🐶🪞 The One With Railroad Dogs and Mirror-Using Octopuses 🐙
The Summer Fun Keeps Rolling, Santa Cruz!
🇺🇸 The Fourth of July festivities may be behind us, but summer is just hitting its stride. Let's dive in!
🐶 If you love history with a little dose of weird, here’s one you don’t want to miss. The Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History (MAH) welcomes historian Dr. Paul Koudounaris on Tuesday, July 7 (5:30-7pm) for Railroad Dogs, an illustrated look at the remarkable stray dogs that hopped freight trains across America in the late 1800s and became some of the country's first canine celebrities. Along the way, you'll meet legendary railroad dogs like Owney and Railroad Jack, whose adventures captured the nation's imagination. As a bonus, every attendee will receive a free copy of Dr. Koudounaris' new book, “Go West, Young Dog!”
🎬 Thursday evening (July 9) calls for a blanket, a lawn chair and a little nostalgia. Seabright's free Outdoor Movie Night begins at 8pm at the corner of Murray Street and Seabright Avenue with a screening of The SpongeBob Movie. Arrive early to grab a good spot, bring your favorite movie snacks and enjoy one of summer's simplest pleasures under the stars.
🎭 Summer theater season is taking center stage across Santa Cruz County this weekend. Cabrillo Stage opens Sister Act on Friday, July 10 (7:30pm) at the Crocker Theater on the Cabrillo College campus. Based on the hit film, the feel-good musical follows a lounge singer who lands in protective custody at a convent, where she transforms the struggling choir into an unforgettable act.
Meanwhile, Santa Cruz Shakespeare launches its 2026 season beneath the redwoods at the Audrey Stanley Grove in DeLaveaga Park, with Much Ado About Nothing opening Saturday, July 11, followed by Macbeth on Sunday, July 12. Whether you're in the mood for Broadway-style laughs or Shakespeare under the stars, it's a great weekend to catch a live stage performance.
🌺 Looking for a tropical escape without leaving Santa Cruz County? Friday night's Summer Luau at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk (July 10, 6-8:30pm) pairs island-inspired food, live music and Polynesian dance performances with an oceanfront setting that's hard to beat. Then on Saturday evening (July 11, 6-9pm), Simpkins Family Swim Center keeps the island vibes going with its Light Up the Night Luau Pool Party featuring swimming, tropical decorations, music and family-friendly fun after dark.
💜 Noble Harvest Farm in Aptos opens its boutique lavender field for U-Pick weekends beginning Saturday, July 11. During the two-hour sessions (10:30am, 1pm or 3:30pm), visitors can harvest their own bouquet of fragrant lavender, snap photos among the blooms and browse the farm's handmade lavender products, raw honey and soaps. Tickets include parking and up to a one-pound bouquet of freshly cut lavender. Reservations are required.
💧 Here's a chance to be part of a worldwide citizen science project. On Saturday, July 11 (11am-1pm), Loch Lomond Recreation Area hosts a special Loch Walk as part of the international Secchi Dip-In. Using a simple tool that's been measuring water clarity since 1865, participants will help collect data that contributes to a global database while learning about Santa Cruz's watershed and exploring trails around the city's only drinking water reservoir. The walk is included with park admission ($10 per vehicle). Reservations are requested by calling 831-335-7424.
🍺 Beer lovers, this one's for you. Hop 'n Barley returns to Scotts Valley's Skypark on Saturday, July 11 (11:30am-5pm), pouring unlimited tastings from more than 60 craft breweries and cider makers. Beyond the beer, you'll find more than 50 classic Volkswagen buses and Beetles, live music on two stages, great food and a family- and dog-friendly atmosphere. Proceeds from the festival help support the Homeless Garden Project, making it a fun way to raise a glass for a good cause.
