Posts from — May 2009

The meteorologists say it will be a beautiful weekend, and we’ve got plenty of ways for you to get out and enjoy the weather.

Friday

Classic cars and old-time rock and roll take over the Monterey Fairgrounds this weekend with the Monterey Rock & Rod Festival. Tonight kicks off the festival with an old-fashioned Sock Hop at 6pm. Tickets for the sock hop are $20, and proceeds benefit the Gateway Center.

The Pacific Grove Wine, Art and Music Walk offers – can you guess? – wine, art and music in downtown Pacific Grove. 6pm to 9pm, free.

Legendary folk singer Donovan plays the Golden State Theatre in Monterey tonight at 8pm. Tickets are $29, $59 and $79.

Enjoy the reggae grooves of Jonah and the Whalewatchers at Bullwacker’s Restaurant & Pub on Cannery Row starting at 8pm.

Garland Ranch Regional Park in Carmel Valley hosts a star party tonight. The event begins at 8:30pm. Volunteers will bring high-powered telescopes and set them up in the Garland Ranch parking lot. You’ll be amazed at what you see! 8:30pm, free.

Saturday

The Monterey Rock and Rod Festival continues at the Monterey Fairgrounds. Starting at 11am, view fantastic classic cars and listen to both DJ’d and live classic music, featuring The Turtles and Ron Dante of the Archies. The party continues until 9pm. Two day tickets are $25 for adults, $7 for children 6 to 12. Saturday-only admission is $20 for adults, $5 for children 6 to 12.

The Monterey Symphony brings Gustav Holst’s “The Planets” to Sherwood Hall in Salinas at 3pm and 8pm. As many have noted, John Williams’ Darth Vader theme from Star Wars echoes Gustav Holst’s “Mars, the Bringer of War” from this piece. Coincidence, or homage? You decide. Tickets are $12 for the 3pm performance and $39 for the 8pm performance.

Fernwood Resort in Big Sur has a multicultural and eclectic lineup tonight. Æ sing traditional Eastern European music, sometimes acapella, sometimes accompanied by traditional instruments, and have recently been getting quite some buzz. LA cult faves Petrojvic Blasting Co. play music that’s a little New Orleans jazz and a lot of klezmer. No really. 9pm.

Sunday

The Butterfly Criterium returns to Pacific Grove! 30 years ago, Pacific Grove’s Butterfly Criterium cycling race brought big names in bike racing to Pacific Grove. Ghost Tree Racing has revived the event, which is officially sanctioned by USA Cycling. The course runs from Lighthouse and Caledonia up Lighthouse to Fountain, heads up Fountain to Central, and down Central back to Caledonia. Races run from 7:30am to about 5pm. Pack a picnic and go watch!

The Monterey Rock and Rod Festival wraps up at the Monterey Fairgrounds. The gates open at 10am. Los High Tops, The Yard Dogs and Chicano All Stars play live. Cars will receive awards from 3:30 to 4:30pm. Sunday-only admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children 6 to 12.

The Big Sur River Inn’s Sunday music series continues with jazz singer Jaqui Hope & Friends.

Enjoy Star Wars-esque classical music as the Monterey Symphony performs Gustav Holst’s “The Planets” at the Sunset Theater in Carmel at 3pm. Tickets are $48 and $62.

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again – there’s way more going on than what we’ve listed, so check the Monterey County Weekly’s online calendar for even more things to do.

Memorial Day Weekend is all about the beaches. As you may have heard, Heal the Bay’s 19th Annual Beach Report Card gave all the beaches rated in Monterey County an A or A+ grade. If you want to know which beach is best for volleyball, cookouts, surfing, rockhounding or sunbathing, just check our Beaches pages.

Friday

Monterey’s Golden State Theatre kicks off this weekend with a free showing of classic adventure film Raiders of the Lost Ark. The movie begins at 7pm. Tickets are being given away at local stores; see this page for a list of participating shops.

Wave Street Studios presents guitarist Stephen Mortensen’s CD release party. The show will stream live on the Internet. 7pm, $10.

Indie-country singer-guitarist AntonetteG plays Jose’s Mexican on Wave Street at 9pm, with country-blues band Darktown Rounders opening. Free.

