The international futbol tournament is gone but Santa Cruz has its own World Cup coming up: it’s the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music. I’m always shocked that not everyone knows about this in town, because it’s celebrated all over the world.

We’ve drawn musical tourists from around the world for this display of new music, which started in 1963. There are concerts and chances to meet composers and hear them talk about their works. There’s a free family show and free chances to watch performers rehearse.

It’s an astounding chance to see and hear great musicians in an intimate setting.

So why doesn’t it get the attention it deserves?

Maybe the name sounds stodgy? Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music sounds like it belongs in a museum or college campus. What about something more appropriate like Festival of Mind-Blowing Music, because that’s what it is.

This isn’t about centuries-old classical music. It’s about what’s happening at the forefront now: bold composers taking on political issues, worldviews, new views of ancient history and instruments and musical pieces designed to take you out of the familiar world and into bold, new visions, as some space traveler once suggested.

We’re a community that celebrates jazz, jams, world music, the avant-garde, the weird and uncliched, and that’s what you will hear here. Music and forms you’ve never experienced before. Much of it is guaranteed to blow your mind and take you out of the familiar.

Maybe they should make it the Santa Cruz Weird Festival, because that’s a name known around the world and they could sell Keep Santa Cruz Weird Festival shirts to go with the music.

That might get more locals in the door.

In the years I’ve attended, I found performers I’d never heard of whose music I ran out to buy.

The Festival is an abundance of riches, stretching from July 25 to August 9. If you don’t already know about it, you should. And if you want more information, read our cover story by Christina Waters. And check the online calendar at Cabrillomusic.org.

Speaking of new worlds: our latest Altered States column by Richard Stockton explores the world of psychedelics, which are becoming more accepted for various reasons. It wasn’t that long ago that cannabis was illegal and we’re seeing a rise toward popular acceptance of other substances. Santa Cruz is once again at the forefront of a revolution.

As for visions and madness, it extends back four centuries to Macbeth, a mad king. Our critic Christina Waters loved the current performance. It’s an epic ride, she says.

Other things you will love this issue include our Street Talk column about favorite trees, something I never thought about but I totally, totally love the answers. I think columnist John Koenig should lead a Santa Cruz tree tour.

Have a great week and thanks for reading.

Brad Kava | Editor

PHOTO CONTEST

SUNRISE/MOONRISE Here’s my sunrise/moonrise pic from Capitola July 16. Photograph by Ken McKee.

GOOD IDEA

The Santa Cruz Water Department is inviting the community to play Aqua Cruz: The Water Challenge, a board game that gives players the chance to make decisions about Santa Cruz’s water future.

Aqua Cruz puts players in charge of selecting water supply projects, responding to real-world challenges and working to close the community’s water supply gap.

Upcoming free public gameplay events will be 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, July 25, during Community Climate Game Day at the Downtown Branch Santa Cruz Library, 224 Church St. in Santa Cruz;  5-6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 6, at Sword and Board Games in the Capitola Mall; and 5-6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19, at Balefire Brewing Co., 21517 E. Cliff Dr. in Live Oak.

The events are free and no RSVP is required. Aqua Cruz is recommended for ages 13 and older. Organizations interested in hosting an Aqua Cruz gameplay event can email Wa********@*********ca.gov.

GOOD WORK

California-grown lettuce and leafy greens (bagged or whole heads of leafy greens) sold at grocery stores and restaurants are not implicated in federal health agency advisories concerning Cyclospora illnesses.

According to a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory released last night regarding the Cyclospora outbreak:  “Do not eat shredded iceberg lettuce from Mexico served at Taco Bell locations in IN, KY, MI, OH, and WV.” 

California leafy greens are produced under the most stringent food safety standards in the nation. In addition to federal regulations under the Food Safety Modernization Act’s Produce Safety Rule, mandatory audits of leafy greens farms for compliance with state food safety standards are required and conducted by the California Department of Food and Agriculture for products commercially distributed to restaurants and retailers throughout the nation.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“A symphony must be like the world. It must contain everything.”  –Gustav Mahler