Annual Street Fair

On one Sunday in late July, Moss Landing Road fills with booths of antique, vintage, collectible and artisan goods. The Moss Landing Chamber of Commerce counts almost two hundred of them. The fair’s own page puts the number at more than 200. Food and drink vendors work all day, and the fair advertises live music and cold beer among the tables. The 2026 fair was held Sunday, July 26, with gates open from 8:00 in the morning until 3:30 in the afternoon. Admission was $5.00 for adults and free for children under 12. Dogs other than service dogs are not allowed, and no one may ride a bicycle or skateboard through the fair.

Free parking lies in designated areas at the south entrance. The Harbor District lot charges a fee and takes cash only. The town sits on California Highway 1 between Monterey and Santa Cruz, and the fair’s page calls it “the best little beach town at the heart of Monterey Bay.” Through the rest of the year that page posts the surroundings: sea otters resting in the eelgrass and foraging in the harbor, pelicans under the moon over the marina, and strawberries in June at the local produce markets.

The chamber’s Board of Directors and a Street Fair Coordinator create and run the fair. Gate proceeds pay for permits, supplies, sanitation, security and gate staff. The profit that remains is the chamber’s primary source of annual income, which it spends on community improvement and business promotion. The chamber is a membership organization of business owners and operators, and it dates its work to 1972. By the chamber’s account, the 2025 fair on Sunday, July 27 drew “1,000s of visitors.” The morning after the 2026 fair, the page asked, “What were your favorite finds?”

The fair’s page also gives the source of the town’s name. It comes from Captain Charles Moss, who built a 200-foot wharf there in 1866 for the whaling and agricultural trades.