On December 16, 2020, Portola Hotel & Spa opened our doors for the first time since March, and we are thrilled! Due to current travel restrictions, hotel accommodations are available for essential travelers only. We are grateful for every first responder working hard and taking care of our community during this critical time.

We look forward to welcoming leisure travel in the New Year, and we hope everyone continues to travel responsibly. Thank you to all essential workers and businesses for your continued efforts in battling the pandemic.

We are happy to announce that East Village Cafe is open under new ownership! Serving up crazy good coffee, tea, authentic chai, and food to-go, this great little community spot at 498 Washington Street is now operated by local resident Ryan Lama. East Village Cafe is open daily for take-out, 7am-3pm.

We encourage you to view the City of Monterey's 2020 Holiday Video Card , featuring lovely scenery and wildlife in Monterey and Monterey Bay plus a special performance by violinist Bailey McEachen in front of Colton Hall....

On Christmas Eve, Monterey Marriott Hotel invites you to leave the cooking to Chef Josh Silva-Arias and pick-up our Christmas Eve Dinner To-Go on Dec. 24, 4:30pm-9pm. Price is $37 per plate plus 10% service charge and tax. View the to-go menu here.

The City of Monterey presents the 2020 State of the City address on Thursday, Jan. 14 at 8am-9am. Featuring Mayor Clyde Roberson and City Manager Hans Uslar, this event will be held via Zoom. Please register in advance at 831-655-3764 or via e-mail . Zoom meeting details will be provided to all confirmed guests 24-48 hours prior to the event.

Ring in the New Year with First Night Monterey 2021, the virtual edition! This free broadcast for New Year’s Eve will feature music, art, dance, and poetry from around the country for the whole family on Thursday, December 31, 6pm-12am. Kids' Night Out activities begin at 3pm. View all the fun that night at our page on YouTube.

We welcome your donations to keep this important annual event going for years to come. Make a donation of $40 - $100 and receive buttons, NYE hats, and/or party horns to celebrate the beginning of 2021

Celebrate Christmas Italian style! Tutto Buono Eataliano is accepting pre-orders for our family style holiday meals to-go from now until Dec. 22 - please call us at 831-920-1940. Pick-up will be at the restaurant on Dec. 23, 12pm-7pm. We're located at 598 Lighthouse Ave.

Do you need a little retail therapy? For a limited time, Sahara Sun Tanning and Boutique is offering 50% off all clothing and lotions. We also have tanning specials - bed tans for $3 and spray tans for $10 - which you can buy now and redeem later when we reopen our tanning services. Sahara Sun is located at 585 Lighthouse Ave.

By removing three walls from one of our outdoor tents, Chic Event Rentals was able to create a drive-through Covid testing facility! This really helps expedite the testing process and protects people from the rain. We still have plenty of these tents available - please give us a call if you need one, 831-375-1055.

Pearl Hour and Plein Air Picnic present a martini and pate picnic to-go! Place your order online before Dec. 21 for pick-up on Dec. 23, 12pm-4pm at Pearl Hour, 214 Lighthouse Ave.

This luscious picnic for two is $45 and includes: one bottle of Perfect Martini (4 servings) with lemon and olive garnishes, chicken liver pate, cranberry port compote, homemade crackers, pickled mustard seed, and cornichons. For an additional $10, enjoy crudites with green goddess dip.

As a token of appreciation to locals, and in the effort to prevent fresh beer on draft from getting too old, Alvarado Street Brewery and Grill is offering 32 oz. recyclable growler fills from our taps: $7 for light beer, $8 for everything else. Please do not bring your own growler to fill - we'll use the ones we already have onsite to keep things sanitary.

Visit us at 426 Alvarado Street. We're open Wed-Sun, 12-7pm, for curbside pick-up of food and beer, and Mon-Tues, 12-7pm, for beer only.

Paris Bakery is now offering freshly baked Christmas cookies as well as a full complement of holiday baked goods including stollen, pannetone, candy cane shaped bread, and Buche de Noel in four flavors.

All items are available daily until Christmas Eve at 271 Bonifacio Place, but ordering in advance is recommended - call us at 831-646-1620.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Esteban Restaurant is offering a selection of three different three-course holiday meals to-go featuring prime rib, cioppino, or fried chicken. Esteban's seasonal to-go dinner menu will also be available. All holiday meals must be ordered in advance, please call us at 831-375-1076.

Revival Ice Cream's honeycomb candy is crunchy, sweet, and pure - we make it here in the shop and it's a customer favorite! Pick up a bag when you're here, or add some to your delivery order. It's the perfect stocking stuffer for all the candy-lovers on your list, and it's dairy-free and gluten-free. We're located at 463 Alvarado Street.