Hope youāre enjoying the long weekend! Thereās plenty of action still ahead this week, from apples and art to live music, literature, lowriders and a whole lot more happening around the county.
šø Labor Day doesnāt have to end when the barbecue does. Head to Tres Pueblos VFW Post 7263 on 7th Avenue in Santa Cruz this evening (Mon., Sept. 7, 6-9pm) for Blue Monday, where Joe Blan Jr. and his Down Home Blues Company host a blues jam and all-genres open mic. Thereās a dance floor, full bar and down-home dinners, desserts and sides. Everyoneās welcome and thereās no cover, although donations benefit the VFW Relief Fund.
š On Tuesday afternoon (1:30-5:30), itās time for the Felton Farmers Marketās Apple-A-Day Festival, a celebration of Santa Cruz Countyās apple-growing heritage. There will be apple pressing and cider tasting with Santa Cruz Cider, plus activities for kids and adults.
š Tuesday at 7pm, one of the regionās foremost Steinbeck scholars comes to Bookshop Santa Cruz. Susan Shillinglaw will discuss her new book, Steinbeckās Landscapes: Where Story Meets Place, exploring how the landscapes of Central California shaped Steinbeckās writing and imagination.
šø Or catch the last Tuesday Night Live of the summer on the Santa Cruz Wharf (6-8pm), where local favorites Extra Large close out the season with their high-energy mix of funk, rock and dance music.
š¤ Wednesday night, Sept. 9, Moeās Alley goes a little bit country with Western Wednesday, featuring The Soda Crackers and singer-songwriter Jackson Emmer. Expect an evening of honky-tonk, classic country and Americana, with plenty of room for dancing. Doors 7pm; Show 7:30pm.
š¹ Thursday evening (7pm) brings South African pianist, composer and scholar Nduduzo Makhathini to Kuumbwa Jazz Center with his trio. Makhathini blends jazz and improvisation with the musical and spiritual traditions of his native South Africa and has become an internationally acclaimed voice in contemporary jazz. Tickets start at $41; students $21.
šø Also Thursday (7:30pm), Latin Grammy-winning guitarist Diego GarcĆa, better known as Twanguero, brings Backroads of the Americas to Peace United Church. The program follows the musical threads connecting Spain, Latin America and the United States, all through the hands of a guitarist known for moving easily among flamenco, blues, Latin and roots traditions. Tickets $35ā$89.
š The California Gold Rush comes to the stage Friday, Sept. 11 (7pm), and Sunday, Sept. 13 (2pm), with The Girl of the Golden West at the Colligan Theater at the Tannery Arts Center. Pucciniās La Fanciulla del West, originally written in Italian, is presented here in a new English translation. The fully staged opera follows saloon owner Minnie through a tale of outlaws, deception, love and redemption. These are the final two Santa Cruz performances. Tickets are $51.75 general admission and $20 for students, children and seniors.
š·šØ One of Capitolaās biggest weekends of the year returns Saturday, Sept. 12 and Sunday, Sept. 13 (10am-6pm) with the Capitola Art & Wine Festival. More than 100 fine artists fill the Village alongside Santa Cruz Mountains wineries, live music, dance performances and artisan vendors. š§ā ļø One heads-up before you go: the southbound Highway 1 off-ramp to Bay Ave. is still closed, so plan an alternate route (and maybe leave extra time).
ššØ In Watsonville Saturday (1-2:30pm), The ABCās of Lowriding puts a distinctly local spin on art and STEAM at the Watsonville Public Library. Artist Ricardo Cortez leads a free, all-ages workshop combining art, science and engineering with Chicano lowrider culture as part of the cityās Second Saturday programming.
š Skimboarding goes from amateur hour to pro level Saturday (7am-6pm) at Moran Lake Beach for the 2026 Pacific Wave Open. The all-ages competition has divisions for 12-and-under groms, teens, women, open competitors and even the āolderā 40+ crowd (or āuncs,ā as my young daughter would say). š
š¶ Saturday night, reggae legends Black Uhuru take over Moeās Alley. The Grammy-winning Jamaican group has been making music for more than five decades and remains one of reggaeās most influential and beloved acts. The Jethro Jeremiah Band opens. Doors 8pm; Show 9pm. Tickets: $40 advance/$45 day of, 21+.
šš“š Sunday morning, Sept. 13, IRONMAN 70.3 Santa Cruz will bring rock-hard athletes, major crowds and traffic impacts to the West Side. The course includes a 1.2-mile swim around the Wharf, a 56-mile bike ride along Highway 1 and a half-marathon through West Cliff, Natural Bridges and Wilder Ranch. Racing starts early, so plan accordingly and allow extra time getting around.
