Readers Poll 2024

Editors’ Picks Editors’ Picks BEST BLOCK PARTY Monterey Museum of Art Calle de Principal, Monterey (831) 372-5477, montereyart.org For the past two years, the Monterey Museum of Art has hosted a free spring block party in April, a welcoming, family-friendly event with lots of opportunities to create art, plus live music, food trucks and a chance to explore the museum for free. They take over a block of Calle de Principal, behind the museum, plus fill the grassy plaza between the museum and the Miller Adobe, for an array of booths, demonstrations, games and a stage. The 2024 party was a joyous affair filled with people of all ages. Some came dressed in creative, colorful outfits, befitting the occasion. The museum was abuzz with people checking out the latest installations, as well as MMA-owned works. As an extra treat, the Monterey Bay Plein Air Painters Association held a “wet paint” show featuring still-drying paintings by artists who spent the early part of the day painting historic buildings around downtown. Artists were able to sell their paintings on the spot. It’s a truly fun community celebration and an asset to downtown Monterey. BEST WAY TO MAKE SURE YOUR MILLION-DOLLAR CAR DOESN’T CATCH ON FIRE WHEN TRANSPORTING IT Don’t Use Cheap Trailers So you want to show your expensive hypercar in Monterey. The best option is to hire a professional transportation company that will make sure your steel baby gets to where it needs to be, all in the comfort of an enclosed trailer. But no, you’re looking to save a little money (the irony is thick), so you instead gas up your 1990s-model Ford F-250 and pump up the flat tires of a rusted trailer in your driveway, and voila! Your steed awaits. Cheaping out on transportation had disastrous consequences for two vehicles leaving Car Week in 2024. In two separate incidents, the trailers for a $2 million 1934 Hispano-Suiza J12 Vanvooren Cabriolet and $1 million 1979 Ford Ghia Probe 1 Prototype went up in flames for reasons still being investigated. Next time, don’t tow your vehicle with a rig whose combined value is less than the cargo’s steering wheel. BEST COMMUNITY ORGANIZING EFFORT Rent Stabilization in Salinas One of the great things about local government is that it’s open to all, and deliberations happen in public. But too often, the people who attend city council meetings that can run late into the night are people who are paid to be there, representing interest groups that hire local government liaisons. The general public might be busy—with dinner, homework, child care, etc. A remarkable reversal was on display in Salinas City Hall over the past year, with members of that general public, renters specifically, packing meetings to ask for rent control. They elected councilmembers sympathetic to their cause, then kept Best Proof Of Concept That You Create Your Own Future | Rancho Cielo Youth Campus 122 BEST OF MONTEREY COUNTY® 2024 montereycountynow.com/bestof Sunday Marina 10am – 2pm Monday Pacific Grove 3 – 7pm Tuesday Alisal 11am – 4pm Wednesday Natividad 11am-3:30pm Thursday Seaside 3–7pm Friday SVH 12 – 5pm t es! 1 esh Rx Produce Prescriptions: healthcare ionals prescribe families in need uy produce ts) dren (WIC): IC benefits markets All markets accept CalFresh/EBT & double all EBT purchases up to $30 – www.everyonesharvest.org ’24 ’23 ’22 Thank you for voting us Best Farmers Market Vendor

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