Posts from — March 2010

We’re giving away two more tickets to see Synergy Brass Quintet this Saturday at 2pm at the Performing Arts Center in Pacific Grove!

To enter, comment here telling us your favorite spot in Pacific Grove.

We’ll pick the winner on Friday at noon!

Big Sur’s Mud Run took place for the fifth time on Saturday, March 27 at California State University Monterey Bay.

Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau staff member Kimberly Jenkins put together a team and got down and dirty with the rest of the racers. “It definitely didn’t seem like five miles,” she said. At every wall or other obstacle, people would wait for the team in front of them to go, so “at every mud pit you would feel energized and rested and ready to go again.”

The mud pits after each obstacle were tough at first, she said. “It was a shock with the cold water and mud,” she said, “but it was such a rush to come out of the mud pits and run up the hill.”

The race wasn’t just for the young, either. “There were a lot of women in their 50s and 60s running,” she said. “It was such a motivator to see them do it. I hope when I’m their age I’m out there running like that.”

“It was a blast!” she said with a big grin. “For anyone who likes running and doesn’t mind getting down and dirty I’d definitely suggest it.”

She brought back a great set of photos.

Kimberly’s team, Fox Force Five.

Drill sergeants ordered participants to do push-ups before the race began. Photo courtesy Tyler Crocker.

The race begins. Photo courtesy Tyler Crocker.

Racers slog through the mud.

Photo courtesy Tyler Crocker.

James Patrick O’Brien does mud runs throughout the country in a suit.

Post-mud tutus.

Kimberly Jenkins (right) and friend hurdle the final hill at the Big Sur Mud Run.

The team after the race (but before the showers).

To see many more photos, click here to view the entire set on Flickr.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Hot Pink Flamingos exhibit opens on Monday. The Aquarium is known for its unique, groundbreaking exhibits, and Hot Pink Flamingos is no exception. This exhibit has it all – unique creatures (including penguins, flamingos, and many more), cutting-edge interactive elements, and an important message.

We were invited to a sneak peek today, and intrepid photographer Allyson took great photos.

The entrance to Hot Pink Flamingos: Stories of Hope in a Changing Sea.

Hot pink flamingos strike a pose.

A roseate spoonbill.

A living coral reef and its denizens.

Magellanic penguins play at the Hot Pink Flamingoes exhibit.

A green sea turtle.

A multimedia exhibit at the “Iceless Arctic” gallery.

See more of our sneak preview photos on Flickr, and learn more in our feature article on the Hot Pink Flamingos exhibit.

If you’re coming from out of town to see the exhibit, see our Special Offers page for great deals on accommodations, dining and more!

Friday

Santa Cruz electro funksters Trip Delight Fantastic bring the beats to Bullwackers tonight at 653 Cannery Row in Monterey. 8:30pm, no cover.

Dum Spiro Spero play a jazzy, rootsy rock -- or is it a rockin’, rootsy jazz? Either way, it’s sure to be a fun set tonight at Fernwood Resort on Highway One in Big Sur. 9pm, no cover.

Saturday

The Big Sur Mud Run at CSUMB has been sold out for weeks, but you can still watch the messy fun and cheer on the racers. The race starts at 9am at CSUMB’s Freeman Stadium.

Salinas celebrates youth and the arts with the One Salinas Arts Festival. Artists will create works right in front of you with spraypaint murals and a chalk art contest. There will also be live music and theater, poetry readings, visual art displays, airbrush tattoos, and more. And best of all, it’s free! 11am-4pm, throughout Oldtown Salinas.

The Monterey Symphony has an uplifting program of Elgar, Gershwin, Turina and Ginastera this weekend, featuring renowned concert pianist Sara Davis Buechner. Hear the final rehearsal at 2pm at Sherwood Hall, 940 N. Main St., Salinas for only $15, or the performance at 7pm (tickets are $39 and $20).

