Send ideas to montereycountynow.com/events 24 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY FEBRUARY 12-18, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com Day. There’s plenty of material to make fun of here, and thankfully, some prominent comedians are coming to town to give us all a good laugh, whether we’re coupled or not. Memorable comedians from the San Francisco Comedy Competition will offer their surely hilarious take on Valentine’s Day. The night will be headlined by Orion Levine, who has made appearances on The Late Late Show with James Corden and Comedy Central. He’ll be joined by the Bay Area’s own Emily Van Dyke and the competition’s 2024 semi-finalist Xander Beltran. [EC] 7:30-9:30pm Saturday, Feb. 14. Folktale Winery & Vineyards, 8940 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel Valley. $50. (831) 293-7500, folktalewinery.com. Sunday, Feb. 15 QUEEN BEE First, let’s get the bad news out of the way: The maternal mortality rate for Black women is 2.6 times higher than for white women. But here’s the good news: People, including local people such as Seaside’s LyVesha Franklin, are doing something to improve that grim data. Franklin is a mother, a birth educator, a health outreach worker and a community organizer—in short, she is a force. Her effort to bring Blackcentered birthing resources to local moms is called Kweens’ Kounsel, celebrating its third anniversary (fittingly during Black History Month) with a party and guest speakers. Learn about this unique Black girl magic and join in. [SR] 4-6pm Sunday, Feb. 15. Marina library, 190 Seaside Circle, Marina. Free. kweenskounsel@gmail.com, birthnetworkofmonterey.com. Wednesday, Feb. 18 GOOD BEER Conversations just get better when alcohol is involved. You know it, we know it, the folks at Everyone’s Harvest know it. Field Notes on Tap is a series of discussions hosted by the nonprofit farmers market operator at Hops and Fog in Pacific Grove in support of its food programs. In this edition, Katie Blandin—owner of Pearl Hour and known for cocktails using ingredients picked from her garden and spirits from distilleries using ethically sourced practices—talks about sustainability, food access and other important topics. Learning something and helping a good cause while getting a beer buzz just sounds like a perfect evening. [DF] 6-8pm Wednesday, Feb. 18. Hops and Fog Brewing Co., 511 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove. $25; $30/door. (831) 384-6961, everyonesharvest.org. GO TO THE HOP If you thought Carmel was frozen in time, you wouldn’t be totally wrong. But the Sunset Cultural Center isn’t mad about that because it’s bringing the music from a bygone era to show for it. Think Jersey Boys, Motown, Hairspray and even Grease vibes. Guys, grab some pommade, and dames, put on your best poodle skirt and saddle shoes for a night with The Doo Wop Project. Though the sights and sounds will be reminiscent of the 1950s and 1960s, the lyrics and melodies may have a certain modern tone to them. They’re here to show you that just about any song can be “doo-wop-ified.” [SC] 7:30pm Wednesday, Feb. 18. Sunset Cultural Center, San Carlos and 9th, Carmel. $45-$75. (831) 620-2048, sunsetcenter.org. Hot Picks by Sloan Campi, Erik Chalhoub, Dave Faries, Celia Jiménez, Pam Marino, Agata Popęda, Katie Rodriguez, Sara Rubin and Aric Sleeper. HOT PICKS El Jandro and DJ Lizzy Al Toque, will take the crowd on an emotional and musical roller-coaster, including Chicano music, Latin psychedelic and cumbia. [CJ] 8-11pm Friday, Feb. 13. Live @Heirloom, 344 Main St., Salinas. $20-$110. (831) 998-8824, heirloompizzapie.com/salinas. Saturday, Feb. 14 SMART DATE For those with a limited budget and an intellectual love interest, who still need a date idea for Valentine’s Day, check out the intriguing exhibits at the Stanton Center for free. From the work of the late Big Sur-based artist Emile Norman—whose four-panel endomosaic depicting the history of Monterey is on display—to a collection of historic photos of Old Fisherman’s Wharf and an exhibit about the real cowboys of Monterey, there are plenty of opportunities to learn something new together with your special someone. [AS] Noon-4pm Saturday, Feb. 14. Monterey History and Art at Stanton Center, 5 Custom House Plaza, Monterey. Free. (831) 6499161, montereyhistory.org/stanton-center. PARTY AFTER DARK If you never got invited to the prom, or if yours took place above a dialysis clinic (true story), here’s a chance to make up for it, better late than never. It’s the Grown Folks Prom Night, meaning it’s for those ages 21 and up, so it’s OK if there’s spiked punch. Dance along to the hits from your senior year that are now considered “throwback” with DJ Khosmo, and come dressed to impress—the Prom King and Prom Queen will be crowned through a voting process. There’s no curfew (except when the event ends), so there’s still a whole night ahead for you. That should help ease the sting from high school. [EC] 7-11pm Saturday, Feb. 14. The Otter’s Den, 3166 Vista Del Camino, Marina. $34; $45/VIP. (831) 883-1227, bit.ly/ GrownFolksProm2026. WANG’S WORLD There comes a point in our lives when we just don’t care about what others think of us. Sheng Wang can pinpoint that exact moment: when we buy Kirkland Signature-branded pants from Costco. “That’s when we let go of our egos,” he said during a stand-up routine. The Los Angeles-based comedian also has a custom that should be followed by anyone who attempts to visit Costco in Salinas on a Saturday. If he can’t find a parking spot within eight minutes, he will take off—and that’s OK, today is just not the day to buy toilet paper in bulk. Wang’s comedic career includes credits as a writer for the sitcom Fresh Off the Boat and a 2022 Netflix special, Sweet & Juicy. Hear his take on everyday life through his uniquely droll delivery. [EC] 7pm Saturday, Feb. 14. Golden State Theatre, 417 Alvarado St., Monterey. Sold out; $40- $65. (831) 649-1070, goldenstatetheatre. com. FUNNY LOVE Valentine’s Day is a cheesy pseudo holiday that, for a good portion of us, is better known as Singles Awareness LyVesha Franklin of Seaside is the founder of Kweens’ Kounsel, which supports Black birthing experts in Monterey County. The organization celebrates its third anniversary with a party. DANIEL DREIFUSS Dirty Cello performs at Power Plant Coffee in Moss Landing on Friday, Feb. 13 for those who are tired of hearing sappy things about Valentine’s Day. The program will include their song, “I May Not Be Perfect, But I’m Pretty Damn Good.” (See p. 22.) FRED AUBE
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