Summer is here, and many of us are going to be out enjoying the ocean! The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants to remind us that we share these waters with sea otters and other coastal wildlife. Let’s work together to keep them healthy and wild. That means keeping a safe distance.

Maintain a safe distance

Please be aware of your surroundings and alert to nearby wildlife when recreating. Maintain a safe distance (if a sea otter is looking at you, you are too close and should back away). If you're on the water and taking photos or videos, make sure you are not drifting too close.

Kayaking

Keep kayaks at least 60 feet (or five kayak lengths) away from otters and don’t point your kayak directly at an animal. When passing marine mammals, maintain the 60-foot buffer and pass in parallel moving slowly but steadily past rather than stopping.

Handling Your Pets

Keep pets on a leash on and around docks and harbors and never allow them to interact with wildlife, even if the animals appear to be playing. Never feed otters, seals, or sea lions as they can become aggressive, which could result in their removal from the wild.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium has announced that it's participating in the Museums for All initiative! Beginning May 27, anyone enrolled in federal food assistance benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (also known as CalFresh) will receive free admission to the Aquarium for up to four people by showing their SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card and photo ID at the door.

About Museums of All

Museums for All is a signature access program of the Institute of Museum and Library Services administered by the Association of Children’s Museums. The initiative seeks to encourage people of all backgrounds to visit museums regularly and build lifelong museum-going habits.

About Monterey Bay Aquarium

Located a short walk from Lighthouse Avenue at 886 Cannery Row, this mission of the Monterey Bay Aquarium is to inspire conservation of the ocean. From sea otters to seaweeds, the unique oceanfront location and timeless galleries bring the wonders of the ocean to life.

Calling all soccer lovers! Britannia Arms in Monterey will have all the 12pm games for the UEFA's 2024 European Football Championship playing on our big TV screens, June 14 - July 14.

Enjoy a delicious lunch, cold beer, and great soccer at 444 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey.

About Britannia Arms of Monterey

Since opening our doors in 1999, this British owned and operated pub has become the place to go for locals and tourists who are looking for a drink or a bite to eat in a friendly atmosphere. We're proud to offer 24 beers on tap as well as a full bar and a full-service kitchen.

Alvarado Street Brewery is now offering grab and go salads ($10) and sandwiches ($12), Monday-Thursday, 11:30am-3pm. We're located at 426 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey.

Grab and go salads, $10

Spring Beet Salad
Swank Farms roasted beets and frisee, mascarpone yogurt, beet vinaigrette, citrus gremolata, pepitas

Caesar Salad
Chopped hearts of romaine, sourdough croutons, creamy caesar dressing, freshly grated Parmesan

Rainbow Grain Bowl
Purple rice, red quinoa, asparagus, bell pepper, radish, cucumber, edamame, chives, cashews, house balsamic vinaigrette (served cold)

Grab and go sandwiches, $12

Pub Burger
Grilled Angus beef patty, American cheese, iceberg shredduce, dijonaise, house pickles, tomato, Ad Astra milk bun

FC Sandwich
Katsu fried chicken, tonka sauce, pickled furikake cabbage, sliced Ad Astra milk bread

Pesto Chicken Panini

Update: Thank you to all of our wonderful 2024 4th of July volunteers!

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 Thursday, 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.

Next Door, the small, speakeasy-style bar next door to Hula's Island Grill, has new hours! We open at 5:30pm Thursday - Saturday (and occasionally Sunday) all summer long.

Thursday is industry night. Bring in proof of local industry service and you get Happy Hour tiki drinks all night.

Just follow the red light above our door for specialty cocktails and cozy corners to tuck away in. It's a little dark in here, but we're friendly. Find us next to Hula's at 622 Lighthouse Avenue in Monterey. For ages 21 and over only.

Montery Core Fitness is excited to announce our summer training sessions for female athletes ages 14-18 led by trainer Sahana Slack. We have several options available.

Space is limited - contact us to reserve your kids' sessions. Monterey Core Fitness is located at 191 Lighthouse Avenue in Monterey.

Youth Training Session Options

Buddy Sessions
Two kids, one mission: to crush it together! With personalized attention and sport-specific training, they'll push boundaries and achieve results they never thought possible.

Sibling Sessions
Let's turn sibling rivalry into sibling revelry as we work together to achieve their fitness goals and create a family full of athletes.

Personal Training
In our one-on-one sessions, it's all about each kid and their path to strength and success. With personalized guidance and undivided attention, we'll push boundaries, overcome obstacles, and unleash their full potential.

At Gracie Jiu-Jitsu during the month of June, mothers and daughters (ages 13+) can train together for the price of one person. That's right: we're offering two one-month memberships for the price of one!

We're located at 800 Lighthouse Avenue in Monterey. Learn more and register on our website. Please note: offer must be redeemed by June 30, 2024.

About the Women Empowered Program

Gracie Jiu Jitsu's beginner program, Women Empowered, promotes physical fitness, builds confidence, and develops self-defense skills as it strengthens the emotional connection among family members as they learn and progress together.

In this class, women create a strong network of encouragement and camaraderie, celebrating each other's achievements and overcoming challenges as a united group.

About Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Monterey

At Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Monterey, we believe Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is for everyone, regardless of age, gender, athleticism, or ability. We are proud to say we are continuing the legacy of Grandmaster Hélio Gracie who believed jiu-jitsu should empower the weak to be able to defend against the strong.

We take pride in creating a safe, comfortable, and welcoming learning environment for all students and family members. We're passionate about what we do because, simply put, we believe confident humans make kinder humans.

High Scores just moved a bunch of fresh games into our arcade at 459 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey! Come and check them out.

On the arcade floor we now have Joust, Punch-Out!!, Missile Command, and Rampage, joining our other classic games such as The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Brothers, Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, Frogger, Tetris, Tron, Mortal Combat II, and much more.

Hours & Pricing

Price is $10 for 1 hour of unlimited gaming, or $22 for a full day of unlimited gaming with in-and-out privileges. Our summer hours, which begin May 31, are Sun-Thu, 12:30pm-10pm. and Fri-Sat, 12:30pm-11pm.

About High Scores Arcade

We're a family-owned business focused primarily on the golden age of arcade gaming, mostly featuring games from the early to mid 1980s. Our collection of classic arcade games is much bigger than our physical arcade; of 170+ games, we feature apx. 40 on the floor at any one time. If you're itching to play one particular title, give us a call to see if it's currently being showcased, 609-468-3083.

There's going to be a new hangout in Downtown Campbell soon! Later this year, 7 Stars Bar and Grill, previously located on Bascom Ave. in San Jose is moving in to the space that used to be Lvl Up. 7 Stars closed in 2021 and they're bringing it back in Downtown Campbell.

Meet the owners, Paul and Mayra! Apparently they're huge Star Wars and sci-fi nerds so you know this is going to be interesting!

The expected opening of 7 Stars is sometime in the summer in the July-August time frame.

Unfortunately, they won't be able to carry forward the barcade part of Lvl Up. It's going to be a fun and offbeat bar and grill. They said in a video they would have loved to keep the old concept going, but they're working with what they know and do best.

You can always head upstairs to the Retro Fix if you want to nerd out over some retrogaming.