Saturday

Custom House Plaza in Monterey hosts artists of all kinds at SpringFest. In addition to all the arts and crafts, there will be food and live music. Entry is free, and proceeds from the event benefit the Pacific Repertory Theater. 9am-5pm.

The annual Big Sur Book & Bake Sale takes over Ripplewood Resort for the weekend. Buy great books and tasty baked goods and support the Big Sur Library. 10am-4pm.

The Monterey Peninsula Regional Parks District (MPRPD) hosts a class in Ancient Shelter Building. How cool is that?!? Noon to 4pm, $17, at Garland Ranch Regional Park Visitors Center. Register at the MPRPD website.

Tour Ingrid’s Vineyard at Bernardus Winery in Carmel Valley while sampling wines made from grapes plucked from the very vines you’re looking at. 1pm-2:30pm, $25.

The Golden State Theatre rolls out two free movies for the rest of the weekend: Raiders of the Lost Ark and Jaws. Raiders plays at 3 (bring the kids); Jaws starts at 7 (don’t). Get tickets at local stores; see this page for a list of participating shops.

Poet Sean Nevin reads from his poetry collection Oblivio Gate at Tor House in Carmel. Arrive at 6:30pm for the reception and 7pm for the reading. Free.

Wave Street Studios rocks, acoustically, with a live unplugged performance by Tom Anderson. Refreshments are served at 7pm; the music begins at 8pm. Free.

Sunday

SpringFest continues at Custom House Plaza in Monterey, featuring arts and crafts, food and live music. Entry is free, and proceeds from the event benefit the Pacific Repertory Theater. 9am-5pm.

It’s day two of the Big Sur Book & Bake Sale at Ripplewood Resort. The baked goods for sale are fresh, and the books are classic. 10am-4pm.

Monterey’s Del Monte Shopping Center hosts local artists, who will be exhibiting and selling their work, in a benefit for Dance Kids of Monterey County. 11am-4pm, free.

Take the MPRPD’s class “Get Fired Up,” and you’ll learn how to start a fire with found materials, just by rubbing two sticks together. Once you’ve built your fire, you’ll learn how to use heated walks to boil water. Again we say: how cool is that?!? Noon to 4pm, $17, at Garland Ranch Regional Park Museum. Register at the MPRPD website.

The free Spielbergfest continues at Golden State Theatre, with Raiders of the Lost Ark at 3pm and Jaws at 7pm. See this page for a list of venues at which to get free tickets.

Monday

Today is a day to remember fallen soldiers. In honor of the day, the Naval Postgraduate School throws open its doors to the public beginning at 9am. This event also kicks off NPS’s centennial celebration. Don’t miss out on your once-a-year chance to tour the building that launched what is now the famed Pebble Beach Company, the old Del Monte Hotel. It was once considered the grandest hotel in the world, and the favorite vacation spot of stars like Charlie Chaplain, Clark Gable, Bob Hope, Salvador Dali, and more. The murals, mosaics and other features of the Del Monte are still stunning today. (Try to get a tour from NPS historian John Sanders; he has a million fascinating stories of the hotel’s glory days.) There will be food, children’s activities, and a performance by the Monterey Bay Symphony. The event is free, but all visitors above the age of 16 must have a photo ID.

The American Legion Post will host a Memorial Day ceremony in Carmel’s Devendorf Park at 11am.

It’s the Big Sur Book & Bake Sale’s last day at Ripplewood Resort! Buy some baked goods and a great book, and support the Big Sur Library. 10am-4pm.

If your kayak trip out on the bay made you say “We’re gonna need a bigger boat,” and your hike at Andrew Molera State Park made you say “Why’d it have to be snakes?” then you’re prepared for today’s free movies at Golden State Theatre. Raiders of the Lost Ark plays at 3pm and Jaws chews up the screen at 7pm. See this page for a list of venues at which to get free tickets.

As is the case every weekend, there’s way more going on around Monterey County than we can list. Check the Monterey County Weekly’s online calendar for more ideas.

