Lots of Activities Planned at The Highland Center

Things are busy these days at The Highland Center in Monterey.  The arrival of cold weather has not slowed down any events and with a new activity, walking laps, you can even keep up with your exercise.

Elizabeth Lohr-Myers is the Executive Director at The Highland Center.

“Exercising outside can be difficult and even a little unpleasant in the winter months, so I decided to open up The Highland Center auditorium for lap walking every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 to 11 am,” says Lohr-Myers.  “We have this beautiful, big building and it’s such a community asset.  It makes sense to open it to the community and welcome everyone here and have the building used and full of life.  So, based on the size of the auditorium, which of course was a gymnasium originally, it will take approximately 25 laps around the auditorium to equal one mile.  There are no requirements.  We do ask that lap walkers sign in, just so we have a sense of how many people are using the space.  So we hope it will be a great service for the community and, of course, Susanna’s Confections is open on Fridays.  So, while lap walkers are in the building it’s a great time to pop downstairs and enjoy a coffee or a treat from Susanna.”

Susanna’s Confections is located on the lower level of The Highland Center and is open every Tuesday and Friday from 9 am until 6 pm.

This Friday, November 19^th, you can stop by for pizza at The Highland Center.  A 14” cheese pizza is $12, with additional toppings available.

“We are also having a Pearl’s Pizza Event here outside at the pavilion,” says Lohr-Myers.  “We will have the mobile wood fired pizza oven here and you can order a custom pizza.   In conjunction with the Pearl’s Pizza Event, we are doing a hygiene products drive.  We are collecting new hygiene products that will go to our local Department of Social Services and the Valley Program for Aging Services.  So, if you bring a product when you come order your pizza, you will get a free topping for every item you donate.   That is this Friday, November 19.  The oven will be fired up and ready to cook pizza at 3 pm and it will continue until he is sold out of pizza.”

“We’re trying to do a variety of community events over the winter months, so we have started a coat drive which will also benefit the Department of Social Services,” says Lohr-Myers.  “So, any new or gently used coats can be dropped at The Highland Center and those will go to local community members in need.”

Coats will be accepted for the coat drive until January 31.

The Gallery of Highland is also located at The Highland Center.  It’s open weekdays from 9 to 5 and weekends from 11 to 4.  It features the works of Highland artists and authors for purchase.

“We are also busy planning for Wintertide, which will be on Saturday, December 4,” says Lohr-Myers. “We’ll have a Wintertide vendor market, a visit from Santa Claus, cookie decorating classes, lunch will be available and a whole lot of other fun things here on December 4.  Stay tuned for information on our annual New Year’s Eve party.”

More information on Wintertide events can be found on the Highland Chamber of Commerce website at www.highlandcounty.org

You can keep up with events going on at The Highland Center by visiting their Facebook page.