www.montereycountynow.com JULY 9-15, 2026 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 29 Send ideas to montereycountynow.com/events HOT PICKS festival has cultural displays, Japanese food and activities for all ages. Cultural demonstrations include a tea ceremony, bonsai art and Shorinji Kempo, a modern Japanese martial art. [CJ] Noon-5pm Sunday, July 12. Monterey Peninsula Buddhist Temple, 1155 Noche Buena St., Seaside. Free. (831) 394-0119, mpbt.org. BLUES CLUES Seaside’s annual Blues in the Park summer series is back for its 39th season with a bang, featuring Lydia Pense and her band Cold Blood. Pense’s style has been compared to such powerhouse singers as Janis Joplin and Aretha Franklin. Along with the band, Pense delivers classic R&B and blues songs, twisting them into “something that doesn’t have a label,” their biography states. They’ve been at it for 40 years, making them tried-and-true touring performers. Joining them on the bill is local favorite Chicano All Stars. [PM] 1-4:30pm Sunday, July 12. Laguna Grande Park, 1249 Canyon Del Rey Blvd., Seaside. Free. (831) 899-6700, ci.seaside.ca.us. TROUBADOUR TOUR Like a present-day troubadour, composing and performing songs as he travels, Paul Sprawl has toured all through North America and Europe since he decided to quit his day job and perform professionally circa 1997. Sprawl describes his work as a “rootsy Americana of sorts” and “coming from a country blues space.” Sprawl currently has numerous full-length albums including the 2000 release, Lucky Hand, recorded in Santa Cruz, while others like Wreckage were recorded outside of California and subsequently mixed and mastered in a studio in Atascadero. The ambling singer-songwriter is on the road with dance artist Leralee Little this summer— with a stop in Pacific Grove. [AS] 6pm Sunday, July 12. Pop & Hiss, 215 Forest Ave., Pacific Grove. $5. (831) 275-3303, popandhiss.net. Wednesday, July 15 THE MORE THINGS CHANGE Carmel-by-the-Sea is the kind of place where the rollout of street addresses creates a hullabaloo. Any change here might be viewed as progress—like making it easier to get a package delivered or receive a paramedic call, in the example above—but it might also be viewed as an attack on “village character.” Keeping a town with a century-old reputation for eccentricity imbued with that character (and defining what it even means) is not a new conundrum. It was examined in the 1994 documentary Don’t Pave Main Street, which was narrated by Clint Eastwood (mayor of Carmel from 1986-88). This screening reminds us of how little things change. Doors open at 5pm and Mayor Dale Byrne delivers remarks before showtime at 5:30pm. [SR] 5:30pm Wednesday, July 15. Founders Theatre at the Golden Bough Playhouse, Monte Verde between 8th and 9th, Carmel. $10. (831) 587-6178, pacrep.org. Hot Picks by Sloan Campi, Erik Chalhoub, Dave Faries, Celia Jiménez, Pam Marino, Agata Popęda, Katie Rodriguez, Sara Rubin and Aric Sleeper. Intimate Conversation is Jane Olin’s poetic love letter to the trees that define our local landscape. Tour the exhibit with the artist and the curator on July 11 (see details, p. 28). JANE OLIN BEST WINERY TO VISIT 2025 Discover and enjoy Carmel Valley, California’s great wines, food, natural beauty, and hospitality. www.folktalewinery.com 8940 Carmel Valley Rd, Carmel, CA 93923 BRUNCH, BUBBLES AND BEATS DINE IN THE VINES This is a ticketed event. JULY 19TH & AUGUST 9TH This is a ticketed event. JULY 17TH, 23RD, 30TH Monterey County Weekly
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