It has been nearly five decades since Country Fair Cinnamon Rolls began selling their iconic pastries at the Santa Cruz County Fair.
The stand has become a cornerstone of the fair’s multifarious food offerings, and on busy days the dozen or so employees can sell as many as 4,000 rolls, says manager Jose Mirelez.
On any day during the fair, dozens of people can be seen lining up at the stand, ordering rolls that can be topped with frosting, nuts and bacon.
New this year is the Tres Leches roll, an ode to the Latin-American dessert. It features frosting mixed with evaporated and sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream, then topped with caramel and sprinkled with piloncillo, an unrefined, raw cane sugar common in Mexican and Latin American cuisine.
FAIR EATS Country Fair Cinnamon Rolls owner Willie Madaus readies his food stand for the fair. PHOTO: Tarmo Hannula
But traditionalists hoping for the stand’s classic need not fret: the traditional menu will still be on offer.
“We love what we do,” Mirelez said. “It’s all made by hand with love, and we get to put pride in it.”
Headquartered in Altamonte near Yosemite National Park, the stand started the year in Quartzsite, Arizona, and the San Diego County Fair in June and July.
They took home best in show awards at the California State Fair food competition at the California State Fair in Sacramento, as well as at the San Diego County Fair.
And while the cinnamon roll booth was the first food stand to make an appearance, work was happening throughout the fairgrounds, getting it ready for its Sept. 10 opening.
On Sept. 2, work crews were busy putting up giant tents in the fairgrounds for the annual event that runs through Sept. 14.
GOING UPWorkers put their weight into yanking a large tent into position as part of preparations for the Santa Cruz County Fair, which runs Sept. 10-14. PHOTO: Tarmo Hannula
Visitors this year can expect a handful of small changes.
The threat of avian influenza has somewhat limited the animals the fair can display, says spokesman Ron Haedicke. This means that the poultry barn will not have its usual display of chickens and other birds. Instead, the young people that raised them will make videos, which will be shown in the barn.
New this year in the Poultry Barn will be a Homestead Pavilion, where visitors can learn live-off-the-land skills such as canning and preserving. In addition, visitors will have the chance to see live chicks hatching in an incubator.
Due to the same disease, beef cattle cannot be displayed, although dairy cows can.
Still, most of the livestock will be on display, and attendees can expect old favorites such as the All Alaskan Racing Pigs and self-described master hypnotist Michael Mezmer.
A group of freestyle motorcycle daredevils called FMX Ramp-Age will perform Sept. 10, and there will be a nightly lighted drone show.
“The place looks better than I’ve ever seen it, and we’re looking forward to having everybody here,” Haedicke said.
Watsonville activist Omar Dieguez and a group of community leaders announced a hunger strike and started the movement with a protest outside of Driscoll’s headquarters in Watsonville on Sept. 2.
About 50 people were protesting the use of toxic pesticides near homes and schools in Watsonville and the Pajaro Valley.
Dieguez announced that he began his fast on Sept. 1 and will continue for 30 days. He is being joined by several community leaders who will fast for various lengths of time.
Dieguez released a public statement to Driscoll’s and California Giant Berry owners, urging them to transition their fields near homes and schools to organic and stopping the use of toxic pesticides.
“Enough is enough,” the statement reads. “For too long, you have poisoned our community with toxic pesticides that harm our farmworkers, our immigrant and Indigenous families, our youth, and all of Pajaro Valley. You are contaminating our water, our land, our oceans, and the very air we breathe. This must stop now.”
Dieguez says in the statement that, as a young boy growing up near the fields, he acquired acute asthma.
“Many of my friends have suffered from cancers and other health problems that many of the same chemicals used in your berry fields are known to cause,” he says.
Dieguez says that the companies have the resources and capabilities to end pesticide use immediately and transition to safer practices.
“Impacts from pesticides go on for decades,” Gabe Medina, Pajaro Valley Unified School District board member, told the crowd. He spoke of family members who were sprayed “directly” while working area fields, and of cancer and strokes that have affected his family.
“This is what pesticides do to us: They impact us physically and mentally,” Medina said. He demanded proper screening of students at schools for added protection and spoke strongly of area leaders coming forward and standing up for what is right “and challenging corporations that see us as disposable units in order for them to make profits.”
Adam Scow of Campaign for Organic and Regenerative Agriculture, a grassroots organization of residents of the Monterey Bay, stated: “Local activists are coming together to put their bodies on the line in support of the movement to stop toxic pesticides. Our region is actually a leader in organic agriculture with nearly 20 percent of the Pajaro Valley being organic. So we need more of it in the right places.”
The specific fields near Pajaro Valley homes and schools are illustrated on a map released by the Campaign for Organic & Regenerative Agriculture, available at farmworkerfamily.org/cora.
In a prepared statement from Driscoll’s, the 150-year-old company says its “roots in this community run deep.”