Comic magician Chipper Lowell (see clip above) creates magic and laughs tonight at the Sunset Center with “BLiNK: An Incredible Evening of Magic.” 8pm, San Carlos and 9th Avenue, Carmel-by-the-Sea. Tickets are $51, $44 and $37 and can be purchased at the Sunset Center website.

Party it up with Monterey County’s favorite reggae band, Jonah and the Whalewatchers, at Bullwacker’s tonight. 8:30pm, 653 Cannery Row, Monterey, no cover.

Pacific Northwest indie/psychedelic band The Shivas headline tonight at Jose’s Underground Lounge in Monterey. Joining them are Dum Spiro Spero, straight off their gig at Fernwood, Stockton’s hard-rocking, female-led Solidify and Old and Grey. 9pm, 638 Wave Street, $5.

If Janis Joplin had fronted the Dead, it might have sounded like Sarah McCoy and the Zippidy Yeahs. They play tonight at Fernwood Resort in Big Sur. 9pm, no cover.

Sunday

Hear the Monterey Symphony’s charming program of Elgar, Gershwin, Turina and Ginastera at the Sunset Center. 3pm, 8th and San Carlos, Carmel-by-the-Sea. Tickets are $69, $65, $55 and $48 and can be purchased on the Monterey Symphonywebsite.

Boston’s famous Synergy Brass Quintet combines fun, rock-star style performance style with stellar, virtuoso classical chops. If you want to see a top-notch classical performance, this show is for you. If you think that classical music is stuffy or boring, these performers will change your mind.

They perform on Saturday, April 3 at the Pacific Grove Performing Arts Center — and we’ve got two tickets to give away!

To win, just post a comment here telling us about the best concert you ever went to. On Friday, we’ll randomly select one reader to win! Your comment MUST include your email address so we can contact you. Good luck!

Friday

Experience nature firsthand at Pinnacles National Monument today with two events. First, take a guided nature hike on the Balconies Trail. The 1.5 round-trip hike ends with a bring-your-own picnic dinner at the Chapparral parking area. Call 831-389-4486 x265 for more information. Then see some intense star action in the Chapparal parking lot. The Star Party, from 7:30 to 10pm, includes a sky top and many peeks through a telescope. Call 831-389-4486 x243 for more information. Enter Pinnacles via the West Entrance for both events.

Time flies when you’re relaxing! It’s been a decade since The Spa at Bernardus Lodge in Carmel Valley first opened. They celebrate their 10 year anniversary tonight with a reception that includes mini hand and feet treatments, massages, facials, skincare evaluation, spatinis, hors d’oeuvres, and naturally some newly released Bernardus wines. The event begins at 6:30pm at 415 West Carmel Valley Road. $25 per person; call 831-658-3560 to reserve.

Scope out the stars tonight with “Astronomical Adventures” at Garland Ranch Regional Park. As visitors look at the stars with binoculars, telescopes and the unaided eye, docent Jim Eagle will explain exactly what they’re seeing. Garland Ranch Regional Park Visitors Center, 7:30-9:30pm. $11 per person or $36 for a family of 6, discounts available for Monterey Peninsula district residents. Reserve online under “Star Gazing”.

The Next Blues Band has been playing the blues in Monterey County since the late 1980s, and have appeared at the county’s top blues events Monterey Bay Blues Festival and Seaside’s Blues in the Park. Catch them up close tonight at Bullwackers at 653 Cannery Row. 8:30pm-midnight, no cover.

If Ladytron teamed up with My Bloody Valentine for an album…well, let’s face it, with MBV’s track record the album wouldn’t come out until 2030. But if it did, it would probably sound like Los Angeles band Pioneer Ships. They team up with fourth wave ska band Fishbear, who tweak the ska sound with a dash of klezmer, and local artist Michael Glines. 638 Wave Street Monterey, 9pm, $5.

Saturday

Kids and their parents can learn all about the Gabilan Watershed today at Watershed Day at the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas. Learn about the ecology of Salinas, Prunedale and Castroville with hands-on art and science activities. 10am-4pm, One Main Street, Salinas. Activities included in the admission fee.

