Street Talk

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DANIEL

Iโ€™d pretend to be Spider Man, swinging on monkey bars at the playground. The neighborhood kids would pretend to be superheroes and jump around. We would randomly pick someone and imagine they are the enemy. Sometimes it got confrontational, so the parents could step in.

Daniel Zeng, 19, Pre-Law Major at Pitzer College


SIENNA

We played house during recess at elementary school. We played in the sand and everyone had their roles, and we had different scenarios, like we would make food with the sand.

Sienna Gibbs, 19, Psychology Major at UCSC


ZACH

My neighbors and I would play Legos and build a whole city with a supermarket. You always want more Legos and itโ€™s fun to figure out what to do with the pile. We would make lots of Lego guys and put them on a Lego airplane so they can fight each other.

Zach Rugee, 21, Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology Major at UCSC


ANTHONY

We had those spiky balls from trees all over. Weโ€™d pretend it was a minefield, so if you step on one it blows up or sticks to your bare foot. We built forts with them and threw them like cannonballs. And Iโ€™d make paper airplane spaceships like Star Wars and fly them through leaves and bushes like a jungle planet.

Anthony Garcia, 23, Nomad


MELISSA

My friend and I would pick ferns and hide behind them. We would tell my little sister that we were โ€œfern sisters,โ€ like we were made of ferns.

Melissa Lamb, 56, School Psychologist


IVAN

In preschool, I told a girl, โ€œI want a kiss from you.โ€ She said, โ€œIโ€™ll pretend my glue stick is lipstick, so the kiss wonโ€™t go away.โ€ When I kissed her, my lips stuck together, and she laughed. She said, โ€œI told you! Youโ€™ll never forget me now!โ€ And I never have. I learned then that women are smarter than us.

Ivan Chacon, 52, Finance

Pride Parade Photos

Here are a bunch of shots from today’s parade…

Street Talk

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Would you like to be famous? If so, for what?

ANGELA

DJ! My stage name is DJ Angel, because my name is Angela. Youโ€™ll hear all about it!

Angela Nguyen, 18, Cognitive Science Major, UCSC


MICHAEL

I chased fame when I was younger, but I wasnโ€™t being my true self. Now I have a son and a beautiful girlfriend, and Iโ€™m happy with serenity and a good job. โ€ฆ Peace comes from being a good hard worker, a good father and a good partner.

Michael Bronzburg, 37, Professional โ€œMacGyverโ€


SARA

I was listening to a Buddhist lecture today and it taught that we should abandon ambition because chasing fame leads to suffering. So today the answer is no, because if youโ€™re chasing outward validation, youโ€™re running from true happiness.

Sara McGrath, 30, Sociology Major, Cabrillo College


NAOMI

I would like to be famous for having the purplest hair. Iโ€™m an artist, but no, just purple.

Naomi Kerekes, 19, Art & Design: Games and Playable Media, UCSC


TC

I donโ€™t have a desire to be famous, but if I could be, it would be to draw attention to people hurting in need and break the barrier of invisibility. There was a lady who was famous for just putting money in peopleโ€™s parking meters.

TC Lovett, 55, Barista, Luluโ€™s on Pacific


NATALIE

I always wanted to be famous as an actor. I was in a play in high school, and I used to make film videosโ€”drama, action or horrorโ€”so I would act in them too. โ€ฆ But I donโ€™t have time anymore to plan a video and get together with a crew.

Natalie Ortega, 19, English Major, Cabrillo College


The Editor’s Desk

Santa Cruz California editor of good times news media print and web
Brad Kava | Good Times Editor

Iโ€™ll never forget when my then 4-year-old son started to understand where food comes from.

We were talking about how fish eat worms and flies, then birds eat the fish and then predators eat the birds.

โ€œItโ€™s a good thing we donโ€™t eat animals,โ€ he said. โ€œWe eat food.โ€

I got a kick under the table from his mother telling me not to explain. But eventually I did, and he was grossed out that we ate meat but he justified it saying that since animals eat animals and we are animals, he was OK eating meat.

He doesnโ€™t feel the guilt I do, when I look at cows and think they could end up on my table. I suspect he will someday.

Meanwhile, Iโ€™ve introduced him to alternatives.

Last year we went to VegFest and he was happy with the meat substitutes and all the vegan options. It opened a whole new world.

Thatโ€™s the message in a festival that has grown in a year from an outpost at the Cocoanut Grove to the wide expanse of the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds in Watsonville. You donโ€™t have to eat meat out of habit, convenience or taste. There are options that are beneficial to the environment and your health.

