Send ideas to montereycountynow.com/events 28 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY OCTOBER 2-8, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com Road Cycling Association’s “Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day.” Riders and coaches from local middle and high school mountain bike teams will be on hand to lead rides and guide youngsters on obstacle courses. The event is designed for children from preschool to middle school, and of all ability levels, whether they are on balance bikes or ready for something more advanced. Don’t have a bike? No problem—the Community Bike Collective will provide bikes and helmets. [EC] 10am-1pm Saturday, Oct. 4. Fort Ord Day Camp Cycling Area, 15301 Watkins Gate Road, East Garrison. Free. Register at bit.ly/MountainBikeDayOct4. Saturday, Oct. 4- Sunday, Oct. 5 HAIL THE MONARCHS It’s that time of year when, if you’re paying attention in Pacific Grove, you’ll see the flutter of orange and black wings as monarch butterflies make their way to their traditional overwintering spots. It’s still early, so it may take a few weeks to actually catch a glimpse, but for sure you will see the child-crafted orange and black wings of P.G. kindergartners walking in the Butterfly Parade during the town’s annual Butterfly Days. The two-day celebration includes a bazaar, exhibits, historic walking tours, lectures, a croquet tournament and a sunset party at Point Pinos Lighthouse. It’s a good way to welcome the intrepid insects that have traveled hundreds of miles and to also immerse yourself in a small-town tradition. [PM] Various activities: 10am-4pm SaturdaySunday, Oct. 4-Oct. 5, free; Parade: 10:30am Saturday, Oct. 4, free in downtown Pacific Grove; Sunset Celebration: 5-7pm Saturday, Oct. 4 at Point Pinos Lighthouse, 80 Asilomar Ave., $60. (831) 372-2898, pacificgroveheritage.org/events. Sunday, Oct. 5 TO THE RESCUE The relationship between humans and horses stretches back for millennia, and for much of that time, horses gave humans raw power—the ability to move farther, faster. But in modern times, humans are harnessing a different kind of energy from horses—the healing kind. That’s what equine therapy is, the spiritual lift, revelation or peace that comes from the experience of spending time with therapy horses, and it’s the subject of the new documentary Rescued Hearts, which is screening at Golden State for a benefit for Carmel nonprofit Sea Star Horse Sanctuary, which rescues horses and does equine-assisted learning programs. Filmmakers will take the stage after for a discussion, for those wanting to know more about a horse power of a different kind. [DS] 5pm Sunday, Oct. 5. Golden State Theatre, 417 Alvarado St., Monterey. $44. (831) 6491070, goldenstatetheatre.com. GUTEN TAG Oktoberfest evokes a few things in our heads. Lederhosen and Dirndls, steins full of beer and…classical music? You betcha, and Wendi Kirby is here to deliver. With Austrian and German composers’ works, you may think you’re actually in a quaint German concert hall. Solmaaz Adeli shows off her mezzo-soprano voice honed in Vienna, and the event features a feast for all the senses. So raise a stein and listen in, while delighting in small German and Austrian bites as you hear myriad pieces, which wouldn’t be complete without a number or two from The Sound of Music. [SC] 4pm Sunday, Oct. 5. Wendi Kirby Music, 550 Hartnell St., Suite F, Monterey. $50. wendikirbymusic.com. HOT PICKS Schedule begins at 9am each day Thursday, Oct. 2-Sunday, Oct. 5. Golden Bough Playhouse, Founders Theatre, Monte Verde between 8th and 9th, Carmel. $60/one day, $200/four days. (858) 829-7722, ciffest.com. Thursday, Oct. 2-Saturday, Oct. 18 STORMY DAYS PacRep keeps busy this year. This time, they are presenting The Tempest by William Shakespeare, a play ignored for centuries after its writing, but now recognized as one of the master’s best works. An Italian duke, Prospero, lands on a magical island and colonizes it by enslaving its native magical creatures. Once interpreted as a full-on comedy, the play is nowadays perceived as a complex romance and also a political and metaphysical commentary. Full of symbolism, The Tempest is one of Shakespeare’s later works. [AP] 7:30pm Thursdays-Saturdays Oct. 2-18. Outdoor Forest Theater, Santa Rita and Mountain View, Carmel. $46; $36/senior; $26/teacher, military; $16/student; $11/ child. Discounted previews $26; $18/senior; $13/teacher, military; $8/student, $11/child on Thursday, Oct. 2 and Friday, Oct. 3. (831) 622-0100, pacrep.org. Friday, Oct. 3 OFF SCRIPT We want to let you know what this show is all about, but we don’t know. The cast doesn’t, either. All anyone knows is that it’s going to be hilarious. And that’s the point. Comedy Variety Showcase presents Controlled Chaos, a night of improv comedy taking place for the first time at California’s First Theatre. The comedic troupe, led by founder Maria Dawson, is sure to take on some wacky situations that’ll play out organically but with structure. They’re called Controlled Chaos for a reason—it’s the epitome of an oxymoron. [EC] 7-9pm Friday, Oct. 3. California’s First Theatre, Pacific and Scott streets, Monterey. $29. comedyvarietyshowcase@gmail.com, comedyvarietyshowcase.com/showtimes. BIG DADDY We thought we’d be clever and use the phrase “come to Papa.” Unfortunately for us, comedian Tom Papa has an XM/ Sirius radio show by that name. Of course, he didn’t have to stretch too far to come up with that one, but Papa’s standup humor isn’t out there. Instead, he digs on relatable topics—forgetting passwords, habitual drinking, canceling dinner reservations—“You just want to be home with your pants off”—and other life frustrations. All become hilarious when he’s on stage. And you know that he has been there himself (he claims that when his young daughter draws a picture of him, it’s just a martini glass). Clearly, life can be very funny. [DF] 7pm Friday, Oct. 3. Golden State Theatre, 417 Alvarado St., Monterey. $40-$90. (831) 649-1070, goldenstatetheatre.com. Saturday, Oct. 4 BIKE BASH A great way to develop a love of bikes is to start riding young. That’s the concept behind the Monterey Off Poet Elliot Ruchowitz-Roberts is a local expert on Robinson Jeffers’ life and poetry. He is president of the Robinson Jeffers Tor House Foundation. He will present a talk about Jeffers on Wednesday, Oct. 8 in Carmel. (For details, see p. 29.) MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY ARCHIVE Bicycling remains the symbol of childhood fun; there is just something great about moving in the open air, feeling the wind in one’s face. It is also a great hobby to keep for the rest of one’s life. Join the fun on Saturday, Oct. 4. COURTESY OF MORCA
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