Send ideas to calendar@montereycountynow.com 34 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY december 5-11, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com children. ARIEL Theatrical, 320 Main St., Salinas. 775-0976, arieltheatrical.org. Friday, Dec. 6 Finale Friday What better way to wrap up the year than with a First Friday art celebration? This one will feature plenty of local artists’ works on display, but the main event is David J. Gubernick’s exhibit, called “Macro to Grand Landscapes.” Gubernick is an award-winning photographer who has captured stunning views of Monterey County and somehow made them more amazing. All of the accoutrements will be there to make a great art reception, including a live pianist to add to the grandeur. Grab a scarf and a beret and head over to see where artists are making their art. [SC] 5-7pm Friday, Dec. 6. ArtWorks @Salinas, 262 Main St., Salinas. Free. 622-9060. info@ arts4mc.org, arts4mc.org/artworks. Winter Vibes There are Christmas trees, and then there is Seaside’s holiday tree. This majestic tree, decked out with colorful lights in a branching fashion (looks like a truffula tree made famous by The Lorax, actually a cypress) just resonates joy. It’s with that joyful basis in mind that Seaside city officials invite everyone to get in on the spirit of the season with this annual tree lighting ceremony. The full “Winter Wonderland” experience includes a petting zoo, horse carriage rides, snow for a taste of actual winter, a bounce house and more. Santa may or may not be in attendance—depends whether you’ve been naughty or nice. [SR] 6-9pm Friday, Dec. 6. Seaside City Hall lawn, 440 Harcourt Ave., Seaside. Free. 899-6700, ci.seaside.ca.us. Mass Music The reality of the Christmas holiday for many of us is that it is disassociated from religious tradition, instead adopting many cultural and secular traditions (cookies, lights, Santa guiding kids through wish lists). There is something about the music of mass, performed in a church, that has the ability to transcend it all, resonating with meaning for religious and secular listeners alike. A collaborative performance of Joseph Haydn’s “Missa Sancti Nicolai” is one such opportunity. The Monterey Peninsula College Choir and MPC String Ensemble join forces with the Saint Angela Merici Choir to bring this centuries-old mass alive. [SR] 7pm Friday, Dec. 6. Saint Angela Merici, 362 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove. Free. 6464200, mpc.edu. Saturday, Dec. 7-Sunday, Dec. 8 WISH List Monterey Peninsula Voices, an 85-member choir with singers from throughout Monterey County, presents its heart-warming winter season concert, A Winter Wish. Music is written by Michael John Trotta, Mark Leavitt and Andy Beck. A new major work, “Illuminare” by Elaine Hagenberg, will premiere, accompanied by a 17-piece chamber orchestra. This is an opportunity to hear dozens of your neighbors raise their voices in harmony. [AP] 3pm Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 7-8. Santa Catalina School, 500 Mark Thomas Drive, Monterey. $30; $25/seniors, military, students under 18; $20/children 12 and under. 275-0176, mpvoices.org. HOT PICKS Per Jazz Times: “The sextet skirts the outer reaches of straight-ahead jazz.” Really, you have to experience it for yourselves. [DF] 7:30pm Thursday, Dec. 5. Wave Street Studios, 774 Wave St., Monterey. $49.87/in advance; $65.87/at the door; $17.85/patio seating. 655-2010, wavestreetstudios.com. Friday, Dec. 6- Sunday, Dec. 8 Pier Party One of the biggest—nay, the biggest— superstars is spending the weekend at Fisherman’s Wharf. And if you’re thinking Mick or Taylor (with Travis), they are miniscule by comparison. We’re talking about Santa. That’s right, it’s Christmas on the Wharf. Santa arrives on Friday at 5pm and returns both Saturday and Sunday at 11am. No autographs, please, but he will listen to your want list. But there’s more: live music, carolers, dancers and sea lions… which are not just here for Christmas. Plus there are all the shops. Maybe cookies, too. On Sunday, the Lighted Boat Parade sails at 5:15pm. And Santa has some pull, so the event continues every weekend through Dec. 22 (except for the boat parade, sorry). [DF] 5-9pm Friday, Dec. 6; 11am-9pm SaturdaysSundays, Dec. 7-22. Fisherman’s Wharf, Monterey. Free. montereywharf.com. Christmas Crooners Holiday magic just isn’t complete without a chorus singing classical music. And the Camerata Singers are here to deliver their tunes to the heavens. They perform at two churches this year, one in Salinas and one in Monterey. Artistic Director Bill McMillan leads the singers in modern choral pieces as well as traditional carols. Lucy Faridany’s expertise with her piano joins the chorus to fully envelope the three evenings with beautiful music. [SC] 7:30pm Friday, Dec. 6 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Salinas; 7:30pm Saturday, Dec. 7 and 2:30pm Sunday, Dec. 8 at First Presbyterian Church, Monterey. $20/Friday; $25/SaturdaySunday; free/students. 642-2701, camerata-singers.org. Friday, Dec. 6-Saturday, Dec. 7 Christmas classic Perhaps one of the most famed holiday stories, and certainly one of the most popular works by Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol tells the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, a cold-hearted man who despises Christmas and avoids human connection. The story follows his transformative journey as three ghosts visit him, teaching valuable lessons about life and redemption. Bringing this timeless classic to life is ARIEL Theatrical, a nonprofit offering year-round theater arts programs for children and adolescents. Are you a member of the Boys & Girls Club or CASA of Monterey County? Contact them for free tickets generously provided by the nonprofit. [KR] 7pm Friday, Dec. 6; 2pm and 7pm Saturday, Dec. 7; 7pm Wednesday-Friday, Dec. 11-13; 2pm and 7pm Saturday, Dec. 14. $21.50; $19.50/seniors, students, military; $13.50/ The lighted boat parade is one of Monterey’s great traditions. Boats sail from the harbor along the shore past Cannery Row to Pacific Grove, then back. There are great vantage points, both indoors and out, to view and enjoy the festivities. courtesy of Joseph Headley David Weiss of the David Weiss Sextet is a New York-based trumpeter, composer and arranger. Come to Wave Street Studios in Monterey to hear his work.
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