Thursday, April 23
Don’t Chatter
What is Ian F. Svenonious doing in a place like Carmel? Is he here to bring the capitalist establishment to its knees? Or is he running some kind of underground meetup? Either way, he’s here. Leftists rejoice. He comes as his musical persona, billed as Name Names, to the Fadeaway Session at Bud’s at La Playa to spin some interesting and perhaps revolutionary music. The Los Angelino is not only a talented musician behind rock ‘n’ roll combos such as Escape-ism, Chain & the Gang and the Make-Up, but he’s also a satirist and author of essays like Against the Written Word and Censorship Now!! Come hear what he’s spinning, we promise it’s only music. [SC]
6pm Thursday, April 23. Bud’s at La Playa, Camino Real and 8th, Carmel. Free. (800) 582-8900, fadeawaysessions.com.
Friday, April 24
Zen House
Mark Farina is always ready to perform and create music, probably because he’s always in the zone. He must have some kind of meditation practice and it must be behind turntables; that’s just from observing the way he DJs. According to his bio, he doesn’t stop touring and his next stop leads him to another house for house music: Monterey’s Compact Disco. But there’s a twist in Farina’s sound because he also loves jazz and has blended all of his influences together into something he calls Mushroom Jazz. Things may get sonically weird when he’s performing, or perhaps you’ll find some kind of musical enlightenment. [SC]
7pm Friday, April 24. Compact Disco, 420 Tyler St., Monterey. $30. Ages 21+. (831) 920-2518, compactdisco.org.
Sing Along
First, the good news for movie-lovers who know that movies in the theater are better than movies seen from your couch: After a months-long hiatus, Lighthouse Cinema is back to showing movies. Second, the good news for people who can’t help but sing along to the soundtrack – at this screening of The Sound of Music, you are expected to belt it out. Lyrics will be shown on screen, so you do not have to test your memory, just your enthusiasm. This is the first in what Monterey Peninsula Voices hopes becomes a series benefitting the choir. [SR]
7-9:30pm Friday, April 24. Lighthouse Cinema, 525 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove. $15. (831) 717-3124, mpvoices.org.
Friday, April 24-Sunday, April 26
To the Beet
Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beet… woah, wait. The ghost-with-the-most isn’t quite ready to be summoned just yet. Better wait until it’s showtime. The Peppy Garner and Darnell Whitt School of Dramatic Arts presents Beetlejuice Jr., a musical adaptation of the hit 1988 movie starring Michael Keaton. Grieving teen Lydia Deetz moves to a house haunted by a recently deceased couple and the demon himself. Chaos ensues, with plenty of dark humor, true to the source material. The cast of young performers bring the energy and comedy unique to this classic. [EC]
7pm Fridays-Saturdays; 2pm Saturday-Sundays, April 24-May 16. Founders Theatre, Golden Bough Playhouse, Monte Verde between 8th and 9th, Carmel. $11-$31. (831) 622-0100, pacrep.org.
Saturday, April 25
Cultural Showcase
Asian heritage, history and local traditions are to be celebrated. The nonprofit ACES (Asian Cultural Experiences of Salinas) is hosting its 17th annual fair to honor the multicultural identity of Salinas Chinatown, with a focus on the Chinese, Japanese and Filipino immigrant communities. The day will be filled with performances and interactive experiences, think Chinese lion dances and martial arts demonstrations, as well as Filipino folk dances featuring bamboo pole performances and traditional instruments. And for your appetite: a world of amazing foods – from Filipino dishes like lumpia and pancit to Chinese noodles and dumplings, along with Japanese-inspired rice bowls. Enjoy the full experience trying the food, watching performances and learning more about Asian Americans in our area. [KR]
11am-4pm Saturday, April 25. Buddhist Temple of Salinas, 14 California St., Salinas. Free; free parking and shuttle access at Salinas Adult School, 20 Sherwood Place. salinasace.org/acf.
Hippie Lit
Brita Ostrom is a longtime Esalen Institute practitioner, psychotherapist, somatic educator and founding member of the Esalen Massage School. She is also the author of a newly published memoir titled Steeped: A Big Sur Elixir of Sulfur and Sage. She reads from her book, reflecting on when she began teaching at Esalen in the 1960s. The memoir chronicles her journey to Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco and ultimately to the Esalen Institute, where she focused on self-discovery, alternative relationships and body awareness. The event includes snacks, music and a Q&A session. [AS]
1-3:30pm Saturday, April 25. Henry Miller Memorial Library, 48603 Highway 1, Big Sur. Free. (831) 667-2574, henrymiller.org.
Free Speech
This story starts in 2021 in Texas, where a state representative released a list of books to be removed from school libraries. In response, a national movement of librarians began organizing to resist legislative and cultural efforts that included restricting content centering LGBTQ+ or racial themes. Most of us take public libraries and their immense free resources for granted. But in recent years, librarians have become first responders in the assault on the freedom of speech and attempts to ban books seen as controversial. During National Libraries Week, libraries around the country are celebrating by screening a 2025 documentary, The Librarians, devoted to those preserving your freedom to read. Monterey Public Library joins in with a screening. [AP]
2pm Saturday, April 25. Monterey Public Library, 625 Pacific St., Monterey. Free. (831) 646-3933, monterey.gov/library/events.
