Welcome to Lighthouse District in the News, an occasional post featuring recent news articles on Monterey's Lighthouse District. Please click the links below to read the articles.

New Monterey Gets a Gloriously Old-School Produce Market [Farm Fresh Produce Since 1964]
by Mark C. Anderson
Editble Monterey Bay, 08/25/26

While many prefer the fried version, there is no standing on tradition when it comes to fish tacos. [Taqueria del Mar / Mission 19 Taqueria]
by Dave Faries
Monterey County NOW, 08/20/26

Now that we've met the owner of Cypress Boutique Monterey, it's time to meet the staff. Small, locally owned businesses depend on trusted staff members to help create a welcoming vibe and keep the place running well. It takes a lot of work to keep a small business afloat - it's a team effort.

At Cypress Boutique at 800 Lighthouse Avenue, Suite C in Monterey, staff members Holly and LaMont are known for their kindness, hard work, and caring for the little shop as if it were their own.

Holly

Holly, who is originally from Maryland, moved to California twelve years ago. Over that time, she's immersed herself in marine science, met her husband, joined an improv comedy troupe, acted in local theater, and enjoyed countless outdoor activities with friends and family.

Holly's family ran a small business for three generations, so supporting small businesses in her community is very meaningful to her.

LaMont

LaMont is a musician who loves all kinds of music, but especially jazz, and he's a nature-lover with a special love for California native plants. We've also noticed LaMont is very stylish, and always happy to answer any questions you might have about the boutique, helping you find the right items in the shop to suit your taste.

About Cypress Boutique

Cypress Boutique Monterey is a small shop filled with handpicked thrifted and vintage clothing and accessories, as well as carefully selected new items. It's a place where people can still discover beautiful, unique pieces at prices that feel attainable.

Slowfiber has recently gotten three new Merchant & Mills paper sewing patterns into the shop: a summer dress, a weekend bag, and pair of trousers. You can see these and a number of other patterns, plus fabrics, sewing notions, and more at Slowfiber, located at 517A Hartnell St in Downtown Monterey.

About Merchant & Mills Sewing Patterns

We love Merchant & Mills patterns from England for a simple reason: their time honored philosophy that simple, beautiful, and well-made is the best approach in developing your wardrobe. These patterns pair well with linen, wool, and the heavy cotton fabrics that our temperate climate supports.

Slowfiber owner Jaki Canterbury has made many garments from Merchant & Mills patterns, and finds them comprehensive and well-written. They are great foundation patterns to alter or jump off from.

New Summer Dress Pattern

Sommer Dress by Merchant & Mills (paper pattern) is a simple summer dress for sunny days and holidays. It features narrow straps, a horizontal bust dart, and a concealed side zip. Purchase from Slowfiber online or in the store.

New Weekend Bag Pattern

The Weekender Bag (paper Pattern) by Merchant & Mills is the perfect pack for weekend adventures. Designed by Francli Craftwear, it's big enough for a spare pair of sneakers but small enough to sling over your shoulder when you're running for the train. Purchase from Slowfiber online or in the store.

New Trousers Pattern

The Wednesday Trousers with genderless sizing by Merchant & Mills (paper pattern) is a staple pair of trousers for easy daily dressing. These are so versatile and so simple to make we’re sure they'll become a pattern that you sew over and over again.

The Wednesday Trousers come in genderless sizing for a 26” - 50” waist. They are mid-rise with slanted front pockets, a back patch pocket, and a straight leg cut. Not only is the elasticated waist comfortable, it’s also completely adjustable so you can get the perfect fit. Purchase from Slowfiber online or in the store.

Red Rabbit Tattoo is excited to welcome our newest tattoo artist to the Red Rabbit family, Jose Flores! If you’re looking for clean lines and mind-blowing realism, look no further.

Jose's books are now open so shoot him a DM to grab an appointment at Red Rabbit, located at 209 Pearl Street in Downtown Monterey. He'll also be joining us at our next flash event on August 29 - don't miss it!

About Red Rabbit Tattoo

Red Rabbit Tattoo is a woman-owned tattoo parlor that is friendly, professional, and welcoming to all, including the LGBTQ+ community. We take pride in our craftsmanship.

Hi, I am Mary, owner of Cypress Boutique. I am married to my wonderful husband, Brian, and together we have the sweetest baby boy, who fills our lives with love and joy every single day. We also have a dog named Max, who is very much a part of our family.

Mary's Business Journey

My business journey began in 2015 when I opened my shop as a streetwear boutique at 800 Lighthouse Avenue, Suite C in Monterey. During the Covid lockdown, I made the difficult decision to completely transform the business into what is now Cypress Boutique.

As the fashion industry changed and many brands became less affordable, I wanted to create a place where people could still discover beautiful, unique pieces at prices that felt attainable. By shifting my focus to handpicked thrifted, vintage, and carefully selected new items, I was able to continue sharing my love of fashion while giving clothing a second life.

Owning Cypress Boutique has been so much more than running a business. It has become a place where friendships are made, stories are shared, and people can find something that makes them feel confident and special. I truly love meeting each of you, helping you find that perfect piece, and creating a warm, welcoming space where everyone feels at home. I look forward to welcoming you into our shop for many years to come.

To Our Employees

I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to my amazing employees, Holly and Lamont: thank you for your kindness, hard work, dedication, and for caring for this little shop as if it were your own.

I also want to thank every previous employee who has been part of Cypress Boutique over the years. Each of you has left your own mark on this business, and I will always be grateful for the time, effort, and heart you poured into helping my dream grow.

