Thursday, Dec. 11
Country Cheer
Santa Claus’ pointed red hat with white trim is iconic, but let’s face it, that style is so overdone at this time of year. Santa with a red cowboy hat? Now that’s stylish. Cowboy Santa will be in town for the California Rodeo Association’s third annual Country Christmas Celebration to pass out toys, pose for photos and enjoy festive treats with guests. The first 1,500 children ages 2 to 12 will get free toys, but of course they will want more for the season, so a letter-writing station for Santa will be on hand for them to share what toys they want to unwrap. Hot cocoa, candy canes, live music and ornament-making activities round out the event. [EC]
5-7pm Thursday, Dec. 11. Salinas Sports Complex, 1034 N. Main St., Salinas. Free. (831) 775-3100, carodeo.com.
Friday, Dec. 12
Season’s Greetings
Holiday music is here, whether you love it or not. Here’s an opportunity to warm every listener’s heart: Children in grades 1-12 performing seasonal songs for a festive, free concert titled “A Magical Winter Evening” that is partly about the sounds of winter, but mostly about the power of musical education to inspire and focus young players. The nonprofit Youth Orchestra Salinas (YOSAL) showcases the work of more than 200 students this year, led by Music Director Jeff De Seriere and Program Director Diana Ramirez-Rosales. Expect beginner and intermediate groups, choral and instrumental groups, and more. Attendees will hear selections of everything from Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite” to “No Me Se Rajar” by José Carmen Frayle Castañon, performed by the mariachi group. [SR]
5pm Friday, Dec. 12. Fox Theater, 241 Main St., Salinas. Free. (831) 756-5335, yosal.org.
Delightful Pair
A glass of wine pairs nicely with a variety of things, included walls covered with colorful art – what a nice ambiance to mingle with the community and a great opportunity to buy a unique art piece to enhance your home decor, or to gift someone with. Make Merry at Cherry, the Carl Cherry Center for the Arts’ annual art sale and open house, has become a fixture on the local holiday scene. The event showcases an array of media and styles, including oils, mixed media and photographs from various artists, such as Jan Wagstaff, Zach Weston and Judith Foosaner. Attendees have a chance of winning a wheelbarrow filled with an assortment of fine wine. [CJ]
5-7pm Friday, Dec. 12. Carl Cherry Center for the Arts, 4th and Guadalupe, Carmel. Free. (831) 624-7491, carlcherrycenter.org.
Lady Day
If one were to describe Stella Heath’s voice, it could be explained as a warm blanket, draping your shoulders and hugging you with her smooth, soulful and smoky voice. Soothing might be the word – a quality she brings to her performances, most recently in a tribute to the music of Billie Holiday with her quintet in the Billie Holiday Project. Taking on Holiday’s repertoire, multi-faceted and known for her emotional depth and her ability to deliver songs with a level of sensitivity and personality that set her apart among the jazz greats of the ’30s and ’40s, is a steep challenge – but one Heath meets with flair. She’ll be performing alongside Neil Fontano on the piano, Robby Elfman on tenor saxophone and clarinet, Trevor Kinsel on bass and cornet and Spike Klein on the drums. [KR]
8pm Friday, Dec. 12. Golden State Theatre, 417 Alvarado St., Monterey. $25-$60. (Buy one ticket, get one free offer with toy donation.) (831) 649-1070, goldenstatetheatre.com.
Friday, Dec. 12 - Saturday, Dec. 13
Homes for the Holidays
Ah, nostalgia. The holiday season is the most nostalgic of them all, and nothing quite gets you all warm and fuzzy like a tour of Monterey’s historic adobes adorned with festive decor. Monterey State Historic Park Association and California State Parks team up to present the annual Christmas in the Adobes, where more than 20 historic buildings open their doors to the public. Knowledgeable docents are stationed at each location on this self-guided tour to give you a slice of life from the 1800s. The event is a fundraiser for State Parks’ educational programs, so you not only get to experience history, but keep it alive for future generations. [EC]
5-9pm Friday-Saturday, Dec. 12-13. Throughout Old Monterey; check in at Custom House or Pacific House, Custom House Plaza. $45/two-night pass; $30/one night; free/children 17 and under. mshpa.org/christmasintheadobes.
Saturday, Dec. 13
Trade Up
Gift-giving in this economy may seem daunting to some. If that’s you, then look no further than the Monterey Peninsula Barter Fair. Monterey Peninsula Barter is teaming up with Open Ground Studios for the community to come together to trade (or sell) unique items, goods or even skills with others. That old item you have in your closet? Bring it over and trade for something new. The fair boasts that baked goods, candles, jams, jewelry, soaps, plants, fresh produce, stationery and upcycled fashion are available for trading. And if your closet is really deep and full of things, they have indoor and outdoor spaces for you to offer up your wares. [SC]
1-3pm Saturday, Dec. 13. 1230 Fremont Blvd., Seaside. Free. (831) 204-8578, opengroundstudios.com.
