Jan – Feb – Mar – Apr – May – Jun – Jul – Aug – Sep – Oct – Nov – Dec
Ongoing, Annual, weekly or monthly Events click HERE – Non-Profit Events and Fundraisers, click HERE*
*Due to COVID-19 precautions, several events and businesses in Monterey County have been affected.
Events are subject to change or cancellation at any time without notice.
May 4, 11, 18, 25
Carmel by the Sea Farmers Market
The Market features local certified organic fresh farm produce, eggs, plants, fresh cut flowers, and specialty items such as olive oil, hummus, pizza and bread. Green Waste Recovery provides a yellow food scrap bin for compostable items and Sustainable Carmel is often onsite to answer any question regarding composting and recycling. Community Groups can also be seen at the Market working to improve local issues, as well as those with a larger impact.
May 5 – 7
Trans Am Speedfest
The Trans Am Series has been thrilling fans and drivers alike since 1966, with a range of classes that include production-based entries all the way up to the iconic 850-plus horsepower Trans Am class. Come see America’s muscle like Mustangs, Camaros, and Challengers competing against European-based Audi and Mercedes-AMG for racing honors on Monterey County’s iconic race course, Trans Am’s spiritual Monterey home. Supporting the modern-day racing is a full grid of the original Historic Trans Am racers of the past that made the series so dominating. These historic Trans Am cars of the ‘60s and ‘70s will once again roar to life on the same track where driving legends once competed in door-to-door and paint-swapping action.
May 6 – 7
64th Annual Good Old Days Street Festival
64th Annual Good Old Days Street Festival is Pacific Grove’s premier community event and is returning to downtown Pacific Grove the first weekend of May! Each year this FREE event draws a great crowd of locals and visitors, rain or shine! Vendors from multiple states display their arts and crafts alongside a wide variety of food booths stretched down historic Lighthouse Avenue, the largest gathering of arts and crafts vendors in Monterey County.
May 12 – 14
Motul Course De Monterey
America’s premier sports car series descends on the track with intense racing and incredible fields of cars battling for championship points. The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship brings its top classes, cars and drivers to Monterey in Spring 2023 with all teams in contention for the Motul Course de Monterey. While not watching the wheel-to-wheel racing and daring passes, there’s plenty of family fun to experience, including go karts, a Ferris Wheel, kids zone, autograph sessions and more. The whole family can also explore the open paddock, see race cars and their drivers up close, and enjoy the remarkable trademark of the event – the open Grid Walk before the race starts.
May 13
Sun, Wind & Wine Festival
Your favorite growers and vintners all from the Santa Lucia Highlands pour some of the world’s best Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sparklers and Syrah – all from the Santa Lucia Highlands at the 15th Santa Lucia Highlands Wine Artisans Sun, Wind & Wine Festival. For many of our artisan vintners, this is their one public tasting of the year. The jewel of Monterey County just south of the beautiful Monterey Peninsula and famous destinations like Pebble Beach and Carmel-by-the-Sea, our cool, coastal wine growing region features small producers focused on single-vineyard designated wines and a handful of charming tasting rooms with stunning views of the Salinas Valley.
May 17
The Electric Light Orchestra
Evil Woman, The American ELO is widely recognized as the world’s premier tribute to ELO due to their brilliant arrangements, flawless musicianship & superlative vocals. Picking up where the Beatles left off in 1970, the UK-based ELO expanded the concept of great melodies, epic song structures and grand orchestrations where cellos coexisted with guitars, and where classically tinged progressive rock intersected with hook-filled, radio-friendly pop songs resulting in ELO becoming one of the most popular groups of the 1970’s and perhaps even more so today. Numerous hit songs including Evil Woman, Telephone Line, Mr. Blue Sky, Xanadu, Livin’ Thing, Don’t Bring Me Down among numerous others.
May 18 – 21
Salinas Valley Fair
The Salinas Valley Fair is an annual tradition that celebrates the people and heritage of our Salinas Valley. Enjoy the atmosphere of an old-fashioned county fair, complete with carnival, bull-riding, craft and 4-H exhibit, music and more.
