Hot Picks July 14-20: Poetry masters, a benefit for Macbeth and more.

Zumbando

Want to do more healthy exercise this summer as well as smooth some of your dance moves? You just might be able to do both at this outdoor Zumba class, where you’ll move, dance and have fun at the beat of Latin music. It doesn’t even feel like you’re exercising (but a word to the wise: The next day you’ll feel your muscles). During Parks and Recreation Month (July) Salinas’ Park and Recreation Department offers a Zumba class each Thursday. Bring your tennis shoes, comfortable clothes and a bottle of water. [CJ]

6-7pm Thursdays, July 14, 21 and 28. El Dorado Park, 1655 El Dorado Drive, Salinas. Free. cityofsalinas.org/our-city-services/recreation-community-services.

Blowing in the Wind

Face it, when you think of classical music on the stage, you probably think of stringed instruments in the front – a concertmaster using their violin to gesture and lead the orchestra. The wind instrument players can sometimes be buried out of sight (but of course, not out of hearing range). Festival of Winds flips that formula on its head, and features just wind instruments, with 22 players converging for 11 days of intensive rehearsal and performance. It’s a new tradition at Hidden Valley, having started in 2021, and is back for a second year. This is the fourth and final concert of the festival, with works by Beethoven, W. Sedlak, Valerie Coleman and more. [SR]

7:30pm (doors at 7) Friday, July 14. Hidden Valley Music Seminars, 104 W. Carmel Valley Road, Carmel Valley. $25. 659-3115, hiddenvalleymusic.org.

Party Like it’s the 11th Century

What do a red carpet, a password-protected speakeasy and a nascent theater company have in common? At face value not a whole lot, but all will feature in the benefit that New Canon Theatre Co. is holding ahead of its 2022 summer production. That production, in case you haven’t heard, is Macbeth – Shakespeare’s political tragedy. That kicks off later in July, but in the meantime you can meet the cast at a fancy night out at Monterey’s new speakeasy, Savvy Bar. [TCL]

7pm-midnight Friday, July 15. Savvy Bar, 420 Tyler St., Monterey. $20. Visit savvybarinc.com for the password to enter.

There and Back Again

The Hobbit is coming to oldtown Salinas courtesy of ARIEL Theatrical. Get ready to journey into Middle-earth. In this classic 1937 story by J.R.R. Tolkien, a respectable young hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, is visited by the 13 mighty dwarves and is ultimately forced to join their crazy venture way beyond the Shire. On their mission they encounter elves, goblins, gigantic spiders and trolls, as well as discover a magical “ring of invisibility” and meet the mysterious Gollum, aka Smeagul. With The Lord of the Rings taking most of the cultural attention these days, it’s worth remembering that the story of the ring that rules the whole world starts with The Hobbit, which is a lighter, and arguably funnier, piece by the same author. [AP]

7pm Friday – Saturday, July 15-16 and Thursday-Sunday, July 21-July 23; additional 2pm shows on Saturdays. Karen Wilson Children’s Theatre, 320 Main St., Salinas. $13; $11/students, seniors, military; $9/children ages 3-12. 775-0976, arieltheatrical.org.

Best in Show

Sometime around 20,000 to 30,000 years ago, scientists believe, in Europe or western Siberia, humans began domesticating wolves. In the millennia since, through selective breeding practices, dogs now come in countless shapes and sizes, with each breed having distinctive personalities and characteristics. They also became beloved companions, and this weekend, humans will be showcasing their best friends at Carmel Middle School, where starting Friday and through Sunday the Del Monte Kennel Club hosts obedience and rally trials, and on Saturday and Sunday all-breed dog shows – each day will be a different show with different winners. “We could have a poodle winning one and a boxer winning the next day,” says club treasurer Cheryl Smith, who adds it’s their first show since 2019. “We’re excited to see everyone again.” Animal Friends Rescue Project will be onsite Saturday for those who want to adopt a new best friend that you may suspect of chewing up your couch someday, but you would be wrong – they will be innocent of all charges, case closed. [DS]

8am-3pm Friday-Sunday, July 15-17. Carmel Middle School, 4380 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel. Free, $10/parking. dmkc.org.

Pipe Dream

Kitchen piping is not what you think. Ceilidh – hell, that’s not even in your vocabulary. Try finding it in the dictionary and… what do you know? It’s there. And it sounds pretty fun. In fact, the annual two-day Monterey Scottish Games and Celtic Festival is a blast, especially if you enjoy live music, dancing, competitions, whisky and lively events. And did we mention whisky? The celebrations spill over from the Fairgrounds to the Hyatt Regency, where plumbers demonstrate kitchen remodelings and… No, kitchen piping is a freestyle bagpiping competition featuring the best of the best. There are food vendors (hopefully with a haggis-free zone), a beer garden, reenactors featuring Vikings (hide your loot) and Mary Queen of Scots and her court (spoiler – doesn’t turn out well). Oh, and whisky tastings. Too much is packed into two days to fit it in here. You just have to go and experience the whisky… the event! We meant the event. [DF]

9am-5:30pm Saturday-Sunday, July 16-17. Monterey County Fair & Event Center, 2004 Fairground Road, Monterey. Kitchen Piping and Ceilidh 6-9:30pm Saturday, July 17 at Hyatt Regency Hotel, 1 Old Golf Course Road, Monterey. $20; $10/teens, seniors, military; free/children 12 and under; $49-$99/VIP. Two-day packages available. 298-0009, montereycelticfest.com.

Poets Night Out

Monterey Museum of Art in Monterey is inviting all who are interested to an evening of poetry with a few masters. Featured poets include: Juan Felipe Herrera (U.S. Poet Laureate emeritus), Daniel B. Summerhill (Monterey County Poet Laureate), Anthony Cody (2022 Whiting Winner in Poetry), and Elliot Ruchowitz-Roberts, who in addition to being a poet, serves also as the Robinson Jeffers Tor House Foundation president. The poets will engage in shared dialogue about the creative process and deliver individual readings for the audience. Space is limited and early registration is recommended. [AP]

5:30-7pm Saturday, July 16. Monterey Museum of Art, 559 Pacific St., Monterey. $20; $10/MMA members, students. 372-5477, montereyart.org.

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