District Blog

Monterey Bay Aquarium is happy to announce a summer full of fun tours for the whole family! Sail, dive, and see what goes on behind the scenes at the Aquarium. To view complete information on our Summer Adventures and to make reservations, please click here.

The Royal Treatment: Share the Love (ages 21 and up)
July 1 - August 31, Thursdays-Sundays
You and your loved one will be treated like royalty as you have the experience of a lifetime. Start your day with a private breakfast created by renowned Napa Valley chef Cindy Pawlcyn, followed by a private behind-the-scenes tour and champagne sailing adventure on Monterey Bay.

Sealife Sails: Day Sails (ages 8 and up)
June 17 - September 3, Thursdays - Saturdays
Let the animals tell the story of Monterey Bay. Along the way you may get to see marine birds, sea lions, seals and sea otters, all common visitors to the bay. You may even take a turn at the helm steering the boat!

Sealife Sails: Evening Sails (ages 8 and up)
June 17 - September 3, Thursdays - Saturdays
Join us for a spectacular evening sail on the waters of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

Underwater Explorers (ages 8-13)
June 18 - September 5
Come dive with us! In this unique program, kids ages 8 to 13 are introduced to surface SCUBA with Aquarium dive staff in the Great Tide Pool.

Feed the Fish (ages 6 and up)
June 18 - September 5, 30 minutes
Ever wonder what thousands of sardines eat for lunch? Find out on this quick trip behind the scenes.

Shark Tour (ages 6 and up)
June 18 - September 5, 60 minutes
Love sharks? Discover over a dozen species of sharks, skates, and rays that call the Aquarium home.

Family Tour (all ages)
June 19 - September 5, 45 minutes
Do your kids dream about getting closer to ocean animals? Designed with our youngest visitors in mind, this group tour takes you behind the scenes with Aquarium naturalists.

Behind-the-Scenes Tour (ages 6 and up)
Daily, 60 minutes
What does it take to run a world-class aquarium? Unlock the secrets with this special, insider’s tour and follow our guides through staff-only doors.

Feeding Frenzy (ages 8 and up)
Most Thursdays and Sundays, 2 hours
Our most in depth tour starts before we open the doors to the public. Everyone loves to eat, and our animals are no different! You’ll get a new view of the Aquarium in this behind-the-scenes adventure.

Personal Guided Tour (ages 6 and up)
By appointment only, 90 minutes
Have a question you’ve always wanted to ask about our animals and...Read More

This year, the New Monterey Business Association wants YOU to pick the movies for Movies in the Park. Suggestions have been submitted, and we have ten finalists. Please vote for your favorites - voting ends Sunday, June 5!

The top three vote-getters will be featured at Movies in the Park in Scholze Park on July 9, August 13, and September 10.

Throughout the month of May, Hula's Island Grill & Tiki Room (622 Lighthouse Ave) is celebrating National Salad Month!

In May, we'll have four new salads available at both lunch and dinner. Guests are invited to try each one and vote for their favorite. The winning salad will be added to Hula's permanent menu.

This year, the New Monterey Business Association wants YOU to pick the movies for Movies in the Park. It's easy as one, two, see.

ONE: Nominate. Pick three movies you'd like to see and send us the list via e-mail, through our Facebook page, or by clicking on "Add Comment" at the bottom of this post. (Nominations must be received by Sunday, May 15.)

TWO: Vote. The ten most nominated movies will be voted on by the public at LighthouseDistrict.net. (Voting begins Monday, May 23 and ends Sunday, June 3.)

SEE: The three movies that get the most votes will be shown this year at Movies in the Park in Scholze Park. Show dates this year are July 9, August 13, and September 10. Movies start a half-hour after sunset.

Paper Wing Theatre Company is proud to announce our expansion featuring a new, more intimate production space, the Gallerie Theatre. Wanting more stage time for the many talented actors, directors, and musicians, we've made room at our current location at 320 Hoffman Avenue to include this "black box theatre" for smaller productions.

We'll continue to house our bigger shows in our Main Theatre, and are excited to showcase other projects (unplugged musicians, intimate shows, play readings and poetry, etc.) in the new Gallerie Theatre. This will allow more talented artists of all capacities to have access to an audience!

Come on down and check out the new Gallerie Theatre, opening on Friday, April 22 with our production of Tracy Letts's play, Bug.

On the Beach is proud to sponsor the 2011 Monterey Bay Skate Jam Series! The one and only monthly skateboarding event on the Monterey Peninsula, our skate jams are designed to be a fun and interactive competitive event for riders, friends, and family alike. With a live DJ, product tosses, food, and drinks (and, on occasion, demos, games of skate, and other fun events), we invite skaters, friends, and family to come out and enjoy the day with us.

There are 4 age divisions: 8 and under, 9-12, 13-17, and 18 and up. Riders will be judged based on (in order of importance): creativity, style, consistency, variety (in tricks and use of obstacles), and difficulty.

Sign-ups start at 10am, contests start at 11am. Normally, the event runs until 3pm. Dates and locations are as follows:

April 9 - Marina Skate Park
Marina City Teen Center, 304 Hillcrest Ave

May 7 - Marina Skate Park
Marina City Teen Center, 304 Hillcrest Ave

June 11 - Monterey Skate Park
El Estero Park, Pearl St. & Camino Aguajito

July 9 - Marina Skate Park
Marina City Teen Center, 304 Hillcrest Ave

August 13 - Marina Skate Park
Marina City Teen Center, 304 Hillcrest Ave

September 10 - Monterey Skate Park
El Estero Park, Pearl St. & Camino Aguajito

October 8 Championship - Marina Skate Park
Marina City Teen Center, 304 Hillcrest Ave

On March 2, 2011, the Monterey County Office of Education conditionally approved a charter school petition for Bay View Academy, a free, inclusive K-5 public charter school committed to developing the whole child. Bay View Academy is currently negotiating with MPUSD and the City of Monterey to locate at the former Bay View School or Hilltop Park in the New Monterey Neighborhood. Enrollment is now open for 2011-2012.

But Bay View Academy needs your help! It will be some time before their funding begins to arrive from the state. In the meantime, there are lots of expenses that must be incurred to get ready to open the school in August. Your contribution of any size will greatly help the effort to open the school on time.

Bay View Academy is a non-profit public benefit corporation and a 501c3 tax exempt organization for both state and federal tax purposes. For more information or to make a contribution, please visit the Bay View Academy website.