Old Monterey Foundation will hold the first ever “Pilates Party in the Park: Bagpipes, Serra and Fusian” on Saturday, April 2, 2016 at Lower Presidio Historic Park.
February 2016. Monterey, CA. Save the Date! The community is invited to the first ever “Pilates Party in the Park: Bagpipes, Serra and Fusian” at the Lower Presidio Historic Park in Monterey, CA. This special free event will be coordinated by the Old Monterey Foundation on Saturday, April 2, 2016 from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. to raise awareness of this beautiful park. “Pilates Party in the Park: Bagpipes, Serra and Fusian” will feature a Pilates demonstration and 30 minute classes by Pilates Monterey, a performance by the award-winning Pipe Major Michel d’Avenas, plus delicious food for purchase from the popular Fusian Street Food Truck. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own mat for Pilates, towel or folding chair for watching the demos and listening to the bagpipe performances.
Event Schedule:
11:30 a.m. – Noon Welcome and Introductions, Demos on the Wunda Chair (Pilates Apparatus) and a bagpipe performance by Pipe Major Michel d’Avenas
Noon – 12:30 p.m. A 30 minute mat Pilates class, beginner/restorative class for all levels
12:30 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. Break to enjoy Fusian Street Food Truck, Bagpipe performance by Pipe Major Michel d’Avenas, Wunda Chair demos
12:45 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. – 30 min class – Power Pilates (a little more fast paced)
1:15 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. – Bagpipe performance by Pipe Major Michel d’Avenas, Drawing for a Free Pilates Session, Fusian Street Food Truck, Wrap Up
Directions to the Lower Presidio Historic Park and Presidio of Monterey Museum:
From Monterey, take Pacific Street past the Monterey Conference Center and the First Theater to the end of Pacific where it forks, take the left fork;, turn left onto Artillery Road,
turn right on Corporal Ewing Road and follow it to the Presidio of Monterey Museum in the center of the Park against the hill; from Pacific Grove, take Lighthouse Avenue in New Monterey, turn right on Private Bolio Road, quickly turn left on Corporal Ewing Road and follow it to the Presidio of Monterey Museum. http://www.monterey.org/museums/Home/Map-and-Directions?2)
About The Lower Presidio Historic Park
The Lower Presidio Historic Park, described as “The Most Historically Significant Site on the West Coast” and “One of the Most Beautiful Places in Monterey” is on its way to becoming a true historic public park to be enjoyed by locals and visitors. Old Monterey Foundation, in cooperation with the City of Monterey and Department of the Army, has raised initial funds to begin Phase One of the project to enhance and restore this historic 25.3-acre site and is now seeking public donations to help complete Phase One of the $680,000 project. Old Monterey Foundation invites everyone to become members of “Friends of the Lower Presidio”
and make tax-deductible donations to more quickly restore the park. They are also raising funds to restore the historic Father Serra statue.
The Lower Presidio Historic Park is one of the least-visited historic parks in the area due to some confusion about whether the public is allowed in the area. Situated in a “hidden in plain sight” location, the Park can be found on Corporal Ewing Drive above Pacific Street at the Lighthouse Curve in Downtown Monterey. The park features spectacular views of the Monterey Bay and Harbor and will become a jewel of the City of Monterey’s park system.
About Pilates Monterey
Specializing in post-rehabilitative Pilates training, Pilates Monterey is a private Pilates Studio that offers private, semi-private and small group Pilates instruction as well as comprehensive Pilates Teacher Training. There is something for everyone at any level at Pilates Monterey. Learn Pilates with expert guidance and address your personal goals in their fully-equipped studio. You can also work one-on-one in a private session, experience an equipment group, or try a mat class. 
They also have the Peninsula Pilates Project which is a not-for-profit organization devoted to restorative Pilates classes for survivors of cancer or other debilitating diseases. The trained professionals at Pilates Monterey offer, free of charge, 4 weeks of classes and guide women and men recovering from cancer, enduring chemotherapy and/or radiation through a gentle and effective Pilates method mat exercises. For more information, go to www.pilatesmonterey.com.
About Pipe Major Michel d’Avenas
Monterey bagpiper and instructor of the Great Highland bagpipes, Michel d’Avenas, has been teaching in the greater Monterey, California area for over 40 years. He performs weekly at the Inn at Spanish Bay, 
and is a full time professional bagpiper for weddings, funerals, and other events in the area. He is the Piper Major of the Monterey Bay Pipe Band and the leading bagpipe instructor in Monterey County. He is also a piping competition judge at Scottish Festivals and other events. A Monterey County native, Michel’s family came from both Great Britain and France, and he has a musical heritage that extends through many generations. After graduating from Robert Louis Stevenson School, he served in the U.S. Army Military Police during the Vietnam War era as part of the European Command Honor Guard. He then attended U.C. Berkeley where he studied music theory and composition. For more information, go to www.pebblebeachpiper.com.
About the Fusian Food Truck
Founded in 2015, the Fusian Street Food Truck specializes in Asian Fusion food and also owns the Bubble Tea Shop located in North Salinas. Laos-born Toun Ray moved to Salinas in 1989. At the event, they will offer Vegetarian Spring rolls wrapped in rice paper (with mandarin orange sweet chili sauce, Fusian tacos (tri-tip on a corn tortilla with a mango salsa), Pho Vietnamese Noodle Soup (beef broth, tri-tip, rice noodles, bean sprouts, cilantro, Thai basil, onions, jalapeno and a squeeze of lime with hoisin sauce and siracha hot sauce). 
They will also feature six flavors of Bubble Tea, a tea-based flavored drink that uses sugar in the raw syrup or stevia, low fat dairy creamer and Jasmine green tea. The flavors will include Thai tea, horchata, mocha tea, mango, green tea, and taro. For more information, go to https://www.facebook.com/Fusian-Street-317834011754058/info/?tab=overview
To arrange an interview with Bill McCrone, Secretary of Old Monterey Foundation, please contact Wendy Brickman at (831) 633-4444 or email brickman@brickmanmarketing.com. For more information and directions, to donate and become a member of the Friends of the Lower Presidio, to volunteer and learn about future Old Monterey Foundation events, go to www.oldmontereyfoundation.org.
Twenty newly painted Angels were displayed around the gathering room at the Museum of Monterey on the Custom House Plaza, and lively interest was displayed in the Angels and in the biographies posted next to each one. All had the same shape and dimensions, but each presented the unique artistic vision of the Artist who graciously donated each Angel. The crowd enjoyed hors d’oeurves, wine and beer amid the lively discussion of individual artistic merits during the Reception preceding the auction.
Bidding started a bit slowly but the crowd soon warmed to the spirit of evening. Some favorites quickly appeared and precipitated lively bidding for the rest of the evening. The first bid to go over $500 was the Christmas Angel painted by renowned artist Erin Lee Gadfill, 
which topped out at $750. 
