Let’s get the toasts in place up front.
First, to the purveyors—the 30 craft brewers, the 10 cider makers, the exponential VW enthusiasts displaying their rides, the bands banging it out on stage and the food slangers among them—for giving Hop ’N Barley (11am–5pm Saturday, July 12) mad depth of flavor.
Then to the attendees, who not only tote along the entire fam and good energy, but also bring dogs in backpacks, dogs with beer T-shirts and dogs with beer goggles.
And to the organizers, for free music in a huge park that requires no ticket and, for simplicity’s sake, calling it Hop ’N Barley and not its (more accurate) name of Hop ’n’ Barley ’n’ Cider ’n’ Car Show ’n’ Merch ’n’ People Watch ’n’ Food Truck ’n’ Craft Arts ’n’ Merch Party.
It’s not easy to cultivate this sort of annual celebration, let alone keep it evolving every go round.
For 2025, some fresh elements include new producers like Alvarado Street Brewing (pouring its gold medal Mai Tai PA and an unreleased new creation), standout Oakland outfit Hop Sun Fat (and its 10-piece Ethiopian-jazz-funk), and a closing DJ-driven hour (by Monk Earl of Afrobeats Nite).
Oh, and new by-the-glass optionality for those who want to have a serving of wine or beer and bounce rather than wade in for the full tasting experience.
And a new place called Cider City, in a specially designated space, which co-organizer Patrick Grube flags as further evidence the idea is to year-over-year tack on value-added elements.
“Like an event within an event,” he says.
The cumulative intrigue creates the vibe, which ultimately defines the event, as operations chief Katie Sabolek notes—even as she downplays her work recruiting vendors and brewers from the Pacific Northwest to Westside Santa Cruz.
“It feels uncurated in a really fun way, an organic experience that is incredibly family- and dog-friendly—it doesn’t feel like a bro fest,” she says. “It’s very Santa Cruz to me, honestly…the most Santa Cruz thing I’ve been a part of.” hopnbar.webflow.io
DID SOMEONE SAY VERY SANTA CRUZ?
Happy half century, good ol’ Good Times. And what says good times over 50 years better than, well, you know. That materializes in the shape of a hang outside GTSC’s riverside office 4–7pm Friday, July 11 (107 Dakota Ave., Santa Cruz). The lineup is legit: music from J.A.M, Kentucky Mule and Eyes Like Lanterns; food trucks including Girasol Pizza, Taquizas Gabriel and Izzy Ices; photo booth, live painting, bubble art, water stations and community contributors like Coastal Watershed Council, Hindquarter Bar & Grille, Om Soul, Santa Cruz Skateboards and Togo’s too.
NIBBLES AND DRIBBLES
The Santa Cruz Warriors, the four-time NBA G League Franchise of the Year, is about ball. But more. They’re about branding, and apparently fans are too: The SeaDubs are 2024-25 NBA G League Retailer of the Year, the league announced last week, noting the Warriors’ annual Chase Center game on March 9 against the Mexico City Capitanes, which saw the Sea Dubs set a franchise high in single-day merchandise sales…Speaking of S.F., KQED’s Check, Please! sends its 20th season south to the Monterey Bay Area with a July 17 episode visiting Hanloh Thai Food(1011 Cedar St., Santa Cruz)…“Wine, Charcuterie, and Crushpad Concert” flows at Roberts Ranch in Ben Lomond with Samba Cruz on July 19, for under $15 (!), robertsranchvineyards.com…Dave Barry, take it from here: “Not all chemicals are bad. Without chemicals such as hydrogen and oxygen, for example, there would be no way to make water, a vital ingredient in beer.”
The idea of a ‘hang’ outside of the GT’s offices seems a little bit weird from where I’m sitting – how’s that going to take shape? What capacity do you imagine it will have? Room for a (mini) stage and food vendors? where will the guests ‘hang’ ?