Annual Events

Monterey State Historic Park House Tours
State Park Monterey Historic
Step into the past on the "Monterey Walking Path of History"
Date: Every Su, Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri and Sa
Admission Fees: Free

Monterey State Historic Park is a collection of significant historic houses and buildings interspersed throughout Old Monterey. The inside of the Stevenson House, Larkin House, Cooper-Molera Adobe, and Casa Soberanes can ONLY be viewed with a State Park Guide.  Guided Walking Tours begin at the Pacific House Museum in Custom House Plaza - a great way to start your discovery of Monterey.

Step into the past on the "Monterey Walking Path of History" and view the site where Spanish explorers first landed in Monterey in 1602. See one of the nation's last remaining whalebone sidewalks. Walk the same streets that famed author Robert Louis Stevenson walked in 1879. Explore this two-mile path and discover some of California's most historic homes, buildings and beautiful gardens along the way.

 

Gardens are open daily: May - Sept: 9am-5pm;  Oct - April: 10am-4pm

Five Guided Tours, daily except Thursday:
Cooper-Molera Adobe, 525 Polk Street, 12 & 3pm
Casa Soberanes 336 Pacific Street, 11:30am & 3pm
Larkin House, 510 Calle Principal, 10am & 12pm
Stevenson House, 530 Houston Street Open 1:30-4pmSunday to Wednesday and 1-4pm Saturday, tours daily 2pm
Walking Tours of Old Monterey at 10:30am, beginning at the Pacific House Museum, Custom House Plaza, near Fisherman's Wharf.

Tour of Tor House and Hawk Tower
Tor House
Visit remarkable Tor House and climb Hawk Tower
Date: Every Fri and Sa at 10:00am
Admission Fees: $2-$7

Tour of Tor House and Hawk Tower
     A visit to the extraordinary home of Robinson Jeffers, Carmel's most famous poet, is a very special experience. Open for docent-led tours throughout the year on Fridays and Saturdays. Tours are conducted hourly, with the first tour at 10am and the final tour at 3pm. Reservations should be made in advance by phone or email.

     Requests by email must be received at least one week in advance and are only assured if you receive a confirming email. Please provide alternate dates and/or times if possible. thf@torhouse.org
     Tour Tor House ... climb Hawk Tower, reminiscent of ancient Irish stone towers. Stroll through an English cottage garden rich in color, texture and fragrance. Experience the atmosphere that inspired some of America's finest poetry. Step back in time and follow the romance of Carmel's poet.
     Docent-led tours of Tor House, Hawk Tower and the old-world gardens are conducted hourly every Friday and Saturday. The first tour begins at 10 a.m. and the final tour at 3 p.m. Each tour is limited to a maximum of six people. For safety reasons, children under 12 years of age are not allowed.

Big Sur Food & Wine Festival
Big Sur Food & Wine Festival
Indulge in fantastic food, great wines and exquisite scenery. Local restaurants, resorts and wineries will team up for dinners a
Date: Every day (Nov 6-Nov 29)
Admission Fees: $40 and up

Big Sur Food and Wine Festival

 

Indulge in fantastic food, great wines and exquisite scenery. Local restaurants, resorts and wineries will team up for dinners and tastings that showcase area produce and wines. Proceeds from the event benefit the Big Sur Volunteer Fire Brigade and the Big Sur Health Center.

 

Friday Tastings: $50 each

10:30am: The "Power Pinot Panel" features discussion by area winemakers on pinot, as well as samplings of many styles of the varietal.

2:30pm: "Bordeaux Blends We Love" gives you the chance to compare Bordeaux-style wines from regions ranging from the Central Coast to Napa.

Saturday Tastings:

Morning: $40 each

Taste Rhone-styled wines presented by six different winemakers at "Rhone You Be Mine"

or

Learn the differences between sustainable, biodynamic and organic wines at "Sustainable vs. Biodynamic vs. Organic."

Afternoon:

 

"Post Ranch Strolling Tour"- you'll have the chance to meander the trails at Post Ranch Inn, stopping at six locations along the way for regional wines and perfectly matched edibles. This intimate tasting is $80.

or

At the Lodge at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, try delicious tastings from over 30 restaurants and wineries. This "Grand Public Tasting" is $40.

