Family Activities

The City of Monterey's Big 4th of July Celebration and Backyard Food Fest will be held on the historic grounds of Colton Hall, 10:45am-4:30pm. Featuring live music and food for sale, this is a free event!

Monterey Public Library presents a free chamber music concert by performers associated with Carmel Bach Festival on Friday, July 3, 3pm-4pm, on the main floor of the library. All ages are welcome!

Limited seating is available on a first-come,...

Monterey Public Library is hosting our first Baby Rave! Is your baby a party animal? Keeping you up at night? Dancing and wiggling around ALL the time? If so, Baby Rave is the place for you (and your baby)....

To celebrate the inaugural Monterey Biennial , the MMA is providing FREE museum admission every Sunday through the run of the Biennial. See you at the Museum!

Ring in the New Year at a kid-friendly hour this year! Join MY Museum 10am-12:15pm for an unforgettable celebration complete with noisemakers, face painting, and party hats. Watch the Noon Year’s Ball light up as we countdown together. Reservations are required.

Monterey State Historic Park presents an afternoon of free, all-ages fun at the second annual First Theater Fest on Saturday, August 30, 11am-4pm.

Join us at California's First Theater and Casa del Oro Garden for entertainment by Monterey Peninsula Theatre Company and musician Katherine Lavin, a Maker's Market featuring talented local artisans, a bunch of family-friendly activities, and food trucks. Learn more.

Monterey Public Library hosts Irish storyteller and singer Helena Byrne for a free children's storytime with Irish folk tales, music, and games on Friday, May 16, 10:15am-11am in the Community Room. All are welcome, especially ages 2-5.

The City of Monterey invites you to celebrate PARK(ing) Day, when we'll transform parking spaces into temporary parks on Alvarado Street between Pearl and Franklin. These parklets will feature green spaces, outdoor seating, and fun and educational booths.

Step back into the vibrant art scene of 1870s and 1880s San Francisco, when new wealth fueled an unprecedented appetite for local art.

Join us at Cooper-Molera Adobe Museum for a free, intimate guided tour led by Nicholas Sanchez which explores the lives and works of six remarkable artists whose paintings grace the walls of the historic adobe.

Colton Hall Museum presents Old Flags of Monterey, an exhibit featuring a variety of historic and replica flags. The Museum will be open on July 4, 10am-4pm. Free admission.

Included in this exhibit are several original flags, dating from the 19th century, that are seldom on public display.

All are welcome to the Annual Turkish Arts and Culture Festival for a weekend of free family fun, August 29 and 30, 11am-7pm, at Custom House Plaza.

We'll have live music and folk dancing performances, Turkish food and drinks, and special activities for children. Learn more and see the entertainment schedule.

Stars, Stripes & Stories: A Fourth of July Celebration at Cooper-Molera Adobe is a free, family-friendly community event celebrating Independence Day through live performances, crafts, storytelling, and more, 12pm-4pm. View the schedule.