We think a visit to this Fest will open your minds and taste buds to new possibilities.

Speaking of fests, the good news is that the Gilroy Garlic Festival is back, which you can read about in Mark C. Andersonโ€™s dining column. The bad news is that the Artichoke Festival is gone after 65 years, but I would bet it will be back somewhere. Artichokes, so plentiful here, deserve a celebration. I never met anyone who tried their first โ€™choke and didnโ€™t love it.

We no longer have smell-o-vision in the movies, but we have a new local business celebrating local smells with candles called Hot Melty Wax. Read Mat Weirโ€™s article for the scoop.

Thanks for reading.

Brad Kava | Editor


PHOTO CONTEST

SEA THE MOMENT Taken at Seabright State Beach with an iPhone 13. Photograph by Sharon Barnes

GOOD IDEA

Santa Cruz Celebrates 50 Years of Santa Cruz Pride with Festive Pride-themed Window Art Contest.

Until  June 15, community members are invited to pick up a free Pride Window Art map at the Downtown Association’s Info Kioskโ€”1130 Pacific Ave. in Santa Cruzโ€”or at local businesses. The map guides participants to all the dazzling window displays, and allows them to vote for their favorite artistic creation.

The business whose window receives the most votes will be awarded $250 Downtown Dollars for their staff. Additionally, all participants who turn in their completed map to the Info Kiosk by June 15 will be entered into a drawing to win $50 Downtown Dollars.

GOOD WORK

The annual Summer Lunch program, sponsored by La Manzana Community Resources, a program of Community Bridgesโ€™ Family Resource Collective, kicks off June 9.

Kids 18 and under can pick up a free lunch at various sites in Santa Cruz and Watsonville through early August. Most Watsonville sites will distribute lunches through Aug. 8.

Through Community Bridges (communitybridges.org), the Summer Lunch program has served 20,000 meals over the last three years. It is estimated that more than 30 million children across the U.S. depend on free meal programs such as these that are more critical when the traditional sources in schools are closed for summer.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

โ€˜A leader who mocks the weak, exalts himself and preys on the innocent was not sent here by God.โ€™
โ€”Pope Leo XVII

Letters

FOSTERING FEMALE BUSINESS

What an inspiring move! The Regional Womenโ€™s Business Center is a fantastic step toward fostering female entrepreneurship. Iโ€™ve always believed that collaboration is key, and this center will provide the perfect platform for women to connect and share their experiences. In my own journey, I found that platforms like Invisibly reviews helped me navigate challenges by providing valuable insights. Hereโ€™s to breaking barriers and building a supportive community!

Diama | Goodtimes.sc


MARKET MOVE

Old news about the move for the downtown farmersโ€™ market โ€“ the City has pushed it back another TWO WEEKS โ€“ June 4 is the NEW date for relocation a few blocks away.

Sal Witt | Goodtimes.sc


CHINESE FOOD TIP

Iโ€™m a fan of this restaurant too, and I completely agree that Special Noodle is a great spot for anyone who enjoys Chinese food. That being said, I also really like Panda Express, especially its entrees such as Orange Chicken and Honey Walnut Shrimp. If youโ€™re curious about their full lineup of dishes, you can check out the menu here: pandaexpressmenubl.wixsite.com/panda-express-menu

Caleb Morgan | Goodtimes.sc


HUERTA HEROICS

DOLORES HUERTA is a hero, as she speaks the truth that some farm owners do NOT want to hear.
The fact that the cancer rate for Latino children is more than three times the number of the non-Latino child population should tell you: GENOCIDE BY PESTICIDE!
I live in Watsonville. The fact that our entire city is considered one entire spray zone should tell you something: our residents are children of a lesser god. It is time for Mr. Driscoll to get a damn clue about organic farming. Our city of Watsonville is NOT a test zone for the pesticide and herbicide industry. Our residents are NOT collateral damage for the farming industry. And all of us need to provide the best health care for children, and not allow trumpdump and the RETHUGLICANS to cut Medi-Cal funding.

Steve L. Trujillo | Goodtimes.sc


WOMEN/CARE

Thank you, Elizabeth, for this article about an invaluable community (and beyond) resource!
I think it is well written and, while succinct, you touch on the variety of resources that WomenCARE offers. I hope more women will utilize the services and that more folks will support the film festival.
The majority of WomenCAREโ€™s funding comes from our caring community.
I know; after almost 23 years with WomenCARE, I retired April 2024.