šŖ Prefer your Sunday at a slightly less athletic pace? Hunt for treasures at the Downtown Santa Cruz Antique Faire (9am-5pm), where vendors fill Lincoln Street between Pacific and Cedar with antiques, vintage clothing, collectibles and assorted one-of-a-kind finds.
ā®ļø And while youāre downtown, pop into the MAH for the Santa Cruz Community Peace Day Celebration, a family-friendly gathering featuring live performances, speakers and experiential workshops centered on peace, connection and community. Sunday, 1-5pm.
š Wrap up the week Sunday evening (7-8:30pm) with acclaimed author and Santa Cruz resident Jonathan Franzen, who joins Bookshop Santa Cruz to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his landmark novel The Corrections. The novel won the National Book Award, was a Pulitzer Prize finalist and was named No. 5 on The New York Timesā list of the 100 best books of the 21st century. The evening includes a mix-and-mingle gathering, a special toast, small bites and beverages, short remarks and a chance to get your books signed. RSVP here.
Thatās whatās up for funsies this week. Now to the serious sideā¦ the news.
News Highlights:
Another Cliff Collapse at Santa Cruzās Steamer Lane Raises Erosion Concerns
Central Fire to Hold Budget, Impact Fee Hearings
New Company Takes Over Minto Road BESS Project
County to Consider 2027 Growth Goal
Starving Seabirds Washing Up on Santa Cruz County Beaches
Felton Voters Approve $1.7 Million Annual Fire Assessment
Driscoll's CEO Steps Down Amid Growing Pesticide Controversy
Plusā¦ a Billion Views, Free Water, Getting Fired Up, Main Beach Bites, Weed Heaven in Santa Cruz, Summer Booksā¦ and Much More!
TOP STORIES
Another Cliff Collapse At Santa Cruzās Steamer Lane Raises Erosion Concerns
For the second time this summer, a section of the cliff at Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz has fallen into the ocean, raising concerns about erosion at the popular surf spot.
Central Fire to Hold Budget, Impact Fee Hearings
Central Fireās Board will hold public hearings Thursday, Sept. 10 at 9am on its final 2026-27 budget and proposed fire facilities impact fees before considering approval.
New Company Takes Over Minto Road BESS Project
The company behind a controversial battery energy storage project near Watsonville has changed, but plans to seek state approval for the facility ā and the opposition surrounding it ā remain.
County to Consider 2027 Growth Goal
The Santa Cruz County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing Wednesday, Sept. 9 on the 2027 growth goal for unincorporated areas before making a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors.
Starving Seabirds Washing Up on Santa Cruz County Beaches
Weak and starving common murres are increasingly washing ashore on Santa Cruz County beaches, with wildlife experts pointing to changing ocean conditions that are making it harder for the seabirds to find food.
Felton Voters Approve $1.7 Million Annual Fire Assessment
Felton voters have approved a $1.7 million annual investment in the fire department, paving the way for paid firefighters to work alongside volunteers after years of staffing challenges and concerns about emergency response times.
Driscollās CEO Steps Down Amid Growing Pesticide Controversy
Driscollās CEO Soren Bjorn has stepped down, with founding-family member Brie Reiter Smith taking over as the Watsonville-based berry giant faces growing scrutiny and lawsuits over pesticide use.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
In this weekās cover story, writer DNA explores how Joshua Turekās thoughts, scribblings, scalpeled word choices, excised expositions ā including his poignant pretty pentameters and posted handwritten journal entries ā have generated over one billion views on social media platforms.
Wellness columnist Elizabeth Borelli features Alayna Nathe who opened a highly unusual small business in Santa Cruz called True Source Waters, which was built around an intriguing idea: If you give people access to high-quality water in exchange for participating in ongoing water education, the benefits will speak for themselves.
A new and unique coffee-pottery project from a Boulder Creek couple, plus fish food ā interestingly, both are covered in writer Mark C. Andersonās latest column.
Stacy Levesque, now part of a well-established management team at Ideal Bar & Grill, defines the restaurantās ambiance as open, sunny, welcoming and casual, with Santa Cruz-centric dĆ©cor and an outside-in feel āthatās like having a beach inside the restaurant.ā
In this weekās Altered States column, Richard Stockton introduces us to Christopher Carr, a Santa Cruz-based educator, advocate and host of The Cannabis Connection, a radio show focused on science, culture and policy. Carr shares what many of us already know: āSanta Cruz punches way above its weight class in cannabis.ā
Read the answers from Santa Cruzans to the latest āstreet talkā question: Where do you go first in a bookstore ā and whatās your summer read?
Read your Free Will Astrology horoscope from Rob Brezny here.