“We live here, work here, send our children to local schools, and care deeply about the health and safety of our families, employees, and neighbors,” the statement reads.
The use of pesticides—and their use near schools—is regulated and monitored by agencies such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR) and the County Agricultural Commissioner’s Offices.
“All of Driscoll’s independent growers are required to follow regulations and the law, working with government agencies to ensure full compliance,” the statement says. In addition, all pesticides must be approved by EPA and CDPR, and are reviewed and approved only after scientific evaluation for safety.
CDPR is responsible for monitoring pesticides in the air, surface water and groundwater, as well as new scientific information.
The issue of buffer zones—and when to update them—lies under the authority of agencies like the EPA and CDPR, the Driscoll’s statement asserts, and anyone who believes the rules need to be changed should contact the appropriate agencies, where they can be formally reviewed and addressed.
Driscoll’s is “committed to advancing certified organic farming beyond compliance,” the statement asserts.
“We believe the future of farming lies in collaborative innovation,” it reads. “That’s why one of our key initiatives is “More Berries, Less Resources.” Through that initiative, the company is collaborating with institutions such as UC Santa Cruz and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to develop non-chemical solutions for pest and disease management.
Driscoll’s researchers are also developing berry genetics to breed naturally resilient plants that require fewer pesticide applications.
“These advances take time, research, and investment. But we are committed to leading the way toward more sustainable farming practices,” the statement says.
Many people assume habitats are measured in extremes.
“Either untouched wildland or a parking lot,” frames Alex Hubner, horticulturist and Garden Steward at the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum & Botanic Garden.
In fact, as he and his wife, new Associate Director Lucy Ferneyhough, illuminate for me, habitats such as pollinator gardens are a confluence of nuanced factors.
“People’s perceptions of a perfect garden looks like something you’d see on the East Coast,” Hubner says. “Lush and green and full of giant flowers all summer long. The fact is, if you want that out here, you’re gonna have to use a lot of water, and you’re not going to be able to use native plants.”
Hubner and Ferneyhough are integral members and fervent proselytizers of the Arboretum’s Native Plant Program.
“Plant an array of different native species,” Ferneyhough says, “and you will see so many different types of bees and pollinators you haven’t seen before, or only out hiking. If you create the habitat, the animals will come.”
Ferneyhough and Hubner were both recruited to the Arboretum by Program Director Brett Hall, who has tended it since 1975. The two describe him fondly as a mentor giving youth lost in existential crisis purpose by spreading the gospel of gardening, a leader making new leaders.
Under his stewardship, the Arboretum team has collected seeds for more than 200 different rare plant species never before put into a “seed bank”—a library of flora built to sustain habitat destruction or climate change.
Hall got Ferneyhough into the California Naturalist Program, hosted by the Arboretum each year. A ten-week public course offered for optional college credit, participants meet on Thursday evenings, with weekend field trips. Wife and husband cannot sing its praises enough.
“You get this super holistic understanding of the landscape we live in that a lot of people rarely interact with,” she says. “People are so alienated from their own habitat in which all of our communities are situated.”
People are also alienated from each other, which the program also addresses, Hubner says.
“There’s an ecosystem of people doing this kind of work. You meet them and realize there’s something in common: appreciation for the sense of place.”
Yellow-faced bumble bee on a squash blossom. PHOTO: Bria Nathan/LaBriaTarPitz.com
This place we call home has some parallels. Southwestern Australia, the city of Perth in particular. The Cape of South Africa. Parts of South America, especially Chile. But mostly, Santa Cruz resembles the Mediterranean.
“The climate regime where you’ve got these long, dry summers, and the wet winter,” Ferneyhough says.
The problem they’ve identified for home gardeners is misinterpreting dormancy as death, or that they did something wrong. If anything, the more wrong move is overdoing it—overclearing, overtidying, overwatering. Fastidiousness can be useful indoors, but outdoors, you can be disturbing the fauna just as they’re getting settled.
One mnemonic device to help you, as rhythmic as this couple finishing each other’s sentences: leave the leaves.
“Don’t remove the dead stems from this year’s grasses or wildflowers,” he begins, “until the rainy season comes—”
“—And you’re starting to see new growth again…” she continues.
“…Because bees will use the hollow dead stem to go down there and build nests for their young or hide from predators,” he finishes.
Even actual, unequivocal death can be a boon.
“A tree that dies in your yard,” she says, “you can cut to just chest-high so it’s no longer unsafe to have, then you can drill 3/8 inch holes on the north side that create a place for solitary bees to nest.”
Revamping a dead standing tree known as a “snag” qualifies it to be called a much cuter term.
“A bee hotel,” he says.
A metallic green bee, shot by local photographer Bria Nathan at Wilder Ranch.
Raking leaves may feel righteous, an outdoor chore akin to washing dishes, but beware.
“Butterflies and moths often lay their eggs at the base of trees,” she says. “Then those larvae climb up into their host plant.”
