Good Times | Santa Cruz California's Leading Free Weekly

2025: Highlights and Lowlights

December 30, 2025

Santa Cruz’s Rum Baron

December 23, 2025

Rise Up

December 17, 2025

Twelve Bites of Christmas

December 10, 2025

For the Holidays, Give Friends a Truly Local Experience

December 10, 2025

Volunteers prepare and serve meals inside the Santa Cruz Veterans Memorial Building during the weekly Veterans Meal and Pantry Program.

.Breaking News

December 31, 2025

The Wednesday Lifeline

The Veterans Meal and Pantry Program operates entirely on volunteers and donations, providing food and connection to veterans every Wednesday without government funding.

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Display of tea towels arranged in straw baskets

.Local News

December 23, 2025

Holiday Gifts: Last-Minute and Local

Santa Cruz County is blessed with retail stores that offer creative options for gift-giving, from small to large.

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Volunteers prepare and serve meals inside the Santa Cruz Veterans Memorial Building during the weekly Veterans Meal and Pantry Program.

.Breaking News

December 31, 2025

The Wednesday Lifeline

The Veterans Meal and Pantry Program operates entirely on volunteers and donations, providing food and connection to veterans every Wednesday without government funding.

Read more

Display of tea towels arranged in straw baskets

.Local News

December 23, 2025

Holiday Gifts: Last-Minute and Local

Santa Cruz County is blessed with retail stores that offer creative options for gift-giving, from small to large.

Read more

Members of Moonalice pose together inside a wood-paneled performance space, reaching toward the camera.

.Things To Do This Week

December 31, 2025

Things to do in Santa Cruz

The ten-piece ensemble Moonalice combines psychedelic soul and Americana, featuring luminaries from the musical scene. Friday at Felton Music Hall, 8pm

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A row of polished beer taps mounted against a glossy red tile wall inside Other Brother Beer Co.

.Dining Reviews

December 31, 2025

Level-Up Liquids

Other Brother Beer Co. has debuted its second location in Aptos Village with a strong roster of craft sours, IPAs, lagers and collaborative brews.

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A plate of sushi at Imura in Watsonville featuring inari, a specialty roll topped with salmon and maguro nigiri.

.Foodie File

December 31, 2025

Family Affair

Imura in Watsonville blends Japanese and Korean cuisines with a deeply personal approach, from fresh sushi and bento boxes to bibimbap and dumpling soup.

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A row of polished beer taps mounted against a glossy red tile wall inside Other Brother Beer Co.

.Dining Reviews

December 31, 2025

Level-Up Liquids

Other Brother Beer Co. has debuted its second location in Aptos Village with a strong roster of craft sours, IPAs, lagers and collaborative brews.

Read more

A plate of sushi at Imura in Watsonville featuring inari, a specialty roll topped with salmon and maguro nigiri.

.Foodie File

December 31, 2025

Family Affair

Imura in Watsonville blends Japanese and Korean cuisines with a deeply personal approach, from fresh sushi and bento boxes to bibimbap and dumpling soup.

Read more

Members of the Santa Cruz band Red 40 pose under red lighting while holding glowing green strips over their eyes.

.Music

December 31, 2025

Painting the Town

Once in a while, a band comes along so explosively original they truly can’t be contained. Red 40 performs January 2 at The Crepe Place

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Fire engines and emergency vehicles respond to damage at the Moss Landing battery storage facility following a lithium-ion battery fire.

<img width="562" height="408" class="entry-thumb" src="https://www.goodtimes.sc/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/gtw2601_editors-note-562x408.jpg" srcset="https://www.goodtimes.sc/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/gtw2601_editors-note-562x408.jpg 562w, https://www.goodtimes.sc/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/gtw2601_editors-note-205x149.jpg 205w, https://www.goodtimes.sc/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/gtw2601_editors-note-324x235.jpg 324w" sizes="(max-width: 562px) 100vw, 562px" alt="Fire engines and emergency vehicles respond to damage at the Moss Landing battery storage facility following a lithium-ion battery fire." title="The Editor’s Desk" />

.Editor’s Note

December 31, 2025

The Editor’s Desk

2025 has been a year of debate with locals looking at two sides of issues that have split our community and hold no easy answers.

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fingers typing on a vintage typewriter

<img width="562" height="408" class="entry-thumb" src="https://www.goodtimes.sc/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/shutterstock_173678780-562x408-1-1-562x408.jpg" srcset="https://www.goodtimes.sc/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/shutterstock_173678780-562x408-1-1-562x408.jpg 562w, https://www.goodtimes.sc/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/shutterstock_173678780-562x408-1-1-e1700676890959-205x149.jpg 205w, https://www.goodtimes.sc/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/shutterstock_173678780-562x408-1-1-e1700676890959-324x235.jpg 324w" sizes="(max-width: 562px) 100vw, 562px" alt="fingers typing on a vintage typewriter" title="Letters" />

.Letters to the Editor

December 31, 2025

Letters

Thank you for the wonderful article on youth poetry, by Addie Mahmassani. I am deeply moved both by the poetry and the entire project...

Read more

Fire engines and emergency vehicles respond to damage at the Moss Landing battery storage facility following a lithium-ion battery fire.

<img width="562" height="408" class="entry-thumb" src="https://www.goodtimes.sc/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/gtw2601_editors-note-562x408.jpg" srcset="https://www.goodtimes.sc/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/gtw2601_editors-note-562x408.jpg 562w, https://www.goodtimes.sc/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/gtw2601_editors-note-205x149.jpg 205w, https://www.goodtimes.sc/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/gtw2601_editors-note-324x235.jpg 324w" sizes="(max-width: 562px) 100vw, 562px" alt="Fire engines and emergency vehicles respond to damage at the Moss Landing battery storage facility following a lithium-ion battery fire." title="The Editor’s Desk" />

.Editor’s Note

December 31, 2025

The Editor’s Desk

2025 has been a year of debate with locals looking at two sides of issues that have split our community and hold no easy answers.

Read more

fingers typing on a vintage typewriter

<img width="562" height="408" class="entry-thumb" src="https://www.goodtimes.sc/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/shutterstock_173678780-562x408-1-1-562x408.jpg" srcset="https://www.goodtimes.sc/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/shutterstock_173678780-562x408-1-1-562x408.jpg 562w, https://www.goodtimes.sc/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/shutterstock_173678780-562x408-1-1-e1700676890959-205x149.jpg 205w, https://www.goodtimes.sc/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/shutterstock_173678780-562x408-1-1-e1700676890959-324x235.jpg 324w" sizes="(max-width: 562px) 100vw, 562px" alt="fingers typing on a vintage typewriter" title="Letters" />

.Letters to the Editor

December 31, 2025

Letters

Thank you for the wonderful article on youth poetry, by Addie Mahmassani. I am deeply moved both by the poetry and the entire project...

Read more

best of santa cruz county 2025

“Good