Tonight is the Monterey Museum of Art’s monthly “Art After Hours” event. Visitors from 5pm to 7pm get free admission to the Pacific Street branch of the museum, tasty appetizers and wine. Great art, wine and free food – it’s a no-lose proposition!

The Packer magazine has posted photos of the competitors in the Castroville Artichoke Festival’s Agro Art contest.

If your art interests tend toward the photographic, enter the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s World Ocean Day photo contest. The winner will have their photos featured on the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s website. (While you’re contributing your photos to their Flickr group, why not submit them to ours, too?)

The state is also running the California Coastal Commission 2009 Photo Contest. This contest is open to amateur photographers, and is focused on photos taken in public places (like public beaches, for example), especially featuring native flora and fauna. Deadline for entries is July 15. Previous winning shots were taken in Monterey County; last year’s winning shot was taken at Garrapata State Park, and 2001’s winning shot was taken at Elkhorn Slough. See their website for more details – and let us know if you enter!

Speaking of photo contests, save July 18th for the World Photo Walk. This year, for the first time, Monterey will be a participating city. Wish that Carmel, Big Sur, Marina, Salinas or another Monterey County location was on the list? Apply to be a Photo Walk leader, and make sure even more of Monterey County is represented! (Let us know when you do so we can add that location to our list!)

Photo by Michael Edward Smith

Big Sur is back! After the tragedy of last year’s fires, Mother Nature and dedicated community members have both put in their best efforts to restore the area, with smashing results that have everyone talking.

Photo by zxxzooz

The wildflower season this year is the best in memory. Seasonal Wisdom posted wildflower photos from Andrew Molera State Park, which give only a taste of this year’s beauty. California Photo Scout has more jaw-dropping photos of this year’s wildflower bounty, as well as some great tips on how to get a perfect shot suitable for framing.

Photo by Karen Nordstrand

It’s not just the wildflowers that make Big Sur special; it’s also the drive along Highway One. Singer Mandy Moore says Big Sur is her favorite weekend getaway. “I find that the drive is one of the best parts of the trip,” she says. Travelogged has beautiful photos of a drive on Highway One through Big Sur.

Photo by Michael Edward Smith

Still searching for a reason to head down? Lolalina has 10 reasons you should go to Big Sur, including the jaw-dropping views at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, the camping at Andrew Molera State Park, the quirky clientele at Deetjen’s, the local crafts and foods sold at Nepenthe, the ahi tuna at Big Sur River Inn, the yurts at Treebones, and many more, all with beautiful photos.

Photo by mycranium1

And if you need a reason to start Memorial Day weekend early, the ribbon cutting ceremony for Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park’s new bridge is Friday at 1:15pm. Then head on over to the shore. It’s humpback whale migration season, and the whales are visible with the naked eye from Big Sur’s coast.

(Like these photos? Check out more at our Flickr group, and contribute your own favorite photos of Big Sur!)

What’s it like to compete in the Carmel Art Festival’s Plein Air Painting event? Big Sur artist Erin Gafill, one of the competing painters, details her process and shares photos of her paintings here, while Sharon Weaver shows off her plein air paintings for the competition as she describes her challenges.

California Photo Scout has a great article on how to photograph wildflowers in Big Sur. The photos show that wildflower season hasn’t ended yet!

AOL Travel has listed its top 20 free things to do in the West. Two items on that list are located in Monterey County: the Point Pinos Lighthouse in Pacific Grove, and the River Road Wine Trail in Salinas Valley. Congrats to both for making the list!

Sid Kaplan describes driving Highway One in Big Sur and driving from Carmel to San Francisco. Both provide several tips on how to do the drive as well as what to do during your visit.

The San Francisco Chronicle says the AT&T Pro-Am move from Poppy Hills to the Monterey Peninsula Country Club is nearly a done deal.

California State Parks announced today via their Twitter feed that the campground at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park will be open for Memorial Day!

Reservations will start at 8am Monday, May 18 on Reserve America. Open campsites are in South Camp and Weyland; Main Camp will be closed for construction all summer. If history is any indication, the reservations will all be claimed by 8:10am, especially since the number of campsites open will be limited. So set your alarm clocks!