Heat waves are increasing in frequency and intensity, but Ferneyhough cautions against endangering a plant while trying to “save” it.
“You’re going to want to make sure your plant is well-hydrated before the heat wave starts so that it isn’t sitting around in wet soil as the temperatures are going up. A lot of [native] plants are sensitive to fungal infection because they’re not adapted to a wet summer.”
No snazzy anti-invasive species marketing campaign exists, no warning labels informing customers the plant they’re about to purchase has the half-life of a plastic bag. But Santa Cruzans did get the memo about thirsty non-native green grass, as American as baseball diamonds, largely abandoning it as the drought made upkeep unrealistic and rationing by our water districts became punitive.
What’s a better choice?
“Buckwheat is beautiful, and bulletproof,” says Hubner. “And they bloom late, late summer into fall. You get that pollinator interest throughout the dry season.”
Nothing illustrates the interdependent evolution of flora and fauna like being a pollinator gardener. Plant long tube flowers and watch hummingbirds kamikaze for real estate rights. Plant short tube flowers and watch bees zip in and out. Pick the California native sticky monkeyflower and observe how it grows little landing pads for them. Behold nature’s immaculate design, devolving our attempts to assert our design over it.
“We’re at this peak human impact period,” Ferneyhough says. “Populations that are naturally small or are truncated by human pressures, whether it be development, or agriculture, or our spread of invasive species, could be completely extirpated or go extinct as a result of a single [catastrophic] event.”
In response, “Home gardens are providing linkages between fragmentation of the natural landscape. So much of the country, the state, our town is urbanized, and if you can create spaces for animals to be, you can reduce the impact.”
Pollinator garden starters, both native and exotics, are available for purchase at Norrie’s Gift & Garden Shop at the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum & Botanic Garden, including a local buckwheat. Visit them at 104 Arboretum Rd, off Empire Grade, or call 831-502-2999 to see what is in season.
A painted lady butterfly perches on a cosmo. PHOTO: Bria Nathan/LaBriaTarPitz.com
Cultivating Pollinators
The following are tips excerpted from handouts provided by the UCSC Arboretum. Find more information on calscape.org, a website from the California Native Plant Society that allows gardeners to search by location for native plants suited to their local environment.
For best success, plant in fall to take advantage of cool winter temperatures and rainfall. For new plants, water deeply 1-2 times per month during cool periods in the summer so they’re ready for any heatwave before it happens.
Vary flower types: Hummingbirds favor tubular flowers, especially red. Bees gravitate toward blue, purple, orange and yellow short-tubed flowers, and daisy-like flowers. Butterflies are drawn to fragrant flowers with bright colors and a large landing pad. Moths seek out white flowers with a nectar spur, blooming at night.
Prioritize native plants. Consider exotic species as an extra nectar source, but natives will support the insects that allow bird populations to reproduce themselves. Include larval host plants.
Mix native species that flower at different times. Early flowering plants: Ceanothus species, Arctostaphylos species, Ribes (flowering currant) and clovers. Mid-season bloomers: Roses, mints, poppies, sages, lupines, Clarkia, Phacelia. Late flowering: California aster (Symphiotrichum chilense), seaside daisy (Erigeron glaucus), gumplant (Grindelia spp.), goldenrod (Solidago sp.)
Willows and oaks host the largest number of butterfly larvae, so include these tree species if you have the space. Don’t spray your oak if it gets tent caterpillars.
For monarch butterflies, plant nectar plants if you are within a mile of an overwintering site rather than milkweed (Xerces Society has an interactive map at westernmonarchcount.org). Plant milkweed further inland
I’m so happy that Good Times did some real good (OK, we do a lot of good).
But in this case, a cover story in the early 2000s led to the creation of an amazing home store, Mario’s Lighting in Soquel, where Mario Guizar, a home builder who learned some of his skills at Cabrillo College, turns worn-out light fixtures people might throw away into great art.
You have to love it. This is masterful recycling, keeping things out of landfills and turning them into beautiful home fixtures.
He saw a robot-like creation on Good Times’ cover and thought he could make similar artistic creations for lighting and, voila!, a truly great home lighting business was created. Read the backstory in Josh Logan’s masterful article in our Home and Garden section.
Fall is like another planet’s spring, with the world taking on new colors and textures. And, while in other places it is the start of hibernation, here we can still plant and grow, while we will also spend more time indoors as the days grow shorter.
So it’s a good time to think about redecorating and recreating your indoor space. Check out Elizabeth Borelli’s piece on canning, something that will keep your cabinets full of fresh harvests and make for the best kind of holiday homemade gifts. Other outdoor revelations include John Koenig’s piece on koi pond collectors. Yes, a fish can sell for $20K. And Panashe Matemba-Mutasa looks at getting rid of your mowers and fertilizers and letting your lawn go feral, something I wonder about all the time, in our drought-ridden environment.
