SeasonMapWhat's on in Monterey, United States through the year
Monterey, United States has 5 curated events through the year — 2 festivals, 2 natural spectacles and 1 season. The ones to plan around: Monterey Jazz Festival (September) and Monarchs at Pacific Grove (October). August to September are its peak-crowd months.
Updated September 2026 · every event curated and sourced · dates for 2026 where they are announced, the usual window where they are not
Monterey events and crowds by month
January in Monterey
Monterey weather in January →Busy — Winter / Christmas break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it
Nothing new starts in January.
Still on: Monarchs at Pacific Grove (20 Oct – 28 Feb (usually)), Gray whale migration (15 Dec – 10 May (usually))
February in Monterey
Monterey weather in February →Quiet — one of its worst months for weather
Nothing new starts in February.
Still on: Monarchs at Pacific Grove (20 Oct – 28 Feb (usually)), Gray whale migration (15 Dec – 10 May (usually))
March in Monterey
Monterey weather in March →Busy — Spring break in United States
Nothing new starts in March.
Still on: Gray whale migration (15 Dec – 10 May (usually))
April in Monterey
Monterey weather in April →Shoulder season — an ordinary month
Nothing new starts in April.
Still on: Gray whale migration (15 Dec – 10 May (usually))
May in Monterey
Monterey weather in May →Shoulder season — an ordinary month
Nothing new starts in May.
Still on: Gray whale migration (15 Dec – 10 May (usually))
June in Monterey
Monterey weather in June →Busy — Summer break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it
- Season
Summer fog
1 Jun – 31 Aug · usuallyFog seasonThe upwelling that makes the bay so rich also makes the summer grey: fog most mornings and some full days, while Carmel Valley twenty minutes inland is clear. September and October are the sunny months here.
July in Monterey
Monterey weather in July →Busy — Summer break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it
Nothing new starts in July.
Still on: Summer fog (1 Jun – 31 Aug (usually))
August in Monterey
Monterey weather in August →Peak crowds — Monterey Car Week, Summer break in United States
- Festival
Monterey Car Week
7–16 AugMotorsport weekendCrowdedBook earlyTen days of auctions, the historic races at Laguna Seca and the Concours on the eighteenth fairway at Pebble Beach. It is the dearest week of the peninsula's year by a distance and Highway 1 stops working. Source ↗
Still on: Summer fog (1 Jun – 31 Aug (usually))
September in Monterey
Monterey weather in September →Peak crowds — Monterey Jazz Festival, Summer break in United States
- Festival
Monterey Jazz Festival
25–27 SepMajor festivalCrowdedThe longest continuously running jazz festival anywhere, three days at the county fairgrounds in late September, on the weekend the fog has usually gone and the evenings are still warm enough to sit outside. Source ↗
October in Monterey
Monterey weather in October →Shoulder season — an ordinary month
- Nature
Monarchs at Pacific Grove
20 Oct – 28 Feb · usuallyWildlife seasonMonarchs cluster in the eucalyptus at the Pacific Grove sanctuary from late October to about the start of March, peaking around the turn of the year. Numbers have collapsed in recent years, so go with low expectations.
November in Monterey
Monterey weather in November →Busy — Thanksgiving break in United States
Nothing new starts in November.
Still on: Monarchs at Pacific Grove (20 Oct – 28 Feb (usually))
December in Monterey
Monterey weather in December →Busy — Winter / Christmas break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it
- Nature
Gray whale migration
15 Dec – 10 May · usuallyWhale seasonGrays head south past the bay from Christmas and back north with calves from mid-February to May, hugging the shore because the submarine canyon brings deep water close in. Humpbacks take over for the summer.
Still on: Monarchs at Pacific Grove (20 Oct – 28 Feb (usually))