2008 :
JAN |
FEB |
MAR |
APR |
MAY |
JUN |
JUL |
AUG |
SEP |
OCT |
NOV |
DEC
2009 :
JAN |
FEB |
MAR |
APR |
MAY |
JUN |
JUL |
AUG |
SEP |
OCT |
NOV |
DEC
Throughout the year many events and festivals take place in Carmel-by-the-Sea, Carmel Valley and in and around the Monterey Peninsula. Check out the upcoming fun activities and things to do in our area:
This exciting week will kick off with a Caber Parade featuring Scottish dancers, bagpipers and drummers in Carmel along Ocean Avenue. Later that afternoon, the 4th Annual Monterey Bay School of Piping and Drumming, will begin.Pub Night will be held with informal performances by the piping and drumming instructors.Celtic Concert at the Stevenson School Auditorium, featuring the world class bagpipe instructors from Scotland, Irish dancers, and other Celtic performers. 41st Annual Monterey Scottish Games and Celtic Festival at Monterey County Toro Park to be held July 5 and 6.
Festival celebrating Scottish and Irish traditions and culture, featuring bagpiping and drumming, clans, British food, special entertainment and exciting competitions in Highland and Irish dancing, pipe bands and athletics.
The Equestrian Classics host competitors from all over the U.S., Canada and Mexico for two weeks of spectacular show jumping highlighted by special events, wine tasting and family fun.
July 18 - 20, 2008
Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix and MotoGP World Championship
One of the top events in international motorcycling, the MotoGP World Championship races into Monterey when Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca hosts the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix.
America's preeminent festival of Baroque music will celebrate its 69th season with 100 musicians from around the world, performing in venues including Sunset Center, Carmel Mission Basilica, Church in the Forest, Pebble Beach, and All Saints Church, Carmel.
Gourmet garlic food fair with arts and crafts, cooking demonstrations, children's area, three stages of musical entertainment and booths serving up foods laced with over two tons of garlic.
Spirit West Coast is the premier annual Christian music festival on the West Coast, inviting everyone to hear more than 100 concerts and teaching sessions.
National Steinbeck Center, Salinas
831-775-4737 www.steinbeck.org
Four days of films, speakers, panels, theater, and bus or walking tours, all celebrating Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck.
Celebrate Monterey's Wine Country at the Historic Custom House Plaza in downtown Monterey. Taste world class wines from over 45 Monterey County wineries and boogie to the tunes of the Dennis Murphy Band. Enjoy educational wine seminars, an extraordinary wine auction and local restaurant delicacies.
This event is the world's largest sports and racing car auction, offering an unparalleled roster of significant, historic and exotic cars of exceptional quality. Coinciding with the famed Pebble Beach Concours D'Elegance, this auction continues to attract thousands of automobile enthusiasts and participants from around the world.. Viewing available over three days, held at the Portola Plaza Hotel and Monterey Conference Center.
The Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races are a tribute of motor racing history, historic automobiles and the people who made them. Each year, more than 375 of the finest historic race and sports cars are entered in 14 race groups that span nearly every era of motorsports history.
This spectacular event exhibits some of the most unusual prewar and postwar marques along with the latest in concept car designs, all in the beautiful setting of Pebble Beach.
This is serious sandcastle building: the event, held on Carmel's lovely white-sand beach, is co-sponsored by the Monterey chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
Saturday afternoon-into-evening four-hour race featuring the season finale for the prestigious American Le Mans Series. The series features Le Mans prototypes and GT cars, many of which compete and win in the world-famous 24 Hours of Le Mans. The weekend schedule will include IMSA's Porsche GT3 series and the Star Mazda series.
The Callaway Golf Pebble Beach Invitational has long claimed a unique mantle as the world's only tournament that matches players from the PGA, the LPGA, the Champions, and Nationwide Tours in head-to-head competition for the same purse - and also matches teams of four amateurs with a different pro each day.
December 2008
The 81st Annual Miniature Painting Exhibition
Carmel Art Association
Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93923
831-624-6176
The Annual Miniature Show features small paintings and miniatures in a variety of styles and subject matter by the Carmel Art Association artist membership.
Enjoy 2 weeks of wine tastings, wine-pairing sessions, and wine auctions, plus gourmet dinners and much more, including a gala finale at the National Steinbeck Center featuring gourmet food sampling from over 20 local restaurants and wine tasting from more than 35 Monterey County wineries, silent auction, reverse draw and more. Attire is Dressy Casual. Prices and venues vary.
Many species of cetaceans - including the trio of "great whales," the gray, the blue and the humpback - make their way through the ocean currents not far from Monterey Bay. This new educational festival all about gray whales, held on Monterey's Fisherman's Wharf, will be packed with information and fun.
Monterey Swingfest 2009
Social Dance Galore. Jack & Jill Contests. 3 Pro-Am Contests and open dancing until 5am.
The world's leading international summit of the best food and wines. Rare wine tasting and food prepared by the best chefs in the world, including Roy Yamaguchi of Roy's and Charlie Trotter, plus cooking demonstrations, great meals and more.
The AT & T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am is a 72-hole PGA Tour golf championship with 180 top tour professionals and 180 star-studded celebrity amateurs competing head-to-head at this year's event.
Explore the wineries of Monterey County! You'll be ready to navigate the region with a 'passport' that entitles you to wine tastings, entertainment, special offers and great prizes.
