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Lighthouse District in the News, 06/15/25

Posted on June 15th, 2025 by lighthouseave

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

Found Treasure: 13 ‘Best’ New Restaurants in 13 Words Each [Oystertown]
by Mark C. Anderson
Edible Monterey Bay, 06/13/25

World Turns [Lighthouse Bistro Global Cuisine]
by Jacqueline Weixel
Monterey County NOW, 05/29/25

Investigators continue to search for the reason why Carl’s Jr. went up in flames
by Erik Chalhoub
Monterey County NOW, 06/05/25

Free Emergency Skills Training: Monterey CERT, Fall 2025

Posted on June 15th, 2025 by lighthouseave

The next free Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training program begins in Downtown Monterey on October 11, 2025.

Teens through older adults are encouraged to attend (those under 16 must be accompanied by an adult). Classes continue for 3 consecutive Saturdays, 8am-5pm. Anyone may enroll by sending an e-mail - you'll receive a confirmation with class details.

Topics Covered

You'll learn about emergency medicine, fire extinguishers, disaster preparedness, shutting off your utilities, rescue, communications when phones fail, and assessing a home or workplace after an earthquake or storm.

About CERT

The CERT program uses a FEMA curriculum to educate people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations.

Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist their families and others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help.

CERT also participates in searches for missing persons, serves as coastal spotters for persons swept out to sea, storm response, and other emergencies. Learn more about CERT.

Do you have unused guitars, amps, or pedals? Turn them into cash! Carmel Valley Guitars needs your consignment gear.

High demand means quick sales. Easy process, no upfront costs. Let's clear out your closet and get you paid. Stop by the shop at 623B Lighthouse Avenue in Monterey (across the street from Hula's). We're open Tuesday - Saturday, 10am-6pm.

Monterey Hostel, located at 7789 Hawthorne Street just steps from Lighthouse Avenue, is rolling out our 2025 Summer Specials to help travelers save on their next trip to the coast. Book directly on our website to enjoy these offers.

2025 Summer Specials

Coastal Explorer
10% off when you book 4+ nights

Weekly Wanderer
15% off when you book 7+ nights

Student Stays
$5 off per night with valid student ID & promo code STUDENT5

Last Minute Offer
Book within 24 hours of arrival & save 5% with promo code LASTMINUTE

Monterey Neighbors Discount
Locals from Monterey or PG can save up to 15% when booking 2+ nights for visiting friends & family. Just stop by or email us before booking with proof of residency.

Restrictions

Special offers must be booked directly at montereyhostel.com prior to arrival. Discounts can’t be added after booking, and offers may not be combined. Subject to change without notice.

About Monterey Hostel

We are operated by HostelingOn, a 501(c)3 nonprofit on a mission to preserve and promote the hostel movement. Hostels help connect people of all ages and cultures so they can experience and learn about local communities through travel, shared adventures, and sustainable tourism.

Select Sealy mattresses are on clearance now at Mattress Nation! Sealy just upgraded all their standard models, so last year's Sealy mattresses are on sale at clearance prices of up to 50% off.

This sale only runs while supplies last, so come in today to Mattress Nation at 296 Lighthouse Avenue in Monterey and visit Salesperson Laura and her friendly pup, Hannah. The store is locally owned and the customer service is top-notch.

High Scores Arcade now has Super Chexx Pro Bubble Hockey available for play at 459 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey. This is some serious fun, people.

Monterey may not have an NHL team, but we can dare to dream. In the meantime, come on down and cheer for these tiny ice hockey players.

About High Scores

At High Scores Arcade, you pay a flat fee ($10/hour or $22/day) and you can play all the games in the arcade (including this one) as many times as you want. Beer and seltzer available for purchase onsite.

Open Mon-Thu, 12:30pm-10pm; Fri-Sat, 12:30pm-12am; Sun, 12:30pm-11pm. Space is limited, so every guest on the game floor must have a paid wristband.

Youth Arts Collective is holding a Pride and Resistance Pop-Up Show through June 30. View work by young local artists at our studio at 472 Calle Principal in Downtown Old Monterey. Open M-F, 3pm-7pm, and Sa, 12pm-4pm.

About the Show

YAC is proud to be an LGBTQ+ affirming space, providing a place for young artists to find, express, and celebrate their identities. This year, YAC wanted to create an opportunity for those young artists to not just express their identities but also express how they feel in today's political climate.

About Youth Arts Collective

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. The mission is to inspire creativity, kindness, and confidence in youth through artistic expression and mutual respect. "Do art. Be kind."

