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It’s finally time to head back to Monterey, jazz fans.
Yes, the Monterey Jazz Festival takes place this weekend, bringing Diana Krall, Chris Botti, Christian McBride and dozens of other acclaimed acts to the Monterey County Fairground and Event Center Sept. 27-29.
Here’s what you need to know before you go:
The Basics
Gates open at 4 p.m. Sept. 27 and 11:30 a.m. Sept. 28-29.
Music runs to approximately 11:10 p.m. on Sept. 27, 11:15 p.m. on Sept. 28 and 10 p.m. on Sept. 29.
For information, call 888-248-6499 or visit www.montereyjazzfestival.org.
Tickets
Weekend passes run $50-$435 and single-day tickets are $20-$174. There are two main types of tickets – the arena tickets and grounds tickets. The arena packages offer access to every stage, while the grounds packages don’t offer access into the arena (which houses the Jimmy Lyons Stage). Of course, the arena tickets cost more than grounds packages. Best bet is to look at the performance schedule and see how many arena acts you’re interested in seeing. If it’s quite a few, then the arena option is probably right for you.
Performers
Diana Krall, Christian McBride, Kenny Barron, Dave Holland, Chris Botti and Eliane Elias are among the best-known artists performing at the festival. Yet, we recommend that you also catch these nine lesser-known “hidden gems” on the bill.
MJF62 App
Download the helpful app before arriving to the festival. Just search for Monterey Jazz from the iPhone or Google Play stores and you’ll be able customize your own schedule of acts to see, access artist bios, enjoy YouTube videos and Spotify playlists, view a map of the festival site and more information.
Simulcast
There’s another thing to factor into the ticket equation: The action in the arena is simulcast into the smaller Jazz Theater, allowing even those with grounds tickets to enjoy Chris Botti, Diana Krall and the other big-time headliners on the Jimmy Lyons Stage.
On-site parking
It’s extremely limited and, according to the festival website, it’s already sold out in advance for 2019.
Other parking options
You can park at the Monterey Peninsula College (980 Fremont St., Monterey), which is about a 10-minute drive from the festival. The cost is $15 per day, but it includes shuttle rides to and from the festival. Reserve your parking in advance via the festival website.
There’s limited street parking, but it often means having to walk for 10-15 minutes to get to the festival site.
Also, keep an eye open for nearby stores that might be charging to use their parking lots.
Shuttles from Bay Area, Santa Cruz
The festival has partnered with FestDrive to provide shuttle service to the fairgrounds from San Jose, Oakland, San Francisco and Santa Cruz. Daily roundtrips start at $49. See festival website for more information.
Lodging
The festival’s official hotel partner are the Inns of Monterey, which look like lovely places to stay. But, let’s face it, staying in Monterey on this big weekend usually means spending big bucks. Save some major coin by booking a place in nearby Salinas instead.
Food
Plan accordingly and you can certainly dine in style before or after your time at the festival, given the number of great restaurants in Monterey and Carmel. Unfortunately, there isn’t much to eat right around the festival site, expect for the serviceable Denny’s across the street. The best idea is to just eat onsite, enjoying the international offerings – such as Thai and Indian – for sale at reasonable prices.
Don’t bring
The following things are not allowed on the festival grounds: food, coolers, glass bottles, alcoholic beverages, cameras with detachable lenses of any kind, laser pens or lights, audio/video recording devices, and pets. Also strollers are not allowed in the arena or any indoor venues.
