Santa Cruz music mavens have started a new festival Sept. 26 from noon to 6pm, one they hope will be around for a long while. Called the Duck Island Festival, and located in San Lorenzo Park, they are bringing in six hours of music, food and drinks with and without alcohol.
The bands are Mitchum Yacoub & The Brass Empire (San Diego), Sonny & His Rhinestone Sunsets (SF), Trestles (Santa Cruz), Dan P. & The Bricks (Santa Cruz) and Kaefan (Salinas).
“Our long-term vision is to establish a multi-venue festival that attracts nationally recognized headlining artists while providing a platform for local and emerging talent,” says Moe’s Alley owner Brian Ziel.“By leveraging the unique strengths of Santa Cruz’s independent music venues we aim to create an annual event that becomes a destination for music fans throughout California.
“For the inaugural event we intentionally scaled it to one day to test the waters and see how the community reacts to it. This year we have bands from Santa Cruz, Salinas, San Francisco and San Diego, representing multiple genres such as ska, cumbia, indie rock, soul, and afro-funk. We’ll also have food trucks, a bar and vendors including vintage clothing, tin types, live screen printing and stuff for the kids.’’
Other organizers include the owners of the Crepe Place and Redwood Records.
‘’The angle is that we’re breathing life into an iconic park that held many memorable events over the years,” says Ziel. ‘“We have enthusiastic support from the City along with more than a dozen sponsors from local businesses. We have a diverse mix of music ranging from local bands to regional bands.”
There’s another angle, says Ziel:“Now, I know that the unhoused situation at the park has possibly kept people away in the past, but the City is committed to this event to showcase what’s possible in this space. As a side note, we are fencing off the park the night before. The park will be cleaned and ready for a beautiful afternoon of music, food and vendors.”