🎶 Of course, it wouldn't be a summer week in Santa Cruz County without live music. If that's your jam, you've got great options. Austin indie rock band White Denim brings its high-energy blend of psychedelic rock, blues and improvisation to Moe's Alley on Saturday, July 11 (doors 7pm; show 8pm). Or dust off the black eyeliner, dig out the fishnets and head to Felton Music Hall on Saturday, July 11 (doors 7pm; show 8pm), where Strangelove – The Depeche Mode Experience celebrates one of the defining bands of the '80s.
❤️ Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful week. Now... over to the news!
News Highlights:
Rope Breaks During Davenport Cliff Climb; Six Rescued
Supervisors Restore Most Arts Funding in Budget
Big Brothers Big Sisters Monterey Bay Closes After 44 Years
Cleanup Progresses After Battery Fire at Moss Landing
Santa Cruz Robotics Team Captures World Championship
Santa Cruz County Earns State Fire Risk Reduction Designation
Active Shooter Drill Held at Soquel High School
PVUSD Approves $2.86M Water Project at Renaissance High
Plus New Leadership at the 418 Project, Tips for a Summer Glow, A Lovely Red Wine, An Appetizer Food Challenge at Bad Animal, Octopus Intelligence…and Much More!
TOP STORIES
Rope Breaks During Davenport Cliff Climb; Six Rescued
CAL FIRE CZU says it rescued six people on the Fourth of July after an unauthorized rope broke while they were attempting to climb coastal cliffs at Davenport Beach.
Supervisors Restore Most Arts Funding in Budget
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a revised $20.9 million budget for the Parks, Open Space and Cultural Services Department, restoring several services that had been slated for cuts while preserving most county funding for local arts organizations.
Big Brothers Big Sisters Monterey Bay Closes After 44 Years
The longtime nonprofit serving youth throughout Monterey and Santa Cruz counties is shutting down, affecting families across the region.
Cleanup Progresses After Battery Fire at Moss Landing
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that more than 34,000 intact batteries have been removed from the site of the Moss Landing fire, with approximately 5,000 batteries still remaining in fire-damaged, hard-to-reach areas.
Santa Cruz Robotics Team Captures World Championship
Hephaestus Robotics, a 21-member team representing eight county high schools, captured first place in the Ranger Class at the 2026 MATE ROV World Championship in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, earning the program’s first world title after finishing third in each of the past two years.
Santa Cruz County Earns State Fire Risk Reduction Designation
Santa Cruz County has earned statewide recognition through the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Fire Risk Reduction Community List, a designation that could help qualifying homeowners receive wildfire insurance discounts while improving the county’s potential for future wildfire prevention grants.
Active Shooter Drill Held at Soquel High School
School officials, law enforcement and first responders recently conducted emergency preparedness training in preparation for “the worst-case scenario.”
PVUSD Approves $2.86M Water Project at Renaissance High
The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees has approved a $2.857 million state funding agreement that will connect Renaissance High School in La Selva Beach to the Soquel Creek Water District, replacing the campus’s groundwater system that has been plagued by elevated levels of hexavalent chromium.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
There was a recent regime change within the top-tier leadership at the towering 418 Project on River Street.
Wellness columnist Elizabeth Borelli has some ideas for what to do when all that summertime sunshine leaves our skin feeling a little less radiant.
The Paring is making some very interesting wines. One of these is their 2021 Red Wine ($25).
Good Times food writer Mark C. Anderson sought to try every appetizer at Bad Animal (1011 Cedar St., Santa Cruz). Here’s what happened…
Hired a year ago as Director of Operations at Solaire Restaurant & Bar (located in Hotel Paradox), Susan Croal was living in Chicago working in hospitality management when general manager Troy Christian, also her mentor and former boss, asked her to come help with food and beverage for a couple of weeks.
WAIT, WHAT?! 🐙
Octopuses have long been known for their remarkable intelligence, but now researchers at Dartmouth have found they can even use mirrors to locate food hidden from direct view – another sign of their surprisingly sophisticated brains. Of course, this is the same creature that gave us Inky, the octopus that famously escaped New Zealand's National Aquarium in 2016 by squeezing through a drainpipe and making his way back to the ocean. Escape artists that use mirrors? The heist movie practically writes itself.