Send ideas to montereycountynow.com/events 34 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY NOVEMBER 27-DECEMBER 3, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com debut. Expect to find numerous vintage and modern cards from sports to Pokemon and more of varying degrees of rarity, across 200-plus tables. It’ll be a collector’s dream. [EC] 10am-6pm Saturday, Nov. 29. Monterey Conference Center, 1 Portola Plaza, Monterey. $5. bit.ly/MBCardShow2025. SEW CREATURES Colors, textures and fabrics are some of the elements people will find at the creative arts space Play Full Ground, with an emphasis on sea creatures. Mai Ryuno will offer a live sewing demo of her Happy Monterey Sardine pillows (think brightly patterned fish). There is also be an array of ocean-themed artwork for sale, including prints, more sardine pillows and the sewing pattern to make your own. [CJ] 1-3pm Saturday, Nov. 29. Play Full Ground, 550 Lighthouse Ave., Suite E, Monterey. Free demo. playfullground.com. IN THE HOUSE After all the turkey, stuffing and potatoes there’s a lot of pressure to go develop a new fitness routine. But you don’t need to wear spandex to break a sweat. Get dolled up and put on your dancing shoes and hit the dance floor— trust us, it’s more fun (and more fashionable) than any other way to work off the calories. Compact Disco’s free, outdoor, all-ages Sundown Series wraps up for the season this weekend. You may see 5-year-olds grooving alongside 80-year-olds, and everyone in between. (A 21-and-up after-party follows at the downtown club, with free entry before 9pm.) DJs include husband-wife duo Loloh & Ed.E, Paul Wylde of Carmel and Kenny Summit. [SR] 3-8pm Sundown Series, 8pm-2am after party, Saturday, Nov. 29. Breakwater Cove (behind Osteria Al Mare, 32 Cannery Row), followed by after-party at Compact Disco, 420 Tyler St., Monterey. Free. compactdisco.org. Saturday, Nov. 29-Sunday, Nov. 30 IT’S THAT TIME When you hear the name “Clara,” what is the first thing that comes to mind? It depends on the time of the year. If it’s during November or December, you’re likely thinking of the girl who receives a Nutcracker doll for Christmas. The protagonist of the classic ballet joins the toy soldiers, Mouse King and other iconic characters when The Nutcracker returns to the stage. This production is by Salinas-based Jeanne Robinson Dance Arts and the Monterey County Ballet Company. By this time, the Thanksgiving leftovers will probably be gone, so it’s the perfect opportunity to welcome the next holiday season. [EC] 2pm and 7pm Saturday, Nov. 29; 2pm Sunday, Nov. 30. Sherwood Hall, 940 N. Main St., Salinas. $30; $15/children ages 11 and under. jeannerobinsondancearts.com. RUN, RUN, RUDOLPH Are you at least 4 years old? If yes, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, The Musical is a perfect holiday entertainment choice for you. Who can not help but empathize with the story of a bullied little reindeer who becomes a hero and saves Christmas Eve? This beloved holiday story is coming back to Carmel, courtesy of PacRep, adapted from the story by Robert L. May (based on the book by Robert Penola), and based on music and lyrics by Johnny Marks; the director and choreographer is Christiana Meeks and the musical director is Janice Per. Fun fact: Rudolph became a star in 1939 after becoming a mascot of a department store in Illinois. [AP] 3pm Saturdays and Sundays, Nov. 29-Dec. 21. Outdoor Forest Theater, Mountain View and Santa Rita. $31; $16/student; $11 child. (831) 622-0100, pacrep.org. HOT PICKS Expect the usual props (yes, there’s a pole), and costumes with flair. [CJ] 9pm Friday, Nov. 28. Pearl Hour, 214 Lighthouse Ave., Monterey. $20-$35. (831) 657-9447, carmeldelights.com. Friday, Nov. 28-Sunday, Nov. 30 GIFT FORAGE For more than 45 years, the Big Sur Grange has hosted an antidote to the mass consumerism of Black Friday. It’s a three-day, post-Thanksgiving Harvest Fair. Rain or shine, the Grange hosts anywhere from 20 to 35 vendors— mainly local, with some from across California—offering small-batch goods ranging from apothecary items and handmade silver jewelry to ceramics and paintings. The Big Sur Historical Society will be selling books. Amber Young will be there with Ragged Thistle, a mix of thrifted and handdyed clothing. Bitter Ginger will offer shrubs and gift boxes, and the Henry Miller Library has tote bags. What better place to shop for unique goodies than among the Big Sur redwoods? If you’re hungry, Captain Cooper School sells coffee, pozole and tamales as a school fundraiser. [KR] 2-5pm Friday, Nov. 28; 10am-5pm, Saturday, Nov. 29; 10am-4pm Sunday, Nov. 30. Big Sur Grange, 47090 Highway 1, Big Sur. (831) 667-2956, bigsurgrange.org. Friday, Nov. 28-Saturday, Nov. 29 HAUNTING TUNES It isn’t often when newlyweds and nearly-deads that Pacific Grove is infamous for get to come together for a night of awesome music. Mephistopheles Music Co. is known to take advantage of whenever the fog descends by presenting a collection of local musicians for what is now their third annual event: the Ghostland Music Festival. Genres spanning from folk and singer-songwriter to Latinfusion, rock, punk, metal and hardcore will be heard. They’re keeping both spooky and indie spirits alive as their festival continues to grow each year. There’s even a discount offered for those who show up in a costume. This time, 26 bands will take the stage, shaking the dust off of what may be the new cool spot on the Peninsula. [SC] 5pm Friday, Nov. 28, 6pm Saturday, Nov. 29. Pacific Grove Art Center, 568 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove. $30-$40. (831) 3752208, pgartcenter.org. Saturday, Nov. 29 CARD SHARKS Millennials who grew up in the 1990s and early aughts probably have a few Pokemon cards laying around. Did any child actually play with the cards as they were intended, or did they keep them just to collect and admire the artwork? Most did the latter, including this author. Flash forward to now, and card collecting is a big deal, and sometimes an even more lucrative deal. That early Charizard card could be worth tens of thousands of dollars. You never know what you’ll find at the Monterey Bay Card Show that is set to make its Golden retrievers Fenway and Quinla (whose human is AFRP Executive Director Laurie Machado) got their wishes in with Santa—treats and tummy rubs. AFRP invites your pup to a photo shoot by Pawsh Portraits. (Details on p. 36.) COURTESY OF AFRP It’s time to light it up, Monterey. Join the Christmas tree lighting on Cannery Row on Friday, Nov. 28. By the way, electric Christmas tree lighting was patented by Thomas Edison in the 1880s. (See details on p. 32.) COURTESY OF CANNERY ROW COMPANY
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAzNjQ1NQ==