This used to be a fun event but sadly the last time I went was deeply disappointed…read more. They changed the entertainment and it was not fun anymore. The posters advertised certain entertainers but those on the poster were not even hired to appear. So sad

We were excited to hear that there was going to be a festival that focused on clam chowder and…read morecalamari; both foods that I have grown to absolutley love since I moved to CA. Well this was a big disapointment. First of all tokens, tokens for EVERYTHING. While the concept seems simple, it still wasn't proven to be beneficial as many people pawned off their unused tokens to everyone including our group, because we really didn't want anything else and there are absolutley NO REFUNDS on tokens. So $20 for 7 tokens, 3 gets you calamari, 3 gets you clam chowder, 1 gets your fries, soda etc. and 2 gets you margaritas/wine. It would have been all worth it IF the food was good. It wasn't, the clam chowder was really watered down, tasted like it came from a can and the calamari didn't taste fresh but extremely fishy. Not the standards I know, as we love the wharf and go to The Grotto all the time! We love their clam chowder! Crabby Jims also has great clam chowder and Albolennettis has amazing calamari where you can choose buffalo style or garlic. Anyways we asked what restaurant this came from and they couldn't say, and they said that it all came from the Wharf. Yeah right. We ended up walking down sampling clam chowder from our favs, and it was so delicious, not at ALL like the garbage from the festival. One thing that seemed interesting was the clam chowder ice cream, a little sweet a little salty and definatley something to try. I don't think it was worth 2 tokens because the scoop was so small. Anyhoo, we came with a party of 6 and we were all disapointed and agreed that anything going on at the plaza is bust.

This has been on my bucket list for a long time! So happy…read moreto cross it off. It was definitely not a disappointment! Loved hearing all the various musicians, both local and afar. So much talent. Local vendors - food and apparel- were a nice addition to the music. Cannot wait to go back!

Food? What food? It's been going downhill for a couplie of years…read more Don't get me started on the prices. $5 can of coke? At least 90% of the music was jazz. A couple of acts weren't even close. However, there was some great acts.

Plenty of vendors and things to see that may capture the imagination and attention of the attendees…read morethe food was a little lack luster for a carnival type of celebration. The music and vibe was rock music with splash of Tex Mexican band.the crowd was mellow and vendors seemed friendly and welcoming many wanted to answer questions and see if there was something they could help with from a venue of a good selling technique. There were 3 to 6 blocks in a rectangular walkway plaza that seem to be a backyard of a business industry park for the industrial business crowd.

We love the West End celebration with all the diverse artists and craftsmen. You can find all sorts…read moreof handmade items here. Great for early Christmas shopping. There were 3 bands playing some awesome music at 3 different locations. All at the same time so when your wondering around you'll walk into some funky music. I didn't see a lot of people in costumes this year which was a disappointment. But you can surely pick up items for that here. Lots of food and drink options too. Beer, wine and artisan root beer. Hand dipped ice cream, shaved ice. Things can be pretty pricey here but you can find some bargains. Found some nice t shirts for 5 bucks. Not alot of shade here, I'd bring an umbrella and a mister, it can get hot. And it's dog friendly, big plus! The only bad thing is parking. You either have to park on the street nearby if lucky enough to find a spot or far from the festival and hike in. They do offer a trolley shuttle from the Save Mart parking lot. This year I found a paid parking lot at 114 Ortiz Ave which is only a few feet from the festival. 10.00 a day and 5.00 for Seniors. I think it should be free for Seniors.

Food, wine tasting, live music, chef demos, comedy shows, fresh produce, the usual assortment of…read morefarmers market/county fair vendors, and did I mention food??!?! You'll have fun, just go.

Not Kid friendly or family forward. Okay, that's out of the way…read more The 2023 version was a waste for my family. Compared to last year's event which was way better for the whole family. It had rides and a huge slide. Story book readings and Pete the Cat. The kids "zone " was on pavement with little to do for the littles... some coloring. Two of the vendors booths had adult themed hats and clothing and other items for sale in clear view of everyone's kids. If mother f--- and f--- , sh-- are kid friendly, there not. Why would some big named sponsors back this trash? Getting into this festival was intense. First the list of what isn't allowed, PRO sports, international air travel and concerts are easier to get into. The hyper security at the entry was overkill. Questions and a full body wand scan. A bit silly. They try to make this about the artichokes but it's about the money really... isn't it. From the parking, gate fees and food it's for those with disposable incomes. Please take this festival back to Castroville. Last words... music was fine.

This yr lost a VIP pass on first day would not replace even with proof of purchase and ID. NEVER…read morereturning!! Watch out for this venue !!!

This was my first time at the festival. I love reggae and island music. I'll start with the good…read more Pros: I loved the amount of local artists involved and the many art booths that they had. The lineup was amazing and they had some real big names performing. I loved how they had child wristbands for parents just in case they get lost at the event. Cons: There was almost no parking near the event. Street parking was limited and local businesses would not let you park in their parking lot if you weren't shopping. The parking that was associated with the event was miles away and they provided a shuttle to the event. The parking was a camp ground/race track. There were no parking lot attendants so people were parking however they like. They only had one porta-potty near the line for the shuttle pick up at the racetrack. The venue seemed too small for all the vendors and people that attended. They didn't check any bags! They let everyone in without a pat down, bag check, or metal detector. They had one person with a metal wand and he only checked peoples thighs instead of their whole body. Their excuse was they have been doing it for three days already (we went Sunday only). They whole entrance Experience made us feel very unsafe.