You can’t say there’s nothing to do this weekend. (Well, you could, but you’d be lying.) Foodies are going to be racing up and down Highway One as if they were competing in this weekend’s Verizon Festival of Speed at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, trying to get back and forth between Cooking for Solutions at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the 50th Castroville Artichoke Festival. The Rodeo Salinas is a few months away, but you can watch roping and riding (and wrestling!) at the Salinas Valley Fair. Meanwhile, art fans will mob Devendorf Park in Carmel-by-the-Sea for the Carmel Art Festival. And as if that weren’t enough, California State University Monterey Bay is holding its commencement on Saturday, with the Capstone Festival (at which graduating students present their work) on Friday the 15th. It’s Monterey County madness!

Friday

The practice runs begin at the Verizon Festival of Speed at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca at 7am; qualifying runs begin at 5:05pm.

If you see someone standing on a street corner in front of an easel, paintbrush in hand, they’re probably painting for the Carmel Art Festival’s Plein Air Painting competition. Head over to Devendorf Park to see art already on exhibit, as well as live sculpture demonstrations. Free.

Today the Salinas Valley Fair features roping and wild cow milking, as well as lots of events for children. The Blue Cheese Blues Band will take to the stage tonight for a live show. $7/adults, $6/students ages 13-17, $4 for children 6-12, free for children under 6 and seniors.

Happy birthday, Doc Ricketts! Larry Hosford and his band celebrate the occasion with Ricketts-themed songs at Wave Street Studios in Monterey, hosted by Kalisa Moore. 6-9pm, $10.

Big Sur’s Fernwood Resort kicks off a weekend packed with live music with British minimalist female vocalist Scout Niblett and folk-rockers Sean Smith & the Present Moment. 9pm, $10.

Saturday

The county’s only surfing competition, the Sunshine Freestyle Surfabout, starts at Carmel Beach at 6:30am. If you want to see excellent displays of on-water daring, this is the place to be. Free.

The qualifying runs begin at the Verizon Festival of Speed at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca at 7am. There are two races today; the Mazda MX-5 cup is at 11:25am, while the KONI Challenge runs from 3pm to 5:30pm.

It’s a different kind of running in Salinas, as the Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital holds the Heart and Sole 10K and 5K to raise money to benefit the Children’s Miracle Network. $30 for adults, $15 for children under 18. There’s also a mile and half mile run for children ages 5 to 12, which is $10 for participants. The 10K and 5K start at 8:30am, but arrive at 7:15am if you haven’t registered yet.

If you’ve got a free $225 ($175 if you’re an Aquarium member), make reservations now for the Food & Wine Adventures at Cooking for Solutions; there’s still a couple of tours that aren’t sold out. Not feeling so flush? The Sustainable Foods Fair at the Aquarium, which has cooking demos and a lecture from Alton Brown, runs from 10am-4pm and is included with the price of admission.

In honor of Doc Ricketts’ birthday, the Pacific Biological Laboratories building (the mysterious wooden building next to the InterContinental The Clement on Cannery Row) will be open for tours given by the Cannery Row Foundation. 10am-4pm, $15.

The judging begins at the Carmel Art Festival’s Plein Air Painting competition. Go to Devendorf Park to review the competition and bid on art in the silent auction. Live sculpture continues.

Celebrate the humble artichoke at the 50th Castroville Artichoke Festival. Not only are there artichokes prepared in every way, not only is there a farmer’s market, not only will you get to tour artichoke fields, not only will local creatives construct sculpture out of artichokes and other produce for your amusement, but there’s even live music from The Average White Band, Today Yesterday Tomorrow and the Johnny Clay Band; a classic car show; and the California Wine Exposition. $8 for adults, $4 for children.

Check out the barrel race and bull riding at the Salinas Valley Fair, as well as children’s events. The evening features a Wild Video Dance Party for teens, the Shan Johnson Band, and All Pro Wrestling. $7/adults ages 18-59, $6/students ages 13-17, $5 for seniors 60+, $4 for children 6-12, free for children under 6 and military and dependents with ID cards.

Hahn Estates in Soledad hosts the Santa Lucia Highlands Gala, where 28 wineries will offer their best wines up for tasting. There will also be food and an auction. 2-5pm, $85, call 831.678.2132 to reserve.

