The mind reels at how much there is to do in this county. Do you appreciate how lucky we are?
Sometimes, though, so much seems like too much. There’s no way to do it all, and there are so many choices to make.
This weekend is one of the most packed; we have more events than cities 10 times our size. Which will you do?
First off, there’s a one-time sumo wrestling tournament, straight from Japan, Saturday at 7pm at Kaiser Permanente Arena. This is so exotic and unusual that it will create memories for a lifetime. It was on our cover last week, which you can read at goodtimes.sc. Tickets are $50 at gottickets.com.
Earlier Saturday there’s a premiere event downtown, a new festival called Duck Island Festival in San Lorenzo Park from noon to 6pm, with bands including Mitchum Yacoub & The Brass Empire (San Diego), Sonny & His Rhinestone Sunsets (SF), Trestles (Santa Cruz), Dan P. & The Bricks (Santa Cruz) and Kaefan (Salinas). Tickets are $20 at MoesAlley.com, and there’s more information at goodtimes.sc and MoesAlley.com.
This festival is a way to take back the park that was used for lots of music in the past.
Also Saturday, there’s Freakfest at 6pm (vendor row opens at 5pm) at HWY 17 Studios, 831 Almar Ave., Santa Cruz. $20. Eventbrite.com. Bands include Red 40, Gingsu, Guthook, Rosewood, Rio and the Soup and Empire Grade.
The bands are, well, freaky, and here in Santa Cruz, that means cool.
The two-day Capitola Beach Festival opens Saturday with a fun run, sand-sculpture contest, cornhole, children’s art, a scavenger hunt and music on the beach. Stick around after dark for the lighted nautical parade on Soquel Creek at 7pm, followed by a drone show. Most activities are free.
A Taste of Soquel serves up samples from local restaurants, farms, wineries and breweries from noon–4pm at the Congregational Church of Soquel. Rivets & Rust, The Bourbon Brothers and B Movie Kings provide the soundtrack, with drumming and face painting in the KidZone. Adult wristbands are $30, youth ages 12–20 are $10 and children’s activities are free; proceeds benefit Second Harvest Food Bank.
Fiesta en la Playa celebrates Latino culture Saturday at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk with free music and dance. Mariachi Santa Cruz begins at 11am, followed by Ángeles Danzantes folklórico dancers starting at 1pm and Banda Maguey from 5–6:30pm. The celebration continues Sunday with Salsa by the Sea from 3–6:30pm.
The Santa Cruz Mountains Harvest Festival takes over Junction Park in Boulder Creek from 12:30–6:30pm with live music, food, beer and wine, local artists and small-town traditions. The community fundraiser supports local nonprofits and organizations.
Finally, experimental-music pioneer Laurie Anderson caps the day at the Rio Theatre with Republic of Love, a multimedia performance spanning music, storytelling, visual art and technology. She’s backed by the great NYC jazz band Sex Mob. Doors at 7pm; show at 8pm; tickets are $120.75.
That’s more entertainment than any schedule fits … and it’s a big reason why we live here.
Brad Kava | Editor
PHOTO CONTEST
FAIR ENOUGH A beautiful evening at the Santa Cruz County Fair winds down for the night, with a half moon in the distance on the left and corn dogs on the right. Doesn’t get much better than that! Photograph by Maria Choy.
GOOD IDEA
Prepare for a truly gripping “cinematic” listening experience as the highly anticipated radio drama Wolf Creek makes its official debut on KBCZ 89.3 FM Boulder Creek Community Radio on Oct. 2 at 7pm.
Written, produced and sound-designed by Darren Lee—a local KBCZ DJ, sound producer, engineer and creative—this immersive audio fiction series promises to captivate audiences with its dark atmosphere and complex storytelling.
Wolf Creek spans five episodes, each roughly 15 minutes long. The series offers a dark, modern twist on traditional werewolf mythology, weaving a complex web of suspense and betrayal. The production brings together a stellar cast of 16 local people, featuring a veteran ensemble of KBCZ DJs alongside San Lorenzo Valley community members.
GOOD WORK
The City of Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation Department invites the community to celebrate the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum’s 40th anniversary and the restoration of the lighthouse beacon on Sept. 26, from noon to 2:30pm at Lighthouse Point.
The event will feature the unveiling of the Keepers of the Light plaque, honoring those who made the restoration possible. Widespread community support raised more than $90,000, with the funds now supporting the ongoing care and preservation of this iconic Santa Cruz landmark.
The museum was created through a community effort led by local surfing organizations and City Parks and Recreation, with surfboards, photographs and memorabilia loaned and donated by the community. Opened in 1986 in the Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse overlooking Steamer Lane, the museum continues to preserve and celebrate Santa Cruz’s rich surfing history.