The Old Monterey Business Association and Old Monterey Foundation are seeking volunteers for our 4th of July Parade in Downtown Old Monterey!

Parade Details

This old fashioned community parade, with marching bands, dancers, giant balloons, and community groups is a wonderful Monterey tradition that draws thousands of locals and visitors of all ages for a morning of family-friendly fun.

Volunteer Details

Volunteers will serve 8am-12pm on Friday, July 4. As a volunteer, you may end up marching in the parade or placed along the route for crowd and parade control. Because of this, it is very important that you be able to walk a mile and stand for a few hours.

Interested? Fill out this short form and you'll be contacted by the Parade Volunteer Coordinator. If you have questions, please phone the OMBA office at 831-655-8070.

Happy Pride Month

Posted on June 10th, 2025 by Downtown Campbell

The opposite of hate is not love. It's curiosity. None of us are born fully aware. We become aware. It is never too late to put your assumptions aside and learn how the world feels to someone born and living under vastly different circumstances than yours.

I hesitate to say Happy Pride Month this year because the times do not feel celebratory. Given the recent passing of musician and local son, Sly Stone, it'd be appropriate to recognize the difficult moment by quoting from Sly and the Family Stone's canon of human diversity, "Everyday People."

"There is a blue one who can't accept the green one
For living with a fat one trying to be a skinny one
And different strokes for different folks...

We got to live together
I am no better and neither are you
We are the same whatever we do

You love me, you hate me, you know me and then
You can't figure out the bag I'm in
I am everyday people..."

It's an appropriate time to listen closely to that song. We are everyday people in the rainbow of all human outcomes.

Sheldon Chang, DowntownCampbell.com Online Editor

The 3rd Annual Historic Downtown Campbell Car Show is in the books and we are absolutely flattered and humbled by the positive comments we've been getting. There will be a wrap-up coming up in approximately one one week to show you photos from the show and announce the winners.

This show was an enormous amount of work and we would like to recognize the absolutely critical role volunteers played in its success. Around 100 people signed up to help us prepare for this event, produce it, run it, and clean-up after it.

WIthout our army of volunteers, this does not happen. If you were one of them, we hope you take a moment to read the positive comments we've been getting on social media. You were part of this and we thank you. There's no way this happens without your help and we hope you all return again in 2026.

If you want to be one of those people in 2026, make sure you've filled out our general Volunteer Registration Form where you can put your name down to help with all kinds of events organized by us (Downtown Campbell Business Association) year round.

Sea Lions on San Carlos Beach - June 2025

Posted on June 6th, 2025 by lighthouseave

A message from the City of Monterey about our local sea lions:

City of Monterey's Parks Division this week has temporarily closed San Carlos Beach, located at Cannery Row and Reeside Avenue. A colony of sea lions have arrived en masse to use the beach as a resting spot.

The City of Monterey is working closely with staff at the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. We will keep the public informed as to the beach's status.

We want residents and visitors to be safe while visiting the coastline, and remind you to enjoy and watch the sea lions from a distance of at least 150 feet. Sea lions are large and can be unpredictable and territorial.

Please remember, we humans are sharing this space with other species. Marine mammals, including sea lions, are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. People who harass, feed, capture, or kill any marine mammal could face a hefty fine or even jail time.

- June 6, 2025

Scroll down to see specials attached to post.

As you may know, we're putting on a car show on Saturday, June 7th and since this is Downtown Campbell, you know it'll be more than just a car show! Even if you don't care for dazzling cars, it'll be a good time from 9am to 3:30pm.

We will also have...

  • 5 Bands: The Breaux Show, Drive, Chain of Fools, Wandering Acoustics, and the Greasy Razzles
  • Free Popcorn
  • Kids' Activities
  • Beer & Wine to Go
  • Free Photo Booth

Be on the lookout for "Filling Station" signs. That's where you can buy beer or wine in to-go cups that you can walk around with.

You can get drinks to go from:

  • 7 Stars Bar & Grill
  • Blue Line Pizza
  • Doppio Zero
  • El Guapo's
  • La Pizzeria
  • Naschmarkt Restaurant
  • One Fish Raw Bar
  • Sushi Confidential
  • Tessora's Wine Bar
  • Water Tower Kitchen

Also be on the lookout for specials. Visit our businesses to check out what they're doing.

