Annual Events in Carmel You Don't Want to Miss

Carmel-by-the-Sea is renowned for its stunning coastal scenery, European-inspired architecture, and a vibrant cultural calendar featuring signature gatherings that showcase the town’s artistic and culinary depth. Throughout the year, residents and visitors experience festivals that celebrate local craftsmanship, world-class music, regional cuisine, and outdoor living. Each season brings something distinctive, from springtime art fairs and summer music festivals to autumn culinary showcases and the winter tree-lighting ceremony at Devendorf Park.

These annual events in Carmel CA reflect the town’s long-standing identity as both a creative enclave and a welcoming coastal retreat.

The Carmel Art Festival takes place every spring and features dozens of professional artists displaying original work throughout downtown Carmel. You’ll see outdoor exhibitions, artist meet-and-greets, live music, and the opportunity to purchase paintings, sculptures, and mixed-media pieces directly from the creators. The setting embraces the village character with installations on Ocean Avenue, in local courtyards, and gallery open houses.

In previous years, the festival has included a street fair element, with food trucks, artisan vendors, and live demonstrations. The combination of art plus the town’s walkable scale gives you a chance to move over multiple blocks, meet creators, and view work under coastal light.

Carmel Culinary Week is an annual multi-day celebration of the local food and wine scene. Restaurants around the village and in the nearby valley participate in wine pairing dinners, chef-led masterclasses, and special tasting menus. Local vineyards and wine bars bring in guest vintners, and you’ll often find pop-up events in historic inns or beachfront settings.

Dining experiences shift to highlight seasonal ingredients from the Monterey Peninsula and the surrounding hills. You might join an oyster-and-champagne pairing at a downtown wine bar or attend a chef's table featuring coastal game or fresh shellfish.

Held in early summer, the Carmel Bach Festival is a beloved music celebration with orchestral concerts, chamber performances, and communal recitals. The venue settings often include the Carmel Music Society and the Sunset Center, and performances span several days. You’ll hear classical and early-music works, many centred on Bach and his contemporaries.

In addition to concert grand events, outdoor recitals are held in gardens or scenic settings around Carmel. These gatherings draw listeners who appreciate high-level instrumentation and performative context combined with the village’s coastal charm. The festival remains one of the premier annual events in Carmel CA for cultural travelers.

In the autumn, you’ll encounter the Meet the Makers gathering and accompanying artist walk, where local craft persons, winemakers, potters, and fine-art creators gather along the downtown galleries and boutique spaces. The event offers open studios, live demonstrations, tastings, and direct interaction with the creators.

You’ll stroll through lantern-lit pathways in Carmel’s lanes, stopping at each space to view new collections of glass art, ceramics, hand-woven textiles, or limited-edition prints. Because the event takes place outdoors and inside galleries, you gain access to the styles of the region’s artistic community and the latest curated pieces.

While the primary venue lies just outside Carmel proper, the weekend surrounding the renowned classic car show brings significant energy to the area. When the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance takes place each summer, collectors and car aficionados descend on the region, and many gather in Carmel for dining, gallery visits, coastal walks, and special exhibitions.

 

You’ll find pop-up displays of vintage automobiles in downtown Carmel, gallery showings that reference automotive art, and weekend packages from inns and lodges that align with the broader motor-sport theme. The influx of enthusiasts means the village setting becomes a hub of style, gatherings, and event-driven energy.

When the calendar turns toward late November and December, the downtown village of Carmel transforms for the season. At Devendorf Park, the annual tree lighting ceremony draws residents and visitors alike, featuring music, refreshments, and holiday decorations along Ocean Avenue. You’ll see storefronts adorned with lights, seasonal signage, and local performances that mark the transition into winter.

Following the tree lighting, related events include open-house shopping nights, holiday market stalls, and gallery receptions timed for the season. The collection of offerings forms the winter anchor of the year’s calendar. As one of the signature annual events in Carmel CA, it balances community moments with regional appeal during the cooler months.

The Carmel International Film Festival brings together independent filmmakers, artists, and film industry professionals for four days of screenings, discussions, and receptions throughout the town. The lineup features narrative films, documentaries, shorts, and animation, providing attendees with exposure to a diverse range of storytelling approaches. Post-screening Q&A sessions provide direct insight into the creative and technical decisions behind each project, offering an open exchange between audiences and filmmakers.

In addition to film, the festival incorporates visual art, photography, and live music, broadening its focus into a wider celebration of creativity. Screenings and exhibits take place throughout Carmel in theaters, art spaces, and galleries, highlighting the town’s dynamic cultural landscape. Thoughtfully curated yet approachable, the festival provides a shared platform for emerging and established creators, allowing visitors to experience Carmel’s thriving artistic community.

When exploring these highlight gatherings and other signature moments in Carmel, Katy Harrison offers up-to-date insight, event-specific arrangements, and introductions to local venues that enrich the experience. Katy’s knowledge of the calendar, venues, and associated activities ensures clients understand not only what’s happening, but how they might engage meaningfully.

Contact Katy Harrison to explore which upcoming events align with your interests and how to integrate your stay in Carmel with the town’s year-round rhythm of celebration.