Things to do in Santa Cruz

THURSDAY 7/3

SKATING

WHEELIE GOOD THURSDAYS

This is Santa Cruz, the home of NHS, Santa Cruz Skateboards, The Boardroom, and Derby skatepark. Skateboarding is a part of the city’s DNA. There’s another kind of skating that’s just as important to Santa Cruz but doesn’t get nearly as much recognition: Roller skates. For too long, roller skates have been the forgotten stepchild, despite Santa Cruz being home to the Roller Palladium and the award-winning Derby Girls. This summer, that’s about to change. On four different Thursdays throughout July and August, the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium is opening its doors for four hours of non-stop skating. Santa Cruzans can start training for Derby Girl tryouts on the very track they play on. MAT WEIR

INFO: 5:30pm, Civic Auditorium, 307 Church St., Santa Cruz. $10/adv, $12/door. 420-5240.

PUNK

KEPI GHOULIE

The mighty Kepi Ghoulie, he of Groovie Ghoulies fame, a living breathing cartoon who has magically become a real live boy, master of poppy, kitschy punk, whether he’s applying brightly colored paint to canvas, or making loud melodic, irresistibly boppable sounds with his well travelled guitar and amp, is a world builder, and the world of Kepi is a fun and frenetic place to pass the time. Your inner child is invited to come out and play, and dance, and sing along, and celebrate being alive in a present with such a fun past. KEITH LOWELL JENSEN

INFO: 8pm, Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $10. 429-6994.

FRIDAY 7/4

AMERICANA

ALEX LUCERO BAND

Santa Cruz-based Alex Lucero leads this lively soul/Americana outfit. The group placed in the Top 3 in the Battle of the Bands competition at the Whale Rock Music Festival. Lucero has released six albums to date, five of those with the group. In addition to the standard guitar/bass/keys/drums setup (with Lucero on bass and lead vocals), the group’s musical arsenal features melodica and saxophone, expanding their sonic vocabulary. The Alex Lucero Band’s latest single is “Long as You Like.” Party band The Swag Tones open the show. BILL KOPP

INFO: 1pm, El Vaquero Winery, 2901 Freedom Blvd., Watsonville. $20. 607-8118.

SATURDAY 7/5

BEER

FREE DAY

Freedom isn’t free. With the current state of things, it’s an idea that many are waking up to by looking out into the state of America and wondering, “Is this freedom?” This Saturday, Discretion Brewery invites freedom (and beer-loving) Americans to celebrate the principles this country was founded on in their garden with the release of their annual Free Day IPA. Each year it’s a different recipe, because they have the freedom to do so and aren’t trapped by the tyranny of repetitive taste. Pair it with an assortment of Italian finger food from Sugo and rock out with a free selection of live music. What better way to celebrate being American? MW

INFO: Noon, Discretion Brewery, 2703 41st Ave., Capitola. Free. 316-0662.

ALT COUNTRY

VANDOLIERS

Draped in a Lone Star outfit with twangy guitar, wailing fiddle, heartfelt lyrics, and often donning boots and cowboy hats, Vandoliers present their most personal record yet, Life Behind Bars. Frontwoman Jenni Rose offers unflinching honesty in her lyrics that detail her journey through addiction and gender dysphoria. This Dallas-born collective delivers a performance both cathartic and celebratory, with a range that incorporates rock, punk, and even mariachi. With upbeat, often shirtless performances, Vandoliers bring country and punk fans together. SHELLY NOVO

INFO: 8:30pm, Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $20/adv, $25/door. 479-1854.

FLAMENCO

SANTA CRUZ FLAMENCO

The proud Spanish cultural tradition of flamenco is more than 250 years old, and the form has long been an integral part of Andalusian culture. This evening of live flamenco features guitarist Robbie Aguilar, who studied the style in Spain and has performed extensively with San Francisco’s Theatre Flamenco. The ensemble also includes vocalist Roberto Zamora and guest dancer Melissa Cruz. The evening will also feature a troupe of five dancers, plus students from Marianna Mejia’s Flamenco Romantico. This performance is part of Santa Cruz Flamenco’s Ritmo y Pasîon (Rhythm and Passion) series. BK

INFO: 5pm, Santa Cruz Actors’ Theatre, 1001 Center St., Santa Cruz. $30. 431-8666.

SUNDAY 7/6

THEATRE

J.E.N.

