Best Things to Do on the Monterey Peninsula This February

Best Things to Do on the Monterey Peninsula This February

Picture of Mark C. Anderson

Mark C. Anderson

Mark is a serial explorer and award-winning columnist based in both Bay Areas who serves on the Monterey County Food System Coalition.

Top-flight golf. World-class whale watching. Five-star scuba diving. Some of the best produce in the country, ready to be paired with fresh local seafood down at Fisherman’s Wharf. Stunning nature, from Big Sur redwoods to white sands at Carmel Beach.

We’ve done the deep research for you on the best things to do on the Monterey Peninsula including museums, cultural events, food tours, golfing, hikes and more. Speaking of food, we also have an extensive list of our best restaurants on the Monterey Peninsula, and if you’re planning a weekend, the the best places to stay

Within the Monterey Peninsula hospitality industry, the start of February is treated like the start of a second holiday season, and the beginning of the tourist tides. 

That’s because the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am packs bars, restaurants, shops and hotels. 

And away we go. 

The Pro-Am takes on some major changes this year (see below), but certain things around these parts don’t change much when mid-winter arrives. 

The Monterey Bay will continue to burst with whale-watching, golfing, scuba diving, nature romping, fresh dining and beach combing opportunities, which might be best enjoyed when lower level winter crowds — AT&T week aside — are in play. 

Here appear LG’s top picks for the month of February:

Featured Photo: Courtesy of Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival
Aerial view of PGA golf course AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am in Monterey, California.
Photo: Courtesy of Noah Rosenfield

AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

Dates TBD

“Two iconic courses,” an AT&T promotional teaser reads. “One reimagined tournament.” Arguably the most popular professional-amateur event on the PGA Tour, the Pro-Am has been designated a Signature Event in 2024, which means top ranked players incentivized to compete at Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill. Celebrity amateurs like Bill Murray and Macklemore will play fewer rounds, shifting the focus to pros like Justin Rose, who won by three strokes over Brendon Todd and Brandon Wu last year.

More info: attpbgolf.com

Artistic arrangements of seaweed at Santa Cruz museum in Santa Cruz, California.

The Curious World of Seaweed

Dates TBD

Here come captivating color “portraits” of seaweed, inspired by Josie Iselin’s book of the same name. The exhibition also unlocks surprising tales highlighting Indigenous peoples’ and women’s connections to superpowers of seaweed, and examines its foundational role in the oceanic food chain in poetic ways.

More info: santacruzmuseum.org/the-curious-world-of-seaweed

Graphic of men in suits with waves for facing, and surfers riding those wave-faces, to represent Johnny Tsunami playing Free Fridays at Carmel Plaza in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.
Photo: Johnny Tsunami

Free Music Fridays at Carmel Plaza

Date TBD

Yes, the live performances are nice, but better yet is the synergy it enjoys with standout restaurants (like the breakout hit Nicolás Cocina de Herencia), wine and cheese tasting stations (we see you Cheese Shop) and other shopping and snacking venues (hello Anthropologie and Alvarado Brewing Bistro). Johnny Tsunami & The Shoulder Hoppers play.

More info: carmelplaza.com

Dirty Dozen Brass Band coming to Monterey Peninsula, California
Photo: Courtesy of Dirty Dozen Brass Band

Mardi Gras with Dirty Dozen Brass Band

Date TBD

New Orleans’ Dirty Dozen weaves traditional brass band music with bebop, jazz, funk, soul and rhythm and blues. You wouldn’t be the first to call it delicious “musical gumbo.” They’re joined by Nathan and the Zydeco Cha-Chas for a special evening of swampy energy and sound waves.

More info: sunsetcenter.org/event/mardi-gras-mambo

Leo Kottke playing guitar in concert for the Golden State Theatre in Monterey, California.
Photo: Courtesy of Amy Kerwin

An Evening With Leo Kottke

Date TBD

Let’s just let the host Golden State bring the knowledge. “Leo Kottke (born September 11, 1945) is an acoustic guitarist. He is known for a fingerpicking style that draws on blues, jazz, and folk music, and for syncopated, polyphonic melodies. He overcame a series of personal obstacles, including partial loss of hearing and a nearly career-ending bout with tendon damage in his right hand, to emerge as a widely recognized master of his instrument.” Like Kottke, it’s an understated and outstanding way of understanding art.

More info: goldenstatetheatre.com/shows/leo-kottke

Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour

Date TBD

The seats at Golden State do not have seat belts. On a night like this, they would help. Here comes all the extreme climbing, biking, skating, flying, sailing, skiing, exploring, fill-in-the-blank action. The Banff film tour brings on the most reliably FULL SEND series of flicks on the planet, which is why this is a world tour.

More info: goldenstatetheatre.com

A large assortment of clams are closely packed together, showing their varied textures and sizes. The shells are mostly shades of gray and brown, some with visible barnacles and sea marks, giving a rugged, natural appearance—one of the best things to do on the Monterey Peninsula in February.
Photo: Courtesy of Alejandro Duarte

Annual Clam Chowder Cook-Off

Dates TBD

Key deets for the country’s largest and longest-running clam chowder competition, beyond the right balance of shellfish, potato, garlic, butter and cream: Amateur chefs will compete on Saturday, followed by professional chefs on Sunday. Admission to Boardwalk is free. Tasting kits are $15 and include six tastes plus a People’s Choice ballot. Organizers recommend early arrival, as supplies are limited. One hundred percent of tasting Kit sales benefit Santa Cruz Parks & Recreation.

More info: beachboardwalk.com

Event Venues

Looking to see what’s happening right now on the Monterey Peninsula? Our comprehensive list of venues across the city below will help you find what you need to know what’s going on.

Looking for more things to do in the area?

Visit our What to Do in Northern California page!

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