Send ideas to montereycountynow.com/events 24 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JANUARY 29-FEBRUARY 4, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com 11am-noon Saturday, Jan. 31. Cooper-Molera Adobe, 506 Munras Ave., Monterey. $25. (831) 259-4513, coopermolera.org. GRAND OPENING Community spaces are key for groups to gather, to learn new skills, organize and socialize. After a long wait, the new Hebbron Family Center will open its doors. The facility was designed with Salinas residents’ needs in mind. The space has two assembly areas, multipurpose classrooms, a teen lounge, a kitchen, outdoor sport courts and a courtyard area. To celebrate, the city hosts a ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by music, folklorico dances and free food (while supplies last). [CJ] 11am-4pm Saturday, Jan. 31. Hebbron Family Center, 683 Fremont St., Salinas. Free. (831) 758-7328, salinas.gov. WORDS MATTER It’s time for the 2026 Poetry Out Loud competition. High school students from across Monterey County bring powerful poetry to life through performance and public speaking. Cheer on the next Monterey County champion as they compete for a chance to advance to the California State Finals and—hopefully—beyond. Participating schools include Alisal High School, Monterey High School, Pacific Grove High School, Palma School, Rancho San Juan High School and Trinity Christian High School. The event is hosted by the Arts Council for Monterey County in partnership with the California Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. Monterey County’s new poet laureate, Marie Butcher, will be there. [AP] 1pm Saturday, Jan. 31. Black Box Theater, Monterey County Office of Education, 901 Blanco Circle, Salinas. Free; RSVP encouraged. info@arts4mc.org, bit.ly/polrsvp2026. ALL TOGETHER NOW Size matters. That’s the premise of many compositions and arrangements for musical ensembles of various sizes. Soloists are just one pure voice; duets are a conversation; quartets a more layered conversation; symphony orchestras a big bold series of parts and layers. Of course that is not an exhaustive list, but there is a sweet spot in-between that is often overlooked—chamber groups between eight and 25 musicians, allowing listeners to hear every voice but creating a cohesive sound. It’s that sweet spot that Ensemble Monterey occupies. In this concert, they play Sergei Prokofiev’s colorful Quintet in G minor, opus 39, as well as works by Malcolm Arnold, Reszö Kókai and Ruth Gipps—if you haven’t heard them, here’s your chance. [SR] 7pm Saturday, Jan. 31. First Presbyterian Church, 501 El Dorado St., Monterey. $60; $50/seniors; $20/students; $10/children. (831) 333-1283, ensemblemonterey.org. WINNING COMBINATION Fans of bricks, beer, barbecue and belly laughs can find all of the above at XL Public House in Salinas at the end of the month. Hosted by local comic and emcee Michael Booth, who hosts a slew of comedy nights around Monterey Bay, the Bricks N Beer comedy night features three rising comedy stars from the San Francisco Bay Area, including Noah Guerrero, Meera Patel and Jamar Pitts. For those looking for a base layer before the show, Casa de Humo BBQ of Salinas will be there at 8pm to satisfy your savory tooth. [AS] 9-10:30pm Saturday, Jan 31. XL Public House. 127 Main St., Salinas. $12. (831) 800-7625, facebook.com/XLPublichouse. Sunday, Feb. 1 RESORT VIBES The Sanctuary Beach Resort in Marina is a place known more to tourists than locals. But at times, the vacation-oriHOT PICKS coastlines and oceans from pollution and ensuring public access to our favorite beaches, including efforts led by the local Monterey County chapter through initiatives like the Blue Water Task Force, a citizen science water-testing program. [KR] 6-8pm Friday, Jan. 30. S.A.G.E. Collective & Harmonie Vibes, 3074 Del Monte Blvd., Marina. Free; RSVP. (831) 402-3980, sagecollective.biz. WORDS AND MUSIC When a show is given the title “Music and Lyrics by John Morris,” you know what to expect—or at least you should. The Bay Area musician has performed internationally with a who’s-who list (think Buddy Guy, Johnny Lee Hooker, James Brown, Joan Baez). He brings original ballads and love songs (no, they weren’t ruined by Paul McCartney) to the stage, with a jazzed up set thanks to Jeff Meyer on sax, Patrice Wallace on contrabass and the drumming of Kevin Di Noto. In combination, Morris’ lyrics cast a potent spell. A special guest joins the quartet. Trumpet virtuoso Matthew Simon travels from Barcelona to make it a powerful quintet. Simon has also played with the likes of Tito Puente, Natalie Cole, Dionne Warwick and others in his award-winning career. It’s a one-time collaboration and a must see. [DF] 7pm Friday, Jan. 30. Wave Street Studios, 774 Wave St., Monterey. $25. (831) 6552010, wavestreetlive774.com. FEEL THE FUNK DJ Gavin Hardkiss entered the electronic music scene in the 1990s, helping pioneer the electronic dance movement through his record label, Hardkiss Music, quickly joining the ranks among the international DJ elite. Originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, he later moved to San Francisco, where he went on to produce experimental albums and remix tracks by well-known artists such as Elton John and Mazzy Star. Over the years, he has performed alongside artists including Snoop Dogg and the Buena Vista Social Club. He’ll be bringing his electronic sounds—heavily influenced by funk, house, techno and trance—to the fun, micro-club atmosphere of Compact Disco. [KR] 9pm Friday, Jan. 30. Compact Disco, 420 Tyler St., Monterey. Free/before 10pm; $10/ after 10pm. Ages 21 up. (831) 920-2518, oldmonterey.org. Saturday, Jan. 31 COMING UP ROSES There’s a misconception that roses are fussy and difficult to take care of, but with a little know-how they aren’t hard at all and the reward—an abundance of beautiful blooms—is sweet. Knowing how to prune roses is key, which is why expert garden consultant and horticulturist Isabella de Sibert of Stuck in the Mud, a Carmel garden management service, is offering a class in exactly where, how and when to snip. She’ll also demonstrate how to make rose babies, or clones of your favorite rose bushes. [PM] The Ten Tenors from Australia are bringing their powerful vocals and entertaining performances to Monterey. The dectet is on their 30th-anniversary world tour, singing everything from classical songs to modern tunes. (Details on page 25.) DYLAN EVANS Daniel Troia is on a mission to find his inner child. He encourages others to do the same in his latest film, The Child Within, screening Jan. 30-31 (see details on p. 22). DANIEL TROIA
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