Quarter 1 Sales Drivers for Salinas and Surrounding Monterey County by Ruth Paget
Quarter 1 (Q!) sales between January 1 and March 31 are typically considered a dry period for sales after the Christmas season and before the end of tax season.
However, there are some ongoing and monthly events that can generate money from regional tourism. Regional tourists from Silicon Valley and the Bay Area can arrive in Salinas and Monterey County via car, train, bus, and commuter air flights from San Francisco. Day trips and weekend trips are areas for expansion.
Also, Salinas can profit from drive-through tourism by business people going from southern California to northern California.
Ongoing Tourism Events:
*seafood tourism –
Rainy, cold weather is good for seafood fishing and the perfect backdrop for seafood tourism. Maine has snow and sleet and a healthy seafood tourism industry. You can check tourism figures during winter months for Maine to see the magnitude of this tourism industry.
Salinas can pair seafood tourism with whale watching tours in Monterey as a mini winter vacation.
*spa recharge tourism –
This lucrative industry could be expanded to one-day or weekend tourists, especially for students in sustainable tourism, tourism workers, restaurant workers, and drivers in addition to traditional markets.
*Northridge Mall Farmers Market on Wednesday nights –
This market has 100+ food trucks and food stalls. Make sure that everything sells to Salinas and the surrounding regions. Reservations on food items managed with QR codes and Apple Pay might expand the number of people served and speed up the payment process so there are no lines. Expanded product sales might include spa products and potted herbs. (Part of agritourism - Portland, Oregon is famous for its market)
*Natividad Farmers Market on Wednesday morning and afternoon
Located on Constitution Boulevard. See remarks above about the Northridge Market. This market sometimes has cooking demonstrations. (Part of agritourism - Portland, Oregon is famous for its market)
*Main Street Farmers Market on Saturday mornings –
This market is well developed, but might also benefit from using a reservation pick-up system for food truck items similar to the one I described above. (Part of agritourism - Portland, Oregon is famous for its market)
*Salinas Valley Health Market on Friday mornings and afternoons -
See remarks on markets above (Part of agritourism - Portland, Oregon is famous for its market)
*Mall Shopping Tourism -
Salinas has malls with large parking lots so parking is typically not a hassle here even on busy weekends
*Restaurant Tourism -
Restaurants in Salinas have outstanding organic produce, meat, and fish to work with. All our restaurants should be top-notch within their food category. Websites should all include parking options in their directions descriptions even if people tend to uber there.
*Fashion Industry, Perfume, Make-Up, and Accessory Sales -
Clearance sales to make way for spring and summer collections in fashion, make-up, perfume, and accessories usually happen in January and run till everything is sold. Individuals can also go through their clothes and sell designer items at consignment shops or online.
Donations of old clothing to non-profit organizations can sometimes be written off taxes as well. You can stock up on Christmas gifts at a reasonable price January through March. This is a good time to buy winter coats, sweaters, and winter boots.
*Family Reunion and Genealogical Tourism -
Many families hold reunions in upscale restaurants with good photo opportunities. Family members might include hotel stays, tourism outings, and visits to grave yards as part of their reunions. Florists and photographers might be part of the tourism sale for a family reunion.
*Wedding Tourism -
Wedding and honeymoon travel are available in one spot in Monterey County.
*24/7 Salinas Traveler’s Services
24-Hour Pharmacies, gas stations, restaurants, and car maintenance facilities are on the following blog I put together:
https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2026/03/247-salinas-california-by-ruth-paget.html?m=1
*Little League Sports -
Visiting teams often eat in restaurants and stay overnight in hotels.
*Ticket Sales for Spring and Other Seasonal Events Can Start in January for events such as the following:
-season tickets for the Western Stage at Hartnell College
-season tickets for Ariel Theatrical the children’s theater
-Rodeo tickets
-Salinas Air Show tickets
-Ferrari Challenge tickets
-Planetarium tickets at Hartnell College
-Pro-Am Golf Tournament Tickets (held in February)
-season tickets to classical music events like Bach Fest, the Symphony, and Chamber Music of Monterey
-Steinbeck Center
-Steinbeck House Restaurant Reservations
Events that can generate sales for restaurants, grocery stores, books, and movie downloads by month for restaurant and at-home celebrations include:
*January
-New Year’s Day (January 1)
-Martin Luther King Day (January 18)
*February
-Chandeleur (February 2)
-Mardi Gras (February 17)
-Lent (40 days before Easter. Food products to be eaten include fish, seafood, dairy, vegetables, and legumes but no meat related products)
-Valentine’s Day (February 14)
-President’s Day (February 15)
-Chinese New Year’s and Vietnamese Têt – two-week celebration in February
-Super Bowl Watching Parties – various venues
*March
-Tulip viewing and purchasing at Earthbound Farms -
See my blog below for information on the history and cultivation of tulips:
https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2026/03/tulip-tourism-outside-salinas-at.html?m=1
-Saint Patrick’s Day (March 17) -
See my blog below for a home-based celebration:
https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2026/03/saint-patricks-day-recipes-and-cultural.html?m=1
-ComicCon Salinas held in Spreckels at the end of March
For ticket information, see my blog below:
https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2026/03/comiccon-salinas-is-march-22-2026-in.html?m=1
These cultural and educational events are what I would like to see sold to 100% capacity. With a little planning, I think this 100% sale of cultural and educational events can be a realistic goal.
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games