Friday, April 25
Ash-shi‘r al-‘arabīyy
Encounter the magic of Arabic music and poetry and their traditional union. The musicians are Rafid Yalda, an Iraqi-American master performer of the nay (reed flute) from Baghdad, and Ealaph Tabbaa, a bassoonist from Carmel. The poets are Mumtaz Tabbaa and Rana Issa, a writer and translator who specializes in Arabic poetry, respectively. Tabbaa is a local doctor in his daily life. Arabic music and poetry, ash-shi‘r al-‘arabīyy, can be divided into the classical poetry, from before the Arabic Renaissance, and modern. It is also known as “vertical poetry” in reference to its vertical parallel structure of its two parts. The event, cohosted by the International Poetry Gathering of Monterey, will present work rooted in the style of both eras. [AP]
5:30-7:30pm Friday, April 25. Pacific Grove Public Library, 550 Central Ave., Pacific Grove. Free. 648-5760, pacificgrovelibrary.org.
Pet Sounds
If one could briefly inhabit the mind of a dog or a cat, a turtle or macaw, or perhaps even a pig, it’d be interesting to know what music sounds like for them. Is Fido a connoisseur of hi-fi? Does Socks like to rock? Does Charlie prefer jazz? Would Max have a special playlist for walks? While the answers to these important questions are elusive, this Friday night, a group of CSUMB students is putting on a fundraising concert on behalf of SPCA Monterey County that will benefit our animal friends, regardless of their feelings about music. Local acts Nathan Sadly, Career Woman, The Tremolos and Sleepcycle perform. [DS]
6:30-11pm Friday, April 25. Paper Wing Theatre, 711 Cannery Row, Suite 1 (upstairs), Monterey. $10; $5/students. 373-2631, spcamc.org.
Star Gazers
Every so often, the Monterey Institute for Research in Astronomy hosts a nighttime sky-watching party at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca with plenty of telescopes on hand. It’s always a humbling experience to view the numerous stars in the sky and realize just how small we really are, and, despite what the uninformed naysayers may argue, that we are not the center of the universe. This iteration of MIRA’s Race to Space event is even more special. The moon is about to reach its closest point to the Earth on its orbit, something that only happens a few times a year, so expect to see the natural satellite play an even bigger role in the sky – even if it’s in its waning crescent phase. But if the clouds roll in (always a possibility in our climate), the event is canceled. Check the website two hours before the start of the event to confirm. [EC]
8:30-10:30pm Friday, April 25. Hospitality Island, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, 1021 Monterey-Salinas Highway, Salinas. Free. mac@mira.org, go.nasa.gov/43X3mvl.
Friday, April 25-Sunday, April 27
Love 4 Planet
Earth Day celebrations continue, with opportunities to share appreciation of planet and community – and the glorious aroma of tomato seedlings with Communities for Sustainable Monterey County volunteers (shown above) – among other events.
It’s tempting to lump Earth Day in with the unbearable weight of environmental despair, but we encourage you – just for one day – to focus on one small, positive action you can take for yourself and the planet. It may not be a full societal overhaul; it may not solve our plastic waste problem – but small can be meaningful: a token of gratitude for the planet and the beautiful things it provides, like the flowers that pop up this spring. And this Earth Day, there are plenty of small (and fun!) things to choose from: plant a tree and learn about environmental initiatives at Devendorf Park in Carmel and Via Paraiso Park in Monterey, bring your old computers and printers and take home a tomato starter at Sustainable Seaside’s Earth Day event, or have a little fun at the Amor Salinas Earth Day Festival while learning about new ways you can help protect our planet. [KR]
9am-noon Friday, April 25: tree planting at Via Paraiso Park, 100 Via Paraiso, Monterey, 646-3860, monterey.gov. Noon-3:30pm Saturday, April 26: Amor Salinas Earth Day, Sherwood Park, 920 N. Main St., Salinas, 758-7166, cityofsalinas.org/earthday2025. 10am-2pm Saturday, April 26: Earth & Arbor Day, Devendorf Park, Carmel, 620-2000, ci.carmel.ca.us. 1-4pm Sunday, April 27: Seaside Earth Day, Seaside City Hall, 440 Harcourt Ave., 899-6700, sustainablemontereycounty.org.
Hell Raiser
If you happen to be versed in Greek mythology, you have an idea how this one ends. Otherwise we’re offering no spoilers, only that the moral is a simple one: don’t look back. Hadestown: Teen Edition is an adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical that is itself an adaptation of an ancient tale. Times are tough, but Orpheus finds the love of his life in Eurydice. Then things become tougher when Hades gets involved, and Orpheus must try to go to hell and back to reunite with Eurydice. Hades has his own dilemma: take Orpheus’ life or let him go and live with the consequences – in this case, losing control of his realm. We don’t need to tell you that few ancient Greek stories end well for the heroes. Then again… [DF]
7:30pm Friday-Saturday, April 25-26; 2pm Sunday, April 27; 12:45pm Friday, May 2. Santa Catalina School Performing Arts Center, 1500 Mark Thomas Drive, Monterey. $15; $12/students, seniors, military; $10/children 12 and under. 655-9340, santacatalina.org.
Saturday, April 26
Deep Dive
Do you ever wonder what goes on at Moss Landing Marine Labs? At an open house, curious visitors are invited to meet the team, including Vertebrate Ecology Lab researcher Martin Tournier (left) and grad student Vicky Ooi (center).