Chateau Julien in Carmel Valley holds its release party tonight. Wines will be paired with hors d’oeuvres. 5-7pm, $50.

Fernwood Resort’s weekend of music continues with The Hallway Ballers, who sound like vintage Red Hot Chili Peppers crossed with Simon and Garfunkel. No, really. 9pm.

Sunday

The Sunshine Freestyle Surfabout wraps up today at Carmel Beach. 6:30am-sunset. Free.

The Verizon Festival of Speed at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca has its final day with some fabulous parade laps and the Ford Mustang Challenge from 10am to 11am.

Jaripero, the Mexican Rodeo hits the Salinas Valley Fair today! $7/adults ages 18-59, $6/students ages 13-17, $5 for seniors 60+, $4 for children 6-12, free for children under 6.

Winners in the Carmel Art Festival’s Plein Air Painting competition will duke it out in the Quick Draw competition, and the paintings created will be auctioned off while the paint’s still wet. Free, but bring some extra cash to buy your own work of art.

Today’s parade day at the 50th Castroville Artichoke Festival, plus all the other fun stuff previously mentioned. Los Lobos and Second Wind perform live. $8 for adults, $4 for children.

Imagine this being said with a massive echo effect: Monster-MONSTER-MONSTER! trucks explode! into the Salinas Sports Complex at the Monster Jam!!! Noon-5pm, $20/adults, $11/children.

You may not think you’d dance outdoors in the middle of the day, but once you hear the California Honeydrops! at the Big Sur River Inn, your booty will not be able to resist the urge to shake. 1pm, free.

Acrobats the Tweaksters appear at the Sunset Center in Carmel at 1pm. Tickets are $15 and $20.

White-hot Los Angeles gypsy punks Fishtank Ensemble play at Fernwood Resort tonight. 9pm.

If you can’t find something to do on this list, you are one hard to please person! Check out the Monterey County Weekly’s online calendar for even more things to do.

Have you noticed that blimp in the sky lately? It’s from Airship Ventures, who run tours from San Francisco down to Monterey – and, shortly, all the way down to Long Beach. Aviation Week has a great article about the people behind the business.

The Los Angeles Times covered the vintage motorcycle market, which is rapidly heating up. The article notes that two of the best places at which to ogle these classic machines are the Quail Motorcycle Gathering at Quail Lodge and the upcoming Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

The Getaway Guru lists the Monterey Bay Aquarium, 17 Mile Drive and kayaking on Monterey Bay as three of his top Northern California weekend trips.

Rumors continue to fly that the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am will be moving to the Monterey Peninsula Country Club next year.

And, for your daily beauty break, here’s a short video of the jellies at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, shot by Matthijs Langenberg:

Jellyfish at Monterey Bay Aquarium from Matthijs Langenberg on Vimeo.

We’ve heard there’s some movie with spaceships that’s kind of popular this weekend. After you get done with your popcorn and Vulcans, here’s what else to do with your weekend.

Friday

Sure, you could go watch space battles – or you could bundle up and watch a movie outdoors at Garland Ranch Regional Park. The movie, “Rivers and Tides,” is about an artist who creates outdoors art using found objects. 7:30pm to 10pm, free.

Saturday

The Marina International Festival of the Winds takes place in, you guessed it, Marina from 10am to 5:30pm. At Glorya Jean Tate Park, there’s a kite making workshop from 1-3 and a kite competition at 3, as well as bounce houses, a hang gliding simulator and tons more events; at Marina State Beach you can watch the hang gliding and skim boarding competitions starting at 11am. Free.

The Big Creek Reserve in Big Sur holds its open house today, the one time of the year that non-scientists get to check out this particular piece of land. Wear your hiking boots and bring a lunch; the smarties who work here will show you around. 9am-4pm. See their website for directions.

Create art outdoors using what you find in nature, and learn more about ecology while you do it with Monterey Peninsula Regional Parks District’s “Land Art” class at Garland Ranch Regional Park. 1pm to 5pm, $28, for ages 18 and over.

