If you pick up a copy of Monterey Bay Parent magazine in January 2026, you'll notice that Downtown Monterey is featured, both on the cover and in an article on page 23! View the magazine here. ...

Found Treasure: Paprika Cafe
by Mark C. Anderson
Edible Monterey Bay, 12/20/25

Recycled Records in Monterey celebrates what is believed to be 50 years in business
by Sloan Campi
Monterey County NOW, 12/18/25

On Target: Birria Bomb [Mission 19 Taqueria]
by Jacqueline Weizel
Monterey County NOW, 12/18/25

After a tumultuous year for the scuba diving community, enthusiasts and leaders regroup
by Sloan Campi
Monterey County NOW, 11/27/25

A spritz at Oystertown proves that beauty can be more than skin deep
by Dave Faries
Monterey County NOW, 11/20/25

New Year, new look! Not only for you but our boutique!

Help us liquidate our overstock so we can bring you more of what you want! Just flash this post and get a free gift!

Offer good through...

The Old Monterey Business Association announces the 2025 Downtown Business Awards! Click here to see the list of winners, including Slowfiber, Peter B's, Esteban Restarant, Golden State Theatre, Diego Quevedo of Teeth Whitening Monterey, and more.

Rosebuds' Holiday Sale is here. Enjoy 30% off all holiday items, December 16-23 (excludes vintage). There's still a lot of cute stuff left. Visit us at 535 Foam Street.

The New Monterey Business Association congratulates the winners of our 2025 Lighthouse District Holiday Display Contest!

**Best Holiday Display with Lighting**
InSight Eyewear
490 Lighthouse Ave

Honorable Mention
Carpets & Floors, Inc.
471 Lighthouse Ave

**Best Holiday Display, Minimally Lit**
On The Beach Surf Shop
693 Lighthouse Ave

Honorable Mention
The Leather Company
638 Lighthouse Ave

We encourage everyone to come down and view the creative, amusing, and beautiful holiday displays in the windows of shops and restaurants along Lighthouse Ave.

Freedom Bakery is offering Yule Log Cake for the holidays! This traditional Christmas treat, shaped like a wooden log, is made with our melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chiffon cake rolled with a layer whipped cream, iced with chocolate truffle, and decorated with a bright red frosting poinsettia.

Want to go a step further for a larger gathering? Order our Yule Log Dessert Board for pickup at our Monterey boutique at 305 Webster Street, Tue-Sun, 10am-1pm.

Cypress Boutique now carries all-natural spa products made by Tabetha's Healthy Spa - a small, local business.

Tabetha's products include moisturizing oil, salve, deodorant, bar soap, lip glosses, eye shadows, and more. Everything is made in small batches using natural scents. They make great stocking stuffers! Visit Cypress at 800 Lighthouse Avenue, Suite C.

Play Full Ground is launching new part-time programs on January 26.

In addition to our full-time microschool offerings, there will be part-time options for students in grades 9-12 to participate in art and creativity classes, have independent study time in our comfortable space, or get involved in our new afterschool programs.

These options are great for homeschoolers as well as students enrolled in public or private schools. Learn more.

Scoops Ice Cream Parlor, a fun new dessert spot for all ages, has opened at 595 Munras Ave. An independent, family-owned business, they know how to do sweet treats right!

Exclusively serving Marianne's ice cream, they offer everything from simple scoops, milkshakes, and hot chocolate to wildly creative treats featuring clouds of freshly-spun cotton candy and more. It's a great indoor hangout for families, friends, and youth.

It's out with the old and in with the new! Old Capitol Books is hosting our annual holiday sale, featuring 25% off everything in the store the entire month of December. Come check out what we have on the shelves at 482 Alvarado Street. We're open Fri-Sun, 12pm-6pm.

Parker-Lusseau Pastries and Cafe, located at 539 Hartnell Street, has fresh stollen on our shelves from now until Christmas.

This holiday favorite is so popular we recommend placing your order in advance at 831-641-9188. Slice it, toast it, smother it with butter, eat it...repeat!

It's cold outside, and Bobalicious and Bites at 474 Tyler Street has the answer: hot drinks made to order.

We're now offering 8 hot drinks to tempt your taste buds including Tiger Spiced Chai, Hot Matcha, Hot Taro, Dubai Hot Chocolate, Hot Lavender Milk, and more. All with or without dairy.

Johnny Wicks Candle Studio is hosting our 5th annual holiday gift drive for foster children to bring joy, laughter, and a sense of belonging to kids who don't have the opportunity to experience the magic of Christmas like most of us do.

We welcome financial donations here and donations of gifts or gift cards dropped off by appointment at our studio on Franklin Street (call 831-224-0269).

Crepes of Brittany at 211 Alvarado Street is celebrating its 15th anniversary! In December and January, guests can enjoy a free Lemon Sugar Dessert Crepe with the purchase of any crepe when they mention the "Flavors of France" anniversary special.

The Old Monterey Business Association is excited to announce we have hired a new Executive Director, Sabrina Hiltunen! Sabrina has now settled into the OMBA's office at 98 Del Monte Avenue.

Sabrina brings to this position substantial skills in marketing and small business management and a passion for her hometown, Monterey. We warmly welcome her leadership, and look forward to all the possibilities of the new year. Learn more about Sabrina.

Christmas trees can damage your hardwood floor with unsightly scratches, sap stains and water spots !

Follow these handy tips to make sure you don’t have to hire Slaughterbeck Floors to sand and refinish your floor...

International Market and Deli strives to work with ethical companies and distributors to source our delicious food from around the world. We research everything we sell to see exactly where it's coming from and how that company does business.

When you see changes on our shelves, rest assured we're doing our best to stock the finest products at the best prices available. We're a small family business, and we want to support family-owned businesses that manufacture and import quality foods. Visit us at 580 Lighthouse Avenue and browse our store.

On The Beach's Snow Tech Shop is now open and ready to rock this 2025-26 Snow Season. Bring in your snowboard or skis to get them ready for the slopes. We're located at 693 Lighthouse Ave.

InSight Eyewear is now carrying Ray-Ban Meta glasses and we're able to place prescription lenses in the frames. Stop by to see the styles and try on a pair for yourself. We're located at 490 Lighthouse Avenue.

Mission 19 Taqueria introduces the Birria Bomb! It's a giant corn dumpling with a crispy exterior filled with birria and cheese and served with dipping sauce. Take one bite and BOOM! It's an explosion of flavor. Visit us at 598 Lighthouse Ave and try it.

The holiday season is here, and mulled wine is back at Hula's Island Grill, 622 Lighthouse Ave. Delicious.

Off The Charts cannabis dispensary is teaming up with the Food Bank of Monterey County to combat hunger. Now through Dec. 22, drop off non-perishable food items at the shop at 734 Lighthouse Ave, 6am-10pm daily.

For each item donated, you'll receive 1 ticket for our holiday gift basket drawing which includes a PS5 Pro! Must be 21+ to enter. Learn more.

Get ready for BoldJewelers' holiday raffle on December 24. Anyone can enter - no purchase is necessary. All you have to do is follow BoldJewelers on Facebook and Instagram . Don’t miss out! We're located at 408 Alvarado Street.

Slowfiber presents our annual Holiday Craft Bazaar opening Nov. 28 and running through Dec. 20. Featuring handmade fiber arts, accessories, and jewelry by local artisans, it's perfect for holiday shopping!

Slowfiber is located at 517A Hartnell Street. Our Holiday Craft Bazaar is open Wed - Fri, 11:30am-5pm, and Sat, 12:30pm-5pm.