J.E.N. brilliantly weaves together incisive comedy, a history lesson, and poignant commentary on consumerism and the climate crisis. From the minds of Rachel Ropella and Jennifer Kehl comes a hilarious guide through not only the morning routines of women through the ages, but also their thoughts and desires. Kehl delights audiences with incarnations of women from neanderthal caves to apocalyptic futures. Delivering belly laughs, J.E.N. makes us wonder if we are so different from our predecessors, or if we all share the same human folly. SN

INFO: 3:30pm, Santa Cruz Actors’ Theatre, 1001 Center St., Santa Cruz. $15. 431-8666.

TUESDAY 7/8

LOUNGE

KOLUMBO

With Frank LoCrasto at the center of the cyclone, the four members of psychedelic lounge act Kolumbo lock in and create a vibe that transports you to another place. Lounge is often thought of as mellow, but there’s delightful interplay between these musicians, building and then relieving tension, making sounds that work together to form the original ASMR. The goods can be sampled in advance. Sandy Legs, Kolumbo’s first full-length album, was released last year. Headphones and the volume set to a reasonable side of loud are recommended, but it still can’t match the aural delight of a live jam. KLJ

INFO: 8pm, Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $10. 429-6994.

LITERATURE

WHITNEY HANSON

Life is always changing, whether or not it is wanted. Whitney Hanson compares life’s changes to the weather in her recently revised bestselling poetry book, Climate. Some days are bright and sunny while others are calm and gray. At times, the constant change can feel tumultuous, and hard to accept. She guides the reader through her experience, accepting and embracing the internal and external changes life brings. Hanson believes that through poetry, people can form deeper connections with each other. Her honest and vulnerable prose gives space for readers to recognize their own journey to accept change. ISABELLA MARIE SANGALINE

INFO: 7pm, Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. Free. 423-0900.

LETTERS

TRAIN SUGGESTION

It is unfortunate that the version of moving forward for bringing rail transportation to Santa Cruz County has been dropped in the lap of residents.  What has been presented is a “gold-plated,” brand-new system with higher volumes of service.

The beginning system does not have to be done that way at all. A rail system can be started with a slower, less expensive beginning with basic bridge repairs for lightweight battery-powered equipment that does not have to cost that much to start out. Basic grants then can be used to improve as it goes along. Many transit lines have been started and improved that way.

Don’t let the real estate developers and moneyed people with houses next to the line that sometimes have too much influence over elected officials let this environmentally friendly potential means of transportation slip away. An incremental, simple, less costly system will work. Let’s work harder to find this simpler system and get a chance to get it started.

Steve Ferrari | Capitola

ART EXHIBIT

I am a teacher for Santa Cruz City Schools. On July 1, I have an art exhibition going at the Santa Cruz Coffee Roasters and I am hoping to get some publicity. It contains the work of more than 30 artists and calligraphers from all around the world, all of whom I commissioned to help create a cycle of illustrated poems. The work of many local artists is represented in the collection. Ten years ago I wrote a song for the band One Direction and spent the better part of my royalties putting this thing together. Thanks for your consideration.

Scott Mehner | Santa Cruz

GAMER ALERT

I’m Brian Riggsbee, the owner of Retro Game Books, LLC. We were founded in 2020 and have since produced seven retro gaming themed books. We’re also a small business—I’m the only employee and I commission artists and writers on projects.

Our books range from history books to curated art galleries. Our most recent project is Video Game Maps: SNES, which is being broken into a three-volume hardcover series.

I would be honored if your site ever did a spotlight on our business and/or projects.

Brian Riggsbee | retrogamebooks.com

ONLINE COMMENTS

PRAISE FOR UKRAINIAN COVERAGE

It’s sad to see how divided our country has become. Such nonsensical comments pouring out the untruths we too often hear today. Thank you, GT, for letting this story be told. What’s happening in Ukraine is real and if we think it can’t happen in our country? Think again. Any insult toward the author Steve Kettmann is obviously shared like an arrow of hate, not knowledge.

Jim Furlong | GoodTimes.sc

The Editor’s Desk

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

Good Times is celebrating the big 5-0 and as anyone who has run a business knows, that’s a huge accomplishment. We are so happy about it that we are doing three issues to celebrate the people who have made Santa Cruz great over our past five decades.

