36 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY december 26, 2024-january 1, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com nonprofit that works to create welcoming and safe spaces for all. Monterey Peninsula Pride hosts a dance party, featuring DJ Luna spinning the tunes. This event is all about fun and fundraising, with the $5 minimum donation (which will serve as your cover fee); $1 per pint benefits Monterey Peninsula Pride’s MCGives! campaign. [KR] 7-10pm Saturday, Dec. 28. Other Brother Beer Co., 877 Broadway Ave., Seaside. $5 cover. peninsulapride.org. Sunday, Dec. 29 Light Up the Holiday When text is written in bold, the author intends for it to be emphasized. It’s too often overused, which dilutes its impact. It takes skill to do it right, and as writers, we feel the need to give kudos where it’s due. In an email promoting the Hanukkah at Hacienda event, Congregation Beth Israel bolds the right words: latkes, jelly donuts and bagels from Adam Silverstein. If that wasn’t enough to encourage you to attend, the festive event also features live music by the David Holodiloff Band and a menorah lighting to bring some holiday warmth. With a donut in hand, help light up the night. [EC] 3-6pm Sunday, Dec. 29. Hacienda Hay & Feed, 7180 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel Valley. Free. 624-2015, carmelbethisrael.org. Tuesday, Dec. 31 Blue Year’s Eve This bar loves to go big, and this big occasion is no exception. A masquerade ball features live music from Kaye Bohler and Friends, an eight-piece band with an incredible horn section that will keep the dance floor buzzing starting at 8pm, followed by a DJ. Appetizers, wine and a Champagne bar on the patio are served from 7-8pm; a midnight breakfast buffet follows to keep your energy up. Cheers. [AP] 6pm-1:30am Tuesday, Dec. 31. Deja Blue, 500 Broadway Ave., Seaside. $56. 324-0044, dejabluelive.com. Wild Time If you think a Wild West theme is not the best for a New Year’s Eve party— there tended to be some card cheatin’, horse thievin’ and gunslingin’ in Dodge—well, think again. Portola Hotel defines the Wild West a little differently, as in an open bar (yee-haw!), live music from the country-contemporary Alison Sharino Band, some boot scootin’ (otherwise known as dancing) and a buffet that includes fried chicken, ribs and “cowboy caviar.” Oh, did we mention the open bar? Dress for a barn dance…or at least consider a Stetson and boots. There’s booze, so 21 and up only. Like we said, the folks at Portola have cleaned up the Wild West. [DF] 7pm-12:30am Tuesday, Dec. 31. Portola Hotel & Spa, 2 Portola Plaza, Monterey. $240; $210/military. 649-4511, portolahotel.com. To the Dogs If you’re looking for a place to ring in 2025 that supports a good cause, look no further than Carmel Mission Inn’s inaugural New Year’s Eve celebration inside its elegant Peninsula Ballroom to benefit Max’s Helping Paws Foundation. The party features music by Scarlet, a local high-energy dance band. Guests receive a welcome cocktail and a midnight Champagne toast. A portion of ticket sales helps low-income pet families in need of veterinary care. If you’re really down to party, consider booking a room for the night. Party on! [PM] 10pm-1am Tuesday, Dec. 31. Carmel Mission Inn, 3665 Rio Road, Carmel. $25. 235-3915, carmelmissioninn.com. Hot Picks by Sloan Campi, Erik Chalhoub, Dave Faries, Celia Jiménez, Pam Marino, Agata Pope˛da, Katie Rodriguez, Sara Rubin and David Schmalz. HOT PICKS bucket on your head, you best come correct. [DS] 8pm Friday, Dec. 27 (doors at 7pm). Golden State Theatre, 417 Alvarado St., Monterey. $58-$81. 649-1070, goldenstatetheatre.com. Saturday, Dec. 28 Rom-Combat Here’s the setup: A New York executive has scheduled a meeting of utmost importance. Mess this one up and her penthouse career—gone in a New York minute. To get there, however, she must share a rental car with the person feared by all. No, not her mother-in-law. Far worse: her ex-fiancé’s mother. Now here’s where this recently-released rom-com takes a turn. Her almost mother-in-law has a major secret. What kind of fevered mind would come up with a plot ranked as one of the best films in 2024 by the African American Film Critics Association? Well, you can watch a matinee presentation of Albany Road and then ask screenwriter/director Christine Swanson yourself. She attends this showing for a Q&A. [DF] 1pm Saturday, Dec. 28. SandBox, 440 Ortiz Ave., Sand City. $21. sandboxsandcity.com. Dance Away ’24 Was your New Year’s resolution to finally learn the steps of the Norwegian telegangar folk dance? If you haven’t checked off that resolution yet, there’s still a few days to do so. Monterey Country Dance Community holds its annual New Year’s dance, and to prepare everyone, hosts a workshop a few hours before to show you the moves. Norway-based band Feleboga, which performs old-time music from the Appalachian mountains, gets the party going and keeps it lively throughout the night to keep dancers moving. Between the workshop and the dance, take part in a potluck dinner—you’ll need the fuel. [EC] 4-6pm (workshop), 7-10pm (dance) Saturday, Dec. 28. YMCA of the Monterey Peninsula, 660 Camino El Estero, Monterey. $5/workshop; $15/dance; $5/students; free/children 12 and under. montereycontradance.org. Don’t Stop Believin’ Some tribute bands specialize in a particular group, such as Pink Floyd or Fleetwood Mac. But Mustache Harbor took a different tack. This band pays tribute to an era, and has gained a following—one that is admittedly subdued, because audiences don’t rock to hits like “Just the Way You Are” or “Baker Street.” Instead they sway softly. Yep, Mustache Harbor celebrates the sounds that made their way from Top 40 radio to prom playlists, songs from the golden age of soft rock, sometimes known as yacht rock. Close your eyes when they perform “Africa” and they are Toto; “Come Sail Away” sounds like Styx. The songs may be old, but when Mustache Harbor takes the stage, it feels like the first time. [DF] 8pm Saturday, Dec. 28. Golden State Theatre, 417 Alvarado St., Monterey. $31-$37. 6491070, goldenstatetheatre.com. CHRistmas PRIDE Fans of dance, drag, creative expression, inclusivity, beer and ice cream (what more could you want)—unite to celebrate LGBTQIA+ joy and support a Are you celebrating the end of 2024, or the beginning of 2025? Either way, you can partake in a Western-themed New Year’s Eve party, complete with a midnight Champagne toast, at Portola Hotel in Monterey. shutterstock Join a Hanukkah party hosted by Congregation Beth Israel featuring live music, festive vibes and lots of favorite Jewish foods—holiday classics like latkes and jelly donuts, plus bagels for good measure. shutterstock
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