The Golden State Theatre features the Ensemble Monterey Chamber Orchestra and Cantiamo performing works by Bach, Mendelssohn, and Beethoven. There’s a pre-concert talk at 7, followed by the performance at 8. Tickets are $20 for students and seniors and $25 for the rest of us. Call 831-333-1283 to reserve.

The Hippodrome holds their luau party tonight, featuring a live show by reggae band Tony Miles. Starts at 10pm, 21+.

Sunday

The Marina International Festival of the Winds continues. Kids can make wind crafts and participate in science projects with the National Weather Service. There’s live bands, kite flying demonstrations, and bounce houses at Glorya Jean Tate Park, and more hang gliding competitions at Marina State Beach. 11am-5pm, free.

Don’t make Mom suffer through scrambled omelets and burnt flapjacks this weekend when there are a number of amazing Mother’s Day brunches to be had throughout the county.

Big Sur
The Big Sur River Inn Restaurant is hosting a Mother’s Day brunch by the river, including live music by the Cachagua Playboys. Call 831-667-2700 to reserve.

Monterey
The Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa has an amazing brunch buffet including all your traditional brunch favorites plus oysters and clams on the half shell, roast beef and honey baked ham, and more. 10am-3pm, $42 for adults, $20 for chldren age 6-12. Call 831-646-1700 for reservations.

The Marriott Monterey is offering a champagne brunch with sweeping views of the entire Peninsula from the Ferrantes Bay View Room. Foods include salads, omelets, coq au vin, crab cakes, wild salmon, and much more. 10am to 4pm, $38.95 for adults and $17.95 for children ages 5-12. Call 831-649-4234 x1111 to reserve.

The Sardine Factory bucks the brunch trend with a Mother’s Day three course prix fixe lunch/dinner from 1pm to 9pm, so you can let Mom sleep in. Entrees include filet mignon, sand dabs, lobster, duck, rack of lamb and more. The menu has two price points, $29.95 and $38.95. Call 831-373-3775 to reserve.

Pacific Grove
Fandango’s Mother’s Day brunch includes artichoke soup, courses ranging from roast beef to leg of lamb to salmon to eggs benedict florentine, and more. 11am to 2pm, $29.75 for adults, $18.75 for children under 10. Call 831-372-3456 to reserve.

Carmel
The Terrace Grill at La Playa Hotel offers crab and shrimp ravioli, omelets, waffles, honey baked ham, steak, salmon, turkey and more. 9am-2pm, $40 for adults and $20 for children 6-12. Call 831-624-6476 to reserve.

Carmel Valley
If Mom loves her dog as much as she loves you, bring her to the Quail Meadows Mother’s Day Celebration at Quail Lodge. The event features live music, family portraits, local cuisine and a special menu for Mom’s best friend. 11am to 3:30pm, $55 for adults and $25 for children. Call 831-624-2888 to reserve.

Seaside
Mom can meet Dad and the kids after golfing 18 holes at the Bayonet and Black Horse Mother’s Day brunch. There’s an omelet station, prime rib, spiral baked ham, grilled chicken, salmon, and many other dishes. 11am-3pm, $28.95 for adults, $12.95 for children 6-12, free for children 5 and under.

Marina
Kula Ranch Island Steakhouse offers a Mother’s Day brunch buffet that includes sushi rolls, calamari pasta salad, macadamia nut pancakes, ham, prime rib, haibut, an omelet station, and lots more. 9am-3pm, $27.95 for adults, $9.95 for children 5-11, free for children under 5. Call 831-883-9479 to reserve.

Mom and kids can enjoy Mother’s Day on horseback with a trail ride around the Del Monte Forest. 2pm to 3pm, $55. Call 831-372-3196 x3 to reserve.

Bring Mom to see Broadway heartthrob David Burnham perform at the Golden State Theatre at 3pm. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased on the Golden State Theatre website.

As always, there’s far more things to do than we can list in our little summary. Go take a look at the Monterey County Weekly’s online calendar for even more ideas.

Take a three-minute beauty break, and watch this video taken from a hang glider in Big Sur over the weekend. You can check out many more at the Above the Sur blog.

Rurik and I Flying the Pie from Trey Kropp on Vimeo.