Hot Picks 05.26.22

Ballet About Town

Smuin Contemporary Ballet presents Dance Series 2: P.S. Forever Smuin, featuring four diverse ballets from established dancemakers and rising choreographic voices. The audience will be delighted by the return of dancemaker Val Caniparoli’s Confessions, an inventive work that weaves a captivating narrative set to a soundtrack by American contemporary classical composer Nico Muhly and Faroese singer/songwriter Teitur. Also on the bill is Amy Seiwert’s Renaissance, a dance loosely inspired by the 385-mile “Women’s Wall” protest in India to create awareness of gender equality, set to an a cappella soundtrack by the Oakland-based Kitka Women’s Vocal Ensemble. Smuin artists Tessa Barbour and Brennan Wall will also expand their creations presented in the 2021 Choreography Showcase and in last spring’s “Smuin al Fresco” program, premiering these new works on the company’s mainstage. [AP]

7:30pm Friday May 27 and 2pm Saturday, May 28. Sunset Center, San Carlos Street at 9th Avenue, Carmel. $25-$79. 620-2048, smuinballet.org.

Be Free

Maybe you’ve watched scuba divers suit up. The water is ready, the kelp forests are swaying under the surface, the fish are gathering, but they remain stranded in the parking lot, wriggling into suits and hoisting air tanks. You want a quicker underwater experience. Well, you’re in luck. MBay Freediving teaches the basics of the activity in a Level 1 Freediver Course. It’s a two-day lesson that will qualify you to strap on flippers (and a few other necessary pieces of equipment; freedom isn’t free, you know) and dive in. The course begins in the classroom, but you need to learn breath control, safety and other topics. It then heads to the pool for practice. On day two, the sessions are in the ocean. The classes are small, but if they sell out there will be another course soon. Gear is available for rent. MBay also offers introductory and advanced courses. [DF]

7:45am-6pm Saturday-Sunday, May 28-29 (Sunday session ends 4pm). MBay Freediving, 225 Cannery Row #27, Monterey. $475 ($200 deposit). 200-3485, mbayfreediving.com.

Book and Bake

The Friends of the Big Sur Library have been busy sorting books and baking treats for the annual Memorial Day book and bake sale. Stop by over the three-day weekend to peruse a huge selection of donated books and indulge in a baked good or two when you inevitably get peckish. The proceeds of the book sale go to help support the operation of the Monterey County Free Library located in the Big Sur valley, and all proceeds from the bake sale support The Big Sur Grange. [TCL]

10am-4pm Saturday-Monday, May 28-30. Big Sur Library, Ripplewood Resort on Highway 1, Big Sur. 647-7660, co.monterey.ca.us/government/departments-i-z/library/locations/big-sur-branch.

Bee Curious

Bees may not make the world go around, but the pollinators are critical in keeping many of its plants thriving. In this tour at the Carmel Valley property of Earthbound Farm – an industry pioneer in organic farming (it’s been organic since it was founded in 1984) – attendees will get an opportunity to don bee suits (organic cotton, and ventilated) and tour the hives on the property that are home to bees that help pollinate its plants. This event is limited to ages 12 and up, but for those who can attend there will be opportunities to taste the bees’ honey and learn about their key role in the ecosystem. [DS]

2-3:30pm Sunday, May 29. Earthbound Farm, 7250 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel. $100/adults; $75/children ages 12-18. bit.ly/BeeTour2022.

In Memoriam

We hear a lot of talk about the sacrifice that members of our armed forces make to protect the American ideal, both in concept ideas and in more tangible ways – our soil, our seas, our skies. Memorial Day is an invitation to pause and take a moment and really reflect on those who have died in the name of our freedom. As President Joe Biden said last year on this day: “They put themselves on the line for our shared values – for duty, honor, country – and they paid the ultimate price. Our nation can never fully repay the debt we owe to our fallen heroes and their families.” It is a somber occasion, but also a day for gratitude. And in the case of the Central Coast Veterans Cemetery located on the former Fort Ord in Seaside, it is also something of a celebration. This long-awaited cemetery, the result of an extensive community effort, is finally giving veterans a place to rest. This year, see the Epic Flag escorted by American Legion Epic Riders; color guard by Everett Alvarez High School NJROTC; hear remarks from U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta; and a proclamation from Gov. Gavin Newsom presented by CalVet. [SR]

10am Monday, May 30. California Central Coast Veterans Cemetery, 2900 Parker Flats Road, Seaside. Free. 393-9371, calvet.ca.gov, ccvcf.org.

Pop To It

Monterey County Pops! has announced the “triumphant return” of the annual Monterey County Pops! Memorial Day Concert on the Colton Hall lawn – bring your chairs, beach blankets and sunscreen. The full 38-piece orchestra, conducted and hosted by Carl Christensen, presents an energetic program with the theme “To Remember and Honor.” The concert opens with The Cypressaires Barbershop Chorus, directed by Kristen Thompson, followed by a world premiere by a local composer and horn player Jackie Orzel. Titled “Overture in C Minor – The Chukchansi: Trial and Triumph,” the music follows the Chukchansi Yokuts tribe from near extermination in the early days of California’s statehood to their present flourishing as a vital presence in their homeland. Additional guest performances include the Hartnell College Chamber Singers Ensemble conducted by Sandy Rudo. [AP]

1-3pm Monday, May 30. Monterey City Hall Lawn, 580 Pacific St., Monterey. Free. 484-5511, montereycountypops.org.

Run Time

There are holidays for everything these days. National margarita day, world Nutella day, international meatball day, global run day… one of these things is not like the others. Global run day does not offer Nutella, necessarily, but it does offer the opportunity to lace up, take a run and, maybe, win some prizes. There’s an in-person 5K fun run on the Monterey Bay Coastal Trail, or you can run your own 5K any time between May 29 and June 5 and submit your time. Top finishers can win gift certificates to Fleet Feet. And, no matter your finish time, you can always reward yourself with some Nutella. [TCL]

6:30pm Wednesday, June 1. The Wharf Marketplace parking lot, 269 Figueroa St., Monterey. $40/in-person, $20/virtual. skisignup.com/Race/CA/Monterey/TheBigRun22.

HOT PICKS by Tajha Chappellet-Lanier, Dave Faries, Celia Jiménez, Pam Marino, Christopher Neely, Agata Popęda, Sara Rubin and David Schmalz.