Old Monterey District Blog

Volunteer with First Night Monterey, giving back to the community while having a fun New Year's Eve! First Night Monterey 2022 will be held on Friday, December 31, 3pm-12am in Downtown Old Monterey. For more information, please visit our website, e-mail us, or call 831-373-4778.

Volunteer opportunities include: working as a group to manage a venue or site, hospitality, merchandise sales, parade coordination (lining up participants), MC for a stage at the event.

For the safety of everyone, all volunteers and all indoor audiences, staff, and artists must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or present a negative COVID test dated within 72 hours along with a valid photo ID. Masks are required at all indoor venues. First Night Monterey is committed to the safety and health of every volunteer.

This Thanksgiving, Paris Bakery is offering a beautiful selection of pies - pumpkin, pecan, apple, blueberry, cherry, key lime, and lemon meringue - in addition to special themed cookies and a full assortment of fresh breads and baked goods.

Preorder your Thanksgiving delights by Monday, Nov. 22 for pick-up on Wednesday, Nov. 24 - call us at 831-646-1620. A family-owned business, we're located at 271 Bonifacio Place in Downtown Old Monterey.

Monterey County Youth Museum, located at 425 Washington Street in Downtown Old Monterey, is still providing the power of play to families that need it now more than ever. Please support our big idea and bring the fun of learning to families in need through a contribution to Monterey County Gives!

We continue to see a need for all things MY Museum... the classes and workshops, the social and emotional learning, and the hands-on play.

Because of the nature of the pandemic, MY Museum has not been able to resume our regular programming yet. That said, we feel confident that this winter we will be bringing those art, science, music, and STEAM programs back to our museum in addition to our Fun on the Run outdoor learning series. This series takes our Daily Drop-Ins outside allowing for social distancing while participating.

Donations made through Monterey County Gives! will have access to matching funds which will increase the impact of your donation, November 11 - December 31, 2021. To make your donation, please click here.

The Feral Market has updated our plant section! We now carry even more houseplants and pots to brighten your living and work spaces. And, through the end of 2021, we are offering 20% off all plants and pots.

The Feral Market, a family-owned retail shop featuring fun novelty gifts and women's clothing, is located at 261 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey across from Monterey Conference Center and Portola Hotel & Spa.

Slowfiber is proud to now carry hand spun and hand dyed wool yarn by Manos del Uruguay, a nonprofit organization that coordinates 12 cooperative workshops located in small villages in Uruguay’s countryside.

The artisans who spin and dye this yarn are the owners of the company and profits are shared among the cooperatives or re-invested in the organization, improving the lives of Uruguay's rural people.

Slowfiber invites you to visit us at 517A Hartnell Street in Downtown Old Monterey and see for yourself Manos del Uruguay's beautiful, high quality yarn. It's also available on our website.

Alta Bakery and Cafe is happy to announce our November drink of the month, the Obligatory Pumpkin Spice Latte. It is ridiculously, deliciously, fantastically great. Come and try it - we're located at 502 Munras Avenue in Downtown Old Monterey.

It's pie time! Come to Alta Bakery and Cafe and preorder pies for your Thanksgiving festivities. We have 3 delicious options: classic pumpkin pie ($29), pecan-honey pie ($32), and apple galette ($30). Visit us at 502 Munras Avenue in Downtown Old Monterey and fill out a form to order yours, or place your order online. Pickups available on Tuesday, November 23, and Wednesday, November 24.

Sometimes dairy-free ice cream tastes like...dairy-free ice cream. (If you know, you know...) But Revival Ice Cream is proud to create dairy-free desserts that EVERYONE will enjoy! It's truly delicious ice cream that just tastes great.

Revival has dairy-free choices available in the scoop case every day, and our signature dairy-free flavors are also available for nationwide shipping. Come into the shop at 463 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey to try one of these delectable flavors, or visit our website to place an order for home delivery.

Pictured here: Revival's dairy-free cold brew coconut ice cream

Did you know you can use Fleet Feet Monterey as your home base for any run during our regular business hours? Just drop off your keys and belongings in one of our lockers and take off! After your run, you can make use of our Recovery Zone in the store. Fleet Feet is located at 472 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey.

Alvarado Gallery at Monterey Conference Center has a new art exhibit - the community "Tree of Hearts" are now on display to enjoy. You're invited to browse the collages made up of hundreds of paper hearts, each featuring a special message from a community member to fellow residents and their loved ones, originally created in March 2021 to hang on a tree in front of City Hall to commemorate the first anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic in Monterey.

Alvarado Gallery is open to the public weekdays, 8am-5pm, and located on the mezzanine of Monterey Conference Center, 1 Portola Plaza in Downtown Old Monterey. Masks are recommended. (We believe that the exhibit will be on display for the rest of 2021, but a formal decision has not yet been made - stop by soon if you don't want to miss this remarkable historic snapshot.)

The Old Monterey Business Association would like to congratulate the 29 Old Monterey businesses and organizations that won Monterey County Weekly’s Best of Monterey County 2021. Click the links to read what the Weekly’s writers and editors had to say about each business.

Alta Bakery and Cafe
Best Coffee Shop
Best Cappuccino / Latte

Alvarado Street Brewery
Best Local Beer / Brewery
Best Bar for Gen X'ers
Best Place to See and Be Seen

Ambrosia India Bistro
Best Indian Restaurant

Bagel Bakery
Best Bagel

Britannia Arms
Best Place for Karaoke

Crown and Anchor
Best Pub / Best Late Night Hangout

Easy Street Billiards
Best Place to Shoot Pool

Euphoria Salon and Spa
Best Salon - Women

Federico's Shoe Service
Best Shoe Repair...Read More

Slowfiber is happy to announce we now carry Daruma embroidery thread and sashiko needles from Japan that are perfect for mending. You can find them both on the Slowfiber website and in the shop at 517A Hartnell Street in Downtown Old Monterey.

Daruma thread can be used for its original intent, sashiko stitching, or, like me, you can use it for boro-style patching. (Your jeans will love you for it!) Designed for mending and repairing clothing, this thread is stronger than typical embroidery floss, and the colors are fabulous.

Calling all local authors! Old Capitol Books invites you to participate in our Holiday Season Lit Expo on Friday, December 3 at 6pm. To sign up, please e-mail us. Our shop is located at 482 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey.