Hot Picks 09.17.26

 Thursday, Sept. 17

Musical Zen

Sunkiss’d Mozart, a unique local chamber music organization, is opening its seventh season by partnering with Carmel Modern, a sleek art studio in downtown Carmel. The performance titled Blue combines music with the gallery’s new fall exhibition, Water Music, to create what is described as a “musical program of zen, vastness and resilience which captures the many moods of moving water.” Violinist

Tien-Hsin Cindy Wu is joined by celebrated cellist Ani Aznavoorian for two performances inside the gallery. Both women are the recipients of multiple awards for their skill and beautiful playing abilities. A light reception follows their performance. [PM]

3pm and 6pm Thursday, Sept. 17. Carmel Modern, 6th between Dolores and Lincoln, Carmel. $60. skmozart.com.

 Thursday-Friday, Sept. 17-18

In the Spotlight

Do you get stage fright even thinking of joining a big cast? We are about to witness a birth of the first Central Coast Solo Festival, a four-day series of one-person plays. Presented by local theater initiative Soapbox Stageworks, it brings recognized solo artists to Monterey County, presenting plays by Karen Devaney (the Soapbox leader), Maya Catherine Foster, Talia Pura, Patti Dobrowolski, Kirk McGee and Rick Wind Herrera. The shows are directed locally. Watch one or all six, on various days, all bringing courageous solo actors into the spotlight. [AP]

7pm Thursday, Sept. 17, Friday, Sept. 18, Friday, Sept. 25 and Saturday, Sept. 26. Stanton Center Theatre, 5 Custom House Plaza, Monterey. $20-$70. (831) 664-6587, soapboxstageworks.org.

 Friday, Sept. 18

Leaps and Bounds

If you’re a rocker whose nickname is “Guitar,” you must be doing something right. Brad “Guitar” Wilson is certainly doing just that, influenced by some of the greatest guitar players of all time, including Eric Clapton, B.B. King and Stevie Ray Vaughan. He’s toured with Chicago, Cheap Trick and others, including 12 European tours in just six years. Wilson performs in Monterey with his band to celebrate his new album, Boundless, which was produced by Grammy award-winner Francis Buckley and recorded in Belgium and Hollywood. There’s no limits to his mastery of the six strings. [EC]

6:30pm (dinner), 8pm (show) Friday, Sept. 18. Wave Street Studios, 774 Wave St., Monterey. $30/in advance; $35/at the door. (831) 655-2010, wavestreetlive774.com.

Night Owl

Every year, Pacific Grove’s museum of natural history hosts a fundraiser that brings together costumes, animals and “curiosities after dark” – yes, this includes creepy crawlies, raptors and… dogs. Dubbed “Night Owl 2026,” the event boasts an evening packed with activities for you curious night creatures. A pup patio invites you to say hello to adoptable dogs, plus there’s live music, an opportunity to meet actual live raptors with Full Circle Falconry, and a chance to encounter all kinds of nocturnal creatures in the museum’s critter room. [KR]

7-10pm Friday, Sept. 18. Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History, 165 Forest Ave., Pacific Grove. $55; $40/member; ages 21+. (831) 648-5716, pgmuseum.org/nightowl.

 Friday, Sept. 18-Sunday, Sept. 20

Tee Party

Reasons to spend a day or three at Pebble Beach Golf Links following the Pure Insurance Championship: 1. The field consists of 80 professionals on the PGA Tour Champions tour – names such as Vijay Singh, Bernhard Langer, Mark Calcavecchia and Ernie Els are likely. 2. The field also consists of 80 youth golfers from the First Tee program. 3. It’s operated by the Monterey Peninsula Foundation, so proceeds go to dozens of local charities. 4. It’s free to attend, no ticket necessary. But how does it raise money for charities if none is coming in? Well, 160 amateurs are also part of the field, and they pay to play alongside the former PGA Tour stars and other professionals. So it’s a good weekend in many ways. [DF]

8am Friday-Sunday, Sept. 18-20. Pebble Beach Golf Links, 1700 17-Mile Drive, Pebble Beach. Free. (831) 649-1533, pureinsurancechampionship.com.

Get The Drift

You see a racetrack and of course you think of a music festival lineup featuring Dillon Francis, Chromeo, A-Trak, Kaivon and more. You see bands on stage and obviously arcade games come to mind – everything from vintage video games to racing simulators. Well, arcade games naturally go along with cars on track doing wild things like full course drifting and time attack battles… which of course makes you think of show cars and vendors. Put all of that together and you have the Gridlife Festival, a celebration of music, fun, drifting and racing all in one weekend at one convenient location – which happens to be an iconic track. OK, so it may not all make perfect sense. But it is nonstop and a lot of fun. [DF]

9am Friday-Sunday, Sept. 18-20. WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, 1021 Highway 68, Salinas. $60-$210. grid.life/laguna-festival.

 Saturday, Sept. 19

Fleeting Fortresses

Sand castle architects and builders of Monterey County get a chance to win fame, glory and prizes at the 63rd Annual Great Sandcastle Contest, hosted by the City of Carmel and the American Institute of Architects Monterey Bay Chapter. This year’s theme, “It Never Gets Old: Carmel at 110,” commemorates the city’s birthday and beckons artists to devise historical Carmel scenes and structures. Remember that all manner of tools are allowed. Including shovels, rakes and buckets but all castle adornments must be found on the beach. All levels of sand castle builders are welcome (as are admirers). [AS]

7am start time Saturday, Sept. 19. Carmel Beach, between 10th and 12th avenues, Carmel. Free. (831) 620-2020, ci.carmel.ca.us.

