Send ideas to calendar@montereycountynow.com 28 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MAY 1-7, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com airwaves, songs composed by women account for just 10 percent of those in the public domain. That data point comes from the team behind a nonprofit called She Writes Songs, dedicated to closing the songwriting gender gap. The group’s launch in Monterey features London-based Sarah Gillespie, a cofounder, and local artists Anne Sibley, Julie Capili, Jeni Keszler and Wendi Kirby. A Q&A with music executive Stephen Budd reveals some behindthe-scenes workings of the industry, all accompanied by wine and light bites. This event precedes a European launch on May 25—it’s a chance to be there when it all began. [SR] 6-8pm Saturday, May 3. Wendi Kirby Music, 550 Hartnell St., Suite F, Monterey. $55. info@wendikirbymusic.com, shewritessongs. org. CHEMISTRY The Catalyst Quartet, with Todd Palmer on clarinet, returns thanks to Chamber Music Monterey Bay. The ensemble was founded in 2010 by the Sphinx Organization, a Detroit nonprofit dedicated to diversity in the arts. One of the Catalyst Quartet’s records won the 2018 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album. This concert opens with “Suite del Ángel” by Astor Piazzolla and “Gumboots” by David Bruce. The final composition is “Clarinet Quintet in F-sharp Minor, op. 10” by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. Sit down 30 minutes before showtime for a presentation by expert musicologist Ian Scarfe. [AP] 6:30pm Saturday, May 3. Sunset Cultural Center, San Carlos Street and 9th Avenue, Carmel. $30–$75; $15/adult chaperones with a child; free/children ages 8-18, music teachers; $15/military, students. 625-2212, chambermusicmontereybay.org. MAY IS FOR TACOS Kick off Cinco de Mayo with good tacos—and tons of other culinary offerings. What’s Grubbin’ Salinas celebrates with food trucks, promising the best local and regional vendors all in one place. It’s the food truck gathering’s second family-friendly event with live music and fun games, with the potential to become a monthly festivity. It starts in the late afternoon and continues throughout the sunset—yes, they have a beer garden; have a taste of Salinas nightlife. The event offers much more than traditional Mexican food, with 25 trucks serving Thai, pizza, clam chowder, sushi and beyond. [AP] 2-9pm Saturday, May 3. Salinas Train Station, 26 W. Market St., Salinas. Free to enter. 6826554, instagram.com/whatsgrubbinsalinas. Saturday, May 3-Wednesday, May 7 SING OUT This spring marks a milestone for I Cantori Di Carmel, founded in 1981 with a mission to bring outstanding choral music to the region, making classical music accessible to all. For the first time the chorus and orchestra made up of local musicians is debuting inside Sunset Center, bringing to the stage a powerful program entitled “Songs of Destiny,” with works by classical greats Brahms, Debussy, Ravel and English composer Vaughan Williams. I Cantori is also staging a free concert in King City. Music Director Daniel Henriks says they are “proud to bring our sound to even more people—and to celebrate the incredible talent we have right here in our communities.” Something indeed worthy of celebrating. [PM] 7:30pm Saturday, May 3 at Stanton Theater, 720 Broadway St., King City; Free with RSVP. 7:30pm Tuesday, May 6 and Wednesday, May 7 at Sunset Center, San Carlos at 9th, Carmel; $20-$75. 644-8012, icantori.org. HOT PICKS this year including Stanford law professor William B. Gould, author of Diary of a Contraband: The Civil War Passage of a Black Sailor and Victoria Bynum, whose The Free State of Jones: Mississippi’s Longest War was turned into a 2016 Hollywood hit. A short program on Friday is followed by two full days of presentations. [DF] 6pm Friday, May 2; 9:15am Saturday-Sunday, May 3-4. Stanton Center, 5 Custom House Plaza, Monterey. $285; $100/students. whtours.org. Saturday, May 3-Sunday, May 4 PARTY TIME As the saying goes: Neighbors who play together stay together. Pacific Grove is shutting down Lighthouse Avenue for one of its biggest events of the year— the Good Old Days Street Festival, now in its 66th year. A few stats to show the scale of the celebration: two days, five stages, over 50 bands and shows, more than 200 art, craft and food vendors, a pancake breakfast and parade (at 10am on Saturday). Enjoy a beverage in the beer and wine garden, bring the kids to the carnival or petting zoo, or check out Quilts by the Bay inside Chautauqua Hall. This feast for the senses is free for all. [KR] 9am-6pm Saturday, May 3; 9am-5pm Sunday, May 4. Lighthouse Avenue, Pacific Grove. Free. 373-3304, pacificgrove.org. Saturday, May 3 WINE TIME What’s that? Flowers in the hills? Sunsets stretching later into the evening? Is that you, summer, just around the corner? It’s that time of year to sip some wine, enjoy some bubbles at the bar and listen to live music at the Santa Lucia Highlands Sun, Wind and Wine Festival. Hundreds of wines will be available for the tasting, poured by Monterey County’s growers and vintners from the Santa Lucia Highlands and beyond. To complement the pours, some of the region’s best chefs and restaurants will be on hand with gourmet bites, including Estéban, The Meatery, Grasing’s and more. [KR] 11am-2:30pm Saturday, May 3. Mer Soleil Vineyards, 1290 River Road, Salinas. $155 and up. santaluciahighlands.com. SECRET GARDENS The Carmel Bach Festival presents Cottages, Gardens & Cantatas, a musical self-guided tour of five different homes and gardens—all filled with live music for the occasion. See a cozy “treehouse” overlooking Pescadero Canyon, a house filled with artifacts and artwork collected over six decades and a beautifully remodeled childhood home. Discover the mosaic art of one homeowner, admire the architectural significance of a mid-century modern gem and step inside a Christmas-themed chalet nestled in the pines. [AP] 11am-3pm Saturday, May 3. Locations throughout Carmel (exact addresses shared with ticketholders). $45; $50/at the door. 624-1521, bachfestival.org. WOMEN’S VOICES Here’s a not-so-fun fact: While women’s voices are ever-present on the Catalyst Quartet comprises (from left to right) Carlos Rodriguez, cello; Karla Donehew Perez, violin; Abi Fayette, violin; and Paul Laraia, viola. The group is coming to Sunset Center this weekend. RICARDO QUINONES John Steinbeck grew up looking at ranges of the Gabilan Mountains to one side and the Santa Lucia Mountains on the other—what scenery for wine tasting. WILDLY SIMPLE PRODUCTIONS
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