Food-wise, Mark C. Anderson has the inside scoop on the new restaurants at Santa Cruz’s long-awaited and long-debated La Bahia Hotel, something that will change the beachfront forever.
Andrew Steingrube brings you the story on Tramonti, a great restaurant now challenged by the closure of the Murray Street Bridge. I see local groups making a point of eating at places on both sides of the maze the closure has created and I tip my hat to them. It’s so sad to see businesses that struggled with the pandemic back in the hot seat with long-term road closures. Get out and patronize them, please.
Sometimes we forget we are an agricultural community, which has some drawbacks when it comes to doctors getting paid fairly, but is a joyous thing when you go to the Santa Cruz County Fair in Watsonville. It’s like a trip back in time to the good old days of pie-baking contests, photography shows, Lego building, crafts, arts and wild BMX riders, Mexican wrestlers, a hypnotist, cinnamon rolls, corn dogs, barbecue and carnival rides.
It’s sort of a bizarro world’s Burning Man, but you will run into everyone you’ve ever known there. Check our inside story on it.
Thanks for reading.
Brad Kava | Editor
PHOTO CONTEST
JUST BEACHY This dog and seal followed each other up the Aptos coast. Photograph by Thomas Brew
GOOD IDEA
The RTC invites you to participate in the Week Without Driving, Sept. 29–Oct. 5. For many, getting around without driving is a daily challenge, not a choice. During a Week Without Driving, we’re ditching the driver’s seat to understand how communities serve those who walk, roll, bike, carpool or take transit. You can participate in reducing air pollution with fewer cars on the road.
Improve your health by walking or biking. Enter a raffle to win prizes. Register at gosantacruzcounty.org and then log any bike, walk, transit or carpool trips during the driverless week to be automatically entered for the raffle.
GOOD WORK
Beginning Sept. 1, the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District will accept applications to fill three vacancies on its Advisory Committee. Applications must be submitted by Sept. 30. The committee advises the Board of Directors on policy issues related to customer service, bus operations, strategic planning and community needs. It meets quarterly, and appointees serve four years.
Visit scmtd.com/mac to learn more or submit an application. For questions, contact Santa Cruz METRO at 831-426-6080 or email ma*@***td.com.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
‘You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.’ —Jon Kabat-Zinn
Already, we’re seeing misinformation about Prop 50. Let’s set the record straight. Prop 50 provides an opportunity for Californians to “fight fire with fire” right now and protect our independent redistricting process for the future.
President Trump and Texas Republicans have redrawn their congressional districts to take five additional seats and rig the outcome of the 2026 midterm elections. Prop 50 is a temporary measure that will create a counter-map, adding five seats for Democrats for the 2026 election. This isn’t about gaining a permanent advantage; it’s about neutralizing an anti-democratic power grab from outside our state.
Under Prop 50 our Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission will once again redraw congressional districts in 2031. Proposition 50 also takes a stand for long-term solutions—calling for a nationwide standard of nonpartisan redistricting—a principled response to real threats to our democracy.
Claire Schneeberger | Santa Cruz
WORKERS UNITE
Workers deserve fair pay, safe working conditions, affordable healthcare and the freedom to retire with dignity. We deserve the right to join unions that give workers a voice; an economy that works for all families, not only the wealthy; and a democracy where every voice is heard and every vote counts.
Workers and families deserve fully funded public schools that are safe, welcoming, relevant and engaging, as well as higher education that is accessible, affordable and free from political intrusion.
President Donald Trump campaigned on making life better and more affordable for working families, and I’m sad to say that his administration has not delivered on these promises. Instead, we have seen funding slashed for schools, healthcare, child care and more—while handing tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy.
Our family members and communities will be sicker, hungrier and poorer. We deserve so much better.
Whether it’s peacefully protesting with our neighbors and co-workers in the streets, forming a union at our workplaces, or engaging with elected officials in Congress, let’s work together to fight for the future that all workers deserve.
Daniel Fajardo | Salinas
MORE TRAILBLAZERS
I’d like to nominate Tim Eagan for inclusion in your Trailblazers list. Eagan was a seminal figure in the history of Santa Cruz alternative journalism starting in the 1970s. He contributed illustrations, cartoons and comic strips (including the sublimely anarchistic Subconscious Comics) to the Good Times (way back in the day), Sundaz, the Independent, the Express, the Comic News and more. He ran a memorable satirical campaign (complete with rabbit ears) for Santa Cruz County District Attorney. He volunteered at nonprofit KUSP-FM, producing and starring in the 15-Minute Comedy Hour, a throwback to the golden age of live radio comedy. More recently, he published Head First, a graphic novel. Tim Eagan was a vital part of Santa Cruz’s creative pulse for some 50 years. He passed away just last month and is greatly missed by his family, many friends, collaborators and fans.
