Third Annual First Theatre Fest Returns to California’s First Theatre Sept. 5
Free daylong festival brings theater, poetry, live music, local food and artisan makers to Monterey’s historic stage
MONTEREY, Calif., Aug. 25, 2026 — The Monterey State Historic Park Association will present the third annual First Theatre Fest from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5, at California’s First Theatre, at Pacific and Scott streets in Monterey. Admission is free and open to the public.
The daylong celebration fills the adobe landmark and its grounds with performances on the historic stage, an artisan market, food from two local kitchens and free hands-on activities led by California State Parks staff. Guests can also step into the historic saloon for complimentary refreshments.
The festival marks the continued revival of a building that has anchored Monterey’s cultural life since the 1840s, when it hosted some of the earliest paid theatrical performances staged in California. The theater sat shuttered for more than two decades before reopening in 2024 following a restoration led by the association.
Performances on the Historic Stage
The stage program runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and features:
•      11 a.m. — MPC Theatre Group. The Monterey Peninsula College Theatre Arts Department opens the day on the historic stage.
•      1 p.m. — Poetry Friends of Monterey. An informal collective of local poets curated by former Monterey County Poet Laureate Rachelle Escamilla presents an afternoon of verse celebrating language, community and the county that connects them. The lineup includes Escamilla, Kent Leatham, Ayaz Pirani, Laura Schulkind and Brian Sheffield.
•      2 p.m. — River Voices, a local musical group.
•      3 p.m. — Night Herons, a local musical group.
Additional programming will be announced. Event updates are posted at mshpa.org.
Food
Café Guaraní, a family-owned Pacific Grove café, will serve traditional South American empanadas in Paraguayan and Argentine styles — baked or fried, meat-filled or vegan. Founder Liliana Rodas de Araujo has been making empanadas since childhood and is also known locally for her special-occasion cakes. The café’s menu also includes yuca fries, croquettes, sandwiches and a full coffee and yerba mate program.
La Pizza Piccolo Mobile Pizza, Monterey Bay’s craft curbside pizza truck, will hand-toss Neapolitan-style pizzas cooked to order on site using cold-fermented dough and California-grown produce. The truck is run by Michael Baroni out of a compact mobile kitchen.
Artisan Vendors
Seven makers will sell their work throughout the day:
•      Maria Schoettler, a Monterey-based artist and illustrator, will offer illustrated paper goods, prints and cards celebrating seasonal living, botanicals and the Central Coast. She is known locally for her illustrated “Local’s Guide” brochures and her long-running Eat Local produce calendar.
•      Casey Starks Studio, a small-batch art ceramics studio and shop on Lighthouse Avenue in Monterey, will bring mugs, home decor, jewelry and other functional wares. Owner and artist Casey Starks hand-builds and hand-paints each piece on site, drawing on the Central Coast landscape.
•      Flukeprint Studio is the work of Monterey-area artist Jilly Muth Pfifferling, whose hand-illustrated prints, notecards, stickers and notepads center on ocean advocacy and the marine life of Monterey Bay, including whales, sea otters, seals and kelp.
•      Strike the Set will offer vintage silver jewelry.
•      Soleia Lane, a Pacific Grove and Carmel-based home fragrance studio and refillery, makes candles, room sprays and hand cream by hand, inspired by botanicals and the Monterey Peninsula landscape. Its products are carried locally at Carmel Valley Creamery and Nielsen Brothers Market, among other shops.
•      North Coast Tintypes, led by Santa Cruz-based photographer Annie, will make keepsake portraits using the 19th-century tintype process, in which a light-sensitive emulsion is hand-poured onto a metal plate, then exposed and developed on the spot to produce a one-of-a-kind image.
•      Amarla Handmade offers handmade bags and accessories crafted using ancestral techniques by Indigenous artisans in Colombia, blending traditional craft with contemporary design.
Family Activities
California State Parks staff will offer free, hands-on activities for all ages throughout the day.
About the Monterey State Historic Park Association
The Monterey State Historic Park Association is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports interpretation, educational programs and special events at Monterey State Historic Park, and works to restore and preserve the area’s historic buildings and cultural heritage. The association is based at 20 Custom House Plaza, Monterey, with a mailing address of P.O. Box 2751, Monterey, CA 93942-2751. More information is available at mshpa.org.
 
What: Third annual First Theatre Fest
When: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5
Where: California’s First Theatre, Pacific and Scott streets, Monterey
Cost: Free