Central Coast events in
August 2026

Watsonville's two-day food and agricultural festival built around the strawberry harvest.

The 64th season of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, running two weeks at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium.

The Cabrillo Festival's free family orchestral concert at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium.

A one-day community festival at Skypark marking Scotts Valley's 60th anniversary.

The second annual jug band festival, a single day of music at Abbott Square Market.

Ten days of automotive and motorsports events spread across Monterey, Carmel, Pebble Beach, Seaside and Salinas.

A two-day arts street fair on Church Street, in front of the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium.

Two days of motorsports at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Salinas, the weekend before the Reunion race meeting.

The closing concert of the 2026 Cabrillo Festival, at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium.

A three-day automotive collectibles expo, with an auction and forum, at the Embassy Suites Monterey Bay in Seaside.

Carmel-by-the-Sea's own six-day run of automotive and community events inside the wider Car Week fortnight.

A one-night automotive and aviation gala at the Monterey Jet Center on Sky Park Drive.

Four days of collector-car auction sessions, with public previews, at the Monterey Conference Center.

Four days of historic racing at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, the motorsports centrepiece of Car Week.

The concours that closes Monterey Car Week, held at Pebble Beach on the Sunday.

A two-day arts, music and community festival in Sand City on the last full weekend of August.

A two-day Turkish arts and culture festival at Custom House Plaza in Monterey.