Car Week is not one event in one place. It is dozens of gatherings scattered across five towns and a valley, and half the battle is knowing what happens where. Here is the Peninsula, town by town, so you can plan a day around a place instead of chasing across the map.
Monterey. Downtown is the week’s front door. Alvarado Street hosts the kickoff, and the auctions run at the Monterey Conference Center, where RM Sotheby’s and RetroAuto set up, while Mecum runs four days at the Hyatt Regency. The free trolley loops the waterfront all week.
Carmel-by-the-Sea. Ocean Avenue closes for Concours on the Avenue, the free downtown show, and the town is a prime spot to watch the Tour d’Elegance pass through midweek.
Pacific Grove. Lighthouse Avenue belongs to the Little Car Show and the free Thursday-night Rotary Auto Rally, the most family-friendly corners of the week.
Seaside. The accessible end of the exotic scene. Concours d’LeMons takes the City Hall lawn, Exotics on Broadway closes a street for supercars, and Concorso Italiano fills Black Horse Golf Course with Italian metal. Parking here is the easiest on the Peninsula.
Carmel Valley. The valley draws the marquee lawns. The Quail and Legends of the Autobahn land Friday, and Bonhams sells at Quail Lodge. Carmel Valley Road is the chokepoint, so go early.
Pebble Beach. The summit. The Concours d’Elegance closes the week on the 18th fairway, with Gooding alongside, and the racing runs up the road at Laguna Seca for the Motorsports Reunion.
Pick a town, build a day, and let the map do the planning. See the full schedule on the Car Week hub, and read the parking and closures guide before you drive anywhere. For a wider regional map, See Monterey keeps one.