May 19 – 21
Carmel Art Festival
We will celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Carmel Art Festival on May 19-21, 2023. This plein air event is a non-profit public benefit community event held to educate and inspire people of all ages about the visual arts. For the past few years, we have donated funds to the Youth Arts Collective which over its two decades on the Monterey Peninsula has provided studio and exhibition opportunities to over 800 local youths. Our donation goes towards gallery space, supplies, personal and long term mentoring, art and life skills instruction and many other benefits supplied by YAC. Many galleries in Carmel-by-the-Sea schedule their own art shows, receptions, painting and sculpture demonstrations to coincide with the Carmel Art Festival.
May 25 – 28
California Roots Festival
The California Roots Festival is a three-day event packed with live music, fantastic food, refreshing beverages, creative artwork and sustainable practices. Reggae acts from around the globe culminate at the Monterey County Fair & Event Center for good vibes during the Memorial Day weekend. Cali Roots is not just a music festival, it’s a multi-layered experience, curated for music lovers who want to bring more than just stage performance memories home. Sure, we deliver the best of the best in music – our stages are consistently stacked with the who’s who in the reggae rock & conscious hip-hop genres with acts of today and tomorrow – but that’s not all that makes up our identity! We are proud of all the accomplishments we have made as a community, purposefully implementing initiatives that to further enhance the overall festival experience. As an event and a community we will continue to grow, stretching our branches while always remaining true to our California Roots.
May 27
Science Saturday- Native Plant Party
In May we are celebrating native California plants, their cool qualities, and the important roles they play in local ecosystems which benefit us and the wildlife with which we share the world! Come to learn about what native plants you can cultivate in your own garden and explore our Native Plant Garden area.
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EVENTS THAT EXIST BELOW THIS LINE ARE FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR
LISTED UNTIL THE DATE FOR THE CURRENT YEAR CAN BE CONFIRMED
2022
May 14 – 15
Rusty Roots Show
Rusty Roots Show is a world Famous traveling Junk Show with vendors from all over the United States and Europe bringing you the best junk around.
May 21
Junior Naturalist Club – River Otters!
Andrea A. Treece from the River Otter Ecology Project monitoring program joins the Junior Naturalists this month to talk river otters! We will explore river otter behavior, socialization, conservation, and whether river otters will soon return to their historical habitats in Monterey County. To become a member of the Junior Naturalist Club, go to https://www.pgmuseum.org/junior-naturalist
May 28
Science Saturday – Day of the Dino
Let’s learn about prehistoric organisms as we travel back in time for Day of the Dino!
May 28 – Jul 23
Artist in the Galleries: Corinne Whitaker
Artist in the Galleries is an opportunity to meet and engage with artists in the exhibition space. Visit the museum on select Saturdays from 2 pm to 3 pm to speak with artist Corinne Whitaker about her exhibition Corinne Whitaker: Digital Mindscapes.
May 1
First Friday
Join us every month on the 1st Friday from 6:00-9:00 pm. Look for the green flags to signify participating businesses. Pacific Grove Art Center open from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. For more information, contact Artisana Gallery at (831) 655-9775 or firstfridaypg@gmail.com
May 22
Jazz at Lincoln Center Live Webcast of Bobby McFerrin
Please join us at Sunset Center’s Studio 105 for this free, live webcast event. Reservations are required and can be obtained by clicking the Buy Tickets button above or by calling the Sunset Center Box Office at 831.620.2048. No purchase is necessary, but you must complete an order to secure your spot.
May 26
Mariza
Portuguese fado vocalist Mariza has risen from a local phenomenon, known only to a small circle of admirers in Lisbon, to one of the most widely acclaimed stars of world music. It all started with her first album, Fado em Mim, released in 2001, which quickly led to a number of high-profile international concerts and ultimately earned her BBC Radio 3’s award for Best European Artist in the World Music category. No Portuguese artist since Amalia Rodrigues has experienced such a triumphant international career, with countless fans, rave reviews, and numerous awards and distinctions. Mariza has mastered the roots of her musical career and developed into a universal artist who opens herself to the world without ever losing her heartfelt sense of Portuguese identity.
