Thursday, June 18
Star Bright
Dance instructor Blair Cronin of Groove Carmel will teach community members how to dance like Madonna for the “Throwback Music Video Class” on Thursday, June 18.
The hit that first put Madonna on the Billboard charts, “Lucky Star,” had a music video that inspired fashion and dance trends from the 1980s onward and is the focus of a “Throwback Music Video Class” in Sand City. Familiarity with the Queen of Pop is not a requisite for the interactive event, which is intended for participants with or without Madonna-level dancing skills. The free community dance class is meant to inspire creativity through movement and music and invites community members to have fun and express themselves – and improve their dance moves. [AS]
6:30-8pm Thursday, June 18. Residence Inn by Marriott, 800 Morgans Way, Sand City. Free. (831) 855-4104, tina.bell@aquaaston.com, event.marriott.com.
Feelin’ It
You cannot touch music. Guitar strings or a fiddle bow, certainly. But scientists will tell you that to physically grasp sound is impossible. But in these unreasonable times, how often are scientists deemed right? The music and lyrics of the roots-folk duo Dan Frechette and Laurel Thomsen are palpable. Blending original music with the stories related to the songs, they pose matters of today in tones that span time, with a sensibility rooted in truth. Both blend so easily into genres and each other, you could never tell that they are different in foundation. Frechette basked in folk tradition while Thomsen was classically trained. Their current tour, “Portraits in Song,” comes to… hang on a minute. Does that mean you can see their music, too? [DF]
7pm Thursday, June 18. Carl Cherry Center, 4th and Guadalupe, Carmel. $25. (831) 624-7491, carlcherrycenter.org.
Sophisticated Strum
Hao Yang brings her extraordinary guitar abilities to Asilomar on June 18, where audience members can hear her in an intimate setting thanks to Carmel Guitar Society.
After just a moment of listening to guitarist Hao Yang, goosebumps are likely to form, and within seconds, her soulful style and masterful skill completely capture the attention of anyone within earshot. Yang is an internationally acclaimed guitarist, having performed at the Panama, Cleveland and Beijing International Guitar Festivals and at venues including Carnegie Hall, where she performed the duet “Talking Guitars” by composer Paul Lansky, alongside guitarist JIJI Guitar. Yang will grace Asilomar’s Surf & Sand Room, where the audience can experience her preternatural skill in an intimate, natural setting, as part of the Carmel Guitar Society’s 2026 retreat. [AS]
7pm Thursday, June 18. Asilomar Resort, 800 Asilomar Ave., Pacific Grove. $60. (831) 316-3230, carmelguitarsociety.org.
Thursday, June 18- Friday, June 19
Past Meets Present
On June 19, 1865, enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, were finally freed – and today, 161 years later, the Juneteenth celebrations continue. Salinas’ sixth annual Juneteenth event is a day of entertainment designed to inform participants about Black history and the importance of the federal holiday. (Free lunch is also provided.) Then, on the day of the holiday, head on over to Pacific Grove for a night of music. The Reverend Cashmere and The Jubilees featuring Eve party the night away. Learning history was never so much fun. [EC]
Salinas Juneteenth Celebration: 11am-2pm Thursday, June 18 at Hartnell College Student Center, 411 Central Ave., Salinas. Free. salinasjuneteenth.com. Juneteenth Revival: 5pm Friday, June 19 at Pop & Hiss, 215 Forest Ave., Pacific Grove. $5. popandhiss.net.
Thursday, June 18- Sunday, June 21
Young Blood
Mel Brooks’ iconic Young Frankenstein opens with previews in Carmel on June 18. The musical’s cast includes, from left, Nick Mandracchia as the Monster, Sarah Gaudoin as Inga and Travis Poelle as Frederick..
With music and lyrics by Mel Brooks, the 2007 Broadway musical Young Frankenstein is based on Brooks’ comedy horror film of the same title, and inspired by Mary Shelley’s famous 1818 novel. Directed by Stephen Moorer, it’s a story of “neurotic and reluctantly brilliant Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, the sophisticated New York neurosurgeon desperately trying to distance himself from his infamous family legacy – until mad science and destiny pull him back into the family business,” as the director shares. The novel holds up well today, and is even more fun with music, humor and original choreography. [AP]
7:30pm Thursdays-Saturdays and 2pm Sundays, June 18-July 26 (no show on July 4; ASL interpretation on Sunday, July 12). Founders Theatre, Golden Bough Playhouse, Monte Verde and 8th, Carmel. $8-$49; half-price previews Thursday-Friday, June 18-19. (831) 622-0100, pacrep.org.
Friday, June 19
Barrel Full of Laughs
Mike E. Winfield, who you may have seen on The Office and The Late Show with David Letterman, takes the stage at Folktale Winery as part of the San Francisco Comedy Competition on June 19.
There’s nothing more pleasant than to sip some rosé and laugh in the sun – and this time while watching big names in the legendary San Francisco Comedy Competition. The evening features comic Mike E. Winfield, Cathy Zhao and Dan Aguinaga with routines they’ve honed for this moment. [AP]
7pm Friday, June 19. Folktale Winery, 8940 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel. $49-$160. (831) 293-7500, folktalewinery.com.
