👀 Making Plans This Week? Read This First
☀️ Happy Monday, Santa Cruz!
😎 I love weeks like this. There's at least one fun thing happening every day, and by the time Friday and Saturday roll around, the hardest part may be making choices. The weekly summer music series are still going strong, but there are plenty of fresh discoveries, too. From Shakespeare and board games to First Friday, reggae on the Wharf and a few hidden gems, here's what caught my eye.
🎲 Monday doesn't have to mean a night on the couch. Hosted Board Game Night is back at The Cruz Room (Aug. 3, 6-10pm) with more than 30 modern board games, prizes and plenty of friendly help for newcomers. Whether you come solo or with friends, organizers make it easy to find a table, learn a new game and join the fun. Stick around for Trivia Night from 8-10pm. Admission is free.
🎭 I caught last Saturday's matinee of Much Ado About Nothing, and wow… I was completely captivated. If you've been thinking about seeing Santa Cruz Shakespeare this summer, Tuesday (Aug. 4) is your night. August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning Fences takes the stage at 7pm, marking the company's first production of the play in 45 years. Arrive early for Wine Club Night, with tastings from 5:30-6:30pm overlooking the bluff before the performance. Wine tasting is available as a ticket add-on for guests 21 and older.
🎶 Santa Cruz’s favorite summer traditions keep rolling this week. The Capitola Twilight Concert Series welcomes Joint Chiefs on Wednesday evening, Aug. 5 (6-8pm), the Houserockers headline Thursday's Crow's Nest Beach BBQ (Aug. 6, 5:30-8pm), Joint Chiefs also perform Thursday night at Music in the Plaza at Bargetto Winery in Soquel (6-8pm), and Midtown Fridays kicks off the weekend with Trestles on Friday evening, Aug. 7 (5-8:30pm). 🎬 And if you're in the mood for a movie under the stars, the Beach Boardwalk's free Movies on the Beach series continues Friday at 9pm with The Goonies.
❤️ Seabright could use a little extra love this summer. As local businesses continue to struggle due to the Murray Street Bridge closure, the neighborhood has launched a season-long series of events to encourage residents and visitors to come back, eat, drink, shop local and rediscover all the great things the area has to offer. This week's free Family Movie Night on Thursday, Aug. 6 (around 8pm, after sunset) features Hoppers on Murray Street at Seabright Ave. Later this month, the new Saltwater Market (Aug. 15, 12-5pm) will feature vintage vendors, artists and local creatives. Whether you stop in for dinner, shopping, a tattoo (!), the beach or one of the many community events, it's a great time to get out and support one of Santa Cruz's most beloved neighborhoods.
🪕 If your playlist could use a little more kazoo and washtub bass, the Santa Cruz Jug Band Festival is underway Thursday through Sunday (Aug. 6-9) with free performances at Pono Hawaiian Grill, the Museum of Art & History, Abbott Square and Shanty Shack Brewing. It's a celebration of old-time blues, jazz and gospel where just about anything – from jugs to washboards – can become an instrument. One of Santa Cruz's most delightfully quirky musical traditions, it's sure to strike a chord with music lovers of all ages.
🎨 On Friday (Aug. 7, 5-8pm), downtown Santa Cruz transforms into one big arts celebration for First Friday as galleries, shops and creative spaces across downtown open their doors for exhibits, artist receptions and special events. One stop that’s especially worth checking out is Birds First Friday at the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, where you'll find live raptors, wildlife photography, a local author, native plants from the UCSC Arboretum and other bird-themed activities. Admission is free.
🌊 Start your Saturday by exploring the hidden waterworld beneath Monterey Bay. The Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History’sPlankton Walk (Aug. 8, 9:30am-1pm) takes participants to the Santa Cruz Wharf to collect plankton before heading to a lab at the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary to examine the microscopic organisms they collected. Along the way, you'll learn about the tiny organisms that produce roughly half the oxygen we breathe and form the foundation of the marine food web. Space is limited, so advance registration is recommended.
🐢 If you'd rather head for the redwoods, turtles are the stars of the show Saturday (Aug. 8, 11am-1pm) during the monthly Turtle Loch Walk at Loch Lomond Recreation Area. Guided by City Water Resources Analyst Jenny Viera, you'll learn about the western pond turtle's important role in our local ecosystem while exploring Santa Cruz's only drinking water reservoir and the protected watershed that surrounds it. The walk is included with park admission ($10 per vehicle), but reservations are required. Phone: (831) 335-7424 or email: lochlomond@santacruzca.gov
🌴 Or spend Saturday afternoon (3-8pm) feeling the island vibes at Reggae on the Wharf, a free afternoon of live music at the Humble Sea Beer Garden on the Santa Cruz Wharf. Marlon Asher, Bobby Hustle and KnoLij Tafari are on the lineup, while Humble Sea keeps the craft beer flowing.