So much fun dancing the way the Greeks do And so much good…read morefood, especially the baklava. Lots of interesting music. Lots of fun people. Plenty of booths selling so many unique items. A great way to spend the day

It was really hot so I didn't stay as long as I would normally. I liked the variety of items to…read morepurchase. I bought Russian doll earrings the food looked good. Plus I enjoyed it he Greek music

I've been to this farmers market no less than 20 times. Its good and the perfect size. A nice mix…read moreof fresh produce and good things to munch on. A solid selection of live plants and knickknacks A little bit sparse lately and some homeless noticeably about. Last words...get your steps in.

An easy evening excursion. It operates Tues. from 4-8PM and extends to the bay (convention center)…read moreand the corner Rite Aid pharmacy (a good 7 blocks?). A MIXED VENUE with food trucks, produce, health and beauty products, and some crafts and accessories. I am not sure but sometimes I hear music from a distance. Live music would definitely bring me back and linger longer.

My bf and I spent our last night of the year at First Night Monterey, and it was the perfect way to…read morering in 2026. This annual event is a celebration of music and the arts, a full day of musical ensembles performing at several different venues in downtown Monterey. There was a bit of rain earlier in the afternoon, so several performances were cancelled, such as the twilight procession, fire show, and drum circle. However, by 6pm the rain had subsided, and the festival atmosphere turned out to be an amazing experience. There was so much live entertainment to choose from, with bands playing a wonderful variety of musical genres. We enjoyed indie folk-rock by Grumbling Ginger, sounds of jazz by the Stu Reynold Saxtet on the guitar, bass, sax, and oboe, a lively set filled with rock tunes by Bad Machine, great country songs by SouthBound 101, awesome celtic music by Black Irish (my fave of the evening), an exciting performance of party hits by Everyday People, and our finale band of choice, Wrockinfoose, playing mostly rock and original pieces as they entertained the crowd till just after midnight. FNM also featured karaoke, light-up merchandise (we purchased twinkling "happy new year" crown headbands), a small food court with vendors selling tacos, hot dogs, wood-fired pizza, and beignets, along with some venues selling snacks like peanut butter cookies and pastries. We were also able to take advantage of the free shuttle bus from Del Monte mall where our hotel was located. Overall, we had a good time and appreciated how well-organized this event was, allowing attendees to have a positive and memorable experience.

This was our first time to attend this event, so I have nothing to compare it to. It did rain most…read moreof the evening, which I'm sure impacted the event due to some cancellations of the parade and participating vendors. Pros.: great variety of music, plenty of parking, festive environment, family friendly, indoor venues if you purchased the button and medium size crowd of all ages.. cons: ran by volunteers who were not able to answer basic questions, felt a little disorganized, not very many food options and not very many of the downtown vendors participating. Overall, we had a great time and would attend again next year if we're in the area.

This is an amazing weeklong event that has been celebrated over 100 years in Pacific Grove…read more Conceptual artists, take note; It is completely made up! Begun as the closing ceremonies to the annual summer Chautauqua lectures, some think as early as the 1890's. No one is positively sure when it started but the official year is now 1905. Well worth bringing the kids to see this day long pageant and pet parade as well as chicken dinner and many other events including Wednesday which is cake cutting day and kids get to draw on the sidewalks outside Chautauqua Hall. All free! Don't miss the great fireworks including Chinese fireworks! Update in response to the very poor review by AJ: Feast of Lanterns has very little to do with any real Chinese history. It is a faux Chinese pageant which is based on an English play. It has been offensive to some Asian people who don't understand that it started as a celebration of other cultures and was an American interpretation of the Japanese Obon festival circa 1900, in the 1920's it turned into a bathing beauty contest, was not celebrated during WWII, then re-emerged as a faux Chinese American festival, probably due to anti-Japanese sentiment. What has remained are small vestiges of the original Obon with lanterns being lit down at the beach as well as the boat parade. It is a celebration, like many in America which has changed with the times and has only traces of actual history. Pacific Grove had the longest active Chinese fishing community on the west coast. Feast of Lanterns was very Japanese oriented when the Chinese lived there. As far as their involvement, it was probably limited to the lighted boat parade, one of the few consistent traditions of the event. As far as the history of the actual Chinese families that lived at the village, it was a fairly peaceful relationship until the end when several entities were interested in the land. Not the local residents, but rather developers and Stanford University. I do agree, this event should have some basis in actual Asian history, but it has become it's own unique event. To that end, it is hard to be offended by something that has no roots in any particular culture but it's own, and yet, started because of a very open-minded interest in other cultures circa 1900.

Location is beautiful, event amazing, but the food is such a rip off. We got a "philly cheese…read moresteak" which was some cooked deli beef with jalapeños inside a tiny hotdog bun for $11. No cheese. Yes, no cheese for a cheese steak. For a tiny cup of hot chocolate it was five bucks, for a sparse and minuscule amount of curly fries, $6. Such a waste of money so strongly suggest bringing your own food.

This was a fun event. If you go, arrive when the gates open because the lines are half as long &…read moreall the tents have beer. A few hours in the breweries start running out of beer. Couple things to be aware of: - They are very strict on the clear bag policy. - There are plenty of water stations, but no cups. You have to use the beer sampler cups (3oz). - There were only 3 food stands, so don't bank on many food options.

What a waste of time and expense. Super small beer fest with mostly just one pourer per pop-up…read moretent which make for long lines. Some Breweries ran out of beer selections within the 90 minutes. Save you hard earned money and go to other festivals like the Scotts Valley Hop & Barley show or even better, the Hen House sponsored Freshtival in Rohernt Park.... I will admit that the only good feature of the Monterey show was The Money Band! These guys are a great local talent.