Send ideas to montereycountynow.com/events 40 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY DECEMBER 18-24, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com Four Tops, The Supremes, Diana Ross, performers like Aretha and Smokey who don’t even need their last names, and more. The hits, the choreography, the costumes and—most of all—the singing will take you back to the days when groups like The Temptations and The Jackson Five makes you want to dance. And this show will do that and more. After all, what better way to get into the Christmas spirit? [DF] 7:30pm Saturday, Dec. 20. Fox Theater, 241 Main St., Salinas. $27-$84. (831) 758-8459, foxtheatersalinas.com. NAUGHTY LIST Little known fact (using a Trumpian definition of fact): Irving Berlin’s first version of the famed holiday song went “I’m dreaming of a burlesque Christmas.” But in a time governed by the Hays Code, he was forced to change the lyrics to something more acceptable. He even had to drop the line “may your days be cozy and wild.” Fortunately, A Belle Boujee Babe and The Tease Band care about the past only when it comes to the little naughty but always nice dance form of burlesque. It’s a display of glitz, glamour and form, with a seductive vibe that would make Rudolph’s nose turn red, all from the fabulous Miss Belle Voilé and troupe. For those 21 and up. [DF] 9pm Saturday, Dec. 20. Live@Heirloom Pizza Co., 344 Main St., Salinas. $25. (831) 9988824, heirloompizzapie.com. Sunday, Dec. 21 NEW STAGE There’s a new hotel in town (opening in January), and with them there’s a new venue: The Lido Stage, located in the courtyard of the Courtyard by Marriott/Residence Inn by Marriott, is meant to be an entertainment destination and gathering place for locals. This holiday market provides a sneak peak at the lobby and this new venue, with a chance to shop local from 15 vendors, and to hear from a lineup of local musicians breaking in the new stage. Acts are trumpeter (and former Weekly intern) Schuyler Horn; seven-piece band Shannon and the Night Divers; the 2025 West End Celebration “wild card” winner, Eyes Like Lanterns; and students from the Martin Luther King Jr. School of the Arts in Seaside. Dance like no one is watching but let’s be honest, actually everyone has been watching as this transformational project has been built—here’s your first chance to experience it. [SR] Noon-4pm Sunday, Dec. 21. Lido Stage (at the Courtyard by Marriott/Residence Inn by Marriott), 800 Morgans Way, Sand City. Free. (831) 855-4100, bit.ly/LidoStageEvent. HALLMARK HOLIDAY Michaela Kuenster, owner of Pop & Hiss, has some words for travel company Exoticca, which recently published a survey revealing Carmel as the perfect setting for a Hallmark Christmas movie. She feels that honor should have gone to Pacific Grove: “We have a freaking gazebo!” she exclaims, which is going to be the inspiration for a first-ever gingerbread gazebo-building contest happening at Pop & Hissmas. But that’s not all, because makeshift musical ensemble TJ & The Wise Men will also be playing jazzy holiday tunes while the soon-to-be-infamous doggy Christmas sweater show is judged at this all-ages event. It’s only a matter of time before Hollywood finds out. [SC] 3pm Sunday, Dec. 21. Pop & Hiss, 215 Forest Ave., Pacific Grove. $3. popandhiss.net. SUNRISE, SUNSET The winter solstice on Dec. 21 is a turning point: The shortest day of the year means the days will begin getting longer. Khenpo Karten Rinpoche, a resident Tibetan lama at the Dharma HOT PICKS became a way to present their slim ankles and effortless grace of their body in movement, not to mention an opportunity to fall into their partners’ arms without causing much scandal. In other words, ice skating provided freedom and romance, as documented in Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina—in which Levin sees Kitty Scherbatsky, whirling like a fairy and promptly falls in love. But Saint Petersburg has nothing on Monterey. Skating by the Bay’s seasonal ice skating rink is open daily until Jan. 4 for you to practice your body balance or maybe even start a little romance-on-ice. On Friday, Dec. 19, local nonprofit The Village Project invites the community to meet and “break the ice” for free. The goal is to spread mental health awareness. RSVP required. Regular prices are $15; $13/ children; skate rental is $5. [AP] 5-7pm Friday, Dec. 19. Custom House Plaza, Monterey. Free with RSVP. (831) 392-1500, bit.ly/VillageProjectIceSkate, iceskatingbythebay.com. RUN AWAY (TO HERE) Some songs define an era of music. Hear the opening notes of “I Ran (So Far Away)” by A Flock of Seagulls, and the ’80s is the first thing that comes to mind: E.T., boomboxes, shoulder pads and, of course, new wave music. A Flock of Seagulls was in the thick of this era, with the sound and the hairstyles to prove it. Mike Score still leads the band 45 years after it formed, and while the band may have gone through various iterations and the hair may not be as dramatic, the group is still pumping out the tunes and touring. Score just can’t get away from the scene. [EC] 7pm Friday, Dec. 19. Golden State Theatre, 417 Alvarado St., Monterey. $37-$79. (831) 649-1070, goldenstatetheatre.com. Saturday, Dec. 20 ART MARKET Black Friday and associated local shopping events can be hard to squeeze in alongside Thanksgiving—too full from turkey and stuffing to be motivated to spend cash. Fret not, procrastinating gift shoppers: you have another chance to find unique gifts for friends and family at the winter art market at the Monterey Museum of Art. Featured vendors are varied, but all are local and offer creative gifts—the perfect antidote to mass consumerism or buying something off Amazon that ends up feeling random, or even worse, a gift you don’t want to give once it arrives. Check out local original artwork, artisan coffee or hand-painted jewelry. And if nothing else, stop by the museum to see the Iluminado exhibition, an interactive art installation currently on display. [KR] 11am-2pm Saturday, Dec. 20. Monterey Museum of Art, 559 Pacific St., Monterey. Free admission. (831) 372-5477, montereyart.org. GOT TO BE THERE Seattle gave us grunge. London spawned punk. But Detroit presented us with a Marvin-lous gift: Motown. A Magical Motown Christmas features the music of Marvin Gaye (yes, Marvin-lous is worth the groans), The Although Mike Score sported a very different look in the days of MTV and new wave— Score was a hairstylist—his touch on A Flock of Seagulls hits such as “Space Age Love Song” has not changed. Khenpo Karten Rinpoche and the team at Manjushri Dharma Center invite you to join them in a ceremony on Dec. 21, the winter solstice, to celebrate light in a tradition called the Blessing of the Waters. MILES MCBREEN / MCBREEN PHOTOGRAPHY
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