Send ideas to montereycountynow.com/events 30 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JUNE 25-JULY 1, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com 11am parade, noon celebration Saturday, June 27. Custom House Plaza, Monterey. Free. peninsulapride.org. STRING THEORY Right now, someone somewhere in the world is learning to play the violin. Those musical adventures are their own little miracles. But there’s something especially unique about Big Sur Fiddle Camp, an annual tradition that brings experts and students together on a magnificent ranch overlooking the ocean to practice old-world, folk, Celtic, Russian and more, celebrating the joy of making music collaboratively and across generations. It’s about the fiddle but more broadly about the joy that music can bring to a rural community, and they share that spirit at the culmination of this year’s camp with a community concert. [SR] 7-10pm Saturday, June 27. Venue TBA, Big Sur. $39;$10/children. bigsurfiddlecamp.org. HONKY TONK For nearly 60 years, the American Western swing band Asleep at the Wheel—born in 1970 in Paw Paw, West Virginia and reared in Austin, Texas— has inspired generations of fans to slap their knees and break out into a jig with the group’s honky tonk hits. They also lead fans to reflect on their place in the world with the group’s rendition of more contemplative country tracks like George Strait’s “All my Exes Live in Texas.” Over the decades, Asleep at the Wheel has released more than 20 albums, with a slew of singles making it on the Billboard country charts, including “The Letter That Johnny Walker Read.” [AS] 7pm Saturday, June 27. Golden State Theatre, 417 Alvarado St., Monterey. $42-$77. (831) 649-1070, goldenstatetheatre.com. Saturday, June 27-Sunday, June 28 GLASS MENAGERIE Where some may see sea glass as just some ordinary flotsam washed up on the beach, others see beauty and possibility. Avid collectors of sea glass—or those who are attracted to the pretty glass colors and the endless creations that can be made of the glass—have a unique opportunity when the 21st International Sea Glass Festival comes to Monterey. The festival hasn’t been in the region since 2007 when it was held in Santa Cruz. Attracting sea glass lovers and artisans from around the world, the event includes artwork displays, presentations by experts, a collector’s corner and children’s activities. Bring your own sea glass, pottery shards or washed-ashore bottles or toys for a chance to win a contest. The event is organized by the International Sea Glass Association, dedicated to supporting sea and beach glass collectors and restoration of waterways everywhere. [PM] 10am-5pm Saturday-Sunday, June 27-28. Hyatt Regency, 1 Old Golf Course Road, Monterey. $7/one-day ticket, $10/Saturday VIP ticket. festival@seaglassassociation.org, seaglassassociation.org. Sunday, June 28 WITCHY WORKSHOP The gift of divination may not be for everyone. But those who feel they want to take their power a step further into the beyond are welcome to the psychic tarot workshop. The event promises to elevate skills of those beyond simply reading a tarot deck to cartomancy under the professional guidance of fulltime reader Pheroze Karai. Any level is welcome to join, so whether you’re simply curious about a tarot deck’s HOT PICKS us photos. [EC] 9:30-11:30am Friday, June 26. El Carmelo Cemetery, 68 Asilomar Ave., Pacific Grove. Free. RSVP at montereyaudubon.org. NUCLEAR TALK In times of international tension, there is a question returning regularly: Is the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons still relevant? The treaty is vital to keep international security but is at risk during times of conflict and growing distrust among countries. Join William Potter, an expert in this field, to explore this matter. Potter is the founding director of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, the largest research and training center on reducing the spread of weapons of mass destruction in the world. This Soviet specialist basically invented the field of nuclear nonproliferation studies, still highly relevant today. [CJ] 11am-2pm Friday, June 26. Hilton Garden Inn, 1000 Aguajito Road, Monterey. $65; $50/members World Affairs Council of the Monterey Bay Area. (831) 224-5259, qavc1@ aol.com, wacmb.org. Saturday, June 27 PARTY FOR THE USA Nothing says the good ol’ US of A like a paper airplane contest and carnival games. The Carmel Valley Branch Library celebrates our nation’s 250th anniversary with a patriotic party. A performance by the Carmel Valley Singers kicks off the day of family-friendly activities and plenty of birthday cake. Word has it that Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and even Edgar Allan Poe will make an appearance. Try taking a selfie with them and see their confused reactions—it’s a different world from the one in the U.S.’s infancy. [EC] 10:30am-3:30pm Saturday, June 27. Carmel Valley Branch Library, 65 W. Carmel Valley Road. Free. (831) 647-7760, bit.ly/ CarmelValleyLibrary. OUT AND PROUD It’s Pride Month, and that means it’s time to don your rainbow colors or whatever makes you feel most like yourself and join the celebration with Monterey Peninsula Pride. There is a lot to celebrate when you think about how far we’ve come and how fast. In June of 1969, New York police raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in Greenwich Village, prompting what would become known as the Stonewall Riots and launching the modern gay civil rights movement into the public eye. Of course, the work continues today—look no further than our own United States, where the current presidential administration is waging a war against LGBTQ+ identities. Partaking in a Pride parade is about more than a party—it’s also part of the work, but there’s no need for that work to be joyless. So join the parade (starting on Polk Street then moving down Pearl Street to Alvarado Street) and/or the celebration after for a lineup of queer entertainers, glitter and rainbows. [SR] The 21st International Sea Glass Festival is making its way back to the Monterey Bay area for the first time since 2007, bringing artists and enthusiasts together June 27-28. All are welcome to join the annual Pride parade on Saturday, June 27. Marchers go down Alvarado Street, finishing the day with festivities at Custom House Plaza. EMILY MCNALLY
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