Michael S. Gant | Aptos
HELP A SCHOOL OUT
Main St. Elementary School in Soquel is asking for help to raise $1,000 to create a sensory room that will support students, especially those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and ADHD. The space will include calming lights, sensory swings, fidget tools, and other equipment to help children manage stress, self-regulate, and return to learning focused and ready. A GoFundMe has been created to fund these specialized items and ensure all students have access to a safe, supportive environment.
Unfortunately, our budget does not currently allow for the purchase of the specialized sensory equipment we need to make this room a reality. Your donation will go directly toward purchasing sensory tools and furnishings that are proven to support regulation, focus, and emotional well-being in children.gofundme.com/f/support-our-schools-sensory-room-for-all-students
Twelve years ago, the very first Open Farm Tours event was, quite literally, a washout. Held in early November at the Corralitos Women’s Center, the debut coincided with the heaviest rainstorm of the year. The 4-H animal zoo zone was mired in mud, music was canceled, and even the tomato canning demo had to be scrapped. Still, about 100 intrepid locals showed up, proving there was something special about the idea of opening our farms to the public.
Today, Open Farm Tours has blossomed into a growing annual event that welcomes hundreds of visitors from Santa Cruz, the Bay Area and beyond. Set each year on Indigenous Peoples’ Day weekend (Oct. 11–12), the tours now span two full days and dozens of farms across the county. What started as a hopeful experiment has become a vibrant celebration of agriculture, sustainability and community.
“I really wanted to create something like Open Studios—but for farms,” organizer Penny Ellis explains. “I’ve always loved visiting artists in their studios, and thought, why not farmers? People need to understand where their food comes from, and to see that farming is not just a job—it’s a way of caring for the earth.”
The tours offer more than a glimpse of fields and farm stands. Visitors are invited into the daily rhythms of working farms: pressing apple cider at Live Earth Farm, sampling jam at the Homeless Garden Project, or wandering through rows of dahlias at Beeline Blooms.
Prevedelli Farm will demonstrate apple butter cooking, complete with pie and ice cream, while Swanton Berry Farm will host educational booths highlighting farmworker rights and sustainable agriculture. Other highlights include performances by the Watsonville Taiko Drummers, hands-on U-Pick options, and tastings that bring home the flavor of the local terroir.
This year, to make exploring easier, the event is now divided geographically—South County farms open Saturday, North County farms on Sunday. Grouping farms by region means less time on the road and more time in the fields. Admission is $25 per carload (up to five people), encouraging carpooling and keeping traffic low. “It’s really more fun to visit farms with your family and friends anyway,” Ellis says.
But Open Farm Tours is about more than food and fun. At its heart, it’s a lesson in what the organizers call relational wealth. Unlike material wealth, relational wealth is built on the connections we foster—with each other, with farmers and with the land itself. “We tend to measure everything in terms of profit,” Ellis explains, “but real wealth is about relationships. It’s about community health, emotional wellbeing and caring for the earth. That’s what really defines our quality of life.”
This philosophy runs through every part of the tours. Meeting the people who grow our food brings farming into focus as an act of stewardship. Guests learn about soil microbes, the impact of pesticides, and the critical role sustainable practices play in protecting both ecosystems and human health. Local history comes alive too, from Swanton Berry’s pioneering role as the first organic strawberry farm certified by CCOF, to its early contract with the United Farm Workers.
The event has endured challenges, from the pandemic—when in-person tours switched to online webinars—to climate extremes. But each year, the program adapts and grows, proving that resilience is built into the fabric of local farming.
For families attending for the first time, the advice is simple: don’t try to do it all. “Most people visit six or seven farms in a day, and that’s plenty,” Ellis notes. “It’s not about rushing to check every box. Take time to slow down, enjoy the farm activities, taste the food, and really connect with the experience.”
That spirit of slowing down resonates deeply in today’s fast-paced world. The Open Farm Tours remind us that farming is not just about mass production, but cultivating culture, community and care. Whether you’re sipping fresh cider, chatting with a grower about soil health, or simply watching kids run through an orchard, the event offers a glimpse of a more mindful, grounded way of living.
As Ellis reflects, “I try to lead my life by moving in a positive direction—community-oriented, heart-centered. Open Farm Tours is really about manifesting the change we want to see in the world. Healthier food, stronger relationships and a deeper connection to the land. That’s what it’s all about.”
If You Go: Open Farm Tours
South County tours on Saturday, Oct. 11, 10am–4pm: Dos Aguilas Olive Grove, Prevedelli Farm, Live Earth Farm, Esperanza Community Farms, Thomas Farm & Blossom’s Biodynamic Farm. Luz Del Valle Farm in Aptos serves a BBQ lunch 11–3pm in addition to their tour.
North County tours on Sunday, Oct. 12, Sunday, 10am–4pm: Flip Flop Farm, Beeline Blooms, Pie Ranch, Post Street Farm, Homeless Garden Project, Santa Cruz Permaculture, Swanton Berry Farm & Rodoni Farm. Sea to Sky Farm in Bonny Doon serves a BBQ lunch 11–3pm in addition to their tour. For more info, visit openfarmtours.com.
