Thursday, Feb. 5 CLOSE TO DEAD If you were too young to see the Grateful Dead in person (or if you did actually see them and just don’t remember, for reasons you don’t have to share with us), here’s the next best thing. The seven-piece Dark Star Orchestra has performed more than 3,000 shows with the mission of recreating the Dead’s live concert experience. Expect to hear and see the different styles over each era of the Dead. “We offer a sort of a historical perspective at what it might have been like to go to a show in 1985, 1978 or whenever,” keyboardist and vocalist Rob Barraco said in an interview on the band’s website. “Even for Deadheads who can say they’ve been to a hundred shows in the ’90s, we offer something they never got to see live.” [EC] 7:30pm Thursday, Feb. 5. Golden State Theatre, 417 Alvarado St., Monterey. $64. (831) 649-1070, goldenstatetheatre.com. Thursday, Feb. 5- Saturday, Feb. 7 GHOST STORIES Joyce Sherry started melding the creative legacies of Disney and Dickens as young as 5 years old, when she wrote her first play. Her style has evolved since then, but her curiosities—think spooky stories, ghosts— remain the same. The playwright-turned-novelist has partnered with sci-fi icon Ray Bradbury on a stage adaptation and works as a life coach. She presents on her writing process and her novel, A Tale for the Shadows, in two upcoming talks. The story starts with the ghost of Senka, a one-time rising television star, trapped in the cabin where she died. In Senka’s quest for justice, there are alliances (and risks) in partnership with a vampire, a cat and more. Read the book first to avoid any spoilers, or buy the book there and get it signed by the author. [SR] 5pm Thursday, Feb. 5 at El Gabilan Library, 1400 N. Main St., Salinas. 1pm Saturday, Feb. 7 at Old Capitol Books, 482 Alvarado St., Monterey. Free. (831) 758-7311, joycesherryauthor.com. 24 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY FEBRUARY 5-11, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com VALERIA MURILLO Valeria Murillo’s “Cruisin’ to Salinas” is part of the For the Love of Art annual exhibit at the Carmel Art Association gallery. The show comprises works by high school students throughout Monterey County, from Pacific Grove to Greenfield. The tradition of exhibiting these young artists’ work originiated in the 1940s, and the competition and exhibit continue as a fixture of CAA’s calendar today with the mission to inspire emerging artists. A panel of three leaders in the local arts community critique the student works and recognize award-winners in a variety of mediums. The gallery is located at Dolores and 5th in Carmel and is open 10am-5pm daily; the exhibit is viewable through March 2. You can meet the artists at a reception from 5-7pm on Saturday, Feb. 14, with an award ceremony at 6pm. [AP] 5-11 FEBRUARY HOT PICKS To see more local events, and add your own, visit montereycountynow.com/events VISUALS ED AVILA Salinas Valley Art Gallery hosts a reception for its featured artist for the month of February, Ed Avila, from 5-8pm on Friday, Feb. 6 (during Salinas’ First Friday art festivities). The painter and pastelist has been producing fine art for over 50 years, capturing landscapes, houses and other structures, still lifes as well as photographs of people. “As a descendant of an early California family, Ed is deeply connected to the history and geography of our area,” artist Jo Ann Moline shared on behalf of the SVAG. “His paintings attempt to capture the feelings and memories of growing up and living in such a special place.” During the reception on Feb. 6, artist Gordon Dill also does a watercolor painting demonstration. The gallery is located at 218 Main St., Salinas; regular hours are 10am-6pm Thursday-Sunday. [AP] Dark Star Orchestra replicates the live Grateful Dead experience from every era of the iconic band’s existence. Relive the old days when the seven-piece band performs at Golden State Theatre on Thursday, Feb. 5. COURTNEY SCOUT Learn how to responsibly find your own adorable arboreal salamander (and other creatures) in a talk by herpetologist Emily Taylor on Friday, Feb. 6. (See p. 26.) ALEXIS ESTRADA VALERIA MURILLO ED AVILLA
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