Take one part pop-up marketplace, neighborhood social, and small business mixer and you'll get the first Lighthouse District Meet and Greet Open House. It was our first time doing this and we couldn't be happier at how well it went on February 26, 2026. Thank you to everyone from the New Monterey neighborhood and business community who came out to join us.

On the surface, our first Meet and Greet event might seem like just a good excuse for a party, but it was intended to be more than that. You see, it's no secret that we're facing some difficult and uncertain times. More than ever, community matters.

When people come together, culture is created. When culture is created, community is the byproduct and where there's a vibrant small business scene, there are more opportunities for both culture and community to take root.

Creating more connections is how we get through hard times and build out in the good ones. We only invited people who live or work in the New Monterey neighborhood to this event because it wasn't our intent for it to be just a party. As with many of our events as a district, it was about community and always has been.

View Event Photos

Thank you to Michelle Robertson for photographing the event. You can see more of her work at michellerobertsonphotography.com.

Writer: Sheldon Chang (Not AI)

The Alliance on Aging has volunteer tax counselors that can prepare 2025 Federal and California income tax returns at no cost for low income taxpayers ages 60 and over.

Appointments Only

Assistance is by appointment only, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, February 3 - April 14, 2026, at Scholze Park Community Center, 280 Dickman Avenue in Monterey.

Please phone 831-655-1334 to schedule your appointment, or book online. The IRS deadline to file is April 15, 2026.

What to Bring

What to bring to your appointment: your 2024 tax returns, a photo ID, Social Security card, W-2 form, 1099 form (if you have any).

Bobalicious and Bites in Downtown Monterey now hosts birthday parties for all ages! We have karaoke, a big screen TV, board games, wi-fi, plenty of space for kids to play, lots of handcrafted boba drinks made to order, and mango and cookie monster ice cream and ice cream shakes.

Come have fun and celebrate your special day with us at 474 Tyler Street in Monterey. Birthday party prices are reasonable - for more information, please email the owner, Klair, or call 831-666-7030.

About Bobalicious and Bites

Bobalicious and Bites is a local, family-run shop that's passionate about making your drink delicious and our space welcoming for adults and kids. We serve a variety of boba milk teas and non-milk teas plus a limited number of ice cream flavors and milkshakes, each carefully handcrafted and customized to your preference.

UPDATE: Applications extended to Wednesday, March 25th.

Applications are now open for groups who wish to be a part of Downtown Campbell's annual Bunnies and Bonnets Parade! This year's parade will be held on Saturday, April 4th. We will be accepting applications through Wednesday, March 25th.

Parade Application

This annual parade is always a very big afternoon in Downtown Campbell so besides being a lot of fun to participate in, it's great exposure for your group. Space in the parade is limited so if you want your group to be in the parade, please get your applications in as early as possible.

We're looking forward to seeing you in our parade!

Monterey Hostel is proud to announce we are now a year-round drop off site for the Food Bank for Monterey County!

Neighbors can bring canned and dry goods to the hostel at 778 Hawthorne Street in Monterey any day between 9am and 8pm to support local families in need.

About Monterey Hostel

The nonprofit Monterey Hostel offers overnight lodging for school groups, families, and adventure travelers. The newly renovated hostel has 13 rooms with space to host around 50 overnight guests.

Gold Coast Tattoo, located at 639 Lighthouse Avenue in Monterey, now has a piercer in-house and they're accepting appointments Friday - Monday, 12pm–10pm. (Walk-in clients are always welcome, but appointments are preferred to guarantee your spot.)

Whether you’re adding something new or upgrading your jewelry, they’ve got you covered. Learn more and make a reservation.

Artist Casey Starks, owner of Casey Starks Studio at 550 Lighthouse Avenue, Suite A in Monterey, has officially shifted her popular pottery workshops to become fully customizable private group events!

In the past, Casey offered workshops with set dates and individual sign-ups - but behind the scenes, that system took a lot of energy and admin to manage. So she's redesigned her workshop offerings to be more flexible and customizable for you.

What's New

Workshops are now available only as private events for groups of 2-10 people on site. YOU pick the date and time that works for your group (a great option for folks visiting from out of town). You can choose from hand building project options such as Make a Mug, Ceramic Jewelry, or Intro to Slab-Building.

Your group gets a relaxed, personalized experience - perfect for special occasions, office team-building, or creative get-togethers with your favorite people.

Why

This move to private groups allows Casey to give each group her full attention, create a more enjoyable experience, and reduce the behind-the-scenes admin for herself. It’s a win for everyone.

Learn More

If you’ve been wanting to plan a workshop or a creative outing, Casey would love to host your group. See all the details and submit a request here.

The New Monterey Business Association (NMBA), the organization of small businesses in the Lighthouse District, is excited to announce that our new Administrator, Sabrina Hiltunen, will participate in the City of Monterey's First City Academy in Spring 2026 as a strategic community partner.

Meeting weekly March 4 - May 14, First City Academy, a community program presented by the City of Monterey, teaches participants about topics such as city management, community engagement, community services, public works, police, community development, fire and emergency management, economic development, budgeting, technology, and human resources. In short, it covers how the City is funded, how services are delivered, and how decisions are made.

An integral part of Sabrina Hiltunen's job in serving and representing the businesses in the Lighthouse District and Downtown Old Monterey is to work with the City of Monterey to conduct day-to-day operations, coordinate community events, and fulfill the districts’ visions.

Sabrina writes, "I recognize First City Academy will teach me invaluable information and processes into how local government operates that will not only benefit me but our businesses and the City of Monterey staff I work closely with. As a Monterey native and civic engagement aficionado, I am looking forward to learning about our government programs and services as well as getting to know the civil servants who dedicate their lives and careers to making our city a vibrant community to live, work, and play."

The Old Monterey Business Association (OMBA) is excited to announce that our new Executive Director, Sabrina Hiltunen, will participate in the City of Monterey's First City Academy in Spring 2026 as a strategic community partner.

Meeting weekly March 4 - May 14, First City Academy, a community program presented by the City of Monterey, teaches participants about topics such as city management, community engagement, community services, public works, police, community development, fire and emergency management, economic development, budgeting, technology, and human resources. In short, it covers how the City is funded, how services are delivered, and how decisions are made.

An integral part of Sabrina Hiltunen's job in serving and representing the businesses in Downtown Old Monterey and the Lighthouse District is to work with the City of Monterey to conduct day-to-day operations, coordinate community events, and fulfill the districts’ visions.

Sabrina writes, "I recognize First City Academy will teach me invaluable information and processes into how local government operates that will not only benefit me but our businesses and the City of Monterey staff I work closely with. As a Monterey native and civic engagement aficionado, I am looking forward to learning about our government programs and services as well as getting to know the civil servants who dedicate their lives and careers to making our city a vibrant community to live, work, and play."

Hi everyone, we have a day confirmed for the 2026 Historic Downtown Campbell Car Show. It'll be our 4th annual show and this year it will happen on Saturday, June 6th.

We will be announcing additional details in the coming weeks, including when we'll begin taking registrations for this year's show. For now we just wanted to make sure that you circle the date on June 6th for one of the most talked about Nor Cal car shows in recent years.

We're looking forward to it and hope you'll be able to join us.