Monterey Bay Holiday Events You Don't Want to Miss
If you’re anything like us over here at the Monterey Bay Food Tours, you love the holiday season! Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hannukah, or anything in between, we love this time of the year because it always brings about a sense of community and joy. Plus, we love wrapping up in big jackets and snuggling up to our loved ones to help keep us warm!
Fortunately, since Monterey is such a community-based area, there are plenty of holiday events to keep you busy this season. If you’re looking for a great way to celebrate, here are a few suggestions.
December 5 — Annual Parade of Lights
Who doesn’t love a good light show? We know we do over here! Lucky for us, Pacific Grove delivers an incredible light show every year. This year, the Annual Parade of Lights falls on December 5 — which is tonight! If you haven’t had a chance, click the link and fill out the form to let the Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce know you’re coming. Bring a jacket and get ready to admire the floats, bands, dancers, and so much more! See you there!
December 6 — Monterey Bay Aquarium Members Dinner
This is a more excluded event, we know, but members of the Monterey Bay Aquarium can take advantage of this year’s Monterey Bay Aquarium Members Dinner on December 6. Besides the incredible food (and desserts) on the menu, be ready for music, merriment, and photoshoots with Santa! The aquarium always knows how to throw a good party, so we’re sure this one will go down in the memory banks!
December 8 — Brighten the Harbor Lighted Boat Parade
Ah, the Brighten the Harbor Lighted Boat Parade on the Monterey Wharf. This is by far one of our favorite annual events. From 5:30 p.m. through 8 p.m. on December 8th, watch all of the yachts that make their home in the wharf’s harbor light up and sail around the bay. Make sure you get your reservations for any restaurants that have a view of the bay, because those are some of the best (and warmest) seats around!
December 7-15 — Monterey Bay Aquarium Open House
Here it comes, one of the best annual events — the Monterey Bay Aquarium Open House! This is when being a local in the tri-county area (Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito counties) really pays off. With valid identification, between the dates of December 7-15, enjoy free admission to one of the best aquariums in the world. On top of that, if you take the opportunity to sign up as a member during those dates, you also get an extra two months of membership benefits on them. We know that’s certainly worth it for us!
December 11 — Ugly Sweater Game Night at Yeast of Eden
December 14th marks the one year anniversary since the opening of Yeast of Eden in Carmel, and there’s a whole week of festivities planned to celebrate! Starting on December 11th with an ugly sweater party, game night, and live music, the festivities run through the week and weekend to celebrate both the holidays and the anniversary. There’s bottle releases, plenty of live music, and even a special brunch to conclude the party on the 15th. Also, the mighty Monterey Bay Food Tours blogger who bartends there will be around for all of the events, so make sure to come say hi!
December 13 — Winter Wonderland and Tree Lighting
Let’s face it, there’s never a bad time to go see a tree lighting. There’s a certain sense of community we love so much that comes about at events like that during the holidays. This year, stop by the Seaside City Hall for the Winter Wonderland and Tree Lighting event. There’s carriage rides, food, sleigh rides, live entertainment, and even a petting zoo! There’s something fun for everyone, so wrap up in a warm jacket and come join the festivities!
December 13-15 — Christmas in the Adobes
Oh, yeah, another one of our favorite annual events — Christmas in the Adobes! Even better, this year, you can come see us! Anyone who’s done our Old Monterey Food Tour (and those who participated in our Haunted Monterey Food Tour) will have the opportunity to go into a lot of the old adobes discussed in our history section. Every adobe (even ones we don’t discuss on our tours) is open and decorated, and we’ll be holding tastings in the Joseph Boston Store that feature products from our tours. Get your tickets now, and we’ll see you there!
December 12-25 — Portola Hotel and Spa’s 12 Days of Winter Wonderland
Portola Hotel and Spa's 12 Days of Winter Wonderland is lined up to be massively fun this year! One thing you can bank on every day of the celebrations? Hosted champagne from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. accompanied with some Christmas cookies. You can also look forward to live entertainment, tree lightings, visits from both Santa and Mrs. Claus, face painting, creating your own ornaments, and so much more! Check out their list of events and don’t forget — hosted champagne.