Monterey’s new The Inn at Del Monte Beach becomes party central today for the fundraiser “Patrick’s Day.” The party, on the Inn at Del Monte Beach’s rooftop overlooking Monterey Bay, includes six DJs, appetizers, and lots more. All proceeds from the event will help the DuRant family with medical and other bills relating to Patrick DuRant’s terminal testicular cancer. 110 Del Monte Avenue, Monterey. Doors open at 3:30pm; the party starts at 4 and runs until midnight. $50 per ticket; reserve online.

Learn about owls with “Owls of Central Califonia” at Garland Ranch Regional Park Museum. During daylight, you’ll get a full education in all things owl. Once it gets dark, participants will explore the area listening for the noises that all eight species make. 4pm-9pm, ages 13+, $22 per person. Reserve online under “Teen to Adult Explorations.”

Enjoy British food, British beer and British style at the PacRep Theatre Company’s “British Invasion” fundraiser at the Monterey Marriott. 350 Calle Principal, 6-10pm. Tickets are $100 each and can be booked online.

Taste outstanding wines from Silver Oak and Twomey wineries tonight at the La Playa Hotel’s Wine Dinner. The wines will be paired with a five-course meal created by Executive Chef Bunyan Fortune. Nora Comee of Silver Oak will speak. Starts at 6:30pm at Camino Real and Eighth Avenue in Carmel-by-the-Sea. $125 per person plus tax and gratuity; call 831-624-6476 to reserve.

The award for most interesting show of the evening goes to Jose’s in Monterey. Moody acoustic locals 1 < 12 (don’t call them 11) play alongside Seaside singer/songwriter Bernadette Conant and Dakota Belle Witt’s alter ego, mermaid spoken word artist and ukeleleist (no, really) Sirene Von Calypso. The surrealism begins at 9pm at 638 Wave Street in Monterey. $5

Upbeat jam band 7 Come 11’s unique sound is centered on the Hammond organ, with funky beats and a bit of a roots twist. They play Fernwood on Highway One in Big Sur tonight. 9pm, no cover.

Friday

Spend “A Night In Italy” at a special dinner held by the Friend of the Monterey County Fair at the Monterey Fairgrounds. Compete in the bocce tournament, bid in two auctions, and enjoy a big Italian dinner. Tickets are $35 per person, $60 per couple and $20 for children 10 and younger. Bocce teams pay $25 to enter. The tournament and dessert auction begin at 5:30, dinner begins at 7, and a live auction begins at 8:30pm. Buy tickets at the Monterey County Fair office at 2004 Fairground Road.

The Pacific Repertory Theatre presents “The Jungle Book, Jr.,” live! Over 50 young students from PacRep’s School of Dramatic Arts will perform. The play features all the classic songs such as “Bare Necessities” and “I Wanna Be Like You.” 7:30pm, Golden Bough Theatre, Monte Verde St. between 8th and 9th Avenues, Carmel-by-the-Sea. Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for students and teachers, and $7 for children and can be purchased at the official Pacific Repertory Theatre website.

It’s a full metal weekend at Jose’s Underground Lounge. The drumsticks fly fast and furious on Friday with death and thrash metal acts Praetorian, Remains of the Tyrant, Chasm of Illmen and Gorphyriac. 21+ (youngsters, check out tomorrow’s show). 8pm, 638 Wave Street, Monterey, $5.

Saturday

Get “In Touch With Sharks” at the Monterey Bay Aquarium with wildlife photographer and naturalist Chris Fallows. He’ll talk about his experiences photographing sharks in the wild, as well as other wildlife. Talks are at 11:30am, 1pm and 3pm in the auditorium and are included in the price of admission.

Take a docent-led hike at Garland Ranch Regional Park in Carmel Valley. The Maple Canyon to Mesa Hike is 3.5 miles with a moderate elevation gain of 800 feet and will take about 2.5 hours. Meet at the Garland Visitors Center. 12:30pm-3pm. It’s free but space is limited; register on the official MPRPD website.

