Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1182230
Monterey Cowboy Festival November 2, 7-9 pm Monterey County Fair & Event Center T he Monterey Cowboy Festival, which star ted life as the Monterey Cowboy Poetry & Music Festival 21 years ago, drop- ping the "Poetry" and "Music" last year, is taking this year off to regroup while going through a "transition process." In its stead and to keep the ball rolling, as it were, the festival introduces its Country Nights concer t series this year, but with two incredibly appealing performers: Sugarland's Kristian Bush and singer-songwriter Rita Wilson (yes, Tom Hanks' wife), who are on a special co-headlining tour. Bush is a Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist who founded Sugarland in 2002, with Jennifer Nettles, selling 22 million albums worldwide and winning a bushel full of awards. Wilson, who is also an actress and pro- ducer, released her four th album, "Halfway to Home" earlier this year, getting glowing reviews, including from Michelle Obama and Brandi Carlisle. www.montereycowboy.org. Big Sur Food and Wine November 7-9 Various Locations, Big Sur T he Big Sur Food and Wine Festival has weathered a number of challenges — lit- erally. Inclement weather closed the festival in 2015 and impacted the festival in 2017, but the event, like the indomitable Big Sur com- munity itself, has persevered and even adapt- ed to the challenges. The festival has pared down its events from previous years, making the event more manageable, but keeping some of its fan favorites, the "Pinot Walkabout," "Hiking With Stemware," "Magical Myster y Tour" and the ever-popular "Wine & Swine" extravaganza. It all kicks off Thursday night, November 7, at luxurious Ventana Big Sur, featur- ing 15 chefs and 25 wineries under the stars. Tickets go fast. www.bigsurfoodandwine.org Mary Chapin Carpenter & Shawn Colvin December 7, 8pm Golden State Theatre, Monterey W omen musicians— espe- cially those in the coun- try/Americana fields — are star t- ing to flex their considerable mus- cles, often joining forces for more impact and to make country radio, notorious for over- looking solo female ar tists, take notice. Supergroups like the Highwomen, Pistol Annies, SHe DAISY and Runaway June, are stir- ring things up, and for the good. Acclaimed singer-songwriters Mar y Chapin Carpenter and Shawn Colvin, who have been friends for more than 30 years, stop in at Golden State Theatre as par t of their second tour together (first was in 2013). Carpenter, the winner of five Grammies and perhaps best known for "Passionate Kisses," joins with her friend Colvin, who won Grammies in 1989 for her debut "Steady On" and two in 1998 for "Sunny Came Home," will swap songs and share sto- ries garnered from their long and storied careers in a living room atmosphere. www.goldenstatetheatre.com. EVERYONE LOVES A LIST, RIGHT? HERE ARE MY PICKS FOR FUN EVENTS WORTH CHECKING OUT IN MONTEREY COUNTY! ADMIT ONE W I T H M A C M C D O N A L D 90 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • H O L I D A Y 2 0 1 9 Kristian Bush and Rita Wilson perform at the Monterey Cowboy Festival on Saturday, November 2. Mary Chapin Carpenter performs Friday, December 7 at 8pm at the Golden State Theater, Monterey. Photo: Aaron Farrington