Old Monterey District Blog

Venture Gallery presents the work of Deborah Russell, our featured local artist for August. Her new exhibit of paintings, entitled Asian Fusion, is an exploration of iconic Asian elements intertwined with floral and avian motifs.

About the Exhibit

This exhibit celebrates Deborah's deep appreciation for Asian aesthetics, featuring iconic cultural elements combined with a continuing focus on stunning, vibrant images of flowers and birds.

About Venture Gallery

Venture Gallery is open 10am-6pm daily. Deborah Russell's artwork will be featured through August 2026. Venture Gallery is located at 260 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey. Visit our website to shop online for work by our local artists.

Sovino Wine and Beer Bar is now pouring a deliciously complex Syrah from Story of Soil. This organic wine from winemaker Jessica Gasca embodies her passion for small-batch, high quality wines.

As one of the few Latina winemakers in California, Jessica Gasca is a strong advocate for farm workers and female entrepreneurs. Come enjoy this wine and help us support a fellow female business owner.

Location and Hours

Sovino, located at 241 Alvarado Street in Monterey, is open Monday & Tuesday, 3pm-9pm; Wednesday - Friday, 3pm-10pm; Saturday, 12pm-10pm; and
Sunday, 3pm-8pm.

About Story of Soil Winery

As a small winery, Story of Soil can put time, attention, and care into our wines. In order to make wines of the highest quality, we select vineyards that are farmed with the greatest level of care, focus on a single varietal and a single vineyard, keep lots small, and put our hearts and souls into the making of the wine. Our entire operation is aimed at producing high quality and balanced wines.

A message from Mia, the owner of Bliss Boutique:

Thanks to you, Bliss Boutique has celebrated 25 incredible years in business. This journey has been exciting, rewarding, and deeply fulfilling. Along the way, we’ve built lifelong friendships with our amazing customers and have shared many special and touching moments.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being part of the Bliss story. With a full heart, I want to share that our brick-and-mortar location in Monterey on Alvarado Street is now closed, and our Salinas location is expected to close in August.

Bliss Gift Certificates

If you have a gift certificate and would like to use it, please shop our Salinas location at 300 Main Street.

Final Sale in Monterey

We are planning a closing event at 380 Alvarado Street, Suite 101 in Monterey on Saturday, August 1, selling all of our fixtures and displays.

In honor of Monterey Car Week, the Monterey History and Art Museum at Stanton Center, located at 5 Custom House Plaza in Downtown Monterey, will host a special exhibit entitled Racing to Del Monte & Pebble Beach: A Landmark Celebration of Early Monterey Bay Motoring Culture. Open August 7-17, 12pm-4pm daily.

About the Exhibit

This immersive exhibit explores the birth of Monterey Bay automotive culture at the dawn of the horseless carriage age and the pioneering racing spirit that shaped California’s early motoring history. Enjoy antique racing vehicles, local history presentations, rare silent film screenings, and a vintage photo gallery.

Vintage Cars & Motorcycles

In partnership with History San Jose, the exhibit includes rare early racing vehicles and original artifacts and memorabilia, including an 1899 Osen & Hunt (the first automobile built in San Jose), a 1907 Mitchell touring car, and a 1903 Haynes-Apperson, plus rare motorcycles, bicycles, and more.

Rare Photographs

The exhibit will also include rare photographs from the 1903 inaugural races from San Jose to the famed Del Monte Hotel race track and Pebble Beach as well as photos from the groundbreaking hill climbs along Carmel Hill.

Presentations & Film Screenings

August 7-17, presentations on historic racing and film screenings will be featured in the Stanton Center theater throughout the week. Stay tuned for the full schedule!

Admission

Admission fees are: adult - $15; senior and military - $12, youth under age 18 - free. MHAA members are admitted free of charge. Become a member of the nonprofit MHAA today!

Visit Cooper-Molera Adobe's latest photography exhibition and step behind the scenes of one of Monterey’s most significant preservation projects with Hidden Stewards: Documentation Photography of the Cooper-Molera Restoration by Marcia F. DeVoe. Open July 9 - September 13, 2026.

About the Exhibition

Guest curated by Artist/Preparator Megan Goodwin, this new exhibition showcases the remarkable photographs of Marcia F. DeVoe, whose volunteer work documented the restoration of Cooper-Molera Adobe, led by California State Parks, 1976–1985. Through her lens, discover the archaeology, architecture, and the often-overlooked people - especially the women - whose dedication helped preserve this National Trust Historic Site for future generations.

This exhibition is kindly supported by the Marcia F. DeVoe Fund of the Community Foundation for Monterey County.

Hours and Admission

The Cooper-Molera Adobe Museum is open Thursdays - Sundays, 10am-2pm. The exhibition is included with general museum admission and is on view July 9 - September 13, 2026.

Artist & Curator Reception

Join us for a special Artist & Curator Reception on Thursday, July 30, at 5:30 p.m. in the Cooper Adobe Museum and Garden Courtyard. Meet Guest Curator Megan Goodwin and celebrate the remarkable legacy of Marcia F. DeVoe and the hidden stewards who shaped Monterey’s history.

Images courtesy of California State Parks, 2026.

The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and Mercedes-Benz have chosen Monterey County Youth Museum as one of the local nonprofit organizations to benefit from their annual car drawing. The winner of the drawing will receive a beautiful 2027 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250+ electric sedan (MSRP $47,950).

MY Museum has been given 2,250 tickets to sell for $100 per ticket. All funds raised will be used for MY Museum's educational programs and will provide subsidized museum visits for schools and families in challenging circumstances.

The drawing will be held on August 16, 2026 at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance (you need not to be present to win). Tickets can be purchased in person at MY Museum, over the phone at 831-649-6444, or by reserving tickets online - we will call you for payment. Once payment is made we will mail you your tickets and receipt.

Help us bring joy and learning through play to children! Be assured that every time someone buys a ticket (or two or three) for the car drawing, MY Museum staff do the happy dance in the office.

Please note: winner of the car will be responsible for all applicable taxes, licensing, and transfer fees. Delivery is limited to within the USA only.

Scoops Ice Cream Parlor is happy to introduce our Affogato Lattes! It's rich espresso, creamy milk, any flavor of ice cream...and it's pure magic.

You can use ANY flavor of ice cream? Yep, you read that right. Whatever your favorite scoop is, we’ll turn it into your new favorite latte. Cookies and cream? Ube? Strawberry cheescake? Mint chip? Go for it!

This isn’t your average coffee run, this is coffee the Scoops way. Visit us at 595 Munras Avenue in Downtown Monterey across from Trader Joe's. We're open Mon-Thu, 1pm-10pm; Fri, 1pm-11pm; and Sat & Sun, 12pm-11pm.

Scoops Ice Cream Parlor is independent shop that's family owned and operated.