Our issue this week commemorates the local businesses that have also reached 50 birthdays or more. We figured we’d find 50 of them, but lo and behold, we found many more. So many, we can’t fit them all in the printed edition, but have spilled them over to our website, goodtimes.sc, which also says something about what businesses have had to do to survive–branch out to the online world. And if we missed some, drop us a line and tell us about them (ed****@we*****.com).

We’ve had to branch out to the online world, at the same time that online has been strangling so many brick-and-mortar businesses.

When you take a look through the ones we are listing, you realize the things they’ve overcome. Several floods, a huge earthquake that leveled much of downtown, fires, a pandemic, and economic woes as rising costs for housing, gas, transportation and food cut everyone’s access to life, liberty, happiness. And of course there’s the internet, which has turned everything we knew about doing business upside down.

When you look at these businesses that have made it, you realize just what local loyalty means. The community has supported them for generations despite the travails and the seeming convenience of shopping online. Shop local has been more than a mantra; it’s a way to keep our dollars flowing back to the community.

The owners of Amazon or Meta are buying yachts and jets, while our local businesses are supporting your kids’ schools, sports teams and local charities. And our community knows this; that’s why so many local businesses are staying in business.

Our future 50th issues include the people who made a difference here, the events that shaped the county and what Santa Cruz will look like over the next 50 years. Send us your nominations and suggestions.

And very importantly: We’re having a free birthday bash at 4pm July 11 outside our office at 107 Dakota Ave. with some up-and-coming local bands and food and drink. Party on. See you there.

Thanks for reading.

Brad Kava | Editor


PHOTO CONTEST

SUMMER FUN Considering it is now summertime (oh sweet, golden summer)  I thought it made perfect sense to share this image of a lovely girl named Fiona. Photograph and painting by Julia Craig


GOOD WORK

The Santa Cruz RTC was awarded $128.7 million in grants from the California Transportation Commission for several projects, including these:

Auxiliary lanes and bus-on-shoulder facilities on Highway 1 from State Park Drive to Freedom Boulevard; Coastal Rail Trail Segment 12 between State Park Drive and Rio del Mar Boulevard, including four bicycle and pedestrian overcrossings; protected bike lanes, signal upgrades and sidewalk gap closures, ADA curb ramps, and enhanced crosswalks on Soquel Drive; and Improvements for METRO buses, including boarding platforms, signal priority at 60 traffic lights, shelters and real-time displays.

GOOD IDEA

With thousands expected to visit Santa Cruz for the upcoming Independence Day holiday weekend, the Santa Cruz City Council has implemented measures to ensure the safety and cleanliness of the City for all residents and visitors. A citywide Safety Enhancement Zone will be in effect from Friday, July 4, at 8am to Monday, July 7, at 8am.

Under the Safety Enhancement Zone designation, fines for violations of the City’s municipal code—including the illegal discharge of fireworks, littering and public consumption of alcohol—will be tripled.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Truth matters. Checks and balances matter.”
—Maria Ressa

Mike Rotkin, 1945-2025

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The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways; the point, however, is to change it. —Karl Marx, Theses on Feuerbach, #11, 1845

The loss of Mike Rotkin—former mayor of Santa Cruz, key figure in the Community Studies program at UCSC, a civil rights advocate and practitioner of civil disobedience, husband, father, friend, mentor, Marxist, humanist, feminist, musician, outdoorsman, environmentalist, transportation guru, basketball and softball player, shape-shifter, ad infinitum—has been felt throughout the community since he passed away last week from an arduous battle with leukemia. He was 79.

Let me be candid and direct: the news hit me like a truck. We had been friends and colleagues and comrades for more than 50 years—I first met him in my late teens when I was working as a fish cutter on the Santa Cruz Wharf—and few people in that half-century have had the type of profound and long-lasting impact on my life as he did.

I was certainly not alone. I have been hearing it throughout the community, from all quarters, from people of all ages and all walks of life. He was an extremely kind and civil man, thoughtful, bright, committed and humorous. Seemingly ubiquitous. And hard-working. Fucking hard-working. I am not sure he ever slept.

When I ran into Mayor Fred Keeley last week on the Santa Cruz Wharf (ironically not more than 30 yards away from where I had first met Rotkin), I mentioned Mike’s death, and Keeley responded ebulliently and emphatically, “Wasn’t he a great guy? He was a great guy!” He then went on to tell a colorful story about traveling to L.A. with Rotkin just as the Rodney King riots were hitting in the spring of 1992. The story perfectly revealed Rotkin’s subtle yet devilish sense of humor (you can ask Keeley for the punchline). Mike was a jokester at heart, always upbeat and occasionally devilish, with a persistent beatific smile on his face. 