LaVerne | Goodtimes.sc

Free Will Astrology

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ARIES March 21-April 19

The strongest, most enduring parts of Chinaโ€™s Great Wall were the 5,500 miles built during the Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644. One secret to their success was sticky rice, an essential ingredient in the mortar. The resulting structures have been remarkably water resistant. They hold their shape well, resist weed growth and get stronger as time passes. I hope you will find metaphorical equivalents to sticky rice as you work on your foundations in the coming months, Aries. Proceed as if you are constructing basic supports that will last you for years.

TAURUS April 20-May 20

The worldโ€™s most expensive spice is saffron. To gather one gram of it, workers must harvest 150 flowers by hand. Doesnโ€™t that process resemble what you have been doing? I am awed by the stamina and delicacy you have been summoning to generate your small but potent treasure. What youโ€™re producing may not be loud and showy, but its value will be concentrated and robust. Trust that those who appreciate quality will recognize the painstaking effort behind your creation. Like saffronโ€™s distinctive essence that transforms ordinary dishes into extraordinary ones, your patient dedication is creating what canโ€™t be rushed or replicated.

GEMINI May 21-June 20

Gemini author Jean-Paul Sartre was offered the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1964. But he rejected it. Why? He said that if he accepted it, he would be turned into an institution and authority figure, which would hinder his ability to critique politics and society. He was deeply committed to the belief that a writer has an obligation to be independent and accountable only to their conscience and audience, not to external accolades or validations. I think you are in a Sartre-like phase right now, dear Gemini. You have a sacred duty to be faithful to your highest calling, your deepest values and your authentic identity. Every other consideration should be secondary.

CANCER June 21-July 22

You are now highly attuned to subtle energies, subliminal signals and hidden agendas. No one in your sphere is even half as sensitive as you are to the intriguing mysteries that are unfolding beneath the visible surface. This may be a bit unsettling, but itโ€™s a key asset. Your ability to sense what others are missing gives you a unique advantage. So trust your intuitive navigation system, Cancerian, even if the way forward isnโ€™t obvious. Your ability to sense underlying currents will enable you to avoid obstacles and discern opportunities that even your allies might overlook.

LEO July 23-Aug. 22

Underground fungal networks are essential for the health of ecosystems. They connect plant roots and facilitate transfers of nutrients, water and communication signals between various species. They enhance the fertility of the soil, helping plants thrive. In accordance with astrological indicators, I invite you to celebrate your equivalent of the underground fungal network. What is the web of relationships that enables you to thrive? Not just the obvious bonds, but the subtle ones, too: the barista who has memorized your order, the neighbor who waters your plants when youโ€™re away, the online ally who responds to your posts. Now is an excellent time to map and nurture these vital interconnections.

VIRGO Aug. 23-Sept. 22

Virgo author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie warns about โ€œthe danger of a single story.โ€ She tells us that authentic identity requires us to reject oversimplified narratives. As a Nigerian woman living in the US, she found that both Western and African audiences sought to reduce her to convenient categories. She has not only resisted that pressure, but also outwitted and outflanked it. Her diversity is intriguing. She mixes an appreciation for pop culture with serious cultural criticism. She addresses both academic and mainstream audiences. I offer her up as your role model, Virgo. In the coming weeks, may she inspire you to energetically express all your uncategorizable selves.

LIBRA Sept. 23-Oct. 22

Where have you not yet traveled but would like to? What frontiers would your imagination love for you to visit, but you have refrained? Now is the time to consider dropping inhibitions, outmoded habits and irrelevant rules that have prevented you from wandering farther and wider. You have full permission from life, karma and your future self to take smart risks that will lead you out of your comfort zone. What exotic sanctuary do you wish you had the courage to explore? What adventurous pilgrimage might activate aspects of your potential that are still half-dormant?

SCORPIO Oct. 23-Nov. 21

Astrologers say that Scorpio is ruled by three creatures that correspond to three ascending levels of spiritual maturity. The regular Scorpio person is ruled by the scorpion. Scorpios who are well underway with their spiritual work are ruled by the eagle. The Scorpio who has consistently succeeded at the hard and rewarding work of metaphorical death and resurrection is ruled by the phoenixโ€”the mythical bird that is reborn from the ashes of its own immolation. With this as our context, I am letting you know that no matter how evolved you are, the coming weeks will bring you rich opportunities to come more into your own as a brilliant phoenix.

SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22-Dec. 21

Seas off the coast of Singapore are heavily polluted. Some of the coral reefs there are showing resilience, though. They have developed symbiotic relationships with certain algae and bacteria that were formerly hostile. Their robustness lies in their adaptability and their power to forge unlikely alliances. Thatโ€™s a good teaching for you right now. The strength you need isnโ€™t about maintaining fixed positions or rigid boundaries, but about being flexible. So I hope you will be alert and ready to connect with unfamiliar resources and unexpected help. A willingness to adjust and compromise will be a superpower.

CAPRICORN Dec. 22-Jan. 19

Sometimes, disruptions are helpful prods that nudge us to pay closer attention. An apparent malfunction might be trying to tell us some truth that our existing frameworks canโ€™t accommodate. I suspect this phenomenon might be occurring in your world. An area of your life that seems to be misfiring may in fact be highlighting a blind spot in your comprehension. Rather than fretting and purging the glitches, I will ask you to first consider what helpful information is being exposed. Suspend your judgment long enough to learn from apparent errors.

AQUARIUS Jan. 20-Feb. 18

This isnโ€™t the first time Iโ€™ve said that your ideas are ahead of their time. Now Iโ€™m telling you again, and adding that your intuitions, feelings and approaches are ahead of their time, too. As usual, your precociousness carries both potential benefits and problems. If people are flexible and smart enough to be open to your innovations, you will be rewarded. If others are rigid and oblivious, you may have to struggle to get the right things done. Hereโ€™s my advice: Focus on the joy of carrying out your innovations rather than getting caught up in fighting resistance.

PISCES Feb. 19-March 20

Sunlight canโ€™t penetrate deeper than 3,280 feet into the oceanโ€™s depths. Even at 650 feet down, a murky twilight zone prevails. But nearly 75 percent of deep-sea creatures can create their own light, thanks to a biochemical phenomenon called bioluminescence. Jellyfish, starfish and crustaceans are a few animals that glow. I propose we make them your symbols of power in the coming weeks, Pisces. I hope they incite you to be your own source of illumination as you summon all the resilience you need. If shadowy challenges arise, resolve to emit your steady brilliance. Inspire yourself and others with your subtle yet potent clarity.

Homework: What do you understand well and should share with others who would benefit from it? Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com

ยฉ Copyright 2025 Rob Brezsny

Serendipitous Sounds

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Redwood Mountain Faire is cominโ€™ round the mountain, again, and if you havenโ€™t been, you should. It is literally a community in action, as everyone working there is a volunteer. All proceeds have gone to worthy nonprofits throughout the years, and 2025 is no sloucher, with money going to organizations like the SLV Theatre Boosters, SLV Charter School Boosters, The SLV Rotary Club and SLV Music.

Acts this year include Grateful Dead clone pleasers Jerryโ€™s Middle Finger, the uplifting Davis-based seven-piece Boot Juice and a cornucopia of diverse entertainment. One anticipated returnee is local musical hero Jesse Daniel.

A born and bred Santa Cruz mountain man, Jesse Daniel looks like he just stepped off 400 acres in Wyoming. Thereโ€™s an authenticity that radiates off Daniels and his band, smelling like real Country Music. On his latest release, his fifth studio album, Son of the San Lorenzo (which will drop on June 6), the single โ€œMy Time is Gonna Comeโ€ sweeps the sawdust off the barroom floor and out through the saloon doors. The music is crisp and fresh. Not only is Daniel growing as a man, and learning to thread the needle of a decent life, but also as a country star, who is rising with every show.

โ€œOne constant thing that has happened,โ€ Daniel begins from somewhere on the road, โ€œin a positive or negative way, is Iโ€™m put in situations that test my personal fortitude. I choose to look at them like trials. Thereโ€™s been a lot. But serendipitous things have happened throughout my career. I believe hard work leads to opportunities.โ€

In 2023 and โ€™24, Daniel and his band played close to 200 shows a year. This year he wants to do things a little bit differently. โ€œIโ€™m focusing on recording a lot of music. Iโ€™m in a prolific period of writing where I just want to get it all on tape,โ€ Daniel says. โ€œAs far as performing, itโ€™s about quality over quantity. Weโ€™re going to do a full European tour. Weโ€™re also heading to Brazil for a festival, then to Australia for a series of rodeo events,โ€ Daniel says.

Donโ€™t fret, though: US dates will be announced soon.

