District Blog

In honor of Small Business Saturday, the Lighthouse District wants to share with you a story of one of our own beloved business owners and community members, Kim Lawson.

Kim has experienced significant health challenges this fall, and we encourage you to stop by her shop, Fashion Trade. on Nov. 25, 11am-5pm, and Nov. 26, 2pm-5pm, and show your support, both personal and financial, during her recovery. (Shop for a good cause!) Read more below.

Running a small business is a journey filled with challenges, and through the years Kim Lawson, the owner of Fashion Trade, a vintage fashion shop at 554 Lighthouse Avenue in Monterey, has faced those challenges head-on, often navigating the shop with minimal assistance.

However, life took an unexpected turn when Kim, active and in good health, experienced a heart attack. Subsequent heart attacks, attributed to a rare heart condition, led to open heart surgery.

In the face of adversity, the true heart of the community shone through. Members of the Rotary Club of Carmel Valley, of which Kim is a proud member, rallied around her. During her hospital stay in October and subsequent recovery, they selflessly stepped in to keep Fashion Trade alive, opening the store on weekends and ensuring the daily tasks were seamlessly handled.

The Rotarians are doing this because Kim Lawson is not just a talented businesswoman; she is a compassionate and vibrant soul who welcomes everyone with her engaging smile. Her resilience in business mirrors her strength in confronting health challenges. What sets her apart is her unwavering kindness toward others. Known for lending a helping hand and being a supportive listener, Kim actively participates in community service. A U.S. Army veteran, she is involved in multiple service-oriented organizations, making a positive impact through various events and initiatives.

Kim breathed life into Fashion Trade and its charming little yellow storefront on Lighthouse Avenue, curating a haven for fashion enthusiasts and offering a unique blend of special occasion attire and casual wear for both men and women since buying the shop a number of years ago.

Let's support Kim and her friends in this challenging time, and wish her a speedy recovery. Her prognosis is good, and we can't wait to see her smiling face back in Monterey's Lighthouse District when she's feeling better.

Bring Pearl Hour bottled cocktails home for your holiday celebrations! Sales will go live on Sunday, November 26 at 8am and orders will be ready for pick-up beginning December 6. You can now place your order here.

Pearl Hour cocktail bar is located at 214 Lighthouse Avenue in Monterey.

Come on in to Mattress Nation for our biggest sale of the year! We've got excellent deals on great brands like Stearns & Foster, Tempur-Pedic, and Sealy Posturepedic during our Black Friday Sale, running now through December 6, 2023 at our showroom at 296 Lighthouse Avenue in Monterey. We're open daily, 10am-6pm.

At Mattress Nation's Black Friday Sale, save up to $800 on select Stearns and Foster adjustable mattress sets, up to $500 on select Tempur-Pedic adjustable mattress sets, and up to $400 on select Sealy adjustable mattress sets. Take advantage of our last big sale of 2023.

Did you know that Mattress Nation is a locally-owned business? Here you'll get true customer service, great deals, one-on-one attention, and you'll be supporting people in your community.

Pamir Rugs and Kilims is holding an End of Year Sale featuring up to 60% off beautiful, high-quality rugs. Visit us at 237 Lighthouse Avenue in Monterey to view our wide selection of antique and handmade rugs in a variety of sizes and colors.

American Burger has logo merch for the holidays! Share a smile with the gift of our t-shirts, hats, and more. Stop by the restaurant at 738 Lighthouse Avenue in Monterey to select your favorite style and color. We have a great selection!

Photos from the 2023 Annual Trick-or-Treat on Lighthouse can now be viewed on our website! Thanks to everyone who came down to celebrate Halloween with us on Saturday, October 28, 2pm-5pm. It was a lot of fun, and we loved seeing all those happy faces.

The Lighthouse District belatedly welcomes Monterey Core Fitness to New Monterey! Opened in July at 191 Lighthouse Avenue, Core Fitness is a women's boutique gym and fitness studio that focuses on functional strength training, resilience, and community connection.

Monterey Core Fitness welcomes women at all levels - from beginner to advanced - ages 18 and up. It offers group low-impact strength training and fitness classes 6 days a week, personal training sessions by appointment, and member access to the gym, 4am-12am daily.

Owner Allison Johnston is a certified Elite Personal Trainer, Group Exercise Instructor, and Corrective Exercise Specialist whose focus is on teaching proper technique to prevent injuries and obtain optimal results. Her goal is to bring women together to complement each other's strengths, gaining self-love and self-confidence to become the best version of themselves.

Many different membership options are available through the Monterey Core Fitness website. Register for access to the gym, access to group training classes, or both. Want to try it out? Sign up for a one-day or one-week gym pass or a single group class.

Want to make your 2023 holiday meals even more special? Order pies, cakes, and dinner rolls from The Perfect Crumb! We are a locally owned boutique bakery at 301B Lighthouse Avenue in Monterey, creating every item from scratch on a daily basis.

The deadline for ordering baked goods for Thanksgiving is November 20, 2023. The Christmas ordering deadline is December 22, 2023. To place your order, please phone us at 831-241-6269 or stop by the shop, Wednesday-Sunday.

Holiday Pies, 9" - view price sheet
Pumpkin pie
Triple berry pie
Peach pie
Cherry pie
Pecan pie
Apple pie (regular or Dutch crust)
Sweet potato pie
Coconut Cream pie
Chocolate Cream pie
Banana pie
Key Lime Pie (available in 8", 9", 10" & 12")
Turkey Pot Pie

Dinner rolls: wheat or white

Holiday Cakes, 9" - view price sheet
Carrot cake
Spice cake
Burnt Almond cake
Pumpkin cake
Cheesecake
Pumpkin cheesecake

Cypress Boutique has great new men's styles for fall: soft sweaters, jackets, flannel shirts, denim pants, beanies, and shoes. Who knew comfort could look this good?

Visit us at 800 Lighthouse Avenue, Suite C in Monterey and let us help you find what you're looking for. We have a great selection packed into our cozy shop.

Escape Room 831 invites you to channel your inner criminal and rob a bank! Here at 599 Lighthouse Avenue in Monterey, we're located in a former bank building with an old bank vault, so what better place to see if you can put your criminal tendencies to a completely legal use?

The scenario: it's Employee Appreciation Day at the bank...the perfect day to commit grand larceny. Your mission is simple: break in, steal the cash, and get out. But your tunnel has collapsed and the team leader is stuck outside. You'll have to get into the vault and steal as much loot as possible before the employees return. And that's not so simple.

Rababank at Escape Room 831 presents 2-6 guests at a time with a series of analog and digital puzzles to solve in 1 hour. With an exciting story, lighting and sound effects, a real bank vault, and an experienced escape room guide, it's a blast. Book your visit online today.

The Lighthouse District's annual Movie in the Park on Saturday, September 16, a screening of the surf classic "North Shore," drew a wonderful crowd of people of all ages and had a great community atmosphere. A fun time was had by all! See the photos here.

We want to thank everyone who joined us for a movie night under the stars and helped make it such a good time. Thanks also to our stalwart volunteers who set up and took down the equipment and the 13 businesses along Lighthouse Avenue in Monterey who chipped in to sponsor the event and keep it free for the community. Please stop by and thank them if you have a chance.