Send ideas to montereycountynow.com/events 32 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY OCTOBER 29-NOVEMBER 4, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com Halloween, two creatures will run amok at Monterey Public Library in an event that will not only get people in the proper mood, but also show a little Hollywood history. A Tribute to Classic Monster Movies features the pioneering 1931 hit Frankenstein and The Wolf Man from 1941. This was Hollywood’s golden age, and the artistry—from makeup to acting and cinematography—is as captivating as the stories themselves. Boris Karloff plays the monster in the 1931 film, with Colin Clive as Dr. Henry Frankenstein. It does not end well for one of the two. Lon Chaney is the wolf man and the cast includes legends such as Claude Rains and Bela Lugosi. Just make sure to check your palms before watching The Wolf Man. The library will provide refreshments that will help you keep your nerves cool. [DF] 2-5pm Saturday, Oct. 31. Monterey Public Library, 625 Pacific St., Monterey. Free. (831) 646-3933, monterey.gov/library. UNDERGROUND SOUND Let go of the fear of not finding a good underground grunge rock show on Halloween: 6th Avenue Studios’ third Terror Fest is sure to haunt your ears. Release your monsters in the mosh pit or headbang so hard you look like you’re getting an exorcism. However you like to celebrate the spookiest holiday of the year, consider seeing the hyperlocal bands Rosewood, Empire Grade, Sydona, From Us and Note to the Void. Bring a costume, and your cash—a couple small vendors will sell clothes and bracelets. [CO] 7pm Saturday, Oct. 31. 6th Avenue Studios, 4420 6th Ave., Seaside. $10. (831) 2003432, 6ave.studio. MASKS ON If you haven’t planned your epic costume yet, it’s not too late (but let’s be honest, you are going to be at a disadvantage to win prizes in this costume contest—a lot of serious creativity, humor and originality go into the costumes at the annual Bal Masque). Whatever your costume is, we recommend excellent dancing shoes so you can groove to live music by Scarlet. Admission includes Nepenthe’s famous “ambrosia burgers” and veggie burgers, and drinks are available for purchase. The epic view at sunset and of the night sky is, of course, also included, but you’ll want to look away for entertainment by BiG SuRCus, and the famous costume contest. This epic party is a beloved Halloween tradition, kicked off by Bill and Madelaine Fassett in the first year the place opened, in 1949. [SR] 6pm-midnight Saturday, Oct. 31. Nepenthe, 48510 Highway 1, Big Sur. $45; $15/ages 12 and under. (831) 667-2345, nepenthe.com. SPACE TERRORS Space is awe-inspiring. It’s also terrifying—black holes, anyone? That makes it the perfect backdrop to go trick-or-treating. Monterey Institute for Research in Astronomy’s Haunted Observatory is back. There is the “Hall of Dead Astronomers” illuminated by a blood-red light and plenty of spacethemed candy to nab, for children and the young at heart. Attendees also have a chance to peer through a 14-inch telescope to view Saturn and its famous rings, and view the rock closest to the sun, Mercury. That planet is also in its “retrograde” phase, and if that means anything to you, it will be the scariest thing of the night. [EC] 6:30-9:30pm Saturday, Oct. 31. Weaver Student Observatory, 200 Eighth St., Marina. Free. (831) 883-1000, mira.org. HOT PICKS not of country, blending in jazz, folk and pop. His first self-titled album in 1986 produced several songs that hit the top 40 country charts. His second album, Pontiac, made its way into the mainstream. There have been 15 albums since and four Grammy awards, cementing Lovett’s place in the pantheon of musical artists. After 40 years he is still touring, currently with his Small Large Band, bringing his eclectic, rich songs to grateful audiences. [PM] 7pm Friday, Oct. 30. Sunset Center, 908 San Carlos St., Carmel. $96-$181. (831) 6202048, sunsetcenter.org. DOWN HOME Joe Newberry was born and raised in the Ozarks and April Verch hails from the Ottawa Valley, but when the two met they discovered they shared a devotion to traditional bluegrass music that runs deep within them both. They teamed up to create Newberry & Verch, performing traditional music and original tunes on banjo, guitar and fiddle, with Verch at times dancing the jigs she learned as a child. “The tunes we play feel like family to me,” Verch said in a video. For Newberry, when he sings it takes him home to the Ozarks and the people he grew up with. “They’re never far from us,” he said. [PM] 7pm Friday, Oct. 30. Monterey United Methodist Church, 1 Soledad Drive, Monterey. $35; free/ages 15 and under. otteropry.org. THINGS THAT GO BOING To stand out in the 1980s music scene, some bands tried hair gel. Others went for bizarre names (remember Kajagoogoo?). But in 1981, an L.A. band thought to bring the two together while actually playing great, groundbreaking music. Yes, we’re talking about Oingo Boingo. Hearing “Grey Matter,” “Weird Science,” or “Dead Man’s Party,” you realized this was a band that defied MTV genre logic. And the band continues to impress. Vatos Hernandez, Sluggo Phipps and Steve Bartek form the core of Oingo Boingo Former Members, with a familiar lineup of horns and keys driving the sound and a few new but welcome faces. [DF] 8pm Friday, Oct. 30. Golden State Theatre, 417 Alvarado St., Monterey. $36-$95. (831) 649-1070, goldenstatetheatre.com. FIRE DANCERS It’s going to be hot down in the Barrel Room at Folktale Winery. Pay a visit to those who have dearly departed—dancers of disco. The winery’s Halloween Party: Disco Inferno seeks to resurrect the dance craze from the underworld. The sparkling Rosé will be good for cooling you off, should you need it. Attire fitting for the inferno will be necessary for this party as DJ BADDJ makes sure the disco ball keeps on shining. Is that red wine or fire? You be the judge. [SC] 7:30-10pm Friday, Oct. 30. Folktale Winery, 8940 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel. $70. Ages 21+. (831) 293-7500, folktalewinery.com. Saturday, Oct. 31 MONSTER MASH On any other afternoon, a monster raising a ruckus would bring a quick “shoosh” from a librarian. But on When Texas native Lyle Lovett isn’t busy breeding American quarter horses and winning equestrian competitions, he’s making his own brand of music. He’s bringing his Small Large Band to Carmel on Oct. 30 (see p. 30). MICHAEL WILSON Locals have a lot of stories to tell. This storytelling series started with a single event, and now multiple iterations have filled the Carl Cherry Center. PorchLight Stories (now sold out) added an additional show on Thursday, Oct. 29 (see p. 30). COURTESY OF CARL CHERRY CENTER FOR THE ARTS
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