Santa Cruz This Week: Heat, Music & Comic Con 🔥🎶🦸♂️
🌡️🔥☀️If you had to do a double take – like I did – when you looked at your weather app today, you’re not alone. The National Weather Service has issued the first-ever March heat advisory for our region, with temperatures soaring as much as 20 degrees above normal. Spring officially arrives Thursday. The forecast, however, seems to be operating in summertime. Stay hydrated, avoid strenuous outdoor activity during the hottest part of the afternoon, and keep an eye on pets and neighbors who may be sensitive to the heat. 🥵💧🐾❤️
🎸🎶 Be excited if you snagged tickets to one of the two sold-out shows tonight at Kuumbwa Jazz (7pm & 9pm). Good Times writer DNA tells us it only takes a few seconds of watching guitar master Charlie Hunter play to realize you’re in the presence of a virtuoso – and between songs, the 35-year stage veteran proves just as captivating as a storyteller, with a wicked sense of humor.
✨🎤The other musical event I’m especially excited about is this Thursday, when The Third Mind lands at Moe’s Alley. Expect loose, hypnotic jams with lots of improv, and when singer Jesse Sykes takes the mic, you’re in for something special. She blew my mind the last time I saw them.
🎹🔥But wait, there’s more... Moe’s Alley keeps the groove going Wednesday with Parlor Greens and their deep Hammond-organ soul, then turns up the global-psych energy Friday when Toubab Krewe teams up with lespecial.🌍🎶 On Saturday, the Coffis Brothers host their COFFIS SPACE showcase, a rootsy gathering of friends and collaborators that always feels like a bit of a hometown jam session.
And if after all that you’re still in the mood to dance, The Catalyst’s Gimme Gimme Disco night on Saturday promises exactly what it sounds like: a packed floor singing along to ABBA. Resistance is futile. 😉🕺💃✨
📚🖊️Looking for something a little less loud? Tonight, Bookshop Santa Cruz hosts a conversation with acclaimed novelist Karen Russell. ♻️📦And this Sunday, March 22nd (1pm-4pm), the Museum of Art & History (MAH) keeps things delightfully Santa Cruz with its “Really Really Free Pile,” a community swap where the only rule is simple: bring something, take something, no money involved.
🦸♂️🎭✨🤖And for the wonderfully weird corner of the weekend calendar, the Santa Cruz Toy-Anime-Comic Con rolls into town Saturday, March 21st (11am-4pm) complete with cosplay, collectors and enough nostalgia to make your inner 12-year-old very happy.
🦑❓Last but not least – did you go to Squid Fest West this past weekend? If so, tell us about it!
Ok, Santa Cruz…those are the happenings. Now on to the headlines. Thanks for reading!
News Highlights
Overnight Closures of Highway 1
Capitola Fire Kills One, Damages Buildings
Central Coast Hosts Early Stop in California Governor’s Race
Federal Agents Banned from Using County Property
Santa Cruz County Faces $23M Budget Deficit
Mountain Residents Concerned About PG&E Tree Cutting
Final Conviction in Murder of Santa Cruz Tech CEO
Watsonville Oversized Vehicle Ordinance Takes Effect
Plus…Art as Resistance, a Table for One, An Organic Cafe’s Legacy, Wine with Indian Spice, Good Will Hunting On Stage…and Much More!
TOP STORIES
Overnight Closures of Highway 1
Staggered overnight closures along a section of Highway 1 near Aptos and Capitola will continue through early Tuesday. Last night impacted the southbound direction. From 10pm tonight (Monday) to 5am Tuesday, there will be a full overnight closure of northbound Highway 1 at the State Park Drive interchange. Soquel Drive is the primary detour route.
Capitola Fire Kills One, Damages Buildings
A fire tore through a home in Capitola Village last week. One person was killed. The victim was identified as 75-year-old Robert Edgren of Capitola, and the blaze damaged nearby businesses including Mijo’s Taqueria and Geisha sushi..
Central Coast Hosts Early Stop in California Governor’s Race
The Central Coast took center stage in California’s 2026 gubernatorial race last week when several Democratic candidates gathered in Monterey for an early campaign forum. Housing affordability and the state’s cost-of-living pressures were among the biggest themes.
Federal Agents Banned from Using County Property
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved banning federal agents from using county property for civil immigration enforcement.
Santa Cruz County Faces $23M Deficit
The latest budget forecasts project a $23.2 million deficit for Santa Cruz County for the 2026-27 fiscal year, and a long-term structural deficit that could reach $67.5 million by 2028-29. The Board of Supervisors acknowledged that budget cuts are inevitable.
Mountain Residents Concerned About PG&E Tree Cutting
Last week, a community meeting with PG&E representatives was dominated by discussion on wildfire management and tree work.“Our community is still trying to figure out the balance between living in the forest and living in a world where fire season is potentially all year long,” said Santa Cruz County Supervisor Monica Martinez, who hosted the forum.
Final Conviction in Murder of Tech CEO
The last of four men accused of killing a Santa Cruz County tech executive in 2019 was convicted. After a lengthy jury trial, Joshua Camps, 29, was found guilty of kidnapping, burglary and first-degree murder. He will be sentenced on March 19.
Watsonville Oversized Vehicle Ordinance Takes Effect
In effect as of March 13, a new city ordinance prohibits oversized vehicles and all types of trailers from parking on city streets, alleys, city-owned or maintained parking lots, and other public property.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
The Watsonville Film Festival returns with stories that refuse to be silenced.
In this week’s Wellness column, Elizabeth Borelli details her experience dining out alone: “Somewhere between the first bite and the last sip, I realized the discomfort I’d anticipated simply wasn’t there.”
From Grandma to Granddaughters: An Organic Café Legacy Continues
Passed to new co-owners Melia Spooner and Lilly Spooner in January, Alta Organic Coffee was founded by their nana Patti Spooner in 1984 and has been in Santa Cruz since 1998.
A tasting at LXV Wines in downtown Paso Robles is a very out-of-the-ordinary experience.
Paired with Indian spices rather than the usual cheese and crackers, the flavors of LXV’s superb wines are greatly enhanced. Good Times writer Josie Cowden tells us: “it’s a sensory explosion!”
Matt & Ben Brings the Good Will Hunting Origin Story to the Stage
It’s been nearly 30 years since the release of 1997’s Good Will Hunting, the movie that turned Matt Damon and Ben Affleck into famous actors and filmmakers.That story, albeit a fictionalized take, is told in Matt & Ben, a comedic, two-woman show running at Santa Cruz Actors’ Theatre March 13 through 22.
😳 Wait, What?! 👶🧸🚽🧻
How Big Diaper Absorbs Billions of Dollars from American Parents
U.S. parents potty train their kids significantly later than they used to. That trend is a bonanza for Pampers and Huggies – and a nightmare for landfills everywhere. (Story Credit: The Hustle)