Green Gold

Plants are doing a lot of good for us all the time – creating oxygen through photosynthesis, holding soil together with their roots, cooling the temperature to habitable. Specific plants also offer other specific benefits. Some are food, some are medicine, and some are both. Learn about the flavors and health benefits of medicinal plants in our midst on a guided tour with herbalist Lianne Neptune. This is a chance to learn some basic botany as it relates to humans, and also to take a stroll in nature with a renewed focus on the diverse species around us. [SR]

10:30am-noon Saturday, Sept. 19. Locke Paddon Park, 188 Seaside Circle, Marina. Free; RSVP required; ages 8+. (831) 372-3196, mprpd.org/let-s-go-outdoors.

Twilight Serenade

There’s just something about listening to music after the sun sets and twilight takes hold that adds a magic not attainable in the light, which is especially true with a live show. I Cantori di Carmel, or the Singers Of Carmel, are performing their “Songs after Sunset” with this in mind. The candle-lit evening features a pre-concert lecture with music historian and tenor David Gordon and music from Reger, Rheinberger, Brahms, Hugo Wolf, Messiaen, Barber and Arvo Pärt. An original work, “Carmel Point” from Christopher Anderson-Bazzoli, commissioned by I Cantori for the group’s 45th anniversary, makes its world premiere. [AS]

7:30pm Saturday, Sept. 19. Carmel Mission Basilica, 3080 Rio Road, Carmel. $49. (831) 644-8012, icantori.org.

 Saturday, Sept. 19-Sunday, Sept. 20

This Rocks

Where some might see just a rock, others see a beautiful piece of art. These are no ordinary rocks at the 64th annual Carmel Valley Gem and Mineral Society Gem Show. Artists and gem collectors will be on hand to showcase jewelry, crystals, beads, fossils and more. Beyond admiring these natural wonders, there are plenty of hands-on activities at the show including necklace-making, a fossil dig and prizes. A food truck is stationed on site for hungry rockers. No two rocks are the same, so everything you see here is a one-of-a-kind specimen. [EC]

10am-5pm Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 19-20. Monterey County Fair & Event Center, 2004 Fairground Road, Monterey. $6; free/children 12 and under. cvgms.rocks.

Dazzling Gourds

For the last 14 years, MEarth has celebrated the arrival of fall with something fun and unique, all while supporting environmental education programs: its annual Glass Pumpkin Patch. The event draws thousands of visitors who come to ogle at a display of more than 1,500 one-of-a-kind, hand-blown glass pumpkins created by artists Nick Leonoff, Kevin Chong and others. While the Glass Pumpkin Patch is a fall tradition,, this year brings something new: a Pumpkinscape Design Challenge. Local designers will create fall-themed tablescapes that capture each designer’s unique personality and style. Guests will also have the opportunity to bid on an exclusive glassblowing demonstration with Leonoff, along with a private tour of his studio. [KR]

10am-5pm Saturday, Sept. 19; 10am-4pm. Sunday, Sept. 20. MEarth’s Hilton Bialek Habitat, 4380 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel. Free. (831) 624-1032, mearthcarmel.org/glass-pumpkin-patch.

Art Everywhere

There is art in two dimensions – think paintings hanging on walls – and the Monterey Museum has plenty of that. There is art in three dimensions (think sculpture) and check, they’ve got that too. Have you thought about art as a collection of biological, living things? MMA’s La Mirada location also has a rose garden that is a sensory delight of color, shape and aroma. The venue springs to life for this two-day fundraiser called Art in Bloom, and yes, floral arrangements are part of the art. It kicks off with a Roaring ’20s-themed party on Saturday night with live jazz, curated cocktails and your fashion. On Sunday, tour the La Mirada property, floral arrangements included, and sit for a tea service in the garden for the full experience. It’s all part of an immersive experience in art, for the sake of art. [SR]

7-10pm Saturday, Sept. 19 and noon-5pm Sunday, Sept. 20. Monterey Museum of Art - La Mirada, 720 Via Mirada, Monterey. $200/Saturday; $50/Sunday viewing, plus $40 for tea. (831) 372-5477, montereyart.org.

 Wednesday, Sept. 23

Go Fish

Eighteen years ago when Samantha Fish was just 19, she released her first album Live Bait, and landed a recording contract. She had only been playing guitar for four years, but already she was gaining attention as a talented bluesy guitar player and singer. She’s released a dozen albums since, including the much celebrated Paper Doll last year, and Paper Doll Live this year. Her performances are described as passionate and full of energy, blasting out songs across genres including blues, rock, country, funk and bluegrass. She appears with the Zac Schulze Gang on their Paper Doll Live World Tour. Expect a high-energy show with moments of sultry ballads. [PM]

8pm Wednesday, Sept. 23. Golden State Theatre, 417 Alvarado St., Monterey. $50-$84. (831) 649-1070, goldenstatetheatre.com.

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HOT PICKS by Sloan Campi, Erik Chalhoub, Dave Faries, Celia Jiménez, Pam Marino, Agata Popęda, Katie Rodriguez, Sara Rubin and Aric Sleeper.