Monterey & Santa Cruz counties
What's on around
Monterey Bay
Verified dates, locations and free-or-ticketed status for public events across the Central Coast — the details that official calendars bury. 61 events from August to December 2026, county fairs to holiday markets.
Coming up
Next on the Central Coast
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Plan the week
The 2026 calendar
All 61 Central Coast events, August to December, by county and month.
What's on in September
Every listed event this month, by county, with dates and official links.
Monterey Car Week 2026
The full 91-listing record of August 7-16, kept for reference.
Traffic, closures & safety
Live county closures, Caltrans cameras and public safety text alerts.
Also on the Central Coast calendar
On now and next
County fairs, festivals, parades and holiday markets across both counties. Dates are the organizer's published dates — where a 2026 date has not been announced, the listing says so instead of guessing.
September 2026
4 events- Monterey Jazz Festival (MJF69) September 25-27, 2026
- California International Airshow Salinas (45th Annual) September 26-27, 2026
- Capitola Beach Festival ('Toy Takeover') September 26-27, 2026
- Monterey Bay Greek Festival Date not yet announced
October 2026
15 events- Carmel International Film Festival October 1-4, 2026
- Laguna Seca SpeedTour (Trans-Am) October 2-4, 2026
- Open Studios Satellite Preview Exhibit (Santa Cruz Art League) October 2-18, 2026
- Butterfly Days Sunset Celebration at Point Pinos Lighthouse October 3, 2026
- Downtown Santa Cruz Harvest Festival October 3, 2026
Before you drive
Check the road before you go
Highway 1 through Big Sur is closed again — about 40 miles of it, by the Timber and Plaskett fires — and the Big Sur state parks are shut with it. Event traffic still reshapes Ocean Avenue and the routes into Pebble Beach and Laguna Seca. Check live closures before every trip.