22 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JANUARY 1-7, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com Send ideas to montereycountynow.com/events HOT PICKS Historical Society fire up the HO-scale model trains that rumble through a two-tier diorama of Monterey County circa 1953, spanning the entire length of the museum, located in an old freight building at the Salinas train station. Become a guest engineer of one of the trains, or just enjoy watching them run the loop, past tiny replicas of some iconic Monterey County landmarks. [PM] 10am-4pm Saturday, Jan. 3 and Sunday, Jan. 4. Monterey & Salinas Valley Railroad Museum, 15 Station Place, Salinas. Free. (831) 789-8097, msvrr.org. Monday, Jan. 5 ON THE CARDS Comedian Sal Vulcano once said the most embarrassing moment he suffered through on the Impractical Jokers show was incorrectly calling out “Bingo!” many times in a casino packed with too-serious bingo players. It made for hilarious television, but in real life, don’t be that person. Make sure you actually have “bingo” when you play at the Carmel Public Library. All ages are welcome to this competition that takes place the first Monday of every month. Expect snacks and prizes. [EC] 4-5pm Monday, Jan. 5. Carmel Public Library, Ocean and Lincoln, Carmel. Free. (831) 6244629, ci.carmel.ca.us/library. GOOD NEIGHBORS We just want to clarify something: You actually don’t need to be a neighbor of Tipsy Putt to take part in Neighbors Night. And before you say the folks at Tipsy Putt need a lesson in truth in advertising rules, take a moment to be thankful they are inviting all locals. There are free bites (you pay for drinks and larger plates) and free rounds of 1-2 Golf, which is arguably more fun than the real thing because you don’t need to whisper when someone is hitting the ball, and since it’s played on table tops, you don’t need to work with a pro on your swing. On this night, everyone is neighborly. [DF] 7-9pm Monday, Jan. 5. Tipsy Putt, 95 Prescott Ave., Monterey. Free. (831) 297-9048, tipsyputt.com. Tuesday, Jan. 6 ART-BYTE There are numerous ways to expand your creativity when crafting a piece of art. Consider Pointillism. The neo-expressionist painting technique, or pixel art, is a digital art form where tiny squares are used to create an image. The tiny dots and squares may seem simple, but require focus and strategy to simplify shapes and achieve the desired look. Instead of painting or pixels, participants here use beads to create winter-themed designs. This class is geared for children ages 6 and older. [CJ] 1-2:30pm Tuesday, Jan. 6. John Steinbeck Library, 350 Lincoln Ave., Salinas. Free. (831) 758-7311, library.salinas.gov. Wednesday, Jan. 7 SING ALONG It takes a certain energy level to sing children’s songs with joy, performance after performance, and keep the kids engaged and dancing and singing and happy. Andy Z has that necessary energy level, and then some. He’s a storyteller/educator/singer/songwriter who hits all of the classics that kids (and let’s be honest, adults too) love to sing along to, and also introduces listeners to Andyland, a place full of voices, puppets and creativity. [SR] 2:30pm Wednesday, Jan. 7. El Gabilan Library, 1400 N. Main St., Salinas. Free. (831) 7587302, andyz.com. Hot Picks by Sloan Campi, Erik Chalhoub, Dave Faries, Celia Jiménez, Pam Marino, Agata Popęda, Katie Rodriguez and Sara Rubin. Ride the rails— not literally—at the Monterey & Salinas Valley Railroad Museum, where model trains transport visitors back in time. (See details on p. 20.) 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