Hot Picks 08.17.23

Poet Laureate in Town

Thanks to Pacific Grove Public Library and now Monterey Public Library, you have another chance to meet and workshop with California Poet Laureate Lee Herrick himself. Herrick will be in the MPL’s community room for a writing workshop designed to ignite the creative sparks within aspiring writers. The project is supported by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services. Herrick was appointed in November 2022, and the title of California’s Poet Laureate comes with the job of conducting poetry readings and other meetings with poetry lovers. Herrick has visited countless California libraries in recent months. All ages and poetry writing experience levels are welcome. [AP]

4pm Friday, Aug. 18 Monterey Public Library, 625 Pacific St., Monterey. Free; registration required. 646-3933, monterey.org/library.

Saturday, Aug. 19

Park For All

The first inclusive park in Soledad – and the South County region – is finally here. After a year of construction, Orchard Lane Park in Soledad will celebrate a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday. The project has been years in the making and the results are the work of city staff and community members. “I’m excited children of all abilities will now have fun and create lasting memories,” Mayor Anna Velazquez said. Ribbon cutting attendees are invited to enjoy music and food as well as the amenities of the new park, among them an inclusive playground, a skate park, a dog park, picnic areas and free Wi-Fi. [CJ]

10am Saturday, Aug. 19. 300 Orchard Lane, Soledad (behind Hartnell College). Free. 356-2825, cityofsoledad.com.

Contra Community

Dancing is for everyone, so why not learn something new? Contra is a community folk dance made of long lines with couples dancing in sequence. The exciting part is that each contra dancer gets to dance with everyone else in their line to music provided by a live band. Twice a month, guests of all skill levels and talents come together to dance. Each evening features a different live band and dance caller, so there’s always something new. If you’re worried about being new, don’t be. Before each evening begins, the night’s caller offers a lesson for beginners or anyone looking for a refresher. Both vaccinations and masks are strongly recommended, but no longer required to participate. [KH]

6:30pm Saturday, Aug. 19. Monterey YMCA, 600 Camino El Estero, Monterey. $12/general admission; $10/members; $5/active military and full-time students, with ID; $20/Contra Angels. montereycontradance.org.

Big Surprises

Maybe summer has been racing by and somehow you missed the first night, but that’s OK – you’ve got another chance. BiG SuRCuS’ 2023 Carousel Cabaret is back this weekend for its second and final night. Dress up in your best pink and leopard print and get ready for an evening of entertainment that’s diverse, original and creative. There will be fire dancing, poetry, bellydance, bubbles, mermaids, aerials and more. We heard July’s edition was a smashing success, so what are you waiting for? [TCL]

7:30-10:30pm Saturday, Aug. 19. Henry Miller Memorial Library, 48603 Highway 1, Big Sur. $25-$450. bigsurcus.com.

Saturday-Sunday, Aug. 19-20

Plein Air

“I invite you to join me in the beauty of the Pacific Grove Coast,” wrote artist Leon Neufeld, who offers plein air painting classes this weekend. “We will focus on how to lay in a painting and capture the excitement of plein air. Beginning with the gesture and learning to finish a painting. Let us share the experience, the techniques and rich tradition of the Impressionists.” Techniques presented include: wash-in, wet-into-wet, using pallet knives, and more. Besides creating, expect group discussions. Neufeld has visited the Monterey County and broader California coast to paint in plein air for nearly 15 years. He has been an instructor in painting and drawing for over 30 years, and currently resides in Albuquerque. [AP]

1-4pm Saturday, Aug. 19 and Sunday, Aug. 20. Lovers Point Park. 631 Ocean View Blvd., Pacific Grove. Free-$125. leoneufeld.com.

Sunday, Aug. 20

Art as Medicine

Art is pretty to look at and can be fun to create, but there’s more. As a trauma-informed creativity coach, Laura Crystina Alexander guides people to channel art-making into something else – a healing mechanism. She utilizes the Neurographica approach, developed by an architect and psychologist. It’s a psychology-based methodology designed to establish mind-body connections, and Alexander teaches participants how to use art as a tool to control emotions and restore balance. This practice can be used for everything from pain management to goal mapping. It’s heady stuff, and however it lands for your conscious and unconscious mind, you can expect to leave this workshop with some lovely original artworks. [SR]

10am-12:30pm Sunday, Aug. 20. Hacienda Hay & Feed, 7180 Carmel Valley Road. $75/includes materials; $65/bring your own materials. art@lauracrystinaalexander.com, lauracrystinaalexander.com.

Tuesday, Aug. 22

Tree Hugging

Say Robert Smith, the son of Robert Smith, who was also the son of a Robert Smith from a tradition dating so far back that Roman numerals can no longer keep track, wanted to research his family history. Good luck. And Robert Smith isn’t even the most common name out there. The point is, piecing together the past is challenging. Fortunately, the Salinas Public Library hosts a virtual genealogy work group, through which people just starting out to those deeply involved in family tree research can share ideas and resources or ask questions – perfect for when you hit a genealogical wall (suddenly there’s a Eugene Smith? What the… ?). It’s free via Zoom and meets the fourth Tuesday of each month. [DF]

6-7pm Tuesday, Aug. 22. Virtual; RSVP via email to cathlenna@ci.salinas.ca.us for the Zoom link. Free. 758-7311, salinaspubliclibrary.org.

Wednesday, Aug. 23

Give Her Flowers

For more than 60 years, Judy Collins has been a touchstone of American popular music. Since breaking out as a golden girl of the Greenwich Village folk revival of the early 1960s, she’s traversed genres including country, rock, bluegrass, show tunes and spirituals, always illuminating the songs she sings with her singular, angelic voice. Now 84, the fact that Collins is still recording and performing is a gift, so don’t miss the chance to see her this week at Golden State Theatre. She’ll be accompanied by a string quartet for a performance of her breakthrough 1967 album Wildflowers – including the unforgettable, Joni Mitchell-penned “Both Sides, Now.” [RM]

8pm (doors at 7pm) Wednesday, Aug. 23. Golden State Theatre, 417 Alvarado St., Monterey. $35-85. 649-1070, goldenstatetheatre.com.

In Your Feels

The emo genre of hard rock is one characterized by emotional and confessional lyrics that emerged as a style of punk in Washington, D.C. in the 1980s. When sung aloud, songs like “I Miss You” by Blink 182 or “Screaming Infidelities” by Dashboard Confessional really reward putting your all into it. What else rewards putting your all into it? Karaoke – especially Paper Wing Theatre’s Emo Scremo Karaoke Night. Pick your Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance or Thirty Seconds to Mars favorite and sing your heart out. There will also be $5 beers for when you’re thirsty (or need a little liquid courage) and $2 tacos for after you’ve left it all out on that stage. Plus, singers can win prizes. [TCL]

8-11pm Wednesday, Aug. 23. Paper Wing Theatre, 711 Cannery Row, Monterey. Free. 905-5684, paperwing.com.

HOT PICKS by Tajha Chappellet-Lanier, Dave Faries, Kyarra Harris, Celia Jiménez, Pam Marino, Rey Mashayekhi, Agata Popęda, Sara Rubin and David Schmalz.