 

Winemaker Dinners

Ten Big Sur venues will host winemaker dinners throughout the weekend. Most events include live music, and all have extremely limited seating. Several have already sold out! See the Big Sur Food and Wine Festival schedule for details.

 

Tickets

Several dinners and tastings have already sold out! Reserve your place now by booking through the official Big Sur Food and Wine Festival website, or calling 831-667-0800 to reserve.

 

Baby And Toddler Storytime in Seaside
Monterey County Free Libraries
Date: Every Fri (Jun 30-Dec 31) at 11:00am
Admission Fees: Free

Join us for stories and fun every Friday at 11am. Please call 899-2055 for more information.

Roaring Camp Holiday Tree Walk
Roaring Camp
Enjoy festively decorated holiday trees
Date: Every day (Nov 27-Dec 6)
Ages: all
Special Instructions: Purchase Ticket in Advance

Roaring Camp Holiday Tree Walk
Steam trains depart 11:00 am and 12:30 pm, November 27, 28 & 29 and at 12:30 pm on December 5 & 6.

Ring in the holiday season at Roaring Camp's Holiday Tree Walk. Passengers riding the steam train will delight in the tree-lined walk of festive holiday trees displayed atop Bear Mountain. Co-sponsored by KEZR Radio - MIX 106.5 and Crest Ranch Christmas Tree Farm, guests may sip hot cider and view beautifully adorned trees decorated by area businesses and organizations as they raise funds for their respective organizations. Story-telling for children in the

Santa's Workshop & Charity Gift Wrap
Del Monte Center
Bring the whole family to visit Santa
Date: Every day (Nov 27-Dec 24)
Ages: All

Bring the whole family to visit Santa at his beautiful workshop at Del Monte Shopping Center where he can be found on many special designated "Santa Days" from November 23rd through December 24th, 2007. The not-to-be-missed Santa's Workshop is built in the Arts and Crafts style, and features a fireplace and real hardwood floors. All kids  can give Santa their wish list, have a photo taken with him, and receive a free candy cane.

Attached to Santa's Workshop is the "Gift Wrap Pavilion" where several local non-profit organizations will gift-wrap Del Monte Shopping Center shoppers' gift items for a donation to the organization helping that day.

 

Santa's schedule can be found at www.delmontecenter.com

For more information on store listings, movie times, weekend entertainment and special events, please call 1-888-I-SHOP-DM (888-474-6736) or visit www.DelMonteCenter.com.

Salinas Library Events
Salinas Public Libraries
Date: Every day

John Steinbeck
STORY TIME, Saturdays, 11:00am, Stories, crafts and activities for pre-school age.
BEGINNERS COMPUTER LAB, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3pm-6pm, Saturdays, 10am-1pm
ADULT TUTORING (reading, writing, conversation), Tuesdays - Saturdays, 11am-6-pm
One-on-one and small group
GED PREPARATION, Fridays, 10am-1pm, Small group

 

Cesar Chavez Library
LEARN TO PLAY CHESS
Most Wednesdays, 6:30-8pm, Children and adults alike can enjoy free chess lessons conducted by Library Commissioner Alberto Murillo. Any person interested in learning how to play chess or advance their skills can participate in this program on a first come first serve basis. Mr. Murillo, a chess instructor for Alisal Center for the Fine Arts, has taught chess classes and strategy to inmates from Monterey County Rehabilitation Center, to the youth in Salinas Recreation Centers and to hundreds of students from the Alisal Union School District.
FAMILY STORY TIME, Wednesdays, 4pm, Fun for all ages!
HOMEWORK CENTER, Tuesdays - Fridays, 3-5:30pm, Saturdays, 10am-2pm, Grades K - 8 (high school volunteer opportunities)
ADULT TUTORING (reading, writing, conversation), Tuesdays - Saturdays, 11am-6pm, One-on-one and small group

 

El Gabilan Library
PRESCHOOL STORY TIME, Thursdays, 4pm, Preschool ages, but all children are welcome
PAJAMA STORY TIME, First Thursday of the month, 5:00pm
Preschool ages, but all children are welcome
ADULT TUTORING (reading, writing, conversation)
Tuesdays - Saturdays, 11am-6pm, One-on-one

 

Carmel Walks!
Pine Inn
Walking tour of charming Carmel
Date: Every Tues, Wed, Th, Fri and Sa from 10:00am to 12:00pm

Carmel Walks

Discover the special charms of Carmel-by-the-Sea on a 2-hour guided walking tour thru secret pathways, hidden courtyards, award-winning gardens, and by enchanting fairytale cottages... the homes, haunts, and history of famous artists, writers, and movie stars.
Learn about the spirit, characters, and customs that make Carmel unique.

