Thursday, Oct. 9 WATERSHED MOMENT The Carmel River watershed begins at higher than 4,000 feet on Miller Mountain in the Ventana Wilderness and spans 256 square miles, with the river winding 41 miles to the sea. It provides water for drinking, agriculture and recreation, and is home to several threatened species, including the California red-legged frog, South-Central California steelhead and Smith’s blue butterfly. The Carmel River Watershed Conservancy’s mission is to protect and improve the health of this watershed for the benefit of the public and the preservation of the natural environment. On Thursday, Oct. 9, the Conservancy celebrates its 25th anniversary with the River Music Gala. Come show your support for those working to protect our precious water sources and natural spaces. [KR] 5:30-8:30pm Thursday, Oct. 9. The Quail Lodge Clubhouse, 8000 Valley Greens Drive, Carmel. $175 and up. carmelriverwatershed.org. Friday, Oct. 10-Sunday, Oct. 12 YA BIRD? The Monterey Bay Festival of Birds is back, starting Oct. 10. Through the weekend, there are all sorts of organized birdwatching events around the county, from Rana Creek Preserve, a sprawling property in eastern Carmel Valley, to Ensen Community Park in Salinas, all around the Peninsula and up to Moss Landing and Elkhorn Slough. The festival is about the birds, whatever the species—the cormorants or quails, the merganser or magpies. It’s also about the people and how we can observe and appreciate these creatures. There are multiple times at multiple locations, and many are already sold out, so check the website for the deets. The birds are always partying—the Festival of Birds is an invitation for you to join. [DS] Various times and locations Friday-Sunday, Oct. 10-12. Most events are free. Find details and the full itinerary at birdschoolproject.org/festival. Friday, Oct. 10 AMERICANA BLENDS There’s a certain kind of magic that happens when talented musicians and singers come together, draw26 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY OCTOBER 9-15, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com VAQUEROS, COWBOYS & RANCH LIFE Who are the real cowboys of Monterey County? That’s the question a new exhibit Vaqueros, Cowboys & Ranch Life, aims to answer through images of the profession. Presented by Monterey History and Art Association, the exhibit at the Stanton Center features drawings by Jo Mora from his books Californios and Trail Dust and Saddle Leather. The work of a vaquero is primarily carried out on a ranch or hacienda. In Spanish, “vaquero” describes a horsemounted herder of cows and bulls. Since the arrival of the conquistadors, vaqueros have been known throughout northern Mexico and the southwestern United States, becoming part of the regional cowboy tradition. Mora was an Uruguayan-born American cowboy and artist who documented Monterey County in his work. The Stanton Center is located at 5 Custom House Plaza in Monterey; hours are noon-4pm Thursday-Monday and the exhibit is open for one year, until October of 2026. [AP] 9-15 OCTOBER HOT PICKS To see more local events, and add your own, visit montereycountynow.com/events JO MORA VISUALS ROGER LUNDBLAD ImageMakers is a fine art photographic community, formed on the Monterey Peninsula in the mid-1990s. Their new show, Embracing Light: An ImageMakers Exhibition is on display through October at Pacific Grove Art Center. It’s an homage to an Italian Renaissance technique called chiaroscuro (chiaro meaning “light” and scuro “dark”), which refers to the distribution of light and shadow in visual artwork that creates a three-dimensional impression. Roger Lundblad, creator of the above image, titled “Nordic Dream,” is a retired TV/movie scenic designer and “a fully-accredited Porsche nut,” per his bio. PGAC is at 568 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove, open noon-5pm Wednesday-Saturday and 1-4pm Sunday. [AP] It’s all about birds during the three-day Monterey Bay Festival of Birds from Oct. 10-12. The Bird School Project returns with this series of events, including early-morning birding and bird trivia over beers, no binoculars required. AMANDA PREECE/MONTEREY AUDUBON SOCIETY Classical guitarist Hao Yang performs at the Sunkiss’d Mozart season opener on Saturday, Oct. 11 at a private home in Corral de Tierra (see p. 28 for details). ROGER LUNDBLAD
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