Santa sails into Monterey Bay ahead of Peninsula’s Toy Drop
The aroma of freshly made caramel corn merges with a breeze off the Monterey Bay – just in front of the circus pink façade of Carousel Candies. That delicious experience can only happen on Old Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey. It’s also known as Wharf One by locals because Wharf Two, just a quarter-mile along the shoreline, is where the active fishing boats tie up and unload their catch every day and where sailing boats find their safe harbor at the Monterey Marina.
Boats are on many minds this weekend.
“Santa is going to arrive here on one of our boats directly from the North Pole at (1 p.m.), Saturday, Dec. 2,” said Barbara Thomas, marketing director of Princess Monterey Whale Watching. “He’ll get off the boat and go right to that house over there,” she said, pointing to the decorated cabin near the Crab House Restaurant. Santa will be on site from 1:15 to 5 p.m. that day. He’ll give a free candy cane to the first 100 visitors. Santa will then return each weekend until Dec. 23. Visitors are asked to bring a new, unwrapped toy for the Salvation Army – Monterey Peninsula’s Toy Drop.
On Sunday, Dec. 3 at dusk, the Monterey Yacht Club and the Fisherman’s Wharf Association will present “Brighten the Harbor” Lighted Sailboat Parade for which local sailors decorate their masts and riggings with colorful lights and then sail around the Bay in the dark. This spectacle of colorful lights sliding across the waves is visible from the hillsides above the Bay but there’s another option to get viewers closer!
“We have both boats going out at 5 p.m.,” Thomas said. She is particularly excited about this yearly event. “We’ll serve hot chocolate, cookies, and candy canes. We don’t join the parade. We just go out and cruise with them. We’ve done it the past two years and it’s fun.”
Folks interested in this cruise can make a reservation by going to the website (princessmontereywhalewatching.com) or calling 831-372-2599. “Or, they can show up. Last year, we had two full boats. If people are expecting to come down and buy tickets, they should be here by 3 to 4 o’clock,” she said. Check the prices on the website as they vary.
Back inside Carousel Candies, visitors see a dazzling array of confections from floor to ceiling, rich chocolates and hard tack, salt water taffy and bins of bulk sweets. Carousel Candies has been run by Elizabeth Elves for decades and is a must-see, must-enjoy Monterey institution.
Enticed into this candy store was the Villanueva family from Fresno. The staff treated them to a sample of the newly made caramel corn.
“Our son was on a school tour to the Monterey Bay Aquarium this morning and we decided to see more of Monterey,” said Mrs. Villanueva. A sample of Carousel’s salty caramel taffy was offered to Mr. Villanueva. He said with a broad smile, “¡Muy bueno!”
The free 7th Annual Christmas on the Wharf festivities span four December weekends with live musical performances by local choirs, youth dancers, and singers: Fridays – 5 to 9 p.m., Saturdays – 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays – 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Also, on Sundays, 5 to 6:30 p.m., His Grace Ministries International Church invites the community to join them for “Community Caroling on the Wharf.” Visit montereywharf.com for event updates.
Attendees can bring folding chairs to relax and enjoy the performances. Well-behaved dogs are allowed on a leash.
Visitors can also check out the California sea lions, otters, seagulls and other marine life at any time.
Also happening during the holidays on Wharf One, Old Fisherman's Grotto will sell hot cocoa and cookies every Saturday and Sunday during December weekends, 1 to 7 p.m. These sales will benefit the Salvation Army of the Monterey Peninsula. Dock Side Fish Market will also have tasty cookies and cocoa for sale.
The Monterey Police Department will present a special Holiday Safety Afternoon on the Wharf on Saturday, December 9, 1 to 4 p.m. Monterey Fire will provide fire boat demonstrations in the harbor and a fire engine. ITN Monterey County will also be on site with information about dignified transportation options for seniors and others.
Just outside the Wharf are Custom House Plaza and several of Monterey’s oldest buildings. The Monterey State Historic Park Association is hosting Christmas in the Adobes 2023. It’s a guided tour of these unique adobes with musical performances. Tickets are available at Pacific House Museum, the Custom House Store or online at mshpa.org.
A 23-foot tree with oversized gifts and sea creatures at its base decorates the Wharf’s entrance.
Harbor House with its iconic blue lighthouse in nearby.
“It’s one of the oldest gift shops on the Wharf,” admits Marina Lindsey. Her family has run the business since the 1950s.
“Usually the crowds don’t come until after Christmas,” said Lindsey. “That’s when the kids are out of school and the parents go on vacation and people spend the money they got for Christmas.”
“We do really good with just the regular souvenirs,” she said. “We have a jammy shop that people like too,” she points to the long racks of super soft, brightly colored pajama bottoms and tops. “We also have lots of doggie memorabilia, doggie ornaments, doggie socks, doggie bottles, doggie posters and other pet stuff.”
Harbor House, now packed full of items which celebrate Monterey – its name and its critters, provides today’s visitors with pleasant reminders of their time here. But, that’s not this building’s full history.
It was once a tavern. It was once packed full of people including John Steinbeck, Doc Ricketts, and those characters from “Tortilla Flat,” “Cannery Row,” and “Sweet Thursday.” Their ghosts may follow every visitor as they walk through this store and then out to the end of the Wharf to view Mount Toro in one direction and Santa Cruz in another. That gentle breeze on the cheek? It’s their spirits refusing to leave this wondrous place.
This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Santa sails into Monterey Bay ahead of Peninsula’s Toy Drop