To Our Customers

From the bottom of my heart, thank you to every customer who has walked (and will walk!) through our doors. Your support has allowed my dream to become a reality, and I will never take that for granted. Thank you for believing in us, supporting a small business, and allowing me to do what I love every day.

Downtown Monterey has a number of businesses that made it to the finals in Monterey County Weekly's Best of 2026 Reader's Poll, including our very own website, OldMonterey.org, which has been nominated for Best Local Website (!) and our Tuesday Farmers Market on Alvarado Street, nominated for Best Farmers Market as well as Best Place to See and Be Seen.

Now we need you to vote! The Old Monterey Business Association is a nonprofit organization with a tiny staff, a small budget, and big dreams, so your support means the world to us. (And winning comes with bragging rights, which our web staff loves a lot!) Final voting is open until August 28, 2026.

The Lighthouse District's annual Movie in the Park will be held on Saturday, September 19 at 7pm at Scholze Park. This year, we'll watch School of Rock (2003) under the stars. But in order to produce this event, we need your financial help!

How to Help

There are three affordable levels of sponsorship - $100, $50, $25 - that will help pay for event costs and promote your business. Read all the details here.

Sponsorship Payments

Make your payment online here. Payments must be received by Wednesday, August 19 in order to be recognized in print advertising. (But we'll happily accept your sponsorship after that date and add you to our online list of sponsors!)

About Us

The New Monterey Business Association is a nonprofit organization on a shoestring budget, so we appreciate whatever assistance you can give us to bring this free outdoor movie to the community. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Monterey's Lighthouse District has a bunch of businesses that made it to the finals in Monterey County Weekly's Best of 2026 Reader's Poll.

Now we need you to vote! The Lighthouse District mostly consists of small, owner-operated businesses, but we pack a great punch when it comes to quality food, goods, and services. Final voting is open until August 28, 2026. Go ahead, make our day!

Caregivers Count Conference is an annual event created for family members, friends, and others who provide care for a loved one. This conference offers valuable information, practical tools, and support through presentations led by experienced professionals covering a variety of caregiving topics.

The 2026 conference includes two sessions:

• Saturday, September 19 | 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. (Virtual)
  
  From Conflict to Connection: Managing Expectations and Roles in Caregiving
• Saturday, September 26 | 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. (In Person)
  
  You Matter Too: An Interactive Self-Care Experience

The in-person session will be held at the Campbell Community Center, Roosevelt Rooms Q-80 & Q-84, 1 W. Campbell Ave., Campbell, CA 95008.

Whether you are new to caregiving or have been supporting a loved one for years, this conference provides resources, education, and encouragement to help you navigate your caregiving journey.

The Fall Activity Guide is available online and available at the Campbell Recreation Office. Registration for fall classes begins at 9am on Tuesday, August 4th for Campbell Residents and 9am on Wednesday, August 5th for everyone!

www.campbellca.gov/activityguide  

www.campbellca.gov/register 

Beginning August 30, Old Capitol Books will host a year-long monthly reading group to tackle Karl Marx's magnum opus, Capital (a.k.a. Das Kapital). We'll meet on the last Sunday of every month at 10am.

Each meeting, we'll introduce key ideas from that month's readings, watch a lecture by CUNY professor David Harvey, and then move to a cafe to discuss main ideas and dive deeper into the texts.

Reading Schedule

All meetings begin at 10am at Old Capitol Books.

August 30, 2026: First meeting, Introduction
September 27, 2026: Chapter 1
October 25, 2026: Chapters 2 & 3
November 29, 2026: Chapters 4, 5 & 6
December 27, 2026: Chapters 7, 8 & 9
January 31, 2027: Chapters 10 & 11
February 28, 2027: Chapters 12, 13 & 14
March 28, 2027: Chapter 15 (first part)
April 25, 2027: Chapter 15 (second part)
May 20, 2027: Chapters 23 & 24
June 27, 2027: Chapter 25
July 25, 2027: Chapters 26-33

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.

This fall, Dream Lab at Play Full Ground welcomes a new program for ages 13-19: the Creative Research Lab. This 8-week journey in creative inquiry, meeting Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1pm-3pm, September 8 - October 29, is an intensive studio residency for teens who are ready to develop original artwork and build their creative portfolios.

About the Program

Through research, making, sharing, and reflection, participants will develop creative projects rooted in their own questions, interests, and observations. Projects may become installations, films, performances, community events, publications, photographs, or something entirely unexpected.

Together, our small group will explore personal questions, the creative process, experimentation, and original visual language. We'll learn that research is not only about finding answers - it can also be a way of paying attention, following curiosity, and discovering new possibilities through creative practice.

About the Instructor

Mai Ryuno, founder of Play Full Ground, is an artist and educator who believes learning begins with curiosity. For the past 20 years, she has supported young people in developing creative work through inquiry, mentorship, and community engagement, including roles at SFAI's PreCollege Program, UC Berkeley's Y-PLAN, and as an IB Visual Art examiner.

Tuition and Registration

Tuition is $850 (sliding scale available). Registration deadline is September 1, 2026. Interested students and families should email instructor Mai Ryuno to learn more and begin the registration process.

Before enrolling, the student and family can arrange a studio visit with Mai to talk about the student's interests and goals and make sure the program is a good fit.

Schedule

This fall session, September 8 - October 29, 2026, is designed specifically for students with flexible schedules. If a student is interested but unable to attend during daytime hours, please email Mai, as she may offer an additional class if there is enough interest.

Flexible studio access is available by arrangement.