In times abundant in arts and culture events—that is every fall—it makes sense to take a big-picture look at what’s coming up our way eventswise, pick stuff you don’t want to miss and plan ahead to get where you want to be and see what you want to see.
Agata Popęda here. The Weekly is back with our annual Fall Arts Calendar, a guide to arts and culture during this traditionally busy season for local venues—busy to the point that we were forced to leave many fun happenings out due to space.
This year, I’m most excited about the Monterey Jazz Festival (which concludes its 2025 run today, Sept. 28), all Halloween activities, and—as always—Christmas in the Adobes.
To me, Monterey County seems more lively than ever, with so many new venues and places added since I moved here in 2021. There are new venues around—from Wendi Kirby Music in Monterey to Pop & Hiss in Pacific Grove, both adding more music to our lives.
When it comes to theater, the Golden Bough Playhouse has reopened with two stages (Founders Theatre and Circle Theatre), New Canon conquered hearts and the Enchantrix theatrical group developed. Golden State Theatre is bringing musicians and comedians to town each weekend, Fox Theater in Salinas has a steady schedule of events, and even Lighthouse Cinema in Pacific Grove has a new owner and big plans. Oktoberfest is being celebrated this year more than ever, California’s First Theatre gets more utilized and even Osio Theater in Monterey might be coming back. In 2025, we welcomed at least two new festivals—Future is Now Jazz Festival and the PhotoCarmel festival.
In the Fall Arts Calendar, find a lineup of events to choose from—concerts, festivals, spectacles—from now until the end of the year. In our updated online calendar, you can find hundreds more events—workshops, book talks and various gatherings.
We hope this calendar will be helpful in deciding what not to miss. (For more details and up-to-date information, check the Hot Picks section in the print edition of the Weekly, or our digital calendar at montereycountynow.com/events. You can also post your own events there.)
Keep in mind that attending events helps support Monterey County’s artistic culture—and has the potential to transform attendees’ lives, as well.
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