The rules are refreshingly short. Bring up to three clean, gently used adult clothing items. Browse what your neighbors left. Or bring nothing at all and shop the rack anyway — participation does not require a donation.
The Summer Clothing Swap Rack, sponsored by the Altadena Library, has been extended through Aug. 8 at Loma Alta Park. It operates Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Friday and Saturday beginning at 10 a.m.
For a town where thousands of households lost everything in the Eaton Fire and thousands more have moved repeatedly between rentals since, a free clothing exchange in a public park is less a novelty than infrastructure. It sits at a park that has itself become the community’s default gathering place since reopening in May 2025 — a site that also serves as a designated cooling center.
Organizers ask that contributions stay within category: shirts, pants and shorts, dresses and skirts. Shoes, accessories, socks, underwear, coats and jackets, pajamas and children’s clothing are not accepted.
The swap’s extension into August overlaps with the back-to-school stretch, when several other Altadena and Pasadena giveaways — including a backpack distribution at the Rose Bowl the first weekend of the month — are also running.
The Summer Clothing Swap Rack runs through Saturday, Aug. 8 at Loma Alta Park, 3330 N. Lincoln Ave. in Altadena. Hours are Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. For more information, visit altadenalibrary.org. Admission is free. No donation required.
