Monterey Car Week expects 100,000 visitors

Monterey Car Week is expected to bring more than 100,000 visitors to Monterey County over 10 days from August 7 through August 16, according to KSBW and local event organizers. The week is also projected to generate more than $130 million in spending across the county, with hotels, restaurants, retail and ticketed events among the main beneficiaries. (ksbw.com) That forecast helps explain why Car Week is treated less like a single show than a countywide tourism surge. (ksbw.com) The event stretches across Monterey, Pebble Beach, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Pacific Grove, Seaside, Marina and Carmel Valley, according to a 2026 facts-and-figures sheet published by Visit Monterey County. (seemonterey.com) ### Where does the 100,000-visitor figure come from? KSBW reported on August 6 that businesses in Monterey County were preparing for a 10-day event expected to attract more than 100,000 visitors. A Monterey Car Week and Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance press release published this week used the same attendance and spending figures, saying the celebration draws more than 100,000 visitors countywide each year. (ksbw.com) KAZU, the NPR member station on the Central Coast, also reported this week that Car Week begins on Friday and is expected to draw over 100,000 visitors to Monterey County. That alignment across local outlets suggests organizers and tourism officials are working from the same public estimate. (issuu.com) ### What actually happens during Car Week? Monterey Car Week runs from Friday, August 7, to Sunday, August 16, and includes races, auctions, concours events, manufacturer reveals and community car shows across the peninsula. KSBW’s event guide described the program as 10 days of races, luxury car unveilings, auctions and shows, while See Monterey’s official visitor pages list events day by day. (ksbw.com) The schedule builds toward the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on August 16, which is marking its 75th edition this year, according to event promotion and local tourism material. Other listed events include the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, The Quail, multiple auction houses and smaller public gatherings spread through the week. (kazu.org) ### Why is the spending estimate so large? The projected spending tops $130 million because Car Week combines lodging demand, restaurant traffic, retail purchases, transportation and admissions to premium events, according to KSBW and the organizers’ release. The release also said those dollars support local hotels, hospitality businesses, employment and more than 100 local charities tied to Car Week events. (ksbw.com) Monterey County’s event footprint helps drive that total. The countywide schedule disperses visitors across multiple cities and venues rather than concentrating activity in one fairground or convention center. (seemonterey.com) ### How are visitors and residents supposed to navigate it? See Monterey has published a day-by-day events calendar and a location-based map for 2026 that lets visitors sort events by place and date. Those tools are meant to help people move between auctions, races, showcases and public displays during a week when traffic routinely becomes part of the planning. (ksbw.com) MSN, citing local coverage, separately reported that Monterey County launched an interactive Car Week map to help residents avoid traffic. That reflects the practical side of an event that brings six-figure attendance to a relatively compact coastal area. (seemonterey.com) ### What comes next on the calendar? Friday, August 7, is the start of the 2026 program, and the schedule then runs through Sunday, August 16. See Monterey’s published listings show the week culminating with the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, while the official map and daily schedule remain the main public guides for where events are happening across Monterey County. (seemonterey.com) (msn.com)