Send ideas to montereycountynow.com/events 24 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY SEPTEMBER 3-9, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com brating the special vegetable and the region’s agricultural heritage and community spirit. The gala serves as the official kickoff event for the Castroville Artichoke Festival in May 2027 where you can continue to keep the artichoke servings coming. The gala is a celebratory countdown to the most favorite artichoke day of the year; tri-tip and char-grilled barbecued chicken are served, and an auction benefits North County Regional Park District. [KR] 5-9pm Saturday, Sept. 5. North County Recreation Center, 11261 Crane St., Castroville. $75. (831) 633-3084, tinyurl. com/GalaGreenGold. Sunday, Sept. 6 PIANO STORY During the pandemic, jazz pianist Bob Phillips showed up at Wild Fish that had morphed into a to-go factory, offering a piano for free. They said yes. The next day, Phillips and his son wheeled the piano into the restaurant, where it became a soundtrack for the people picking up their to-go orders, and Phillips was playing for a world of people on the other side of the glass, all masked up. Eventually, he migrated outside to play in the restaurant’s parklet. In 2020, Phillips and other musicians at Wild Fish formed the beginnings of the Lighthouse Jazz Quartet, a group featuring Stu Reynolds, Dennis Murphy, Bob Phillips, Paul Contos and Mike Shannon. Since then, the ensemble has recorded an album produced by Wild Fish. This Sunday, they celebrate the release of the vinyl while celebrating Phillips’ 90th birthday. [KR] 2-4pm Sunday, Sept. 6. Carl Cherry Center for the Arts, 4th and Guadalupe, Carmel. $50. (831) 624-7491, tinyurl.com/WildFishJazz. FOLK ROCKS Galen Fraser is the son of legendary Celtic fiddler Alasdair Fraser. So it is no surprise that Strings magazine would praise the younger Fraser’s bow work, noting that it “entwines the robust crunch and skirl of the old world with the airy ostinato and shimmering tremolo of the new.” But guess what? The same is said of Maria San Miguel. And the duo are equally celebrated on the pandareta and cittern. And San Miguel Fraser is charting an unfamiliar yet welcome course for Castilian and Celtic folk. In both their original music and imaginative takes on tradition, they craft a sound and voice that is effervescent and engaging, with a spirit that binds audiences to the communities from which the folk tradition emerged—something they share both on stage and on their new album, Dots of Light. [DF] 3pm Sunday, Sept. 6. St. Mary’s by the Sea Episcopal Church, 146 12th St., Pacific Grove. $31; $13/children 12 and under. (831) 373-4441, celticsociety.org. INDIE TOONS There’s just something tantalizing about the incomplete nature of short stories, whether they are on paper, film or animated, they leave one thinking about the narrative and how it could have gone if it were a full-length piece. And there is infinite creative potential in animated shorts, which will be on full display at the PULP Pop-Up event, a one-day animation screening highlighting bold, experimental and independent contemporary shorts from acclaimed animators around the globe who have been featured on Adult Swim, HBO, Hulu and Nickelodeon, among others. [AS] 6pm Sunday, Sept. 6. Pacific Grove Art Center, 568 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove. $12/in advance; $15/at the door. (831) 3752208, pgartcenter.org. HOT PICKS (today’s Georgia) is played by Jennifer Le Blanc from Oakland. Local actors Julie Hughett play the Nurse and Mike Storm plays Jason, Creon and Aegeus, embodying all forms of masculinity that oppress Medea and drive her to madness. This ultimate story of betrayal and revenge is directed by Kenneth Kelleher. [AP] 7:30pm Thursdays-Saturdays; 2pm Sundays, Sept. 3-Sept. 20. Golden Bough Playhouse’s Circle Theatre, Casanova between 8th and 9th, Carmel. $11-$46; discounted previews Sept. 3-Sept. 4. (831) 622-0100, pacrep.org. Thursday-Monday, Sept. 3-7 ALL’S FAIR Some people would have you think the so-called Lettuce Curtain is a deep divide, but the folks at the Monterey County Fair know better. This year’s theme is “Cowboy Boots and Coastal Roots,” an homage to the diverse experiences from agriculture to home crafts that are uplifted and celebrated at the fair. See the best in livestock from market steers to rabbits, chutney to upholstery, floriculture to crocheted sweaters (see p. 16). “Fairs bring people together from every corner of our state to celebrate agriculture, community, and the dedication of those who make it all possible,” California Secretary of Agriculture Karen Ross wrote in a letter to exhibitors. “Our fairgrounds are more than event spaces; they are year-round centers of community life.” Not to mention multiple stages with a busy lineup of live music, all the classic carnival rides and games and fair food—which, we can assure you from experience and serving size, is best shared with friends. [SR] Noon-11pm Thursday-Sunday, Sept. 3-6, noon10pm Monday, Sept. 7. Monterey County Fair and Event Center, 2004 Fairground Road, Monterey. Standard admission in advance: $17; $14/seniors; $10/children ages 6-12; free/children 5 and under; various special packages and free admission available to veterans, children, seniors on certain dates. (831) 372-5863, montereycountyfair.com. Saturday, Sept. 5 FIRST AGAIN California’s First Theatre is hosting the third annual First Theatre Fest. Consider it a community festival, with food vendors, live music, poetry and special attention to theatrical arts. Monterey Peninsula College Theatre Arts students will be on stage at 11am to share what they are working on this semester. The audience will hear readings from two upcoming plays—the world premiere of Margaret and The Wampus Cat (Oct. 15-25) and Tartuffe by Moliere (Nov. 12-22), shared Todd Siff on behalf of his cohort. The first is a rural, queer coming-of-age story where a restless teenager stray from her home in Tennessee to hunt a legendary monster. Poetry Friends of Monterey take the stage at 1pm. River Voices band plays live music; Café Guaraní and La Pizza Piccolo Mobile Pizza serve food. [AP] 11am-4pm Saturday, Sept. 5. California’s First Theatre, Pacific and Scott streets, Monterey. Free. mshpa.org/first-theatre-fest. GREEN N’ GOLD What’s green and gold and crispy and delicious? Artichokes, but also the inaugural Green & Gold gala celePacific Grove Art Center is a hub for local animation. Pulp TV, a cohort of local animators, attacks back with another pop-up event. See the latest on Sunday, Sept. 6. IKHWAN STUDIOS Transport back to the music of mid-20th-century America with a tribute to Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons (see p. 25). The chart-toppers released plenty of hits recognizable to many today.
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