Country music, real country music, isnโ€™t political. It shouldnโ€™t be appreciated depending on the color of a hat, and Daniel is well aware of this. โ€œWe are pretty apolitical, you know? What Iโ€™ve always truly loved about music is that it transcends the material world. Societal stuff is constructed by man. Music is otherworldly and is a universal language that everyone on the planet can understand,โ€ Daniels concludes.

arts Miko Marks photo
SONG SIREN Miko Marks transports listeners back to a time when music lifted people up. Photo: Karen Santos

The Redwood Mountain Faire also brings new artists into the fold each year. Song siren Miko Marks is the kind of performer fans fall in love with immediately, if they have a soul. Her single โ€œThis Timeโ€ transports listeners back to a time when music lifted people up, when we strove for the sun, and when there was bittersweet hope.

Marks was raised in Flint, Michigan, in a community that praised musical talent. โ€œI absolutely came up through the church,โ€ says Marks, from her home in Oakland. โ€œI started singing in our youth choir when I was like 3-4 years old. And my mom apparently thought I could sing at such an early age. Right? And so she made sure I got into the church choir. My family is rooted deeply in the gospel church. The Church of God in Christ. And it was not just the Sunday thing, it was four or five times a week, kind of church, so there was definitely a lot of music going on in my early years growing up.โ€

Marksโ€™ family loved all kinds of music. When they moved from Mississippi to Michigan for the automotive industry jobs, Marks was exposed to everything from blues to country to classical.

โ€œI was a big soft rock lover. I just soaked up as much music as I could from all types of places, and different styles. I was never limited, and my family didnโ€™t limit me as well,โ€ Marks says.

โ€œThe thing is when I leave this earth, I want to leave a legacy of music. Now whether thatโ€™s country, Americana, blues, gospelโ€”you name itโ€”I donโ€™t try to fit inside a box. I just try to be authentically me and whatever that is. Iโ€™m just trying to make good music that stands the test of time,โ€ Marks says.

The Redwood Mountain Faire takes place on Saturday, May 31 and Sunday, June 1. Tickets range from $30-$90. More information available at redwoodmountainfaire.com.

Fabric of History

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Last year, a high school student visiting the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & Historyโ€™s Queer Santa Cruz exhibit expressed interest in seeing the AIDS Memorial Quilt. So the MAH collaborated with the National AIDS Memorial and Santa Cruz Diversity Center to host the new show, Threads of Love: The AIDS Memorial Quilt.

โ€œWeโ€™re hoping to create an experience where the community could be surrounded by the quilts,โ€ says Meggie Pina, well-being programs director for the Diversity Center. โ€œWeโ€™re also having youth making art to contribute to the exhibit. The art work is stitched together with love, resistance and collective strength.โ€

The collection consists of 56 panels that measure 3 feet by 6 feet and have more than 50 names personalized on them. Community members were able to request panels that were designed as tributes to local relatives who died of the disease. The exhibit, which runs May 30 through June 29, celebrates not one but two significant milestones.

In 1985, San Francisco activist Cleve Jones conceived of the quilt as an opportunity for people to remember loved ones they had lost to the pandemic. It was unveiled for the first time two years later at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. (Today, the quilt has roughly 50,000 panels dedicated to 110,000 people and weighs 54 tons. Itโ€™s the largest piece of community folk art in the world.)

In 1984, the Santa Cruz AIDS Project formed to serve men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS in the area. The nonprofit brought the quilt to the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium in 1989. Of the quiltโ€™s 9,000 panels at the time, 340 panels were displayed, 20 of which were designed by Santa Cruz residents.

AIDS was a defining period for the gay community in the 1980s and โ€™90s, back when a positive diagnosis was a death sentence. Younger generations living in the shadow of the epidemic might lack knowledge about the virusโ€™ history and transmission. So the Diversity Center will have HIV/AIDS information and prevention resources available throughout the exhibit. The center has also teamed up with seniors and students across Santa Cruz County to create the Queer Liberation Quilt, which is composed of hand-painted quilt blocks sewn together with red ribbon, the international symbol of AIDS awareness.

