🎉 10 Things You Don't Want to Miss This Week ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
☀️Happy Monday, Santa Cruz!
😎 Another week, another packed summertime calendar in Santa Cruz County. From Shakespeare under the redwoods and music by the beach to family festivals, scenic nature walks and one of the county's biggest annual fitness events, here's what's going on this week!
🎭 Kick off the week with Shakespeare and a whole lot of sparkle. This evening (Mon., July 20, 7-9pm), Santa Cruz Shakespeare puts a fabulous twist on the Bard with Pink Ladies of the Sonnets at the Audrey Stanley Grove in Upper DeLaveaga Park. Inspired by Shakespeare's sonnets, the evening showcases dazzling performances by some of the Bay Area's most talented drag queens and kings. Guests are encouraged to dress in drag or simply come as they are for what promises to be one of the week's most colorful events.
🍅 Take a scenic drive into the Santa Cruz Mountains on Tuesday afternoon (July 21, 1:30-5:30pm) for the Felton Farmers' Market at Felton Covered Bridge County Park. One of the county's longest-running farmers markets, it's a lively weekly gathering where you'll find everything from just-picked produce and fresh seafood to artisan breads, flowers, local foods and plenty of tasty lunch options. Add live music, shady redwoods and a family-friendly atmosphere, and you've got a perfect way to spend a summer afternoon.
🎶 In the summertime, Wednesday evenings belong to Capitola. This week (July 22, 6-8pm), the free Capitola Twilight Concert Series welcomes Extra Large, a nine-time "Best Local Band" winner known for its funky, horn-driven original pop blended with reggae, Latin rhythms and California rock. Bring a low-back chair or picnic blanket and enjoy another beautiful summer evening overlooking Capitola Beach.
🌅 Thursday evening (July 23, 5:30-8pm), keep that beach chair handy and swing by the Crow's Nest Beach BBQ on Santa Cruz Harbor Beach. This week's entertainment is Harry & The Hitmen, a longtime local favorite serving up Motown, soul and classic dance hits. Admission is free, with BBQ favorites, cocktails and cold drinks available for purchase.
🌕 Friday offers no shortage of ways to kick off the weekend. Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park hosts its annual Moonlight Madness celebration (6-11pm), with crafts and games, telescope viewing and a guided moonlight walk beneath the towering redwoods. Admission is free, though parking is $10.
🎸 If you’re craving more live music, make your way to Midtown Fridays (July 24, 5-8:30pm) for Santa Cruz favorites the Ripatti Rose Band, whose blend of timeless rock 'n' roll and modern songwriting has earned them a loyal local following. Admission is free at 1111 Soquel Ave.
🎬 Prefer a movie under the stars? Friday night's free Movies on the Beach series at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is showing A Minecraft Movie. The film begins at 9pm on the beach in front of the Colonnade. Bring a blanket or low-back chair and settle in for a fun family night by the ocean.
🔬 Saturday (July 25, 11:30am-4pm), the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History hosts its free Summer Fun Festival, a family-friendly celebration filled with live performances, hands-on activities and nature-themed fun. Highlights include traditional songs and dances by the Costanoan Rumsen Carmel Tribe, live animal presentations from the Wildlife Education & Rehabilitation Center, a Full Circle Falconry show, plus food, sweet treats and plenty of opportunities to explore the museum.
🏃 Ready to get moving? Sunday morning (July 26, 8am), the 54th Annual Wharf to Wharf Race returns, sending 16,000 runners from Santa Cruz to Capitola along one of California's most scenic six-mile courses. Whether you're running or cheering from the sidelines, it's one of the county's biggest summer traditions, with live music, enthusiastic crowds and a festive atmosphere all along the course. Because of the Murray Street Bridge construction, this year's race begins at 30th Avenue and Portola Drive before finishing in Capitola Village.
🎼 If orchestral music is more your speed, Sunday also marks opening day of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music's 64th season, We the Dreamers, at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium. The two-week festival features world, U.S. and West Coast premieres, internationally acclaimed guest artists and bold new orchestral works that have made this event one of the nation's premier contemporary music festivals.
💛 That’s a summary of your play dates for the week. Now let’s catch up on the news. Thanks for reading!