“The Jungle Book, Jr.” continues at the Golden Bough Theatre, featuring all the classic songs such as “Bare Necessities” and “I Wanna Be Like You.” 2pm and 7:30pm, Monte Verde St. between 8th and 9th Avenues, Carmel-by-the-Sea. Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for students and teachers, and $7 for children and can be purchased at the official Pacific Repertory Theatre website.

The documentary “Shades and Stories of Monterey” shows what life was like in Monterey during the mid-20th century through the eyes of longtime residents. Get the inside scoop on the canning industry, the fishing industry, and much more from the people who lived it. 4pm, Steinbeck Forum at the Monterey Conference Center, One Portola Plaza. The screening is free, but seats are first-come, first-served; show up early!

Young metalheads, rejoice! Counter Clockwise World headline a great all-ages metal show today at Jose’s Underground Lounge, supported by Pride Subject, Hate for State and Miseria. 5pm-10pm, 638 Wave Street Monterey, $5.

Some of Monterey’s best live acts team up to raise money for Haiti at the “Hearts for Haiti” benefit concert. Acts include Carla Blackwell, SpectorDance, Red Beans & Rice and Jonah and the Whalewatchers; see the official website for a full list. 6:30pm-10pm, Embassy Suites, 1441 Canyon Del Rey, Seaside. Tickets at the door are $25 for adults and $20 for children 12 and under, military and senior citizens; you can save $5 each by buying your ticket online.

Afrobeat funksters Danjuma & Onola create a great party atmosphere with their bright, danceable music. They play Fernwood Resort tonight. 9pm, Highway One in Big Sur, no cover.

Sunday

If you missed it last weekend, catch “Very Barrie” at the Monterey Museum of Art La Mirada today. Listening Place reads two one-act plays by J.M. Barrie, author of Peter Pan. 1:30pm, 720 Via Mirada St., Monterey, included in museum admission fee.

See “The Jungle Book, Jr.” at the Golden Bough Theatre. 2pm and 7:30pm, Monte Verde St. between 8th and 9th Avenues, Carmel-by-the-Sea. Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for students and teachers, and $7 for children and can be purchased at the official Pacific Repertory Theatre website.

Friday

The Dixieland Monterey Festival is three days straight of great, traditional jazz and swing at the Monterey Conference Center and Portola Hotel & Spa in Monterey. Today’s live performances, on eight stages, run from 11:30am through 10:30pm and include the bands Titan Hot 7, Flambeau, B.E.D., Sweet Thursday Jazz Band, Vaché-Cocuzzi Quintet. Day badges are $40; all-weekend badges are $90. For the full listing, tickets and more information, see the official Dixieland Monterey website.

The Salinas First Fridays Art Walk has a number of new venues as well as the old standbys. In addition to the aforementioned art, there’s live performances as well as the occasional free food and drink. It’s family-friendly, fun, and free. 5-8pm, 100-300 blocks of Main Street and surrounding areas, Salinas.

Central Coast favorite rockers Mike Beck and the Bohemian Saints bring their Tom Petty-meets-The Byrds sound to the Turf Club at the Monterey County Fairgrounds for the March Hare at the Fair Dance Party. 21+. Includes a no-host bar and appetizers. 8pm, 2004 Fairground Road, Monterey. $10 at the door, $8 in advance and $5 for those with military ID.

The Smuin Ballet returns to the Sunset Center in Carmel. The program includes a world premiere of a new ballet by choreographer Amy Seiwert (see rehearsal video above), Michael Smuin’s Medea and the Sinatra-inspired “Fly Me to the Moon.” 8pm, San Carlos St. at 9th Avenue. $40 and $55; tickets can be purchased online or at the box office.

Local (and, unusually for the genre, female-heavy) hard rockers Granted Earth hold a CD release party tonight at Jose’s Underground Lounge that is guaranteed to be loud, rowdy and fun. Joining in the decibel-heavy celebration are the headbang-worthy Pride Subject, industrial-metallers Spacehooker and San Francisco speed metal act We Be the Echo. 9pm, 638 Wave Street Monterey, $5.

