Ever wonder what Christmas was like in Old Monterey? Then Christmas in the Adobes is for you. For two nights only – Thursday December 10th and Saturday December 12th – twenty of Monterey’s historic buildings will be lit by candlelight as part of the 24th annual Christmas in the Adobes celebration. This is the only time of the year that many of these nineteenth century buildings are open to the public and open in the evening.

Along with the hundreds of glowing candles, called “luminarias,” there will be music, refreshments, and period decorations to get everyone in the holiday spirit. Because of the Monterey Peninsula’s deep love and respect for its past, the entertainment and decorations match the history of each building. The Custom House, California’s oldest public building, will host a fandango, a lively Spanish dance event which has been held at the same building since it was build in 1827. Casa Soberanes, a home that typifies the Mexican era, will offer musical entertainment from the 1840s, as well as Mexican hot chocolate. For those wanting to know more about the life of John Steinbeck, the Lara-Soto Adobe is the place to see. Visitors to the Stevenson House will travel back in time and meet a living history re-enactor portraying the famous writer, Robert Louis Stevenson.

Each building will have staff, docents, and volunteers on hand to share the unique aspects of the structure and stories of their former occupants. Most of the historic buildings are in close proximity to each other so that visitors are able to walk, using a self-guided brochure, to any or all of the historic houses.

For more information, call 831-649-7118 or visit California Parks website.