Way back pre-pandemic, in a more tactile, huggy and innocent age, I made a command decision that changed the way I look at food festivals.
Instead of attending and covering Big Sur Food & Wine, which I had since its inception a decade previous, I volunteered to staff it. The result was revelatory. Now I was behind the curtain, not missing out on flavor and experience as much as gaining it.
I had volunteered at plenty of other community efforts and events, but there’s only one Big Sur, and one BSFW. The characters there arrive as rich as the grape juice and grub. And I dug the kinetic adventure of operations enough that they quickly added me to the logistics team.
Since tickets sell out (and are heading that way as I type) — and aren’t cheap if you can get one — I encourage interested parties to consider volunteering. It’s fulfilling for the tastebuds and the soul. Exercise comes included.
BTW, BSFW leads off another intriguing month of events around Monterey, many of them flavorful and soulful too:
Featured photo by Monterey Whalers.
Oct. 31-Nov. 2
The loaded lineup at BSFW changes every year. For 2024, it includes an all-new onslaught of Magical Mystery Tour stops at OMG homes with curated chefs and wineries; Hiking with Stemware along new trails beside the sea; and fresh collaborations for the sold-out Sommelier Dinner. Other things are more predictable — including the tasteful bacchanalia at Wine & Swine, the world-class flavors in the Sierra Mar gardens for the Pinot Walkabout, and, most importantly, the fact all proceeds funnel to South Coast nonprofits like Big Sur Fire, Big Sur Grange, Big Sur Health Center and Big Sur Historical Society.
Nov. 9
The opening night of Chamber Music Monterey’s 58th Season comes out smashing, with a profound program by the Pacifica Quartet. The multiple Grammy Award-winning PQ has three decades beneath its wings, spanning from the 1998 Naumburg Chamber Music Award to Musical America’s Ensemble of the Year in 2009 and beyond. The program is “American Snapshots: JFK, Vietnam, and Ellis Island,” with Dvořák’s beloved “American String Quartet” coming after intermission.
Nov. 2
This 2-hour walking tour explores the history of Monterey’s whaling industry and more, and in the state’s first capitol — and home of its first theater, newspaper and constitution — there’s a lot of history. Guide Tim Thomas is a fourth-generation native of Monterey, and its first-rate historian, known for his expertise in the region’s maritime history and his books like The Abalone King of Monterey: ‘Pop’ Ernest Doelter and The Japanese on the Monterey Peninsula. The walk-and-talk pairs well with a meal at one of many standout Fishermen’s Wharf restaurants — and is free, but please RSVP.
Nov. 9-10
The sweet 16th installment of this gem of an oceanic event summons dozens of two-legged mermaids and mermen to Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk’s Cocoanut Grove for a weekend of deep-diving art with a splash of eating and drinking. The other key details: 60-plus artists, $5 entry includes chance to win an “amazing” gift basket (kids free), full bar and tasty food, the event supports ocean conservation, and there’s a collectors showcase and sea glass discovery zone rounding things out.
Nov. 8-10
The weekend of races comes managed by world-famous Big Sur International Marathon, and provides a multi-dimensional peek at what the big daddy event is like, including the By-the-Bay 3K, the Pacific Grove Lighthouse 5K, and the half-marathon on Sunday. The 9,000 slots sell out every year, but it’s also a fun watch in a gorgeous place.
Nov. 9
The tiny hamlet with the huge art inventory was founded by artists, and they run this free and family-friendly open house every month, so let’s have them do the introduction too: “Support our local artists and keep the HEART of Carmel beating strong! Carmel Art Walk is the second Saturday every month from 4pm-7pm and is open to the public. Tour artist-owned galleries and meet the artists who carry on the Carmel-by-the-Sea artist colony legacy. Follow the blue lanterns at each gallery.” Done.
Nov. 10
The world’s longest-running stunt dog show packs in two shows because…well, if you need a sale pitch on pup stunts you might as well bark up a different event. Big air manuevers, frisbee leaps, comedy antics, dancing fur babies, achievements of athleticism, and a pack of other talented best friends round out the script from there. “This is more than a show, it’s an experience!” Perondi’s team promises. “[And] every Stunt Dog Experience includes interactive audience participation…Best of all, each dog is a rescue getting a new leash on life.” Woof.
Nov. 16-17
The Montrey Symphony program opens with two anthems, one official and one adopted: “The Star-Spangled Banner” and Copland’s iconic “Fanfare for the Common Man.” The adventure unfolds from there as a 100th birthday celebration of legendary New York songsmith George Gershwin’s dazzling Rhapsody in Blue, a Jazz Age masterpiece celebrating its 100th birthday this year. There’s a lot more vigor where that came from, closing with Antonin Dvorák’s beloved New World Symphony, a work inspired by the wide-open spaces of the composer’s adopted home in the American Midwest. Jayce Ogren directs and conducts while Adam Golka minds the ivories.
Nov. 19-24
The 46th TaylorMade PBI quietly creates a thoroughly unique event annually by combining the PGA, LPGA, Champions and Web.com tours. It also taps the iconic tracks that are some of the most celebrated on Goddess’ green(s) Earth: Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill Golf Course and The Links at Spanish Bay. A bonus twist: The pros play from different tees, but compete for the same $300,000 purse.
Nov. 14
When Michael Pollan was writing the chapter on psilocybin for How to Change Your Mind, he went to the foremost mycological oracle he could find: Paul Stamets. Stamets has not only studied psychedelic healing from the granular to the galactic, he’s developed mycellium/mushroom based patents to fight against disease and invasive pets, and he’s devised ways to remediate environmental disaster by deploying their natural magic. Check out the wildly popular—and insightful—TED Talk to learn more. “We are now fully engaged in the sixth Major Extinction, [or[ “6 X,” on planet Earth,” he says. “Our biosphere is quickly changing, eroding the life support systems that have allowed humans to ascend. Unless we put into action policies and technologies that can cause a course correction in the very near future, species diversity will continue to plummet, with humans not only being the primary cause, but one of the victims. What can we do? Fungi, particularly mushrooms, offer some powerful, practical solutions, which can be put into practice now.” Required listening for true relatives of Mother Nature.
Nov. 28
Unwrap a jump start on a brisk and beutiful holiday season ahead (yes, December is almost here) with refreshments and caroling carried by offshore breezes, plus live entertainment from P.G. school choirs and bands. And, come dusk, illumination that reaches into the sky and a good hang with Santa at the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History.