Every day, scientists at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories are doing research about our backyard and the planet writ large. They’re looking at everything from soils to invertebrates to kelp to charismatic megafauna. And for this annual one-day event, they open their doors wide to all. It’s a chance to go behind the scenes and meet the researchers and learn about the important work they are doing, and also just enjoy the property; the back deck offers a fabulous view of Elkhorn Slough and the Monterey Bay beyond, a great perch to spot whales or sea lions. There are plenty of ways to interact beyond just looking; expect touch tanks, trivia, a scavenger hunt, and local merch and art for sale, plus food truck offerings. [SR]
9am-5pm Saturday, April 26. Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, 8272 Moss Landing Road, Moss Landing. Free. mlml-openhouse@sjsu.edu, mlml.sjsu.edu.
Chinatown Party
Let’s not forget about the Chinese, Filipino and Japanese history of Monterey County. The Salinas Asian Cultural Fair is an annual reminder about the longtime presence of these cultures in our community.
The mission of the Asian Cultural Experience of Salinas is to preserve and promote the history of Salinas’ Chinatown. To do that takes plenty of effort behind the scenes – but sometimes, you just have to invite everyone to a big shindig. The 16th annual Salinas Asian Cultural Fair is a full day filled with cultural performances, including by the Monterey Bay Lion Dance Team, tours of historic spots within Chinatown, food (think ramen and rice balls for starters), and demonstrations of bonsai and kendo. A great way to promote culture is to experience it firsthand, and hopefully come away with an appreciation and understanding of it. [EC]
11am-4pm Saturday, April 26. Various locations around Salinas’ Chinatown; opening ceremony begins at Filipino Community of Salinas Valley, 250 Calle Cebu, Salinas. Free. acesalinas2014@gmail.com, salinasace.org/acf.
Saturday, April 26-Sunday, April 27
Hello Cello
It’s been an impressive season of the Monterey Symphony, with a series of spectacular soloists and inspirational performances by the symphony musicians led by Conductor Jayce Ogren. The April program promises to continue in that vein, featuring the Haydn Cello Concerto with soloist Adelle-Akiko Kearns. While some earlier programs this season featured more modern and even experimental pieces, this one is pure classical, with two Mozart compositions and one by early 20th-century composer Franz Schreker, joining Hadyn’s Cello Concerto in D Major. If you haven’t seen the Monterey Symphony in a few years, it’s worth revisiting to see how far they’ve come since Ogren took the baton. (See story, p. 40.) [PM]
7:30pm Saturday, April 26 and 2:30pm Sunday, April 27. Sunset Center, San Carlos Street and 9th Avenue, Carmel. $12-$88. 646-8511, montereysymphony.org.
Sunday, April 27
Show and Tell
A car show – and not just cars, but also trucks and motorcycles. Live entertainment. Raffles. Even a taco truck. This sounds like a good… hey, wait a minute. Is Hartnell College trying to lure people to its Alisal campus to find out more about its college of agriculture, business and industries program? Sure enough looks like it; there’s a student resource fair and faculty to chat with. But is that a bad thing? Gaining skills such as welding, management, mechatronics – that can help someone go far, including in the automotive industry. And in return, the college is giving you a car show and other entertainment. The first 200 people even get free lunch. It’s free to the public, $20 to register a show vehicle. Even better, that money goes toward student scholarships. [DF]
10am-2pm Sunday, April 27. Hartnell College Alisal Campus, 1752 E. Alisal St., Salinas. Free. 755-6700, hartnell.edu.
Come As Your Are
Salinas Valley Pride is celebrating the 2025 Lesbian Day of Visibility. This means everyone is welcome, whether or not you identify as a lesbian, to partake in card games, pizza, beer and, most importantly, community. “You don’t need a label to sit at this table,” the organizers say. The tradition is believed to have been started in 2008 in the United Kingdom. [AP]
5-7:30pm Sunday, April 27. Live@Heirloom Pizza, 344 Main St., Salinas. Free. 578-9751, salinasvalleypride.com.
Wednesday, April 30
Kids Come First
International Day of the Child falls on Wednesday, April 30. Cesar Chavez Library in Salinas is celebrating, devoting the afternoon to its youngest readers.
You do not need to be quiet in the library. At least not for this hour on Día del Niño, Children’s Day, at Cesar Chavez Library, where it’s all about celebrating kids, no shushing involved. Attendees can take home a free book for their personal library and enjoy shaved ice. The main event is led by one member of Aguacate Music, a bilingual musical/education duo based in Berkeley that focuses on teaching children from ages 0 to 7 to appreciate music, movement and performance. Anna-Maria Violich-Olivier and Natalia Bernal, both raised in bilingual homes and now raising their own bilingual children, are educators but also performers, parents and appreciators of a fun day out including a performance by Violich-Olivier. [SR]
3:30-4:30pm Wednesday, April 30. Cesar Chavez Library, 615 Williams Road, Salinas. Free. 758-7916, salinaspubliclibrary.org.
Tycho Yeah
Tycho is the creation of Scott Hansen (second from right). He is supported by (from left to right) drummer Rory O’Connor, Billy Kim on keyboards and guitarist Zach Brown.
This event comes with certain rules. There will be no parking available at the venue; attendees have to take a shuttle. Also, tickets come in packages only. That said, Tycho (the stage name for Scott Hansen), a Sacramento-born and San Francisco-based composer and instrumentalist, is worth a shuttle trip. This Grammy-nominated musician specializes in electronic rock. He creates a fusion of down-tempo, ambient and electronic music, often using analog synthesizers and guitar. His band name, Tycho, was inspired by the 16th-century Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe, who devised his own model of the universe. [AP]
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