Hot Picks 03.20.25

Thursday, March 20

Fool Us

Jen Kramer knows all the tricks: palming, sleight-of-hand, force, misdirection, you name it. She can choose the card you’re thinking of without looking at it, all the while making you laugh as she works her magic (a classic misdirection technique). Kramer, who headlines her own show in Las Vegas, brings the seemingly impossible to Golden State Theatre. She’s enjoyed numerous awards, including Female Magician of the Year by the International Magicians Society, and been featured on many television shows. Unless you’re one half of the famous magician duo Penn and Teller, you won’t be able to figure out Kramer’s techniques – and that is magical. [EC]

8pm Thursday, March 20. Golden State Theatre, 417 Alvarado St., Monterey. $27-$95. 649-1070, goldenstatetheatre.com.

Friday, March 21

Movies in the Park

It’s spring, and that means it is not too soon to bring back a family-friendly outdoor tradition – Movies in the Park. The first one this year is Moana 2, featuring the beloved, intrepid title character in ancient Polynesia. In this 2024 sequel, she receives an unexpected call from her ancestors; being Moana, she rises to meet the call and faces challenges on an adventure that ensues. Beyond the movie itself (running time of 100 minutes, rated PG – and, notably, selected via a public nomination process), this event series is about bringing the community together. Bring your own blankets, chairs and picnic (no alcohol permitted) and post up on the grass to soak in a quality film from the big screen. [SR]

Dusk (about 6-6:30pm) Friday, March 21. Laguna Grande Park, Canyon Del Rey Boulevard, Seaside. Free. 899-6803, ci.seaside.ca.us.

Puzzling it

Puzzle lovers will have a chance to work against the clock and complete a 500-piece puzzle in under two-and-a-half hours. If you don’t get a spot in the competition, you can still have some fun watching participants sweat and battle it out while putting the pieces together. Or if you are a slower-paced puzzler, you can still participate in a puzzle exchange, swapping a puzzle or picking one from the available options (bringing a puzzle isn’t required). Each team can have up to five participants. Refreshments and prizes will be available. [CJ]

6-8:30pm Friday, March 21. Marina Branch Library, 190 Seaside Circle, Marina. Free; registration required. 204-0513, cocomoeller@gmail.com.

Saturday, March 22

Waterfall Walk

With spring on the horizon and the rain giving the mountains a nice spritz, it’s the perfect time of year to go out and explore our local parks. The Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District is organizing a waterfall walk and picnic by the stream in a special spot at Garland Ranch Regional Park. Led by one of their program coordinators, visitors will meet at the Garland Ranch Visitor Center to shuttle out to Kahn Ranch, a 1,100-acre property with additional trail access along Garland’s southeastern boundary, parts of which typically require a permit to access. The walk will be on the shorter side – roughly one mile with about a 100-foot elevation change – through forests, intersecting streams, and leading to a spot to enjoy your own packed lunch. This event is limited to 10 participants, so be sure to reserve your spot on the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District website under “Let’s Go Outdoors!” before March 21. [KR]

10am-1:30pm Saturday, March 22. Garland Ranch Regional Park, 700 W. Carmel Valley Road, Carmel Valley. Free. 372-3196, mprpd.org/let-s-go-outdoors.

Horse Heaven

Sadly not all those who own horses treat them well, or are able to take care of them as they get older. Enter Sea Star Horse Sanctuary, which is just east of Highway 1 by Point Lobos. A nonprofit founded in 2017, Sea Star provides a lifetime sanctuary for aging, injured or abandoned horses, as well as equine-assisted learning for people of all ages to help promote empathy, among other things. Sea Star is holding its annual fundraiser at Mopane in the Crossroads, where there will be a silent auction that includes a range of items such as horse-themed artwork, crafts, jewelry and more, and visitors can also enjoy appetizers, sample local wines and share lively conversation as soft guitar music gently fills the room. [DS]

1-4pm Saturday, March 22. Mopane, 200 Crossroads Blvd., Carmel. Free. 595-2185, info@seastarhorsesanctuary.org, seastarhorsesanctuary.org.

Monterey Dreams

Another Ensemble Monterey Chamber Orchestra “dream” concert is upon us. “A Dream of Tomorrow” is part of 2024/2025 A Season of Dreams series. The concert includes three contemporary compositions and 100 performers will play. Soprano Lori Schulman returns to solo in Christopher Cerrone’s “The Pieces That Fall to Earth.” Cerrone is a winner of both the Pulitzer Prize and the Rome Prize. The vocal ensemble Cantiamo! performs Jocelyn Hagen’s “The Notebooks of Leonardo de Vinci,” a revolutionary new multimedia work, conducted by Cheryl Anderson. Those who can’t attend in person can stream the concert at 6pm the following day ($30). The season is dedicated to Ruth Hartmann, whose longstanding and enthusiastic support has been pivotal in Ensemble Monterey’s journey. [AP]

7pm Saturday, March 22. First Presbyterian Church, 501 El Dorado St., Monterey. $60/general admission; $50/seniors; $20/students; $10/children. 333-1283, ensemblemonterey.org.

Saturday-Sunday, March 22-23

Get Your Brick On

There’s nothing quite like Lego. Well, there’s Mega Bloks, but you can’t help but wonder why you’re not building with the OG plastic interlocking blocks instead. Lego made blocky structures cool long before Minecraft. Lego fans are some of the most dedicated people out there to their craft, and their finished masterpieces are a sight to behold. BrickUniverse brings some of the top Lego artists on tour to showcase their building techniques and works of art. Kids and adults can learn from the masters themselves as they build their own creations. You’ll walk away inspired, and know the definition of a minifig and what the acronym BURP stands for. [EC]

10am-5pm Saturday, March 22; 10am-4pm Sunday, March 23. Monterey Conference Center, 1 Portola Plaza, Monterey. $17/in advance; $20/at the door; free/children under 4 with paying adults. brickuniverseusa.com.

Gate Keepers

Say the Major League all-star teams held practice sessions and then opened the gates to allow fans to watch the game for free. Never happen, you say? Probably not – at least when it comes to baseball. But for 25 years, some of the top performers in classic music have descended on Carmel Valley for intensive, invitation-only workshops. When those are over, the Golden Gate Chamber Players swing open the doors for two free concerts. That’s right, open to the public, at no cost. The lineup of musicians changes year to year, just like an all-star team. But this time, they aren’t in it for the money. It’s all about the love of music. [DF]

4pm Saturday-Sunday, March 22-23. Hidden Valley Music Seminars, 104 W. Carmel Valley Road, Carmel Valley. Free. 659-3115, hiddenvalleymusic.org.

Wednesday, March 26

Listen Up

Can we talk in the heat of current domestic and world affairs? In 2025, it seems to be more difficult than ever. Join a dialogue with CSU Monterey Bay’s own Patrick Belanger. As a professor of communication studies, Belanger teaches and researches the interface of communication, culture and ethics, with a focus on ideology and collective identity. His classes emphasize public advocacy, environmental politics and multicultural conflict resolution, media, ethics and dialogue across boundaries. The event is part of the Fireside Chat at the Library series. As of press time it’s sold out, but you can still register to watch a video recording. [AP]

6:30pm Wednesday, March 26. Harrison Memorial Library, The Reading Room, Ocean Avenue and Lincoln Street, Carmel. Free; registration required. 624-4629, carmelpubliclibraryfoundation.org.

HOT PICKS by Sloan Campi, Erik Chalhoub, Dave Faries, Celia Jiménez, Pam Marino, Agata Popęda, Katie Rodriguez, Sara Rubin and David Schmalz.