❤️ Before we jump into the news, one very honorable mention. Our Santa Cruz Today newsletter team took last week off for staff vacations, but I didn't want this incredible local story to slip by. Sixteen-year-old State Parks lifeguard Ryder Williams pulled a 10-year-old boy from relentless, pounding surf at Seabright Beach in a dramatic rescue that made national headlines. Fellow lifeguard Aaron Bohnen also arrived to help bring them safely to shore. The boy survived, and Williams' courage, quick thinking and determination have earned him well-deserved national recognition, including an invitation to the White House to be honored. Nicely done, Ryder and Aaron. Santa Cruz is so proud of you both!
Now, let's catch up on the news.
News Highlights:
Highway 9 One-Way Traffic Control Continues the Week of August 3
Three Arrested in July Shooting
Odds Are High for Historic El Niño in California
County Explores New Funding Options for Road Repairs
Thousands Fill Watsonville for Strawberry Festival
Stuff the Bus Volunteers Fill 2,500 Backpacks for Students
Grateful Dead Tribute Band Thrills Fans on Jerry Garcia’s Birthday
Home At Last: Woman Returns After CZU Fire
Plus Fighting Fire, Psychedelics Grow Up, The Debate Over Hot Yoga, Foamy Fun…and Much More!
TOP STORIES
Highway 9 One-Way Traffic Control Continues the Week of August 3
Drivers on Highway 9 should plan for one-way reversing traffic control at several locations Monday through Friday during the week of August 3, 2026, with work taking place both during the day and overnight.
Three Arrested in July Shooting
Three people have been arrested in connection with a July 13 shooting in Santa Cruz that investigators believe may be gang-related.
Odds Are High for Historic El Niño in California
A new outlook released on Thursday shows an 81% chance that El Niño, the climate pattern that generally brings a wet winter to California along with a cascade of global weather impacts, will rank as “very strong” from October through December.
County Explores New Funding Options for Road Repairs
Santa Cruz County supervisors recently heard a range of potential funding options for addressing the county’s growing road maintenance needs, including possible sales taxes, parcel taxes, special assessment districts and development fees.
Thousands Fill Watsonville for Strawberry Festival
The annual Strawberry Festival drew scores of people Saturday to browse booths, sample food from dozens of vendors, ride carnival rides, play games and watch live entertainment.
Stuff the Bus Volunteers Fill 2,500 Backpacks for Students
During the 17th annual Stuff the Bus Stuff-A-Thon, more than 150 volunteers filled 2,500 backpacks with notebooks, binders, pencils, calculators and other classroom essentials before loading them onto a school bus for distribution across the county.
Grateful Dead Tribute Band Thrills Fans on Jerry Garcia’s Birthday
The birth of Jerome John Garcia was celebrated all around the Bay Area this past weekend, as fans and admirers gathered to show their respect, love and admiration for the man that most Deadheads simply refer to as “Jerry.” A highlight among the weekend’s performances was JRAD at the Quarry Amphitheater at UCSC.
Home At Last: Woman Returns After CZU Fire
Tonia Weakland recently received the key to her new house after losing everything in the CZU Lightning Complex Fire six years ago. She gave an emotional speech during the dedication ceremony, reflecting on the years-long journey to rebuild after the 2020 CZU Fire.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
As fire season approaches, a Zayante firefighter recalls life on the front line.
In the new Good Times column called “Altered States,” writer Richard Stockton tells us how the Santa Cruz Psychedelic Society relaunched July 30 with a look at aging, wisdom and expanded consciousness.
Wellness writer Elizabeth Borelli reports on a local health expert who sweats over her aversion to hot yoga.
Local law enforcement has released 4th of July fireworks data.
Crack open your favorite beer pun and buckle your wheat belt, because greater Santa Cruz’s first family of tap rooms has another wave of intrigue on tap. One of the standouts, Trout Farm Inn – fresh off a Coffis Brothers show, live on the pool deck – is getting a lot of buzz around town.
With a name representing the idea of “it’s never too late to do anything,” 11th Hour Coffee is co-owned by brothers Joel and Brayden Estby. The idea for the business began when the brothers stopped at a café during a camping trip as young adults and decided they wanted to open a place of their own someday.
WAIT, WHAT?! 🐩 🐾😭💔
A poodle named Beily was miraculously found alive under rubble 29 days after the Venezuela earthquakes. He received veterinary care for dehydration and eye ulcers from dust exposure but is expected to make a full recovery. He has since been reunited with his human, 11-year-old Victoria Rengel, and her father. The twin earthquakes that struck at the end of June have taken the lives of more than 5,500 people. Rescuers found the poodle curled up next to the body of Victoria’s mother. Victoria told an interviewer that Beily stayed “because he wanted to protect her. I will remember how much he loved my mom.”
🐶 Bonus tail-wagger: Dogs can't eat chocolate… but that hasn't stopped California's own See's Candies from going all-in for rescue pups. August 1 marked "Dogust" – the universal birthday for rescue dogs whose birthdays are often unknown. This year, See's, which is celebrating its 105th anniversary, and the We Rate Dogs15/10 Foundation have teamed up to raise $105,000 to help shelter dogs with medical needs. Finally, an excuse to buy chocolate that comes with zero guilt. 🍫🐾❤️