pop-up customers may have opportunities to see and purchase certain pieces before their wider release.

The Crown City collection represents a more elevated side of MADE IN DENA, expanding beyond everyday tees and hoodies into statement pieces designed to feel collectible. The lineup includes premium varsity jackets alongside coordinating Crown-inspired apparel.

We're not abandoning accessible MADE IN DENA gear. We're expanding what MADE IN DENA can be.

The goal is to build a brand capable of offering a $25–$40 community tee and, at the same time, creating premium pieces somebody keeps in their wardrobe for years.

Five Events. Two Cities. One Community.

There is a bigger story behind this schedule.

MADE IN DENA doesn't have a traditional retail showroom where we're waiting for Pasadena and Altadena to walk through our doors. Our website gives us the ability to serve customers every day, while these pop-ups give us something the internet can't replace: face-to-face connection with the people our brand was created to represent.

In one month, we'll move from Victory Park to a local film festival, from the grounds of Pasadena City Hall to The Paseo, and finally back north to the Altadena Community Corner.

Each event has its own audience and its own purpose, but together they represent the same idea: our communities are strongest when we actually participate in them.

So come find us.

Check out the new gear. Ask what's coming next. Ask about the Secret Menu. Grab a DENABUTTER cookie if we haven't sold out. Try a DENANADE if they're available. Get an early look at the Crown Collection. Tell us what you want to see MADE IN DENA create next.

And even if you don't buy anything, stop by and say what's up.

Because MADE IN DENA was never supposed to be a logo people only saw online.

It was created to be outside.

It was created to represent.

And this August, MADE IN DENA is all over DENA.

For products, upcoming releases and additional announcements, visit MADE IN DENA.

Represent in Style. Wear Your Story.

Support Local. Support DENA.