Sunset Center kicks off five-year centennial celebration with free Oct. 25 block party

Sunset Center in Carmel-by-the-Sea will launch a five-year campaign marking its 100th anniversary with a free community event on Oct. 25. The celebration starts a path to the theater auditorium’s 2031 centennial and features performances, art, history exhibits and family activities.

Why it matters: - Sunset Center is using its 100th anniversary to reconnect the campus with the Carmel-by-the-Sea community. - The celebration launches a five-year campaign that leads to the 2031 centennial of live performance in the theater auditorium. - The free event is designed to draw families, artists, students and local cultural groups into one public gathering.

What happened: - Sunset Center announced Century of Creativity | 1926–2031, a five-year centennial campaign tied to two milestones on its Carmel-by-the-Sea campus. - The campaign begins with a free community celebration on Sunday, Oct. 25, from 1 to 4 p.m. - The 2026 centennial marks 100 years since the original campus building opened as Sunset School in 1926. - The campaign continues through 2031, when Sunset Center will mark 100 years since the theater auditorium opened in 1931. - The event will take place at Sunset Center on San Carlos Street at Ninth Avenue in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.

The details: - Live performances are scheduled from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the 718-seat theater and on the outdoor terrace. - Resident companies taking part include Carmel Bach Festival, Monterey Symphony, Carmel Music Society and Chamber Music Monterey Bay. - Additional performers include Youth Music Monterey’s youth brass ensemble, Carmel High School Chamber Singers and Monterey Peninsula Ballet Theatre/TDC. - A complete performance schedule will be announced later. - The Sunset Legacy Wall, led by the Sally Russell Art Studio, will invite visitors to add artwork, written memories and messages. - Children and families can take part in a rock-painting activity. - DJ Paul Wylde will spin vinyl near the theater. - Artist Valentine will create a painting during the event. - The Center for Photographic Art will host a photo bus activation and book signing. - Harrison Memorial Library will offer face painting and community activities. - Carmel Public Library will collect oral histories and memories connected to Sunset. - Yoga Shala will host outdoor wellness activities, including a sound-bath experience. - Guided tours will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the historic campus. - An archival exhibit will trace Sunset’s history and its shift from school campus to regional cultural center. - Community organizations scheduled to participate include the Carmel Heritage Society, Harrison Memorial Library, The Carmel Foundation, Carmel Youth Center, Carmel Residents Association and Carmel Woman’s Club. - Community partners will provide complimentary refreshments, including 200 chocolate chip cookies from the Cookie Kindness Project, 100 individual cheeses from Beehive and chocolate from Marich. - Sunset Center concessions will sell hot dogs, chips, popcorn and sodas. - The event is free and open to the public. - Sunset Center describes itself as a cultural center presenting performances, exhibitions and community programs on a historic campus that opened as Sunset School in 1926. - Sunset Center’s theater auditorium opened in 1931. - Sunset Cultural Center, Inc. operates the venue. - The landmark is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Between the lines: - The campaign frames Sunset Center’s history as both a local heritage story and a live arts institution with current programming. - The mix of performances, oral histories and hands-on activities suggests a strategy to turn the centennial into a community participation project, not just an anniversary ceremony. - The five-year timeline gives Sunset Center a long runway to keep attention on the campus through the 2031 theater milestone.

What's next: - Sunset Center will release a separate complete performance schedule. - The broader centennial campaign will continue through 2031 with additional programming and events tied to the theater auditorium’s anniversary. - Sunset Center plans to highlight its history, cultural programs and community connections as the 2031 milestone approaches.

The bottom line: - Sunset Center is turning its centennial into a five-year public campaign, starting with a free block party that ties the campus’s past to its future.