More than 85,000 people—and their cars—will soon arrive in Monterey County to boost the economy and local charities.

Erik Chalhoub here, wishing I still owned my 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis. It’s the car I learned how to drive in, got me through college and helped me secure my first job.

By 2019, the paint was peeling in too many places to count, one of the windows was held up by duct tape and a wrench was required to be in the trunk at all times in case the battery terminal needed tightening for the car to start.

It would have been perfect for Concours d’Lemons in Seaside during Car Week, a celebration of rust, junk and the oddballs, all in good fun.

This morning, Weekly Features Editor Dave Faries and I attended a roundtable event at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, where representatives from See Monterey joined city and county officials, as well as many organizers from the more than 30 events that make up Car Week, running Aug. 9-18.

The takeaway? Car Week is not just a celebration of cars—it’s incredibly important for the local economy and the charities it benefits.

According to Rob O’Keefe, president and CEO of See Monterey, more than 85,000 people typically descend onto Monterey County during Car Week. Hotel occupancy throughout the county averages about 66 percent on any given day, but when Car Week rolls in, it bumps up to 81 percent, with many hotels at full capacity, he said.

Many of the events during the week benefit local charities, with between $3 million-$4 million in donations raised for more than 100 organizations in 2023, according to O’Keefe.

“It’s a great economic engine for us,” he said. “It’s not just dollars generated for the economy, it’s dollars generated for the many charities that benefit from Car Week. This is lifeblood for charitable interests in our county every year.”

While locals benefit from the dollars pouring into the county in the long run, it’s the short-term impacts that draw the ire of many. Specifically, traffic.

County of Monterey Communications Director Nick Pasculli said the county will provide real-time traffic monitoring on its website and social media. See Monterey includes a website with an interactive map of events and traffic tips for both visitors and residents—so commuters can prepare in advance (O’Keefe noted that his drive to Safeway doubles to about 14 minutes when Car Week is in town).

“Well worth it for the tens of millions of dollars Car Week brings to our community,” O’Keefe said.

To those planning on visiting our county for Car Week—welcome. I look forward to seeing what you’re driving. But please be respectful and clean up after yourselves. 

Also, as tempting as it is to drive your car to its full ability, remember: when it comes to exotic car-versus-tree, the tree always wins.

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