Friday, July 28 Love Wins The story of Lori Long and Mark Contreras is a story of love—and also of activism. The Salinas couple got engaged in 2016, but then learned that if they got married, an archaic provision of Social Security code would mean that Long, who has been disabled since childhood, would lose a critical health benefit. Instead of wedding planning, they’ve spent their recent years lobbying. Of course they’ve also continued living their lives. Weekly staff photographer Daniel Dreifuss spent nine months documenting their day-to-day activities. His photo essay is featured on p. 20, and also on the walls of The Press Club. Dreifuss and Long speak at an opening reception. [SR] 5:30-7pm Friday, July 28. The Press Club, 1123 Fremont Blvd., Seaside. Free. Call ahead for information on event accessibility. 394-5656, mcweekly.com. Friday and Saturday, July 28-29 Lighten up The Feast of Lanterns in Pacific Grove went dark last year, leaving Pagrovians without their annual summer tradition that included family-friendly activities culminating with a nighttime pageant and fireworks at the beach. Organizers regrouped and are back this year with an all-new celebration that retains some familiar aspects of the old event under the new banner of Youth Ambassadors of Pacific Grove. The Pet Parade is back on Friday, July 28, followed by a new event that evening called Boots & Blazers Barn Dance, where the Ambassadors—P.G. teens who signed up to serve the community for an entire year—will teach line dancing inside Chautauqua Hall. On Saturday, the events continue with a pancake breakfast in the morning and a multitude of games, cultural activities and entertainment throughout the day, capped off at 9pm with a special, environmentally friendly light show at Lovers Point Beach. This burst of small-town fun is open to anyone who wants to join in. [PM] Friday, July 28: Pet parade at 2pm, Caledonia Park, 141 Caledonia Ave., free; Boots & Blazers Barn Dance at 6-9pm, Chautauqua Hall, 16th Street at Central Avenue, free. Saturday, July 29 at Lovers Point: Pancake breakfast, 8-10am, $10; games, food and more, 11am-5pm, free admission, $20/games wristband or $1 per www.montereycountyweekly.com july 27-august 2, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 29 Carol Parker Carmel Art Association presents Inspirations, an exhibit of works by Peggy Jelmini and Carol Parker (Parker’s piece is displayed above). Parker and Jelmini paint in oil and watercolor. They both depict local subjects dear to their hearts: deer grazing in nearby vineyards, boats floating by the docks of Monterey Bay, and the golden, rolling hills of the Salinas Valley. Parker began the study of watercolor in 1980. She studied art at CSU Chico and graduated from San Jose State with a BA and a teaching credential in art. She was juried into the Carmel Art Association in 1998. She now devotes herself to full-time painting. Parker has lived in Monterey County for the past 40 years and continues to draw much of her inspiration from the local landscape. On display through July 31. [AP] HOT PICKS July 27–August 02 To see more local events, and add your own, visit calendar.montereycountyweekly.com Carol Parker VISUALS NEMATIC GALLERY The first digital art gallery is coming to Carmel. Witness the transformation of Carmel’s iconic Gallerie Amsterdam (Dolores Street between 5th and 6th) into two new visionary spaces at Nematic Gallery and Daisy Rose Gallery, where owners Craig Gross and Daisy Rose promise to redefine art, its perception, and the way it is sold. All artworks are for sale exclusively on MakersPlace, a platform for NFTs. Features for the opening include NeoSutras (see above), the “healing through art” live performance—combining yoga, immersive VR, singing, spoken word, dance, meditation and web3 technology. Other artists include: Heart Hatter, Josh Mayhem, Benzi, Blakeney Sanford, Bennett Williams and Lindsey Ross. The gallery opens Tuesday, Aug. 1, then hosts a ribbon-cutting 5-7pm on Aug. 10 and a grand opening with events from noon-7pm on Thursday, Aug. 17. [AP] Each year, the Dave Holodiloff Band plays a Jerry Garcia Bluegrass Birthday Bash Tribute Concert. It’s time for another rendition, happening Tuesday, Aug. 1. Courtesy of Dave Holodiloff The Salinas Obon Festival is back as a full-on celebration that is open to the public for the first time since 2019, pre-pandemic. Katrina Uota Courtesy of NeoSutras
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