Community Calendar

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.

Park Circuit Challenge
Saturday, May 2nd 11am to 1pm
Location: Durant Park start, then to Farallones and Capra parks, Beta Park end

Come have fun! Walk, bike, or skip through four Seaside parks starting at Durant Park and ending at Beta Park in a family friendly .7 mile loop. Complete a fun activity at each park, get a stamp in your “Challenge Book,” and enter a raffle to win a $50 gift card prize! Activities end at Beta Park with gifts, raffle drawing at 12:30pm, snacks, music and fun! Bring your friends and family, bring your doggies, get outside, and build community!

MORE INFO AT FRIENDSOFSEASIDEPARKS.ORG/PARKSCHALLENGE

Soul Collage is an insightful, incredible, dynamic activity. A collage is a powerful visual tool to focus your intentions; create a collage of images that will express your visions, your desires, your dreams and goals. Collage speaks to the subconscious which invites and allows incredible miracles to happen, dreams to manifest, goals to be realized, and our visions to become real. This is a playful process of creative fun. It might becomes one of your favorite past times, and now it is happening every first Saturday of the month!

There will be a short PowerPoint presentation of collages. You are welcome to bring images and personal photos, sharp scissors, and magazines. Everything else will be provided including more magazines

Join us for our next Sip & Stroll Saturday May 2nd, your support will benefit local businesses impacted by the recent tragic fire in Capitola Village. Enjoy an afternoon of wine tasting from an extensive variety of wineries, shopping at our locally owned boutiques and enjoy community connection in our beloved Village. Every sip makes a difference—come out, show your support, and help our local businesses rebound stronger than ever.

Don’t miss the fun at the Capitola-Aptos Rotary’s 4th Annual Kentucky Derby Party on May 2nd at Specialized Aviation in Watsonville. Dress to impress in your Derby best and compete in the Best Hat Contest. Place your bets and enjoy the thrill of the races. Explore amazing silent & live auction items. Sip on classic Mint Juleps and indulge in delicious Derby-inspired hors d’oeuvres, sandwiches, and desserts. Take your experience to new heights with helicopter rides (available for purchase) Best of all, every dollar raised stays local, supporting community nonprofits.

Join the Carmel Orchid Society at its monthly meeting to learn how to grow orchids in our local environment. First Saturday of every month 2 PM at the Community Church of Carmel Valley.
CarmelOrchidSociety.org

Find calm and clarity in the midst of daily life. This four part class offers a beginner-friendly, traditional approach to Heart Zen meditation to help cultivate mindfulness, even in the busiest moments of life.

Charles Meng is a Salinas-based retired educator with over 16 years of meditation experience. A former instructor at Monterey Zen Meditation Center, Charles is passionate about helping beginners find clarity and balance through simple, effective Zen practices.
Bring your own yoga mat! Chairs available upon request.

First Four Saturdays in May
May 2, 9, 16, & 23
This is not a drop in program. Attendance is required at all four sessions.

Please register here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/g/zMmquMwrR0
Questions? Contact Magnolia at Magnolia.Coito@salinas.gov

Chamber Music Monterey Bay will present the highly acclaimed Calidore String Quartet for the final concert of our 2025-2026 Season. The Washington Post wrote of the Calidore, “Four more individual musicians are unimaginable, yet these speak, breathe, think and feel as one.” As was true for our previous ensemble, the Dover Quartet, this spectacular ensemble has appeared for CMMB only virtually, in 2020. We are thrilled to present them in person.

The Calidore Quartet brings a big program to their performance in Carmel: A beautiful quartet by Haydn (Op. 76 no. 5), a powerful work by Shostakovich, his String Quartet No. 8, which we haven’t presented in over 20 years, and Beethoven’s immense and profoundly moving String Quartet Op. 131. Writing of the Calidore, The New York Times said: “Deep reserves of virtuosity and irrepressible dramatic instinct.” The Los Angeles Times noted that the Calidore are “Astonishing …shockingly deep… [with] the kind of sublimity other quartets spend a lifetime seeking.”

We hope to see you at Sunset Center to hear CMMB’s fifth and final concert, with an extraordinary ensemble and a powerful closing for our 59th Season.

The concert will be preceded by a 30-minute talk by Bay Area musicologist Ian Scarf. These informative and entertaining talks begin at 6:30 and will provide ticket-holders with deeper insight into the evening’s program.

Individual tickets are available for $30–$75. CMMB’s Kids Up Front & Free! program offers free tickets for young music lovers (grades 3–12) and music teachers. Discounted tickets ($15) are available for chaperones. Active members of the military and full-time students are eligible for discounts.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.chambermusicmontereybay.org or by calling the CMMB office at 831-625-2212, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information and to stay updated on all events and ticket sales, visit the website.

Contact: Chamber Music Monterey Bay
Phone: 831-625-2212
Email: info@chambermusicmontereybay.org
Website: www.chambermusicmontereybay.org

Chamber Music Monterey Bay (CMMB) announces its 59th season, presenting five evening concerts by world-class ensembles at the historic Sunset Center in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Concerts will be held on Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., preceded by complimentary pre-concert lectures at 6:30 p.m., offering audiences deeper engagement with the repertoire and performers.

The 2025–2026 season continues CMMB’s mission to enrich the cultural life of the Central Coast by presenting exceptional chamber music performances, commissioning new works, and supporting community education and outreach initiatives. This season reflects CMMB’s dual commitment to preserving the legacy of chamber music while advancing its evolution through contemporary voices.

SEASON FINALE

Calidore String Quartet
Saturday, May 2, 2026 | 7:30 p.m. | Sunset Center, Carmel
Free pre-concert lecture at 6:30 p.m.

Closing the season is the Calidore String Quartet, described by The New York Times as possessing “deep reserves of virtuosity and irrepressible dramatic instinct.”

Franz Joseph Haydn – String Quartet No. 65 in D Major, Op. 76, No. 5
Dmitri Shostakovich – String Quartet No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 110
Ludwig van Beethoven – String Quartet No. 14 in C-sharp Minor, Op. 131
An evening of musical gravity and brilliance, this finale offers a masterclass in the enduring power of the string quartet.
About Chamber Music Monterey Bay

Founded in 1966, Chamber Music Monterey Bay is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to presenting a world-class concert series, commissioning new works, and offering education and outreach that makes chamber music accessible to diverse communities. Its programming reflects a commitment to artistic excellence, cultural stewardship, and education for audiences of all ages.

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