To Do 03.04.21

INTRODUCE: A little competition.

There’s a surprising abundance of competition lately. The Weston Collective, a nonprofit that promotes the art of film photography, has its 2021 scholarship open to high school – and college-level photographers. They’re accepting portfolios of 10 black-and-white film photographs. There are multiple cash awards ranging from $25-$200. Portfolios must be submitted by April 30 (thewestoncollective.org/apply). For non-photographers, the Monterey County Fair just announced their poster contest and theme (“Fair Fun in 2021”). There will be one winner from the adult-level division ($100 prize) and one from the youth-level division ($50 prize). One design will be picked for the guide book and the other for poster art. Along with cash prizes, both winners will receive a family package of fair tickets. Submissions accepted until March 30, (montereycountyfair.com).

EXPLORE: the fairgrounds.

Speaking of the fair, the fairgrounds are pretty much the perfect venue during the pandemic to experiment on entertainment offerings. Does food count as entertainment? Because Monterey County Fairgrounds is scheduled to bring an array of food trucks every Friday from 4-7pm. It’s also still the acting surrogate for shuttered movie theaters, offering drive-in movies (montereycountyfair.com). Salinas Valley Fairgrounds in King City continues its open-air flea market every Sunday from 8am-1pm. Admission is $1, a small price to pay for bargains (salinasvalleyfair.com).

HAVE: a little faith.

Finding zen or being inspired by faith leaders isn’t exclusive to practitioners. Try forest bathing, a practice in Japan rooted in both Shinto and Buddhist traditions, where one walks quietly in the woods to completely immerse themselves in the greenery. And maybe something to plan for in the future: local photographer Randy Tunnell embarked on a portrait study of 19 people of various faiths from Greek Orthodox, Islam, Catholicism and others in 2018, called Facing Faith. It will be viewable at the Marjorie Evans Gallery at the Sunset Center (San Carlos and Ninth, Carmel) as soon as it’s safe to open (sunsetcenter.org). If you’re more of an auditory learner, try listening to classical compositions – one of the earliest forms of worship. Chamber Music Monterey Bay streams a concert featuring Morgenstern Piano Trio and the Manhattan Chamber Players at 7pm on March 6. Tickets start at $20. (chambermusicmontereybay.org).