To Do 08.26.21

Hike and Wine

It’s like happy hour, but with more fresh air (and exercise). Blue Zones Project Monterey County, an international health initiative intended to encourage healthier living and longer lives, will host this event, which doubles as an opportunity to join a new walking “moai.” Per Blue Zones, a moai is a group of people who meet to take a walk once a week for 10 weeks. Hike first, wine to follow. [TCL]

5-6:30pm Friday, Aug. 27. 37500 Foothill Road, Soledad. Free. info.bluezonesproject.com/mc-kickoff-2021-movenaturally.

Alex Lucero at Sol Treasures

Santa Cruz-based singer-songwriter Alex Lucero is taking his talents to the Sol Treasures’ backyard for this free concert (sponsored by State Farm insurance agent Remy Wicks). Guests are welcome to bring their own food and drinks to enjoy alongside the music. Gather your friends and/or family and let Lucero’s mellow guitar stylings ease you into the weekend. [TCL]

6-8pm Friday, Aug. 27. 519 Broadway St., King City. Free. 386-9809, soltreasures.com

Music by Jake Padorr, Mae Powell and Alexandra Riorden

To say that Jake Padorr, Mae Powell and Alexandra Riorden have different styles is obvious, but bears mentioning. In this case it bears mentioning because the three musical artists will be coming together – combining ambient soundscapes (Padorr), folk-rock with a message (Powell) and dark but hopeful psych-pop (Riorden) – for a concert at the Henry Miller Memorial Library. All three have recent albums to showcase and promote. What kind of alchemy will the combination produce? [TCL]

6-10pm Friday, Aug. 27. 48603 Highway 1, Big Sur. $20. 667-2574, henrymiller.org

MEarth Community Work Day

There’s nothing more grounding than getting your hands in the literal ground. And you needn’t have your own garden plot to do so – the MEarth farm at the Hilton Bialek Habitat (next to Carmel Middle School) has plenty of work for willing volunteers. The farm, which donates produce to organizations serving communities in need, needs help with garden maintenance including weeding, mulching and planting seedlings. This weekend work day is the only one on the calendar for now, but MEarth also needs regular help on Mondays from 8:30-10:30am when they harvest produce to be sent to The Big Share in Big Sur. [TCL]

10am-1pm Saturday, Aug. 28. 4380 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel. Free. 624-1032, mearthcarmel.org

Cool August Days

For this first-time event, the organizers are planning a car and bike show and a general family gathering. There will be awards, a kids play area, gift baskets, food and fun. The event is sponsored by Kiwanis Club of Marina, JC Crumpton Elementary School and the city of Marina. Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world, “one child and one community at a time.” And they hope to make it an annual Marina tradition. [AP]

10am-3pm Saturday, Aug. 28. 460 Carmel Ave, Marina. Trophies at 2:30pm. Entry is free for kids. Adults pay $50, which includes a t-shirt ($70 for a sweatshirt) and adults on motorcycles pay $40 ($65 for a sweatshirt). 402-2840, info@marinakiwanis.org

Summer musical Celebration

Celebrate the end of summer with a musical group Cascada de Flores. The group, which sometimes performs as a duo and sometimes as a sextet, shows off the range of what Latino music can sound like, from Mexico and the Caribbean and beyond. This is a family-friendly event and children are encouraged to come to this fun and educational gathering that is curated to rethink music not just as entertainment, but also as education. Bring a mask and a blanket to sit on. [AP]

11am-noon Saturday, Aug. 28. Colton Hall Lawn, 570 Pacific St., Monterey. Free. monterey.org

Concert Hosted by Cali Roots

Live music is back, and the feel-good vibes of Cali Roots are back – although the mega-festival itself is not slated to return to the Monterey Fairgrounds until 2022. In the meantime, though, there’s a lineup featuring some favorites: J Boog and The Green, Saritah and Josh Heinrichs. These are artists who on the surface deliver the familiar reggae vibes, but listen a little harder and you’re sure to hear some thoughtful and serious social commentary. The Green, in particular, in a recent video for the song “Feelings,” takes on issues of sexism, racism and the problems of white visitors to Hawaii exoticizing Indigenous Hawaiians. The O’ahu-based group is here to reclaim their own deserved place in the music world, and to share those good vibes, without shying away from the hard stuff. (For more, see story, p. 39.) [SR]

5pm Saturday, Aug. 28; doors open at 4pm. Monterey Fairgrounds, 2004 Fairground Road, Monterey. $54. californiarootspresents.com

Caffeinated Comedy

It is a truth universally acknowledged that everyone gets funnier after a cup of coffee. No? Just me? The espresso slingers at Captain + Stoker are betting on there being some kind of relationship between the two, and are hosting married comedy couple Steph and Tom Clark in their space for an evening of laughs. The LA-based couple will bring their self-deprecating, drawn-from-everyday-life jokes up north and, together with the ambient scent of coffee beans roasting, will keep you giggling. [TCL]

7-8:30pm Saturday, Aug. 28. Captain + Stoker, 398 E. Franklin St., Monterey. $15/presale; $25/at the door. funnygirlevents.com

West End Celebration plus Murals

Sand City’s 20th Annual West End Celebration offers the usual food, vendors, open studios and outdoor fun (for a full lineup, see p. 25; for musical highlights, p. 38). After a year off, both the West End Celebration and we.Art festival (which runs through Aug. 29) are coming back. The last year’s edition of we.Art provided the city with eight founding murals. This year, 23 artists, mostly from Monterey County, are creating another 13 murals (story, p. 22). Take a walk and watch them in progress, or after completion. [AP]

Murals in progress through Sunday, Aug. 29. West End Celebration is Saturday-Sunday Aug. 28-29, throughout Sand City. Free. westendcelebration.com, wecreateart.co.

Trivia at London Bridge

Maybe you spent the pandemic memorizing useless facts from Wikipedia. Here’s your chance to make that new knowledge bank useful – trivia is back after a pandemic hiatus, and trivia at London Bridge Pub has its own history. “We’ve been doing them for over 20 years,” says John Eales, the London-born owner of the pub. “They returned June 22 after a Covid break and there’s a lot of interest.” Local professionals, such as the Defense Language Institute crowd, have never failed to provide a decent trivia scene, Eales adds. The same beloved host, Tony Malokas, has been putting on trivia since 1997. Besides tough questions, the pub offers fish and chips and other classic British eats, along with a wide selection of brews. [AP]

7:30pm, Tuesdays, 256 Figueroa St #2, Monterey. $1 to play. The winners take all the money. 372-0581, www.lbpmonterey.com

Game Night

During the pandemic shutdown, a lot of people who weren’t into games learned to love them, finding ways to keep themselves occupied at home. Now that IRL events are back, that doesn’t mean the games have to stop, and Mythic Games is keeping the spirit alive and well. This is the premier place in the region to play Magic: the Gathering, Warhammer, Warhammer 40,000, and Dungeons and Dragons. Upcoming games are 6-9:30pm Friday, Aug. 20 and 1-4:30pm Saturday, Aug. 21. May the victory gods be with you. [AP]

Various times Wednesdays to Sundays. 561 Tyler St., Monterey. Prices vary depending on the game; $10-$16 this week. 747-1472, gomythic.com/mythic-games-monterey.

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