โ€œWe want the youth to learn more about the local history in Santa Cruz,โ€ Pina says. โ€œTheyโ€™ve shared with us that a lot of their peers donโ€™t know about the HIV/AIDS crisis, so that history portion in the exhibit is kind of geared for the younger generation.โ€

GIVING PRIDE Students across Santa Cruz County worked with MAH to create the Queer Liberation Quilt. PHOTO: Contributed

Screening throughout the course of the show will be Never the Last Love Letter, a documentary directed by Terez Kilpatrick. Using archival footage and interviews with activists, doctors and survivors, the movie explores how HIV/AIDS affected Santa Cruzโ€™s LGBTQ+ community in the 1980s.

โ€œThis project is a call to action of the past, but itโ€™s also a bold call to action for the future,โ€ Pina says. โ€œIt speaks to the power of art and the demand for justice and to inspire a more liberated future. I really hope that young people will have a chance to connect with the quilt. I also hope that people get a chance to learn about the Santa Cruz AIDS Project and the amazing grassroots organizing that was done to help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and the personal sacrifices of those who fought to save lives. I hope that weโ€™re able to honor all the people that have died, and that weโ€™re able to look toward a world where thereโ€™s a vaccine.โ€

Santa Cruz Pride Week

Threads of Love and a concurrent exhibitโ€”Out of the Closet and Into the Streets: 50 Years of Santa Cruz Prideโ€”run May 30โ€“June 29 at MAH, 705 Front St., Santa Cruz. The museum is open Thursday-Sunday; admission is $8-$10.

The shows are part of Santa Cruz Pride Week, which also includes the following events:

May 29, 6:30pm, Kuumbwa. A Queer Evening in May, featuring local musical talent.

May 30, 6:30pm, MAH. Generations of Pride Dinner and Dancing Through the Decades. Provides a first look at the two MAH exhibits.

May 30, 4:20-8pm, Town Clock Plaza. Dyke Trans March.

May 31, 8pm-1am, Rio Theater. Queerlantis: A Golden Jubilee.

June 1, 11am-4pm, Downtown Santa Cruz. Pride Parade and Festival. Interfaith service at 9:30am; parade at 11am; speeches at noon, followed by music from SambaDa and Robbie Fitzsimmons.

For more details, visit santacruzpride.org.

Scenta Cruz

1

Santa Cruz is known for many things. Skateboarding, surfing, the iconic red dot clothing and everything under the umbrella of NHS Inc. Our banana slugs are internationally famous, and Santa Cruz has been at the forefront of the UC system when it comes to everything from marine studies and astronomy to the mapping of the human genome.

And that all goes without pointing out the centurion Giant Dipper, Boardwalk and all the movies filmed here, like The Lost Boys, Killer Klowns From Outer Space and Us.

However, one thing Santa Cruz isnโ€™t known for is its pleasant smells.

But all that might soon change thanks to local start-up scented candle brand Hot Melty Wax.

Since November 2023, the company has created limited runs of scented candles inspired by local businesses, artists and influencers.

โ€œSeeing how much has changed [over the years] and how much has stayed the same, Iโ€™ve been really motivated by a lot of the new businesses,โ€ says Hot Melty Wax creator Kendall Denike.

โ€œPeople are pouring their heart and soul into these businesses and itโ€™s really inspired me to see what theyโ€™ve brought to the community and their dedication to Santa Cruz.โ€

Sold almost exclusively through Hot Melty Waxโ€™s Instagram, candles like the Emerald Mallard (named after the award-winning Felton restaurant, it smells like freshly baked bread), Coffee Conspiracy (which smells likeโ€“what else?โ€”a freshly brewed pot of goodness) and Blind the Sun (named after artist Allison โ€œ2024 Shrimp Kingโ€ Garcia and smelling exactly like a fresh, bright green tomato vine) offer unique scents perfect for entertaining friends or just lounging about the house.

โ€œBlind the Sun is my favorite artist so Iโ€™m starstruck that she would let me put her name on my candles,โ€ Denike says.

Locals might recognize Denike as one half of an upstart branding and event company, Collective Santa Cruz, which he and business partner Jalen Horne started in 2022. Hot Melty Wax originally began as the Santa Cruz Flame Company for Collectiveโ€™s Can Party event at the end of 2023. Held at Other Brother Brewery, it was a canned food drive for Second Harvest Food Bank with canned beer specials for patrons.

โ€œSo I made candles in a can to really bring the whole Can Party to life,โ€ Denike laughs.

While the pop-up brand was a successโ€“with scents like โ€œSugar,โ€ โ€œWoodsyโ€ and โ€œBeachโ€โ€”Denike didnโ€™t think to keep it going and focused on the exclusive marketing and branding Collective has become known for. However, all that changed this past January when he decided to relaunch the candles as Hot Melty Wax, opting to put them in glass jars with the crossover local marketing.