  • Doppio Zero: Special Take-out Menu
  • La Pizzeria: Margherita Pizza + Soda $19 (+$3 for Beer)
  • One Fish Raw Bar: $10 Rose ( 5 oz) - $6 Modelo (12 oz)
  • Tessora's: Beer Frose & Micheladas
  • Water Tower Kitchen: Breakfast Burritos to go from 9am to 11am.
  • ADOR Boutique: Mini-pancakes and Sip and Shop.

Looking for adaptive classes and events for individuals of all abilities?

Campbell Recreation is excited to welcome back our adaptive classes and events this summer

🌟 Boundless Ballet: Adaptive Dance

Mondays, June 16 – July 21

Discover the joy of movement at Academy of Classical Ballet's Adaptive Dance Class! Designed for youth of all abilities, these inclusive classes provide a supportive environment where every dancer can thrive. Whether seated or standing, students will explore dance through gradual warm-ups, fun music, and creative movement. Our experienced instructors offer modifications to accommodate each dancer's needs.

  • Ages 5–7: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

  • Ages 8–15: 4:15 PM – 5:15 PM

🎟️ For more information and to Register online

💧 Adaptive Swim Lessons

Mondays, 2:30 PM – 3:15 PM

For youth and adults with special needs. Learn essential swim and water safety skills while building confidence, coordination, and flexibility in a supportive environment.

When registering, please share any helpful information so our instructors can best support you.

🎟️ For more information and to Register online

FREE! Adaptive Dis-Glow Dance

Wednesday, July 30 | 7:00–9:00 PM

Doors open at 6:45 PM

📍 Orchard City Banquet Hall, Campbell Community Center

1 West Campbell Avenue, Campbell, CA

Celebrate National Park and Recreation Month with an inclusive evening of music, dancing, and community connection!

Light refreshments provided. Participants...Read More

Registration for the 2025 Historic Downtown Campbell Car Show is now CLOSED. Regretfully, we can't take any more cars. We just don't have any more space available.

If you want to make a cameo appearance, you may be able to score a parallel parking space on Orchard City Dr. that will place you right outside of the show, but take note of the 2 hour parking limit there.

If you want to be among the first to know about the dates for our 2026 show, please send an email to carshow-list@downtowncampbell.com and we'll put you on our notification list.

Thank you to everyone who entered our show this year and we wish we had more space to take in all the entries we wanted. It was very difficult to turn down some of the entries we got this year.

It's going to be another amazing show and I hope you'll be able to come join us for a very fun day in Downtown Campbell.

Learn more about Valentina, the co-owner of Bon Ton L'Roy's Lighthouse Smokehouse, in a lovely, casual interview on the local podcast, Alligator in Alignment!

In this podcast episode, Alligator and Valentina talk about the beginnings of the restaurant, her take on the wonderful cuisine, leaning into the New Orleans Creole tradition, and her connection to Martha Stewart...

Monterey's favorite Cajun musician, Alligator, performs on the second Saturday of every month at Bon Ton L'Roy's Lighthouse Smokehouse, located at 794 Lighthouse Avenue in Monterey.

Beginning in September 2025, the Skylight Room inside Cooper-Molera Adobe Museum will be available to rent for meetings and events.

Gather in the courtyard garden for refreshments and host your monthly board or membership meeting, book talk, or presentation in this lovely, welcoming space which is part of the historic Cooper-Molera house. Capacity is 25-40 people.

Please contact complete this Event Inquiry form to learn more. Cooper-Molera Adobe is located at 506 Munras Avenue in Downtown Old Monterey.

Get your nacho fix, peninsula-style! Nacho Bizness is now offering delivery within a 15 mile radius. Just place your order through our website, regardless of where you are on the peninsula (including Marina!), and we'll bring your favorite nachos right to your doorstep.

Want to visit us in person? Nacho Bizness is located at 470 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey. Family owned and operated, our entire menu is halal, with many vegetarian and gluten-free options.

California State Parks presents Los Exploradores de Monterey Summer Day Camp at Monterey State Historic Park, a day camp for students grades 3-5 located in the heart of Old Monterey.

Activities

In this unique summer program, day campers will experience Monterey’s historical buildings and colorful gardens through hands-on activities such as: period games and play, toys, crafts, food, songs, dances, nature observation, and interactive guided tours throughout Monterey State Historic Park and beyond.

Schedule and Fees

All four 5-day sessions will be held in June and July - see the schedule here, and list of activities here. Fee is $325 per week, or $550 for two sessions. Financial assistance is available - please email MSHP for details.

Registration

Los Exploradores is sponsored by Monterey State Historic Park Association and led by California State Park Staff. For more information and to register, visit the Los Exploradores webpage.

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