News Highlights:
Driscolls Facing Class Action Lawsuit
Construction Paused at Gilroy ICE Facility as Lawsuit Moves Forward
Scattering of Santa Cruz Woman’s Ashes Ends in Tragedy
Santa Cruz City Schools Housing Project Progresses
PVUSD Trustees Renew School Resource Officer Contracts
Cabrillo College Fixes Most Dental Program Violations
Measure C Parcel Tax Deadline Approaching
County Adopts One Standard GreenWaste Rate
Plus Keeping the Bard Fresh, Fighting the Summer Blues, A Love Note to Seabright, a Choice Chardonnay, the Power of Sisterhood…and Much More!
TOP STORIES
Driscolls Facing Class Action Lawsuit
Watsonville-based berry giant Driscoll’s is facing a federal class-action lawsuit alleging the company misled consumers by marketing its conventional strawberries as safe, sustainably grown and subject to rigorous food safety standards while failing to disclose the alleged presence of PFAS-related pesticide compounds, commonly known as “forever chemicals.”
Construction Paused at Gilroy ICE Facility as Lawsuit Moves Forward
Construction on a proposed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing facility in Gilroy has been temporarily paused while federal attorneys prepare their response to a lawsuit challenging the project, according to opponents of the facility.
Scattering of Santa Cruz Woman’s Ashes Ends in Tragedy
A boat sank in the San Francisco Bay with 20 people on board last Tuesday. Family members had gathered to scatter the ashes of Maria Vi Boisa, a Santa Cruz County woman who died more than 10 years ago. The 32-year-old was reported missing from Santa Cruz County in May 2015; her car and partial remains were eventually found near Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park.
Santa Cruz City Schools Housing Project Progresses
To alleviate the cost-of-living burden on local teachers and improve retention rates, Santa Cruz City Schools is building the district’s first educator housing community. The project will house at least 100 district teachers and staff at 60-70% of market rates.
PVUSD Trustees Renew School Resource Officer Contracts
The Pajaro Valley Unified School District board voted to renew contracts that will keep school resource officers in three high schools across the district.
Cabrillo College Fixes Most Dental Program Violations
After the Dental Hygiene Board of California found in February that Cabrillo College’s dental hygiene program was not in compliance with minimum standards for patient safety and student learning, the college has now addressed all but one of the eight violations.
Measure C Parcel Tax Deadline Approaching
Eligible seniors and qualifying homeowners have until July 24 to apply for exemptions from the school parcel tax.
County Adopts One Standard GreenWaste Rate
Residents in unincorporated Santa Cruz County will now pay one standard residential garbage collection rate, replacing varying rates between service areas.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
The highly anticipated summer season of Santa Cruz Shakespeare outdoor productions begins with Much Ado About Nothing on July 16, Macbeth on July 17, and Fences by August Wilson starting on July 30.
If you’ve found yourself wondering whether someone forgot to tell the weather it’s July, you’re not alone. Every few years, we get a summer like this, weeks of gray skies, a stubborn marine layer and temperatures that feel more like winter than beach season.
In this week’s column, food writer Mark C. Anderson writes a love note to Seabright. One highlight: the crazy stacked sandwiches at Seabright Deli (415 Seabright Ave, Santa Cruz), which include a surf-and-turf-type duo called The Grotto (blackened snapper, chimichurri tomatoes, jalapeño-lime slaw, tarragon-basil aioli, arugula on toasted Francese roll) and another named Smokeshow (house smoked brisket, stracciatella cheese, roasted jalapeño aioli, sweet cherry pepper relish, arugula, also on Francese).
Wine writer Josie Cowden tells us that tasting wine at Alfaro Family Vineyards is always an upbeat experience.
Good Times writer Christina Waters reports that the stage was pulsing with megawatts of flash and polish on the opening night of Sister Act at Cabrillo – a musical update of the wildly popular 1992 movie starring Whoopi Goldberg – showcasing the red-hot moves of two dozen singer/actors, plus a 12-piece band in the pit.
🍃🌊 WAIT, WHAT?!
From the “Only in Santa Cruz” files... Summer usually means concerts, festivals, beach days and cookouts. But our hometown summer celebrity? Yep, you guessed it...seaweed. The Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History is diving deep into the world of kelp and its squishier cousins with lectures, art workshops, guided walks and tours dedicated entirely to the slimy, curious and surprisingly beautiful world of seaweed. Suddenly stepping on that crunchy, oozing stuff at the beach feels a lot more cultured.