Things to Do in Monterey Tonight

Monterey holds a singular place in American music history — the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival introduced Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin to the world, and the Monterey Jazz Festival, the longest-running jazz festival on the planet, still takes over the county fairgrounds every September. California Roots brings reggae and roots music to the same hallowed grounds each spring. Downtown, the Golden State Theatre hosts touring artists and comedians in a 1926 Moorish-style movie palace. Between Cannery Row's tourist energy, the world-famous aquarium, and Car Week's spectacle each August, this small coastal city carries an events calendar of real consequence.