Old Monterey District Blog

You can always build your own tasting tour at The Whisky Club at 425 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey!

While The Whisky Club is known for our menu of 80 tasting tours based on region, distillery, or type of whiskies or other spirits, you can always select your own 1 ounce pours to sample and compare whatever unique expressions you wish.

The tour pictured here is Jack Daniel’s Frank Sinatra, Maker’s Mark BRT1, and Garrison Brothers' Lady Bird.

Venture Gallery presents the paintings of Cheryl Kampe, our featured local artist for May. Her latest exhibit is entitled Coastal Connections.

Cheryl's artistic interpretations of the iconic landscapes of California's Central Coast have earned her widespread recognition. Her love of the region is beautifully and sensitively conveyed in oils, watercolors, and mixed media, and inspired by her daily walks along the shore.

Venture Gallery is open 10am-6pm daily. Cheryl Kampe's artwork will be featured through May 2024. Venture Gallery is located at 260 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey. Visit our website to shop online for work by our local artists.

Manasiri's Crepes and Sandwiches is introducing a new item to our menu: the pistachio crepe! This is a beautifully rich pistachio butter crepe sprinkled with ground pistachios. It's an entirely new flavor of crepe for Monterey, and we're offering it for only $12.99. Come and try it!

Manasiri's is also serving pistachio lattes. Order yours hot or cold - they're delicious and they go great with one of our crepes, sandwiches, or salads.

Manasiri's Crepes and Sandwiches is located at 321 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey. We're open Sun-Thu, 8am-8pm, and Fri & Sat, 8am-10:30pm. As always, we are happy to make gluten-free crepes for all our guests avoiding wheat flour - just ask.

Update, June 4, 2024: Thank you to everyone who has applied to march in the parade! The application deadline has now passed.

Join the parade! Together as a community, we'll bring entertainment, excitement, and a whole lot of fun to Monterey on Independence Day.

We are now accepting applications to participate in the 2024 4th of July Parade, to be held at 10am on Thursday, July 4 in Downtown Old Monterey. We welcome bands, floats, drill teams, dance groups, unique vehicles, entertainment troupes, and equestrians. Get creative and think outside the box!

Entry deadline is Friday, May 31, 2024. Fill out the parade entry form. Parade organizers will notify you via e-mail if your entry is accepted.

Update: Thank you to all of our 2024 4th of July parade sponsors!

The Old Monterey Business Association and the Old Monterey Foundation are teaming up to present the 2024 4th of July Parade on Thursday, July 4 at 10am and you are invited to be a part of the grand celebration as a valued sponsor.

Become a part of the color and excitement of this parade featuring local Monterey Peninsula groups, marching bands, dance and drill teams, and special guests and dignitaries to the Monterey Peninsula.

Thousands of spectators, both residents and visitors, line the parade route each year for this family-friendly 4th of July celebration. Sponsorships provide great visibility, community involvement, and an opportunity to become part of Monterey's bold history. All sponsorship donations are tax exempt. Download the parade sponsorship form here.

Esteban Restaurant’s Executive Chef Ben Hillan proudly announces his new spring menu. Rooted in Spanish tradition, Chef Ben’s new dishes stay in tune with the season to showcase the freshest and finest ingredients from Central Coast farmers, fishers, ranchers, and other artisan producers.

Chef Ben’s vibrant new tapas menu includes: asparagus with tarragon aioli, brown butter, Marcona almonds, Manchego cheese, and citrus yogurt; a refreshing watermelon salad with tomato vinaigrette, pickled cucumbers, feta foam, pistachio dust, and mustard frill; and crudo citrus-cured striped seabass with pineapple emulsion, dulse seaweed, and guava pink peppercorn gel.

The splendor of spring is showcased in Chef Ben’s new Raciones, medium to large plates that can be shared. The Iberian bone-in pork chop, with parsley root puree, sauteed greens, and cherry demi-glace, features the richest, most flavorful meat available - the Iberian pig, a breed native to Spain with naturally marbled meat rendering it buttery and tender. Other additions to the menu include conejo confitado (rabbit leg) and grilled Moroccan spiced cordero (made with New Zealand lamb),

Esteban Restaurant is located at 700 Munras Avenue in Downtown Old Monterey. Reservations are highly recommended - call to reserve your table, 831-375-0176. The restaurant is open 7 days a week for dinner, drinks, and tapas, and Saturday and Sunday for brunch.

Wendi Kirby Music, located at 550 Hartnell Street in Downtown Old Monterey, is now enrolling children for our Summer Music Camps, June through August 2024. Enrollment is limited to 10 students per class. Class information is below. Please email Wendi for more information and to register.

SUMMER CAMPS

Piano Adventures (ages 6-8)
July 8-12, 9am-12pm
Instructor: Wendi Kirby
Students will have a fun-filled week of piano time, musical games, music history adventures, listening activities, ensemble playing, and much more.
Tuition: $375

How to Play Piano in a Band (ages 9-12)
June 24-28, 9am-12pm
Instructor: Wendi Kirby
Students will immerse themselves in the skills necessary to play in a band. Through fun and engaging activities, games, and time at the piano, students will learn lead sheets, Nashville numbers, pop form, improv skills, rhythms, and more. The week will end with a mini-concert for family and friends.
Tuition: $375

Little Musicians (ages 5-7)
July 29 - August 2, 1pm-3pm
Instructor: Wendi Kirby
Each day will have a theme-based musical adventure. Students will move, sing, play, listen, and engage in fun musical activities.
Tuition: $275

Raise Your Voice Singing Camp (ages 10-14)
August 5-9, 9am-12pm
Instructor: Anne Sibley
Singers will work towards improving their overall vocal ability, confidence, and performance skills this week. While singing with their peers and learning a variety of music in various genres, they will learn music theory, sight-singing, warm-ups and vocal health, breath control and support, ear training, and pitch accuracy. This camp is designed to be an encouraging experience for singers to expand their confidence and skills using their natural voice.
Tuition: $375

Musical Storytime (ages 5 & under with a caregiver)
Thursdays, 11:15am-12pm
Instructor: Anne Sibley
In Musical Storytimes, the magic of music meets the wonder of stories. Designed for children up to 5 years of age and their caregivers, this cozy gathering offers a delightful blend of reading, singing, and shared joy. Each story is carefully selected to delight young hearts and inspire young minds. With Anne’s repertoire of beloved children's songs and playful rhymes, this musical journey will have everyone leaving with a smile.
Fee: $25 drop-in, or $100 for 5 storytimes

Venture Gallery presents the paintings of Dee Steiner, our featured local artist for April.

In Dee's latest exhibit, Color Solutions, she focuses on creating pieces in only 2, 3, and 4 colors, finding a way to dissolve their differences in a peaceful, harmonious manner. Dee writes, "Whether we are solving world problems or creating art, we must consider compromise."

Venture Gallery is open 10am-6pm daily. Dee Steiner's artwork will be featured through April 2024. Venture Gallery is located at 260 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey. Visit our website to shop online for work by our local artists.