With Maya Cinemas Dark, Downtown Salinas's Fall Calendar Runs Through the 200 Block of Main

Maya Cinemas at 153 Main St. has been closed since early September. A plan to reopen it on Friday, Oct. 9 was set aside the day before, and no new date had been announced as of Oct. 8. That leaves downtown Salinas heading into its busiest season without its movie theater. Through December, nights out on Main Street will depend on a restored historic theater, a monthly art night, and a short run of community events.

Here is how the fall calendar looks from Main Street right now, and what is still undecided at the Maya.

Four dates at 153 Main

The theater's story this fall has moved quickly. The timeline matters because the theater is now a shared project between the city and several downtown groups.

1. Sept. 9. Maya Cinemas posted a closure notice thanking patrons. The notice gave no reason. The Salinas Californian reported rising costs and difficult business conditions as the pressures behind the decision. KSBW covered the closure the same week.
2. Sept. 14. At a press conference outside the theater, Mayor Dennis Donohue and Maya Cinemas CEO Francisco Schlotterbeck announced a partnership with the City, the Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Salinas City Center Improvement Association and One Main Street. The target was a reopening on Friday, Oct. 9, with interior improvements before then.
3. Oct. 8. Maya Cinemas said Oct. 9 had been "an early target." It needed more time "to ensure the reopening is as smooth and successful as possible," and promised updates as they come.
4. Since then. The Oct. 8 postponement is the most recent update found, and it named no replacement date.

Before the partnership was announced, Salinas Valley NOW had first reported the closure as permanent. In its Sept. 14 report, Schlotterbeck told the outlet the theater "has always been more than a building," a place for "a first date, a family outing or a movie that people talk about for weeks afterward." The same report said next steps were still to be worked out. All partners hoped to agree on a long-term plan for the theater.

Losing the Maya means more than losing first-run films. Monterey County NOW notes that the theater also ran Canal Maya, a series of Latino cultural programming. Salinas Valley NOW's closure story says the Salinas location also screened work by local filmmakers, showed Watsonville Film Festival films, and hosted Q&As and other presentations. No other downtown venue fills that role right now.

The lights are on at 241 Main

The Fox Theater, at 241 Main Street, is now downtown's main indoor stage for an evening out. Its official site calls it a restored historic theater with seating for more than 500. It hosts concerts, comedy, plays, shows, weddings and banquets.

As of today, the Fox lists these remaining fall shows:

The J. Valentino date deserves a check before you go. The Fox's events page still carries the original Oct. 9 description under a rescheduling notice. The notice moves the show to Friday, Nov. 20. It also says tickets not refunded within one week of the notice stay valid for the new date. Nov. 27 is the Friday after Thanksgiving, so the MC Magic show falls on the same weekend as the Holiday Parade of Lights two days later.

The rest of the evening sits on the same block

The Fox's address puts it in the middle of the downtown stretch where most other evening businesses also cluster. Listings on the Salinas City Center site place several within a short walk of the theater:

• The Beerded Bean, 210 Main St., hosted a Sip and Paint night in February.
• Downtown Book & Sound, 213 Main St., is the pumpkin-decorating stop for Halloween.
• Mangia!, 328 Main St., hosted a Valentine's dinner this year.
• Live @ Heirloom Pizza, 344 Main St., is listed as a live-music venue with pizza and cocktails, and it hosted a hip-hop night on Feb. 6.
• XL Public House, 127 Main St., is a short walk from the Maya. Its 2026 calendar has included Bricks and Beer Comedy Night, Music Bingo and an art show.

These listings come from event pages earlier this year. Hours and programming shift by season, so check each venue's current schedule before planning a night around it.

First Friday ties the block together each month. The Salinas City Center listing describes it as a downtown evening with live performances, open galleries, and restaurants, coffee shops and businesses staying open late. It starts at 5 p.m. with an opening ceremony at the One Main Street Stage. On the calendar, the next two fall on Nov. 6 and Dec. 4. Dec. 4 is the night after the Popovich show at the Fox.

Four community dates, plus a park that just reopened

Outside the Fox, the calendar through December runs on community events, and three of the four are listed as free.

Saturday, Oct. 31: Downtown Trick or Treat. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., participating businesses in Downtown Salinas City Center hand out treats and host activities. Downtown Book & Sound at 213 Main St. runs pumpkin decorating. Because it runs in daylight, it does not overlap with evening Halloween plans elsewhere in town. The week before, on Saturday, Oct. 24, the City lists a free Trunk or Treat from 5 to 6 p.m. at 255 E. Alvin Drive, hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ. The Candlelight concert at the Fox is the same night.

Sunday, Nov. 29: Salinas Holiday Parade of Lights. The organizers list it from 6 to 8 p.m. in Downtown Salinas, free and open to all ages. The parade website still shows route details from the 2025 parade. The 2026 date and downtown location are confirmed, but check the route closer to the date.

Thursday, Dec. 17: California Rodeo Salinas Country Christmas. This one moves away from Main Street. It runs 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Salinas Sports Complex, 1034 N. Main St., and the Rodeo lists it as free.

East Salinas has one more new option this fall. Closter Park at 401 Towt St. reopened on Aug. 29 after a $10 million renovation. Construction started in April 2025. KSBW reported new bathrooms, renovated baseball fields and a colorful basketball court, and Donohue told the station, "It's been a long time coming." The City's grand opening page also lists concession facilities, amphitheater-style seating, a fitness loop with fitness stations and a multi-use event space. On a Saturday afternoon with nothing planned downtown, it is the newest public space in the city.

What to watch for from the Maya

As of Oct. 8, the Maya's status is pending, with no date announced. Its most recent statement makes one commitment: "We will share updates as they become available." The September announcement involved the City, the Chamber, the Salinas City Center Improvement Association and One Main Street. Any news will most likely come from those partners and from Salinas Valley NOW, which has covered each step so far.

Until a date is set, the fall plan for downtown looks like this. Fox Theater shows on most weekends through Dec. 3. First Friday on Nov. 6 and Dec. 4. Trick or Treat on Oct. 31, the Parade of Lights on Nov. 29, and Country Christmas on Dec. 17 at the Sports Complex.

The Maya's long-term plan is still being worked out. If you own near Main Street and want a calm, practical read on how downtown changes like this one might affect your plans, Mark Cohan can talk it through with you. Schedule a consultation, and we will look at the facts as they stand, without guessing ahead of them.