Elizabeth Borelli is a certified nutrition and wellness coach based in Santa Cruz. She helps clients build sustainable self-care practices. Learn more at elizabethborelli.com.
I can’t speak the Quechua language, which is Indigenous to the Andes Mountains. But I have lifted one of their words to use for our purposes here: munay. It refers to an intensely practical and visionary love that includes far more than sweet feelings and affection. When we practice munay, we offer discerning respect and detailed appreciation to those we adore. We are generously eager to help our allies live their best lives. It takes discipline! And focus! And ingenuity! To be a rigorous and vigorous source of munay, we must cultivate it as a daily practice. In the coming weeks, Aries, I hope you will go a bit wild in your expression of this tender force of nature. Imagine yourself as a gentle whirlwind of love that spreads interesting beauty and bestows useful blessings. Be a relentless dispenser of catalytic gifts.
TAURUS April 20-May 20
The medieval Persian polymath Avicenna believed the soul entered the fetus not with the first heartbeat, but with the first dream. I offer this idea for your poetic consideration, dear Taurus. Let’s imagine that the next beautiful thing you create will not arise from your forceful intention. Rather, it will emerge because you give yourself permission to fantasize, to wander freely in wonder, and to meander with curiosity on the frontiers. Your assignment is not to hustle, but to incubate; not to push forward, but to dwell expectantly in the mystery.
GEMINI May 21-June 20
The bowerbird constructs elaborate ground-based shrines not as nests but as seduction lures. The enticer might gather blue bottle caps, yellow flowers and shiny stones so as to create a scene that piques the attention of a potential mate. These objets d’art are not merely decorative. They are displays that demonstrate discernment, skill and aesthetic intelligence. I authorize you to be like a bowerbird, Gemini. What collection of symbols, words, gestures and curiosities will magnetize the people or opportunities you long to engage with? It’s not about flashiness; it’s about alignment. What you draw into your sphere will reflect the vibes you emanate.
CANCER June 21-July 22
The pearl doesn’t begin as treasure. In its earliest form, it’s an irritation: a grain of sand that’s really a wound inside the oyster. Over time, the creature coats it with layers of nacre, turning discomfort into luminescence. Let’s use that as a metaphor for you, Cancerian. In my view, your task right now is not to escape or shed what’s bugging you, but to expedite the coating process. What is that gritty thing? A memory, injustice or unmet yearning? It’s crucial you don’t reject it and don’t let it fester. I think it’s best to turn it, layer by layer, into a luminous asset, even a treasure. Prediction: The pearl you form will long outlast the wound.
LEO July 23-Aug. 22
Olive trees can thrive in rugged environments, including rocky and nutrient-poor soils. Their root systems are wide, deep and resilient. They are well-adapted to full sun, high temperatures and low water availability. In comparing you to an olive tree, Leo, I’m not implying you will always have to be as hardy as they are. But in the coming weeks, you will be wise to be equally plucky and persevering. Here’s another fact about the olive tree you can and should emulate: Its fruit is valuable and in demand.
VIRGO Aug. 23-Sept. 22
The Basenji is a dog breed that doesn’t bark. Instead, it produces an eerie, melodic yodel called a baroo. This oddity isn’t a flaw or drawback; it’s an interesting uniqueness. In the coming weeks, Virgo, I invite you to express your personal versions of the baroo—your idiosyncratic offerings and singular gifts. Playfully resist the pressure to be more conventional or “on brand.” Be faithful to what yearns to come out of you, which may be raw, radiant and a little weird. Let your authenticity be exactly what it is: a beacon, not a liability.
LIBRA Sept. 23-Oct. 22
Scientists discovered that some caterpillars, while dissolving inside their cocoons, retain memories of their caterpillar lives even after becoming butterflies. In my view, that’s equivalent to us humans remembering details of our previous incarnations: having an all-new body but being able to draw on what our past body learned. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you will be able to draw on this amazing capacity in the coming weeks. The person you used to be will have key revelations and inspirations for the future you.
SCORPIO Oct. 23-Nov. 21
According to Celtic mythology, Cerridwen is the goddess of inspiration. In her cauldron, she brews magical elixirs that bestow the powers of wisdom, creativity and transformation. The humans most likely to earn her blessings are those who are patient and willing to be changed. Of all the signs in the zodiac, you Scorpios are now at the top of the eligibility list for gifts like these. And the next three weeks will be the most favorable time for you to ask for and receive such blessings. Here’s a clue that will help you get all you deserve: Believe in magic.
SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22-Dec. 21
In ancient Chinese philosophy, ziran means naturalness, spontaneity. It might refer to the way a mountain is purely a mountain, and a wave is a wave without trying to be a wave. I think you Sagittarians are due for an extended engagement with this wild ease and elegant freedom. After weeks of inner labor, your soul wants to breathe in ziran. Your assignment is to let yourself be as natural and unconstrained as you dare—not correct or careful or “optimized.” So I advise you to head in the direction of what’s simple and real and good. Emphasize smoothness over effort. Choose your rhythm, not theirs. You aren’t required to prove your healing. You just have to live it.
