26 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY june 6-12, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com nonprofit booths. But let’s not kid ourselves, the star of it all promises to be the food—it is a festival named after California’s official state vegetable, after all—and along with culinary demonstrations, and there’s a new culinary bazaar with five pop-ups headlined by Chef Todd Fisher and his Bear + Flag Roadside eatery and wine shop. Nom. [DS] 11am-9pm Saturday, June 8; 11am-6pm Sunday, June 9. Monterey County Fair & Event Center, 2004 Fairground Road, Monterey. One day passes $10/kids (6-12); $15/seniors, military; $20/ages 13 and up. Multi-day packages also for sale. artichokefestival.org. Night Magic Have you ever felt Peninsula nights? Of course you have. You’re here. But you’ve never seen Peninsula nights. No one has—until now. The cinematic premier of the film Peninsula Nights involves wine, a chance to mingle, a Q&A with director Devin Thomas and the movie itself. Filmed in Carmel and Monterey (sorry P.G.; at least you get to show the thing), it’s a romance that begins when a real estate agent with a hidden passion (pickleball?) bumps into a hopeful artist from back east. They learn about each other and linger in the embrace of local nightlife (you know, until 9pm). Will it last? Mysteries blow in the night in Peninsula skies. PG-13. [DF] 6:30pm Saturday, June 8. Lighthouse Cinema and Event Center, 525 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove. $20. 641-0747, lighthousecinema4events.com. Saturday, June 8- Sunday, June 30 western mlk The Mountaintop was first shown in a small theater in London, then moved to the West End. It premiered on Broadway in 2011. Now you can see the powerful story in Salinas, courtesy of The Western Stage. This two-actor play was written by Katori Hall, a young writer from Tennessee, who envisioned the last night of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life, not unlike Jesus Christ’s Last Supper. The entire play takes place in Room 306 of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis on the night before the civil rights leader was assassinated. The fictional King meets his angel, embodied by a beautiful maid, who tells him about the fact that he will die tomorrow. [AP] 7:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays, 2pm on Sundays, June 8-30. The Western Stage at Hartnell College (Studio Theater), 411 Central Ave., Building K, Salinas. $28. 755-6816, westernstage.com. Sunday, June 9 Saddle Up The first Junior Rodeo at Salinas Sports Complex offers young people an opportunity to “connect with the spirit of the Wild West”...Hang on. We’ve seen Deadwood. Are we sure about this? Absolutely. Between all the saloon brawls and gunslingin’, there was work to be done. That meant riding and roping. In other words, rodeo. The event features barrel racing, steer riding, team roping and other traditional events for boys and girls up to age 18. For those 5 and under there are stick horse races (Clint Eastwood hopping along the high plains). And for spectators, it’s a chance to see future stars of the rodeo hone their skills. [DF] 9am Sunday, June 9. Salinas Sports Complex, 1034 N. Main St., Salinas. Free. 775-3100, carodeo.com. Send ideas to calendar@montereycountynow.com HOT PICKS Friday, June 7 Gravitate Here As summer approaches, we see more and more free shows like this. But then, maybe not exactly like this. The Suborbitals have been performing steadily in Monterey County for the past decade or so—and there is good reason for the band’s popularity. Their music balances a calm meditative ambiance with catchy melodies. They have a way of bringing people in without being intrusive. Their music also seems to make perfect sense for a Friday evening, something that could work well enough on a first date or for a small family gathering. We readily suggest this show—especially at the going rate of free. [JH] 6pm Friday, June 7. Sunset Cultural Center terrace, San Carlos Street at 9th Avenue, Carmel. Free. 620-2048, sunsetcenter.org. Friday, June 7- Saturday, June 8 winging it We’ve all heard the phrase “controlled chaos,” where things may appear disorganized and frantic, yet everything turns out alright in the end. Kind of like running a weekly newspaper. Sometimes, though, it might not all go to plan. But that assumes there was a plan in the first place. Such is the case with Comedy Variety Showcase’s upcoming shows, “Controlled Chaos.” The group, which was established in 2023, puts its own spin on improvisational theater. Expect plenty of spontaneity and quick wit on stage. Nothing will go to plan, except that is the plan. [EC] 7:30pm Friday, June 7. Wave Street Studios, 774 Wave St., Monterey. 7pm Saturday, June 8. Pacific Grove Art Center, 568 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove. $15-$20. comedyvarietyshowcase.com/controlledchaos. Saturday, June 8 whitman’s queer legacy The Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium has a long and unusual history. It was born out of the National Writers Union. The founder of the consortium was poet John Laue, who is still involved and known as “the Dean” of the group. In 2021, Laue passed coordinating responsibilities to poet Kent Leatham, a Carmel Valley native. For the past 30 years, the group has been meeting monthly and reading original poetry in various local venues. This time the consortium welcomes you to an evening of poetry: All Their Looks and Words: Kent Leatham & the Queer Legacy of Walt Whitman, featuring artwork by Paul Richmond. Leatham is a poet, translator, educator, and proudly pansexual member of the LGBTQ+ family. He owns multiple copies of Leaves of Grass. [AP] 5:30pm Saturday, June 8. Pacific Grove Public Library, 550 Central Ave., Pacific Grove. Free. 648-5760, pacificgrovelibrary.org. getting to the heart “Where Fun Blossoms.” That’s the theme of this year’s Artichoke Festival, which has some of most everything. There’s a Friday night comedy show, “Thistle Be Funny,” live music, wine tasting, and of course, artisan and Irene Tu is a Los Angeles-based stand-up comedian, actor and writer who honed her chops in San Francisco. She’s performed in the Netflix Is A Joke comedy festival, among other stages, and brings her jokes to Sunset Center’s XYZ Comedy series. Kim Newmoney Longtime local band The Suborbitals comprise, from left: bassist Heath Proskin, saxophonist Ben Herod and guitarist/lead vocalist Ryan Masters. They next appear outdoors on the terrace at Sunset Center. Bogie Pieper
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