The first batch had Thank You Come Again Flower Shop (a floral scent), Coffee Conspiracy, The Grove (named for the Felton restaurant that smells exactly like chocolate chip cookies) and Emerald Mallard. Those were quickly followed up by a โ€œchocolate covered strawberryโ€ variant with Toasted Jewelry, Blind the Sun and a smoky incense with sandalwood in collaboration with Fog City Tattoo. Since then Hot Melty Wax has released a Redwood Records candle (with the smell of โ€œfunky fresh redwood and cedarโ€) and just dropped a bubble gum flavor, Sweet Home Santa Cruz, an exclusive for Collectiveโ€™s food event of the same name last weekend at Humble Sea. That was quickly followed by the Busy Bees Cafe Cateringโ€“inspired cinnamon roll scent, a Ferrellโ€™s Donuts โ€œclassic glazedโ€ variant and a triple chocolate candle named after Denikeโ€™s favorite Pacific Cookie Company cookie, Dr. Midnight.

โ€œTo me this is just as much a branding and marketing project as it is a candle project,โ€ he says. โ€œI thought it would be a really fun, creative challenge to take one of the most generic products, then brand it and market it in such a unique, interesting way [so] that people recognize it and connect with it.โ€

For anyone looking to light up the smells of Santa Cruz, itโ€™s best to get a jump on buying them sooner rather than later. They are all made in limited batches and sell out quickly, so the best way to see whatโ€™s up to date and in stock is through Hot Melty Waxโ€™s and Collective Santa Cruzโ€™s Instagram pages. But if a certain scent isnโ€™t in stock, donโ€™t worry. Denike says he plans on restocking past favorites in the near future.

However, for those who like to go shopping in person and arenโ€™t willing to take the risk of buying an unknown scent, limited amounts can be found in-store at each candleโ€™s respective collaboration business while supplies last. Limited batches will be available throughout the summer at one of the several mini-festivals Collective is hosting throughout the county between now and September.

โ€œAfter all, itโ€™s a multi-sensory experience from seeing the label to smelling the candle,โ€ he admits. โ€œI think weโ€™re going to do really well at in-person events.โ€

Things to do in Santa Cruz

THURSDAY 5/29

ROCK

DETROIT COBRAS

Vocalist Rachel Nagy and rhythm guitarist Mary Ramirez kept hard-hitting Detroit rock alive with their fuzzy garage-rock covers of โ€™50s and โ€™60s rock and roll, earning respect from luminaries like rocker Jack White and super producer Don Was, who even sat in with them on bass for one gig. Sadly, Nagy died in 2022. This seemed like the end of the road for the Cobras, but at a celebration of life, Marcus Durant stepped to the mic and impressed Ramirez with the way he kicked out the jams. She felt he could do Nagyโ€™s memory justice. So far, so good. KEITH LOWELL JENSEN

INFO: 9pm, Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz. $20. 429-6994

TROPA MAGICA

Tropa Magica brings a high-energy, danceable set that pulls together โ€™90s grunge, southern psychedelic synth and โ€™60s cumbia guitar. The band members grew up listening to traditional Latin music, which informs their unique sound. But they find ways to keep experimenting, like weaving in orchestral soundsโ€”think Hans Zimmerโ€”and play it in a rock โ€™nโ€™ roll vibe. While they have received criticism for not sticking to a traditional cumbia sound, Tropa Magica knows how to make magic happen, creating something that feels quintessentially them. SHELLY NOVO

INFO: 8pm, Moeโ€™s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $26/adv, $30/door. 479-1854.

FRIDAY 5/30

DANCE/ELECTRONIC

SOOHAN

Getting his start DJing house parties up and down the East Coast, Stephen Suchan (aka Soohan) has grown to be a globally recognized performer, these days appearing at top-tier festivals like Envision, Lightning in a Bottle and Burning Man. Soohan takes listeners on a journey with a musical blend that spans cultures and timelines, holding everything together with 808s and upbeat basslines. Soohanโ€™s specialty is Baltimore Club, but in the spirit of bringing everyone together and creating a community dance floor experience, he often mixes in electro bangers, dubstep, juke, and dancehall. SN

INFO: 8pm, Felton Music Hall, 6275 Hwy 9, Felton. $20-$25. 704-7113.

