Watch Alton Brown Feed the Fishies in Monterey Bay

Brown: Worth the schlep?

Many of the events taking place this Friday and Saturday for the Monterey Bay Aquarium's eighth-annual Cooking for Solutions are already sold out, including Friday's members-only VIP opening reception with TV chef/food scientist Alton Brown. If money ain't a thang, a few of Saturday's pricier events are still available, including six different Food and Adventure Tours with culinary superheroes like Thomas Keller and Joyce Goldstein, the cost of which range from $90 (if you're an aquarium member) up to a whopping $825 for the deluxe tour.

If your pockets are slightly lighter but you're due a visit to the glorious aquarium anyway -- who isn't, really? -- Saturday's Sustainable Foods Fair takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is free with a regular admission ($29.95). You'll get to see Brown signing books, leading a cooking demo (along with other chefs), as well as narrating a feeding in the Outer Bay. That alone just may be worth the drive.