Summer 2026

76 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R 2 0 2 6 The 2026 Palenke Arts Festival will celebrate the organization’s 10th anniversary with a free event on Sunday, June 7, at Laguna Grande Park in Seaside. W hen recognizing a need in a commu- nity, a person has two choices, says Juan L. Sánchez, executive director of Palenke Arts. “You can complain about it, or you can do something about it.” He’s the kind of guy who chooses the latter path. As a touring musician, he saw many towns with thriving art education resources. When he settled down on the Monterey Peninsula, he was inspired to found Palenke to create a sim- ilar scene here. “The goal was to create a safe, inclusive and vibrant multicultural arts center in Seaside, a place of belonging for a community that was thirsting for it,” Sánchez says. And by all accounts, it’s been a success. To date, more than 2,000 people of all ages have engaged in the organization’s programs, and Palenke puts on shows that feature a diverse array of international talent, entertaining around 5,000 audience members annually. The 2026 Palenke Arts Festival will celebrate the organization’s 10th anniversary with a free event Sunday, June 7, at Seaside’s Laguna Grande Park. “This festival is a celebration of everyone who has helped build Palenke Arts: artists, fam- ilies, volunteers, students and supporters who believe that culture matters,” Sánchez says. For more information visit www.palenkearts.org . SHORT CUTS EVENT Celebrating 10 Years of Multicultural Ar ts B Y M I CHA E L CHAT F I E LD Photo: James Chang