ART

THREADS OF LOVE

This is the 50th anniversary of Santa Cruz Pride, and the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History celebrates the continuous commitment to justice, mutual support and well-being with the new art exhibition Threads of Love. The idea started when local high schoolers wanted to see the AIDS Memorial Quilt. The quilt acts as a centerpiece to the exhibit, a celebration of the Santa Cruz queer communityโ€™s past, present and future. Along with the quilt, art made by local students and community members will be featured. Visitors are invited to learn and continue to combat stigma around HIV/AIDS. The exhibit goes until June 29. ISABELLA MARIE SANGALINE

INFO: Noon, Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History, 705 Front St, Santa Cruz. 429-1964.

COUNTRY

ERIC PASLAY

Eric Paslay is a country singer-songwriter known for penning deceptively simple, relatable lyrics. Abilene, Texas-born Paslay signed a record deal in 2011; by 2014, he had scored his first hit, โ€œFriday Nightโ€ (#5 on Billboardโ€™s Country Airplay chart). The song was included on his self-titled debut album, which would spawn two more well-received singles. Notably among his Nashville peers, Paslay writes his own material and has provided songs for many other big-named artists, including Rascal Flatts, Keith Urban, Amy Grant and Lady Antebellum (who recorded โ€œFriday Nightโ€ before he did). Paslayโ€™s most recent release is the 2023 EP Perfect Stranger. BILL KOPP

INFO: 8pm, Chaminade Resort & Spa, One Chaminade Lane, Santa Cruz. $65. 475-5600.

SATURDAY 5/31

PUNK

MOTHFEST

When local musician Dan Lamothe tragically died two years ago while training for the fire department, his friends and family wanted to do something to honor his memory. Thus, Mothfest was born. Last year, they brought West Virginian horror punk band Blitzkid to Santa Cruz for the first time in nearly a decade. Now, Mothfest has done it again with Mad Marge and the Stonecutters. Originally formed in 2004 and disbanded in 2015, Mad Marge was an infamous psychobilly band that Lamothe loved. Joining them for the Second Annual Mothfest are local Latin punk trio Fulminante, country folk punks Digginโ€™ Trails, and horror punks Dark Ride, featuring Lamotheโ€™s ex-Stellar Corpsesโ€™ bandmate, Emilio Menze. MAT WEIR

INFO: 8pm, Moeโ€™s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $15/adv, $20door. 479-1854.

THEATER

SNAPSHOTS

Voice teacher, actor and conductor Alice Christine Hughes started as a child actor. She spent a lifetime in musical theatre, eventually serving for 20 years as the Visual and Performing Arts chair and director of Choral Music at Pacific Collegiate School. In Snapshots, an original one-woman play, Hughes is accompanied by pianist Kylan deGhetaldi as she makes use of songs selected from classic musical plays alongside poetry written by her mother to tell a womanโ€™s life story. KLJ

INFO: 7:30pm, The Landing, 251B Kings Village Rd, Scotts Valley. $25. 566-9411.

SUNDAY 6/1

PUNK

FOGLINE

This year, Santa Cruz will be celebrating its 50th anniversary as one of the countryโ€™s longest-running Pride marches and parties with its annual parade, street performances, dances, movie screenings and more. This Sunday, Streetlight Records will host a free show with local punk act Fogline to keep the celebration going. While still new to the scene, this woman-fronted quartet released a four-song demo late last year, and if itโ€™s an indication of where they are going, we hope to see plenty more of them in the near future. Perfect for fans of Bikini Kill, Fugazi and Bratmobile. MW

INFO: 3pm, Streetlight Records, 939 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. Free. 421-9200.

MONDAY 6/2

JAZZ

MONTY ALEXANDER

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, pianist Monty Alexander is an acclaimed jazz musician. After relocating to New York City in the early โ€™60s, Alexander gained fame working with Frank Sinatra, Milt Jackson and Ray Brown. Today, he boasts a catalog of more than 75 albums, showcasing his synthesis of bebop and blues-flavored jazz with a Caribbean flavor. Among his most notable releases are his 1970s albums for the venerable MPS label. Alexander typically works within a trio but has also made forays into larger-format ensembles. His 2024 album D-Day commemorates the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings that turned the tide of World War II. BK

INFO: 7pm, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $52. 427-2227.

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Calendar photo Tropa Magica
Tropa Magica brings a high-energy, danceable set that pulls together โ€™90s grunge, southern psychedelic synth and โ€™60s cumbia guitar. Thursday at Moe's Alley
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