CAPRICORN Dec. 22-Jan. 19
“Serendipity” is an English term that refers to beautiful accidents, fortunate interruptions, unexpected opportunities and surprisingly wonderful discoveries (The French equivalent is sérendipité; Italian: serendipità; Japanese: serendipiti.) The word didn’t exist until 1754, when author Horace Walpole coined it. Lovely outbreaks of good luck and uncanny blessings had been happening from time immemorial, of course, even though there wasn’t this precise word for them. Here’s a key point: They are more likely to occur if you believe they’re possible and make yourself alert for their arrival. That’s good advice for you right now.
AQUARIUS Jan. 20-Feb. 18
The placenta is the only organ that the human body creates from scratch and then discards. Let’s pause for a moment to register how remarkable this is: to grow a temporary life-support system and then jettison it once its purpose is fulfilled. Inspired by this miracle, I speculate that you may soon undertake a metaphorical version of it. A situation or experience that has nurtured you is reaching the end of its mission. Though it has served you well, the wise move might be to outgrow it and move on to a new phase of your evolution. At the very least, it’s time to embark on a search for new forms of nourishment.
PISCES Feb. 19-March 20
In Balinese gamelan music, there’s a technique called kotekan. Two instrumentalists play distinct musical parts that together create a seamless, intricately melodic and rhythmic texture. Let’s make this your metaphor to live by in the coming weeks, Pisces. In my astrological opinion, you are not meant to work solo. Your greatest success and most fun will come by generating harmony through collaborative improvisation and shared timing. A small warning: Someone else’s input may at first feel like interference, but it’s actually the missing part of the song. Let yourself blend, bounce, echo and respond. Genius will be born in the spaces between.
At Tramonti, a Seabright dining scene staple since it opened in 2012, front-of-house operations are captained by manager Nicole Bullock. Born and raised in Felton, she worked in fine dining both locally and abroad in Italy and southern France. She has also known co-owner Luca and his wife for many years, witnessing them fall in love while they in turn witnessed her professional glow-up. So, when Bullock approached Luca five years ago and asked to become a part of Tramonti, he said “yes” before she could even finish asking the question.
Bullock defines the restaurant as a blend of fine and casual dining, with paramount focus on excellent service and presentation. The décor is described as eclectic European—vibrant, colorful and warm with black accents, cement floors and a modern coziness. Bullock says the menu’s recipes are a blend of Luca’s northern Italian heritage and co-owner Eric’s French/Corsican background.
Best appetizers include baked prawns wrapped in soppressata and burrata cheese paired with Sicilian-style marinated veggies. Entrée highlights are a baked Mediterranean-sourced branzino, mussels in white wine garlic broth and a short rib ravioli. Desserts track with classic Italian tiramisu and French chocolate mousse, and beverage options are beer, spritz cocktails, mocktails and a European-centric wine list.
Describe your industry education in Europe?
NICOLE BULLOCK: Being very young and working in France at a two Michelin star restaurant, I learned the discipline and teamwork required to provide the utmost level of service. I observed from others about the commitment and drive that it takes to provide the hospitality necessary for an optimal experience. During my second stint in Europe while working in Italy, I learned how to challenge some of those rules with that same drive but with a more relaxed and heart-forward approach. The service here at Tramonti is a product of these values and is well-aligned with my own and our team’s sensibilities.
To what do you attribute Tramonti’s strong local following?
It’s been years and years of many people’s hard work, many of whom have been here since we opened 13 years ago like our chefs José and Fernando. I owe our success to our owners and our incredible and diverse staff who have committed so much time and effort to our operation, as well as our beautiful and supportive Seabright community.
Under the headline “The Strange Journey of La Bahia,” Good Times reported the Santa Cruz City Council had already approved the then-125-room hotel project two years prior, but a long road to completion remained.
That story ran July 19, 2011.
So the fact that La Bahia Hotel & Spa (215 Beach St., Santa Cruz) started welcoming guests on Sept. 8 represents a historic breakthrough.
While it’s a massive upgrade to have a luxury property in the heart of Beach Street fully operational, there is a sweetener: Locals can embrace the new destination without coughing up $450-$950 for a night in one of the more affordable rooms, or upwards of $1,600 for one of the suites.
Executive Chef Fernando Reyes, who helmed the kitchen at Carmel Valley Ranch after time at Maravilla Los Cabos and Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay, oversees La Bahia’s four different epicurean venues.
High Tide rolls in as “the signature restaurant with a quintessential coastal dining experience,” per a Bahia press release.
Sister sit-down spot
Pearl, meanwhile, comes cast as a “lobby champagne lounge taking cues from London’s legendary hotel bars.” And spot #4, Plunge, works as a poolside bar and grill.