Moonlit Music
From Ludwig van Beethoven’s haunting “Piano Sonata No. 14,” or as it’s commonly known, “Moonlight Sonata,” to Franz Liszt’s “Mephisto Waltz No. 1,” Frederic Chopin’s “Nocturne No. 20” and Earl Wild’s “Grande Fantasy on Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess,” Russian pianist Ilya Yakushev’s performance is bound to give listeners chills of the welcomed variety. The award-winning performer has entranced audiences all over the world with his captivating style and strong stage presence. He brings that bold energy and wide-ranging musical selection to the Carmel Music Society. [AS]
7pm Saturday, April 25. Sunset Center, San Carlos and 9th, Carmel. $45-$60. (831) 620-2048, carmelmusic.org.
Feel the Passion
This is a story you probably know (Pope Leo sure does; Donald Trump, we aren’t so sure). Jesus is arrested and faces Pontius Pilate for a trial. As told in the Gospel of John, Jesus – he of divine origin – already knows how the story will end. It’s probably not a spoiler alert for us to tell you how it ends – he will be put to death via crucifixion. Yes, this is probably the story best known and most retold in the West, but there is no telling quite like J.S. Bach’s St. John Passion, which operatically puts this dramatic story on stage. This work premiered on Good Friday in Leipzig in 1724. Three-hundred years later, it is still poignant, and local baroque group I Cantori di Carmel takes on this masterwork with a small choir and period instruments. [SR]
7:30pm Saturday, April 25. All Saints’ Episcopal Church, 9th and Dolores, Carmel. $45; $25/students, teachers, military, youth under 30; $10/children 12 and under. (831) 644-8012, icantori.org.
Chaotic Fun
Maybe you feel like you need to reduce stress, boost your immune system or simply have a fun time. A good old belly laugh can help achieve all of the above. Getting in your laughs during a live performance – one in which the story is made live, on the spot – is even more exhilarating. Controlled Chaos is a local improv group, and these comic performers will take the stage and riff. The audience actively participates, aiding comedians with words, plot twists and places to incorporate in the show. Get ready to laugh out loud. [CJ]
7-9pm Saturday, April 25. California’s First Theatre, Pacific Street at Scott Street, Monterey. $29. (831) 646-1188, comedyvarietyshowcase.com.
Sunday, April 26
Get Earthy
Life on our planet has taken several death blows. Remember the dinosaurs? No, you don’t, obviously. And there have been many near-death events. Hear – and see – all about it in a live talk featuring big screen highlights from the Netflix documentary series Our Planet. Dan Tapster, the showrunner for such acclaimed series as Life of Mammals, MythBusters, The Dinosaurs, Our Planet and Life On Our Planet, presents a look at the science behind the Earth’s greatest hits (and near misses), as well as the techniques used by documentarians to recreate those extinct giant lizards. A Q&A follows. If you want to experience nature with as much art, but less violence, take part in a nature printing workshop with artist Elizabeth Murray. It starts with a look at her current exhibit of work reflecting kinship with the Earth, then on to the workshop. Print from tree rounds, leaves and feathers to create your own piece of reverence for the planet to hang on the wall. [DF]
12:30-2:30pm (Nature Printing Workshop); 3pm (Life On Our Planet Live Talk) Sunday, April 26. Marjorie Evans Gallery (workshop), Sunset Center theater (talk), San Carlos and 9th, Carmel. $20/workshop; $25-$60/talk. (831) 620-2048, sunsetcenter.org.
For the Children
Mothers, fathers and even grandparents have their days to be celebrated. What about the children? North Monterey County Unified School District has set aside a day just for them with the Día del Niño Festival de Familia/Day of the Child Family Festival. The event is designed to celebrate children, culture and community, with fun activities including games, raffles, prizes, a STEAM lab, mobile health clinic, food and live performances. This year the festival also includes a car show. [PM]
12:30-5:30pm Sunday, April 26. North Monterey County High School, 13990 Castroville Blvd., Castroville. Cash donations accepted at the gate. (831) 633-3343, nmcusd.org.
Tuesday, April 28
Liberty for All
Constitutional scholar Jeffrey Rosen is coming to Carmel to talk about how the Constitution has guided our nation through its most turbulent periods. Rosen is a writer and professor who has spent his career making the U.S. Constitution and Supreme Court accessible to everyday Americans. He teaches law at George Washington University and has written nine books – a couple of which became New York Times bestsellers – covering topics ranging from the way the Founders thought about power in America to the life of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. For over a decade, he led the National Constitution Center, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to civic education, before stepping back from that role in early 2026. His local appearance is the annual Carmel Public Library Foundation’s fundraiser. [AP]
7pm Tuesday, April 28. Sunset Center, San Carlos and 9th, Carmel. $45-$175. (831) 624-2811, carmelpubliclibraryfoundation.org.
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