20th Annual Whale of an Art Show
Monterey - Custom House Plaza
831- 625-0931
The Whale of an Art Show returns to downtown Monterey at Custom House Plaza State Park. Sixty five Contemporary artists will exhibit their latest creations in this historic outdoor gallery across from the Wharf. Event is free and open to the public 10-5 daily.
The 20th annual Art on the Plaza returns to downtown Monterey at Custom House Plaza State Park featuring contemporary arts and crafts by 60 exhibitors at this historic outdoor gallery across from Fisherman's Wharf.
Three days of Dixieland, Swing, and other forms of classic jazz at venues in downtown Monterey and Fisherman's Wharf. Featuring top national Jazz artists, local youth bands and more.
This previously annual event has been internationally recognized as one of the most spectacular gatherings of celebrated chefs and winemakers. Masters of Food & Wine features rare vertical wine tastings, unique culinary demonstrations by acclaimed chefs, and extravagant luncheons and dinners. This reinaugural will be held this year at the Pebble Beach Resorts. More information to follow as available.
Celebrate a bygone era with a parade, a Victorian fashion show, numerous contests, street dance, and the California Police Motorcycle Competition. It's one of the county's largest arts and crafts shows, with more than 225 arts and food vendors.
Prepared with the collaborative efforts of the Monterey Bay Chapter of the California Native Plant Society, presenting over 600 species and varieties of Central California wildflowers at PG's Museum of Natural History.
Vineyards and winemakers from the Chalone Appellation present their finest wines - complemented by hors d'oeuvres and nibbles by nine of Monterey County's top restaurants - at the Inn at the Pinnacles, at the foot of Pinnacles National Monument.
The 39th Annual National High School Jazz Competition, presented by The Monterey Jazz Festival. The spotlight is on young up-and-coming jazz musicians who will no doubt impact and shape the future of jazz music.
Called the Bikestock of North America, this massive cycling event features fun rides, road racing, mountain bike racing, BMX racing, kids events, and a consumer tradeshow that highlights the latest in cycling hardware, clothing and goods. Racers range from first timers to Olympic champions.
Concours d'Elegance which hosts a entire week of special parties, fashion shows, car auctions and a gathering of international car clubs, including many celebrity golfers and actors who all contribute to the charity fundraiser.
The Pebble Beach Equestrian Center has a complete line-up of annual events that bring horses and riders from around the world to compete in these elegant and well-known gatherings.
The beach at Monterey's Wharf II will be wall-to-wall kayaks during this special one-day festival. More than 100 kayaks from five manufacturers will be available for a 'test drive,' with mini-classes and information about kayaking and marine eco-tourism.
10th Annual Marina International Festival of the Winds
Kite Flying,Hang Gliding, Live Music and Entertainment, Food and Vendor Booths, Kite Making Workshops, Giant Inflatable Air Park, Wind-Related Kids Crafts, Science and Technology Tent, Crime Stoppers Free Children's Fingerprinting, A.J. Robinson Free Medical Screening, Volunteer Firefighter's Pancake Breakfast.
Level A horse show, featuring hunter jumping and other classes. Rated "A" by the American Horse Show Association, this show is perfect for setting up for the next round of preparedness in the quest for equestrian excellence as trainers, riders and horses move closer to the excitement of the big summer shows!
Gallery events, lectures, receptions and demonstrations at 43 art galleries in addition to a plein air painting competition. Outdoor art show at Devendorf Park featuring bronze, glass, stone, marbles and acrylic sculpture.
U.S. Sports Car Invitational - 2009 Monterey Festival of Speed
The Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, featuring wheel-to-wheel and fender-bending action of more than 50 Daytona Prototypes and GT sports cars. Watch established stars and up-and-comers battle for the win. If that isn't enough, the Grand-Am KONI Challenge series is a proving ground for nearly 60 production based sportscars.
Oldies music & classic car show featuring hundreds of pre 1972 classic American and European cars and trucks accompanied by classic music from the 50's and 60's.
33rd Annual Monterey Wine and Fine Living Festival
Monterey
888-814-WINE
Enjoy the finest wines from California drawn by a combination of world-class wine, educational seminars presented by industry leaders, cooking demonstrations by distinguished chefs, a live wine auction, and exquisite dining. More than 120 California wineries will be pouring more than 800 wines.
Over 50 Hot Blues Bands such as: Joe Louis Walker, 4 Kings of R&B, Ike & Val, Chris Cain, Shemekia Copeland, Barbara Morrison, Buddy Guy, Lil Jimmy Reed, Eddie Cotton Jr., The Whispers, Canned Heat, The Players Club, Bobby Murray's All-Star Review, John Meuller, UpsideDownside and MORE! 3 Stages of unforgettable music.
The town of Seaside starts Independence Day celebrations off early, with its 57th annual parade and Festival of Patriots. There's a community-wide party to follow, with top bands, delicious barbecue and a giant inflatables park for the kids.
For more information about things to do during your Carmel-by-the-Sea/Monterey vacation visit:
Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau (888) 221-1010 www.montereyinfo.org
Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce (831) 649-1770 www.mpcc.com
Carmel Tourist Information Center (831) 624-1711
Carmel Chamber of Commerce (831) 659-4000 www.carmelchamber.com