 

Reservations recommended. $25, Private group tours available on request.
Tuesdays - Saturdays 10am to noon; additional tour at 2pm on Saturdays

Each walk is an extraordinary adventure featuring such sites as:

* The original fairytale cottages and home of Carmel's
"Builder of Dreams," Hugh Comstock.
* Homes and haunts of bohemian artists and writers.
* Edward Weston's photo studio and the photographic legacy of Carmel.
* 1914 Golf House - historic clubhouse of the Carmel golf course.
* Architecture by Frank Lloyd Wright, Charles S. Greene, Julia Morgan and Bernard Maybeck.
* Feminist Mary Austin's home and treehouse site.
* Why Clint named his pub the "Hog's Breath Inn."
* Doris Day's dog digs and special K-9 tax forms.
* Plein-Aire painters and local artists.
* Poet Robinson Jeffers' log cabin.
* The oldest art gallery in Carmel.
* Famous movie locations.
* Special off-beat places and unique spots and more!

 

15th Annual Tree Lighting on Cannery Row
Cannery Row
Holiday lights, entertainment and Santa
Date: 11/27/2009 from 12:00pm to 9:00pm
Admission Fees: Free

15th Annual Tree Lighting on Cannery Row
Stop by Cannery Row's Steinbeck Plaza for musical and family entertainment between 12 pm - 9 pm

Live Festive Holiday Music from 11 am - 4 pm

A Brassworks Toy Soldier Quartet from 4 - 6 pm

Live Reindeer in Bubba Gump plaza from 3 - 7 pm

Santa Claus will be in his workshop from 6 - 9 pm & our Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony begins the holiday season at 6 pm!

Third Thursday Art After Hours
Monterey Museum of Art
Good company and early california painting, photography, contemporary art, asian art, american art
Date: The 27th of every month from 5:00pm to 7:00pm
Admission Fees: Free

Art After Hours occurs on the third Thursday of every month from 5-7 pm. Admission is free.

Sponsored by Hayashi & Wayland
Catered by the Wild Plum Cafe 7 Bakery

Official Winery by Joullian

 

The Museum's important collection of early California paintings and works on paper celebrates the Monterey Peninsula's legacy as an influential art colony. Created from the mid-19th century to the 1940s, the notable holdings include the work of Charles Rollo Peters, E. Charlton Fortune, Gottardo Piazzoni, and Francis McComas, among others. Important gifts from the Ritschel Memorial Trust and the Mr. and Mrs. Justin Dart have solidified the Museum's standing as the major repository of the works of William F. Ritschel and Armin Hansen - two of the figures who defined California landscape painting.

Annual Fall Show at Youth Arts Collective
Youth Arts Collective
Amazing creative expression by teens!
Date: Every day (Nov 6-Dec 11)
Admission Fees: Free to attend; donations appreciated

Annual Fall Show at Youth Arts Collective

The dozens of young artists, aged 14-22, of this non-profit after-school arts studio give as good as they get in this annual and sprawling exhibition/fundraiser that floods the spacious space with all manner and direction of creative expression. It opens with a two-day reception that morphs in and out of party mode, but stays filled with positive energy you can feel just walking in until it closes in January. The wine, food and music are just candy sprinkles atop the hopeful chorus of voices this youthful art represents. Donations are appreciated; but you'll appreciate the artistic expression exponentially more. [WR]

 

· Fri, Nov 06, 5-9pm

· Sat, Nov 07, noon-4pm

· Fri, Nov 27

· Fri, Dec 11

regular hours: 3-7pm Fri, noon-4pm Sat