Friday, June 19- Saturday, June 20
Plants for Pride
There are different ways LGBTQ+ people and allies can celebrate Pride, and not all of them involve dressing up. Salinas Valley Pride Celebrations and the California State Parks Foundation are teaming up to remove invasive mustard at Fort Ord Dunes State Park. Volunteers will contribute to the restoration of native habitat and learn about dune ecology over coffee and breakfast burritos (provided). Bring water and don’t forget sunscreen. This event is recommended for ages 8 and up. [CJ]
9am-noon Saturday, June 20. Fort Ord Dunes State Park main parking lot, end of 8th Street, Marina. Free. calparks.org/volunteer.
Friday, June 19- Sunday, June 21
Seeing Red
The Ferrari Challenge is a unique form of racing. There are early-stage professionals looking to make an impression, but also novices on track for the first time (after training – the folks at Ferrari are no dummies). In between are amateurs of different stripes. What they have in common is the Ferrari 296 and a desire to compete. For fans, there is access to the paddock and all of those sleek Prancing Ponies, as well as a chance to see how less experienced drivers handle the ups and downs, twists and turns of an iconic road course. And you might just spot a future star. [DF]
8:30am-5:30pm Friday, June 19-Sunday, June 21. WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, 1021 Highway 68, Salinas. $41/Friday practice; $72/Saturday-Sunday qualifying and racing. (831) 242-8200, weathertechraceway.com.
Saturday, June 20
Golden Celebration
“The Weedies” is a group of volunteers who take meticulous care of Mission Trail Nature Preserve in Carmel. You can see the fruits of their labor on a tour in honor of the preserve’s 50th anniversary on Saturday, June 20.
It’s the 50th anniversary of the Mission Trail Nature Preserve in Carmel, a 34-acre forested park along a seasonal tributary of the Carmel River, with five distinct habitats including a Monterey pine forest, willow riparian forest, wet meadow, coast live oak woodland and coastal prairie. It’s the last naturally occurring Monterey pine and coast live oak forest within Carmel. To celebrate the anniversary, the Friends of the Mission Trail Nature Preserve are leading a guided tour of the property, followed by refreshments. If you’ve never explored this varied landscape, the tour is a great introduction. [PM]
10-11:30am Saturday, June 20. Mission Trail Nature Preserve, Rio Road entrance (directly across the street from the Carmel Mission), 3080 Rio Road, Carmel. Free. (831) 392-6118, friendsofmissiontrail.org.
Good Grief
Everyone deals with grief differently – although most of us in Western culture don’t always do it very well. Author Barbara Wansbrough dealt with the death of her sister during Covid through daily walks in Griffith Park in Los Angeles, which led to her critically acclaimed book, Wild Things: A Geography of Grief. The book is a series of 59 letters, one for each year of her sister’s life, that reimagines mourning as a practice of perception. Wansbrough comes to the Henry Miller Library to read from her book on her sister’s birthday. In a dialogue about grief and the intelligence of the natural worlds she will meet her husband, Paul Holdengräber, a renowned interviewer. [PM]
Noon Saturday, June 20. Henry Miller Memorial Library, 48603 Highway 1, Big Sur. Free; reservations required. (831) 238-2890, henrymiller.org.
Who was Joaquin Murrieta?
The answer is waiting for you at California’s First Theatre, where award-winning author John Boessenecker will introduce his new book, Bring Me the Head of Joaquin Murrieta: The Bandit Chief Who Terrorized California and Launched the Legend of Zorro, a story of a legendary bandit and his connections to Monterey County. Boessenecker has written 13 books including the New York Times bestselling Texas Ranger: The Epic Life of Frank Humer, the Man Who Killed Bonnie and Clyde. [AP]
2pm Saturday, June 20. First Theatre, corner of Pacific and Scott streets, Monterey. Free. (831) 649-2907, parks.ca.gov.
Sounds Like Water
It’s not always clear what songs are about and who they are for – that’s why they serve so well as everyman’s life soundtrack. But when it comes to this musical performance, songs are about, to and for the water. Seaside Grammy-recognized pianist Tammy L. Hall leads a lineup of exciting local and regional artists, including vocalist Leberta Lorál, dancer Dandha Da Hora, drummers Michaelle Goerlitz and Deszon Claiborne, and bassist Gary Brown, in a samba and bossanova concert, titled “Soul Continuum.” [AP]
7pm Saturday, June 20. Wendi Kirby Music, 550 Hartnell St., Suite F, Monterey. $50. wendikirbymusic.com.
Sunday, June 21
Midnight Run
Sometimes being a dad is hard. (Shout-out to all those dads making their kids’ and family’s lives great.) The fifth annual Father’s Day Pine Ridge Run is for anyone who wants a taste of what those early days of fatherhood are like. The reality is it mostly consists of early mornings and lack of sleep, which is exactly what outdoor-enthusiast group Friends of the Mountain is replicating. At least that’s what we think with a start time of 2am and over 27 miles to cover for those who dare. [SC]
2am-5pm Sunday, June 21. China Camp Trailhead, 11 miles from Carmel Valley Road on Tassajara Road, Carmel Valley. Free. tinyurl.com/4h6kh44d.
Tuesday, June 23
Liberty Ladies
We must remember that the United States is first and foremost a union – it’s right there in the title. What better way to remember that than with an evening of patriotic music sung by the Aria Women’s Choir for Voices of America? With the country’s 250th birthday coming up, it’s an opportunity to reflect on our own values as Americans and what it means to look back with gratitude, honesty and hope. It’s a concert designed to be patriotic without being political. [SC]
7pm Tuesday, June 23. Founders Theatre at the Golden Bough, Monte Verde between 8th and 9th, Carmel. $21-$36. (831) 622-0100, pacrep.org.
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