Community Calendar

First Friday Salinas is a monthly tradition designed to transform Downtown into a consistent, positive space for community and culture to thrive.

Come and enjoy an evening of local art, live entertainment, delicious food, and shops open late. Bring your friends and family to Salinas City Center and discover something new every First Friday of the month

You won’t want to miss it!

When & Where:
Every First Friday of the Month
Starting at 5:00 PM
Location: Downtown Salinas in 100 – 300 Blocks of Main Street
Opening Ceremony: 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM, at the One Main Street Stage (in front of the Steinbeck Center).

Monterey’s Fisherman’s Wharf Association hosts Wharf Walks on the First Saturday of Each Month. These Walking Tours take place at Monterey’s Old Fisherman’s Wharf, are at no-charge to attendees and are held from 10am to 12:00pm. The tour is for ages 10-adult only, with no more than 15 people. Tours meet at the head of the Wharf near the pink “Harbor House” Store, #1 Old Fisherman’s Wharf, Monterey.

More details are available on www.montereywharf.com. To reserve your free space, please visit monterey.gov/library/events or call 831-646-3933.

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About Wharf Walks:

This entertaining tour of Old Fisherman’s Wharf and the waterfront will take you back in time to explore the history of the Monterey Wharf, early history of the Monterey waterfront, The Rumsien/Ohlone People -- Monterey’s first fishermen, the abalone industry, whaling the bay and of course, the legendary sardine industry.

You will discover some of the people and cultures of Monterey’s colorful past and hear fascinating stories about Old Fisherman’s Wharf and those who worked and walked there. You will also learn about the sardine and squid industry.

About Monterey’s Old Fisherman’s Wharf:

Known as the “Monterey Bay Whale Watching Capital of the World” and a top destination of visitors from around the world, Monterey’s Old Fisherman’s Wharf provides a wide array of award-winning dining, shopping, whale watching, bay cruises, a glass bottom boat, marine life, fishing and sailing, and strolling leisurely in a gorgeous setting overlooking the Monterey Bay.

For more information about Old Fisherman’s Wharf, please visit www.montereywharf.com or call (831) 238-0777.

Join the Carmel Orchid Society at its monthly meetings to learn how to grow orchids in our local environment. Meetings are held from 2:00pm to 4:00m on the First Saturday of the Month (except during Months with Social Events) at the Community Church of Carmel Valley. Monthly meetings feature Informative Speakers and an Opportunity to win Orchids, Food and Fun.

The Society also has a Picnic, Excursion and Holiday Dinner as well as sponsoring an Orchid Market in the Fall.

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DATE: First Saturday of the Month (except during Months with Social Events)
TIME: 2:00pm to 4:00pm
LOCATION: Community Church of Monterey Peninsula, 4590 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: More information is available at CarmelOrchidSociety.org

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THE CARMEL ORCHID SOCIETY
A Group of Orchid Enthusiasts based near Carmel, California who enjoy getting together to learn about Orchids and their Culture. We are also dedicated to exposing the public to the beauty and allure of these plants.

P.O. Box 223462, Carmel California 93922-3462
Info@CarmelOrchidSociety.org

We offer special sunrise hours for our members and volunteers on the third Saturday of each month, as weather permits. Opening time is 7 a.m. Please bring your membership card for check-in at the front gate.

Early mornings are a wonderful time in our gardens, ideal for photography, birding, and quiet enjoyment of nature. If you would like to join us, become a member today!

Shake It Señora invites you to build community through joyful movement. Zumba workouts are offered T/Th&S begin August 5 at 8:30am at N Space Dance Studio, 170 Central Ave. Your first class is free when you mention this announcement. Learn more at ShakeItSenora.com or text Tracy at (919)995-55574.

Visit the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History to explore the beauty and fine details of the natural world around us in this annual spring exhibit featuring works from over 50 local artists in a variety of mediums. Scientific illustration brings to life the intricacies of nature while deepening our knowledge and enriching connections. Every year, "The Art of Nature" exhibit continues to reveal new wonders—just like nature itself—offering fresh inspiration for curious minds. On view March 28 - May, 2026.

The Santa Cruz County Youth Symphony, under the direction of Daniel Goldsmith, performs music by Mozart, Beethoven, Fauré, Jacob Stone, and others. Concerto Competition winner Olivia Chen, age 18, performs her winning concerto. Students from the Youth Symphony’s Chamber Strings program open the concert. Bring the whole family! Treats served after the concert.

This year, Temple Beth El marks an extraordinary milestone: 90 years as the oldest and only Jewish temple in Salinas.
Since 1936, our temple has been a place of worship, gathering, learning, and remembrance for generations of families.
In honor of this momentous anniversary, we are hosting a 90th Anniversary Gala, which will be held on Saturday, May 16, 2026. This event is a special opportunity to honor the history of Jewish life in Salinas. Please join us for a walk through Temple Beth' El's 90 year legacy, a cocktail hour, live music, dancing, appetizers and dinner, while we celebrate our past and look to the future of our community.

Audiences are invited to Alegria Del Mariachi, featuring international guest artist/composer Lupita Infante, granddaughter of the legendary Pedro Infante, and students performing with the UCSC Mariachi Ensemble and Mariachi Eterno de UCSC.

Through their belief in Ifá and the divine, three generations of women grow their relationships with each other and navigate living within their African diasporic identities in undergraduate student Alyssa Windom‘s award-winning script, Who Can I Run To? Windom is a 3rd year History of Art and Visual Culture (HAVC) major with the Arts Division at UC Santa Cruz and is the recipient of the 2026 Dharma Grace Creative Writing Award. The award includes a full theatrical production of their script.

In a modern, undisclosed time and a familiar yet unvisited space within the Americas, the audience meets four women, Lucia, Esme, Naia, and Aviva, three generations of the Sandorson family. The play follows each woman as they navigate how to live within the African diaspora, as well as grow their relationships with each other. Families are complex, but audiences learn this family does not have to figure out this life alone. Their belief in Ifá, and the divine, connects each woman with a guiding orisha that aids them in discovering themselves and their life paths.

Who Can I Run To? is directed by Theater Arts graduate student Darren Jackson-Wilkins.