Saturday

Take a 2-3 hour hike along Garzas Creek and back exploring the “Fabulous Ferns and Flowers” of Garland Ranch Regional Park in Carmel Valley. This free hike is 3.3 miles with an elevation gain of about 530 feet. It’s limited to 15 people; register online at the official MPRPD registration page under “Free Hikes.”

Dixieland Monterey continues with live performances from the Royal Society Jazz Orchestra, Blue Street Jazz Band, Big Tiny Little Trio, The Midiri Brothers Sextet and more; see the full schedule here. 10am-11pm, Monterey Convention Center and Portola Plaza. Day badges are $55 and weekend badges are $90.

If you missed the Smuin Ballet at the Sunset Center on Friday night, you have two more chances today; the dancers repeat the program at 2pm and 8pm. Tickets are $40 and $55 and can be purchased online or at the box office.

Traditional bluegrass/folk band Microtonic Harmonic performs at Fernwood Resort on Highway One in Big Sur. 9pm, no cover.

Brisbane powerpop outfit Grand Atlantic (covering Beyonce’s Single Ladies above) have made a splash on Australia’s alternative radio network Triple J. Their diverse sound has been compared to everything from Swervedriver to Oasis to the Smashing Pumpkins. Tonight, they land at Jose’s Underground Lounge on their way to SXSW in Austin. They’re joined by Portland folkie Peter Kasen plays intricate guitar riffs behind heart-wrenching vocals, and San Francisco folk-rocker Deborah Crooks, who’s been compared to the Cowboy Junkies and Chrissie Hynde. This sounds like one of those bills where, five years from now, you’ll see them on the Grammys and say, “I saw them when they played at Jose’s.” 9pm, 638 Wave Street Monterey, $5.

Sunday

Dixieland Monterey concludes with live performances from Taking Stock with Jackson, Yve Evans, We3, Ivory & Gold, Big Mama Sue Quartet and more; see the full schedule here. 9am-4:30pm, Monterey Convention Center and Portola Plaza. Day badges are $40.

The Monterey Museum of Art and Reader’s Theater present two one-act plays by “Peter Pan” author J.M. Barrie. Reader’s Theater uses no sets, costumes or memorization and uses scripts openly during the performances. 1:30pm, 720 Via Mirada, Monterey, included in admission fee.

Watch the Oscars with like-minded cinephiles and actress Barbara Eden at the What A Night! Gala at the Inn at Spanish Bay in Pebble Beach. The black-tie gala includes a red-carpet entry, champagne, hors d’oeuvres, sit-down dinner, wine, and a silent auction. The Oscars will be shown on two big screens. 4:30pm, $195 per person or $185 for members of the Reel Friends of the Film Commission.

In 1893, an engineer at Thomas Edison’s Edison Laboratories released the first practical film camera. Just four years later, the first moving pictures were shot of Monterey, California. These historic first two films were recently placed online by the Library of Congress.

The Hotel Del Monte

The Hotel Del Monte was the forerunner to today’s Pebble Beach Corporation. Pebble Beach was originally a hunting and outdoor recreation area for guests of the Hotel Del Monte. In many ways, the Hotel Del Monte pioneered the entire resort concept, and it was considered the elite resort of its day.

This film was shot the same year the Hotel Del Monte opened the Del Monte Golf Course opened. It’s the oldest course in continual operation west of the Mississippi and paved the way for the world-famous Pebble Beach Golf Links, which opened 22 years later.

The building shown in the film above is actually the second Hotel Del Monte. The first one (shown below) burnt to the ground on May 1, 1887. The one shown in the film above was damaged in the 1906 earthquake but repaired. On October 28, 1924 it once again burnt to the ground. A new and very different building was constructed in 1926. In 1943, the Navy took over the property and used it to train soldiers for World War II. It is now the Naval Postgraduate School.

Photo of the original Hotel Del Monte, circa 1885. For a larger version, see Wikimedia Commons.