Old Monterey District Blog

Everyone is invited to Youth Arts Collective's first-ever virtual Summer Art Show! Hop on over to the show here now through August 31, 2020 to see a fabulous online exhibit featuring new YACster art in a wide range of media, styles, and personalities. There's bound to be something for everyone! Pieces are available for sale.

YAC is a nonprofit, after school art studio and mentorship program for high school and college artists - brilliant and struggling, confident and fringe, multi-ethnic, multi-tempered, and over 30% financially challenged. They learn art, job, and life skills, and gain a healthy dose of self-esteem and gratitude along the way. YACsters learn to believe in themselves, take creative risks, and give back.

Want to support small, locally-owned food establishments? All restaurants in Downtown Old Monterey are now offering take-out and/or no-contact curbside pick-up, and many are working with delivery services to bring their delicious cuisine straight to you. But what's remarkable, when you visit Downtown Old Monterey, is the speed with which outdoor dining has developed at many restaurants in the district.

Al fresco dining experiences have just opened and existing patio dining has been greatly expanded at 29 different restaurants and cafes and 2 wine tasting rooms in Downtown Old Monterey. To view the full list, please visit the Old Monterey Dining Guide, and click the "Dine-in" button.

The Old Monterey Business Association would like to thank the City of Monterey for making this possible and quickly processing business applications for expanded sidewalk dining.

Compare your knowledge of Indiana Jones with other fans and enjoyed a physically distanced social night! Sovino Wine Bar and Merchant is holding a Virtual Trivia Night via Zoom on Wednesday, July 29, 7pm-9pm. We'll use ClassMarker.com as an answer sheet.

To play, visit our online store, purchase Indiana Jones Trivia for $10, and provide your email address. We'll send you all the necessary links. (And you can buy some lovely wine while you're there! We offer free local delivery.)

As Golden State Theatre looks to the future, we want to hear from you! At your convenience, please take a few moments to fill out our short survey regarding Covid-19 policies, safety precautions, and patron feedback. Your input matters to us!

As time progresses and COVID-19 restrictions and mandates are lifted in the months to come, we at the Golden State Theatre are committed to offering a safe and comfortable venue for the enjoyment of live performances by both our community based clients and the nationally touring artists that grace our stage. But none of that is possible without the support of you, our beloved theatre patrons!

Thank you again for your time and support. We look forward to sharing with you the experience of live entertainment in the future and look forward to hearing your opinions through our survey today.

The Golden State Theatre is located at 417 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey.

On July 13, 2020, the State of California ordered the following businesses to close indoor operations in Monterey County:

Hair Salons and Barbershops
Personal Care Services (nail and skin care, waxing, lashes, tattoo parlors)
Fitness Centers
Offices for Non-Critical Sectors
Malls
Places of Worship

For more information, read:
California State Health Officer's Order of July 13
CA Dept. of Public Health's Guidance on Order of July 13...Read More

Well, ladies and gentlemen, the coronavirus surely is messing with all of us in Monterey County. The news from the State Health Department has left many frustrated and dispirited.

But there is room for hope.

Outdoor dining is plentiful in Old Monterey, and will become more so as restaurants receive permission from the City of Monterey to place tables outdoors (with ADA compliance). All restaurants offer take-out, and many offer delivery and/or curbside pick-up, so you don't have to cook. (We're updating our Dining Guide...again.)

Retail shops are still open for business in Old Monterey, and while all offer in-store shopping, many also offer online shopping and/or curbside pickup and shipping. (They're all listed at our SIP Mall.)

You can look good and feel good, too, because hair salons, nail salons, estheticians, and massage therapists are back at work, all with lots of new protocols designed to help keep you (and them) safe. Fitness studios have carefully reopened, so you can practice yoga or pilates in person or online and work out all that stress.

There are so many other kinds of businesses in Old Monterey - banks and financial services, healthcare, law offices, real estate, computer repair - and they're still busy helping people behind the scenes.

As much as we'd like it to be, this fight with the coronavirus is not over. We have to support our healthcare workers across the county by wearing masks in public and following best practices as outlined by the CDC and our County Health Department. That's the best way to thank our healthcare workers for their relentless work and sacrifices.

If you're financially able to do so, please continue to support small businesses in Old Monterey. The owners and employees are local residents working hard to do what they love and stay afloat in difficult times. Shop, dine, make an appointment - let's keep Downtown Old Monterey the vibrant district we love and help these businesses live to fight another day.

For those who love Cha-ya Japanese Tea and Things: did you know you can sign up for Cha-ya's newsletter and receive 10% off your first purchase at Cha-Ya? (Tea included!)

Here's your chance to stay up-to-date with all the latest offers from Cha-ya and save a little on your first purchase of their wonderful tea, gifts, cards, jewelry, and home accessories. Sign up today.

Cha-ya is located at 118 Webster Street in Downtown Old Monterey. It is now open for in-store shopping and no-contact curbside pick-up.

Sovino Wine Bar and Merchant is hosting an online painting class with local artist Bunny Paivine on Saturday, July 11, at 6pm. Learn how to paint this picture from the comfort of your own home! Fee is $30 per person and includes paint, supplies, and delivery of the paint and supplies. (You can order wine or beer from us, too!)

Purchase your tickets here. Class details will be sent to you following your purchase. Please purchase your tickets by Thursday night, July 9, to ensure delivery of supplies.

The California State Health Officer orders that as of Wednesday, July 8, 2020, for at least three weeks:

The following sectors are ordered to close both indoor and outdoor operations and service:
Bars, breweries, pubs, and brewpubs, including bars located at permitted indoor and outdoor food facilities.

The following sectors are allowed to continue to operate with restrictions:

1) Dine-in restaurants must close indoor seating to customers. During this closure all dine-in restaurants may continue to utilize outdoor seating and must comply with the guidance for dine-in restaurants. Restaurants should continue to encourage takeout and delivery service whenever possible.

2) Wineries and tasting rooms must close indoor services to customers. During this closure all wineries and tasting rooms must comply with the guidance for restaurants, wineries, and bars.

3) Family entertainment centers and movie theaters must close indoor services and attractions to customers. Family entertainment centers may continue to provide outdoor services to customers and must comply with the guidance for movie theaters and family entertainment centers. Drive-in movie theaters may continue to operate and should follow additional applicable guidance for retailers of Drive-In Movie Theaters.

4) Indoor attractions at zoos and museums must close to visitors. Zoos and museums may continue to operate outdoor attractions and must follow the guidance for zoos, museums.

5) Cardrooms must close indoor services to customers and must follow the guidance for cardrooms.

Read the complete California State order here.

Venture Gallery presents a show by local artist Elizabeth Ingebretsen entitled "Blooming in Place." We welcome you to come and view these moments of joy in an otherwise disturbing time. Venture Gallery is now open for in-store shopping Thursdays - Sundays, 10am-6pm.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, artist Elizabeth Ingebretsen has made it a priority to have vases of fresh flowers in her home. They are not elaborate arrangements from a florist, but whatever she could pick up as she quickly ducked in and out of the market. As temperatures rose with the onset of summer, her garden bloomed outdoors.

While global media stream reports on the untold suffering of many who do not have the luxury of sheltering-in-place, Elizabeth is thankful she can take refuge in creating. Her work documents this solitary time, as we each face some form of sacrifice and hardship during the pandemic.

Blooming in Place will be on exhibit through August 2020. Venture Gallery is located at 260 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey. Visit our website to shop online for work by our local artists.