“Collectively,” the promotional materials continue, the quadruple offerings “marry the rich flavors of Santa Cruz as an agricultural hub with innovative dishes and immersive, Pacific Rim-inspired offerings.” labahiahotel.com/dine
MORE THAN FAIR
Go get you all the carnival rides, magic shows, live concerts, pro wrestling (!?), percussive dance, livestock, camel rides, FMX-Ramp-Age, pig races, fair food, horse shows, exhibit halls, drone light show in the sky and…do it as a discount. The Santa Cruz County Fair brings a lot to SCC Fairgrounds (2601 E. Lake Ave., Watsonville), but it doesn’t cost a lot. Seniors are only $10 on opening day, Sept. 10, and veterans are free. Kids (12 and under) are free Sept. 11. Kids 5 and under are free every day, as are active military (with ID). Carpoolers with five or more people in their car get free parking, and there are also additional deals and ticket packages up at tickets.santacruzcountyfair.com
BUSTING UP
Sophie Egan composed a fascinating piece in The New York Times titled “10 Nutrition Myths Experts Wish Would Die.” Several stick out among them, including Myth No. 1: “Fresh fruits and vegetables are always healthier than canned, frozen or dried varieties,” No. 2: “All fat is bad,” No. 5: “Plant milk is healthier than dairy milk,” and my favorite, No. 8: “The protein in plants is incomplete.” That reminds me: On Oct. 17 at 1440 Multiversity in Scotts Valley, the Food As Medicine Health Conference cometh, pulling together healthcare professionals, researchers and experts from various fields to explore the latest scientific findings, clinical applications and practical insights related to plant-based diets, foodasmedicinesantacruz.org.
LOTS OF PLOTS
Positively Groundfish has a cool new incubator for clever seafood startups called Catch+Create, designed to support early-stage small businesses in launching West Coast groundfish product ideas into market-ready successes, whether canned seafood, snacks from the sea, prepared meals, frozen items, pet food, or even ways to leverage groundfish byproducts, positivelygroundfish.org/accelerator…The Harlem Globetrotters announced this week their 100th Anniversary World Tour will make a stop at Kaiser Permanente Arena, home of the Santa Cruz Warriors, on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. Tickets will go on sale on Monday, Sept. 22, at 10am and can be purchased at ticketmaster.com…Good readers, start your appetites: National Cheeseburger Day hits Sept. 18…Matthew McConaughey, see us out: “Man who invented the hamburger was smart; man who invented the cheeseburger was a genius.”
Fall weather and zinfandel go together like meat and potatoes. As the days get cooler, a hearty glass of zin is just the ticket.
Fresh out of the gate is Frank Family Vineyards’ 2023 Zinfandel ($45). And it’s just what we need for cooler autumnal evenings—full-throttle flavors of dark fruits, and enticing aromas of pepper, cinnamon and spice. Winemaker Todd Graff has added a blending splash of petit sirah for depth, crafting a zin with energy and balance that pairs well with roasts and hearty pasta.
Frank Family is an interesting place to visit—and their 19th-century stone winery is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
There is still time to get tickets for Hospice of Santa Cruz County’s fabulous fundraiser, organized by the Friends of Hospice group of volunteers. An Evening With Friends dinner will be held from 3 to 7pm, Sunday, Sept. 21 at Lester Estate Wines in Aptos. For tickets and more details, visit hospicesantacruz.org/ewf.
A Fair to Remember
Not to be missed is the annual Santa Cruz County Fair at the Fairgrounds in Watsonville. My husband and I go every year—first making a beeline to visit the farm animals before heading to the food stands. The peaceful cows, docile sheep and grunting pigs are all adorable, and gentle goats love to nuzzle against your outstretched hand. For many years, I have been one of the judges for the Amateur Wine Competition—and at this year’s competition in August we tasted some excellent vinos. Check them all out on display in the Fairgrounds Heritage Hall, including the double-gold winners.
The fair runs Sept. 10-14 at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds on Highway 152 in Watsonville. For details on entertainment, daily events and a map of the attractions, visit santacruzcountyfair.com.
Twelve years ago, the very first Open Farm Tours event was, quite literally, a washout. Held in early November at the Corralitos Women’s Center, the debut coincided with the heaviest rainstorm of the year. The 4-H animal zoo zone was mired in mud, music was canceled, and even the tomato canning demo had to be scrapped. Still, about 100...
ARIES March 21-April 19
I can’t speak the Quechua language, which is Indigenous to the Andes Mountains. But I have lifted one of their words to use for our purposes here: munay. It refers to an intensely practical and visionary love that includes far more than sweet feelings and affection. When we practice munay, we offer discerning respect and detailed...
Tramonti highlights baked branzino, mussels in white wine garlic broth and short rib ravioli. Desserts include Italian tiramisu and French chocolate mousse.