Pop Goes the Holidays
It wouldn’t be the holidays without songs long beloved by all, including “Sleigh Ride,” “Joy to the World,” “Deck the Halls,” plus songs of Hanukkah and from favorite classics like How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The Pacific Grove Pops Orchestra offers such music as a gift to the community in a program called “Sounds of the Season,” led by Artistic Director Barbara Priest. The premier nonprofit intergenerational orchestra ranges from middle schoolers to octogenarians. Come experience the joy the musicians share in their music, as well as the joy of the season. [PM]
2pm Saturday, Dec. 13. Pacific Grove Performing Arts Center, 836 Forest Ave., Pacific Grove. Free; donations accepted. pgpopsorchestra.com.
Guess Who’s Back
Do you remember singer-songwriter Richard Marx? Perhaps you recall one of his biggest hits, a romantic ballad “Right Here Waiting” from 1989, which was a global hit. This Chicago native debuted in the late ’80s and sold over 30 million albums around the world. He won a 2004 Song of the Year Grammy for co-authoring, with Luther Vandross, “Dance with My Father.” In Monterey, he will be accompanied by lead singer and guitarist for Vertical Horizon, Matt Scannell. [AP]
7pm Saturday, Dec. 13. Golden State Theatre, 417 Alvarado St., Monterey. $53-$107. (831) 649-1070, goldenstatetheatre.com.
Sunday, Dec. 14
Back Stage
Before becoming a playwright and producer who staged more than 20 plays, musical and biographical dramas in the last two decades, Tom Parks had worked for 25 years as a dialogue coach in Hollywood. Some of the shows he has brought to the Carl Cherry Center for the Arts in Carmel are: A Life and a Few Songs, an Evening of Music and Musings; CHUMS; Something for the Boys; Marlene – From Berlin to Hollywood to Berlin, 1930-1945; The Wit and Wisdom of Dorothy Parker; and Interview–A Mystery. In 2015, Parks published a book titled Three Women, Three Voices, Three Plays that gathers some of his “biographical dramas.” Recently Parks wrote a memoir, A Life Backstage, and he will have his actor friends read from it at The Cherry. Just as a play, the event has three “acts,” the first and third including wine. Celebrate Parks’ life and career and purchase a copy of his book if you’d like to dive deeper. [AP]
2-4pm Sunday, Dec. 14. Carl Cherry Center for the Arts, 4th and Guadalupe, Carmel. Free. (831) 624-7491, carlcherrycenter.org.
Monday, Dec. 15
Opera Essentials
You’ve heard of the Phantom of the Opera, but what about the Skeletons of the Opera? This has no spooky vibes, just the bare bones (get it?) of the elements that define Baroque opera. Harpsichordists Caitlyn Koester and Elliot Figg perform a harpsichord four-hands program, a rare mode of two accomplished musicians on one instrument. Expect to pick up on all the dramatic tension and pacing of a full-on opera, thanks to two expert artists. New York-based harpsichordist Koester performs with early music ensembles all over the county; keyboardist and conductor Figg specializes in historical performance and has appeared on stages at the Metropolitan Opera, Tanglewood and more. They come together for an appearance in Carmel. A reception after the show features homemade German Glühwein from Music Director Daniel Henriks. [SR]
7pm Monday, Dec. 15. All Saints Church, 9th and Dolores, Carmel. $47; $21/students, teachers, military, youth ages 30 and under. (831) 644-8012, icantori.org.
Tuesday, Dec. 16 - Wednesday, Dec. 17
Life’s a Beach
What if winter never came? Every day it’s sun and surf, cruisin’ and young love. Paradise, right? Only it’s not possible – that is unless Al Jardine and the Endless Summer Band come to town. For two nights, a founding member of the Beach Boys will immerse us in a world of good vibrations, surfin’, little deuce coupes, California girls – Rhonda and Barbara Ann – and more, with no worries, just music and the warmth of the sun (figuratively speaking). Wouldn’t it be nice? Jardine is, of course, a member of the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame. He and his band play Beach Boys hits, deep tracks and some of Jardine’s originals. [DF]
7:30pm Tuesday-Wednesday, Dec. 16-17. Founders Theatre at Golden Bough Playhouse, Monte Verde between 8th and 9th, Carmel. $81-$156. (831) 622-0100, pacrep.org.
Tuesday, Dec. 16
Boatloads of History
For more than half of the 20th century, if you needed a boat built or repaired, you’d turn to the Siino family. Angelo Siino operated Monterey Boat Works, and over the decades, the family is estimated to have built and repaired hundreds of wood fishing boats. Siino’s grandchildren Janet and Mark lead a presentation of Monterey Boat Works from 1916-1970. Attendees will learn about the many boats built by the family, including the 1930 General Pershing, the largest of them all. [EC]
6-7pm Tuesday, Dec. 16. Hopkins Marine Station, Izzie Abbott Boatworks Auditorium, 120 Ocean View Blvd., Pacific Grove; also via Zoom. Free. (831) 655-6200, hopkinsmarinestation.stanford.edu.
Wednesday, Dec. 17
Toddler Gymnastics
For adults, the holidays bring eggnog, turkey stuffing and yummy pies. All of which often means: time for a nap. But for the kiddos? With Christmas cookies and candy canes and stocking stuffer treats, their internal energy canister just balloons. And that energy has got to go somewhere, right? It’s party time, and time for kids ages 2-5 to get out that extra sugar rush energy at MY Museum as they partner with Shea’s Gymnastics for Toddler Gymnastics every Wednesday. Toddlers will learn about the basics of gymnastics through games and movement. Come tumble, roll and play. [KR]