These last few days, I have been reading Sarah Rabkin’s superb and fascinating oral history of Rotkin, “On the Rise and Fall of Community Studies at UCSC, 1969-2010” (available online at escholarship.org). It’s an engaging 450-page document. I dare say that Mike comes back to life as you immerse yourself in this remarkable interview. I could actually hear his voice and his chuckling throughout.

What comes across in a rather striking manner are the ways in which Mike came to his politics as a young adult (not really in his teenage years, as I presumed). Mike’s was an American Graffiti childhood (he graduated high school in 1963), in which he was in the marching band (he played a variety of instruments) and a rather mediocre and uninspired student. It wasn’t until he served as a social worker and community activist in the rural South that he found his political passion and direction. 

Most guys I grew up with were frustrated jocks. Mike was a decent (albeit enthusiastic) athlete (we were teammates on a campus softball team in the ’80s) but he was actually a frustrated Eagle Scout. That’s right. The great Marxist radical’s adolescent failure was not attaining the top rank in the Boy Scouts as an “Eagle.”

Several years ago Mike set it up so that his parents, Irv and Esther (absolutely delightful, smart-as-hell, liberal, relocated New Yorkers with quick tongues), enrolled in a two-day program on Santa Cruz County history I was teaching at the Monte Toyon Camp and Conference Center in the Santa Cruz Mountains. They were absolutely wonderful, clearly loving and adoring of their son, but Esther couldn’t help but tell me the story about how she kept Mike from achieving his dream of becoming an Eagle because she wouldn’t sign off on him being a “good citizen” at home. “I think he’s held it against me ever since,” she said. “But I think it was good for him.”

When Mike first ran for the Santa Cruz City Council in 1979, along with Bruce Van Allen, he did so as a socialist-feminist (a great distinction from the Goldwater-loving conservatives who dominated the council in the post-World War II era). Indeed, Mike was best known in his early years on campus for teaching an “Introduction to Marxism” class (in which I once served as a teaching assistant) that was always packed and which he taught for decades. 

Mike was what I would call a practical, or pragmatic, Marxist. He preferred the early canon, the humanist Marx, though he also embraced Marx’s criticism of capital structures. In the aftermath of the 1989 earthquake, after he had served on the council for many years (and by then had been mayor more than once), he broke with many of his former colleagues because he felt economic development was a necessity for sustaining the municipal enterprise (the City of Santa Cruz) that he and his progressive colleagues were now overseeing.

I am blessed with a lifetime of memories of Mike and I will have lots more to process once I finish this brief tribute to his memory. During a protest at UCSC in the early 1980s (in which he and I were both arrested and bused to the police station downtown), I angrily (and perhaps threateningly) confronted UCSC chancellor Robert Sinsheimer. Mike took me aside. He agreed with my position but he chastised me about my style. He thought it was ineffective and counter-productive. And being ineffective was not part of Mike’s political vocabulary.

Looking back, I don’t ever remember Mike angry. Firm and assertive, yes. Argumentative, sure. Angry, no. It wasn’t his style. It wasn’t who he was—neither as a person, nor as an activist or elected official.

Mike was a radical but he most often took the high road. He was a fierce and competitive debator in a political skirmish, but there were lines he didn’t cross. Even when he disagreed with you (and he and I had our moments), he was considerate—passionate without being overly confrontational. And more often than not he prevailed. 

In his oral history with Rabkin (again, I encourage you to read it), Mike looked back on his truly protean and far-reaching career. “I’m a very fortunate person,” he declared, “that I did what I love doing, I got paid well for it, more than comfortably for it, and was able to integrate the different things that I did…So I [found] it challenging, and exciting, and fun work. I’ve never been bored, since I moved to Santa Cruz in 1969, for five minutes in my entire life, I have to say. So—it’s worked out well for me.”

Much of what we think of as “Santa Cruz”—from our community’s vast array of social programs, the Greenbelt, pay equity, and on and on—are, and will remain, a reflection of Mike’s work. His loss is painful, even staggering, but his legacy here is vast and will be long-lived.

Mike Rokin is survived by his beloved wife of three decades, Madelyn McCaul, and stepchildren Phillip Greensite, Jesse Mantonak and Jarel Chavez (Octavio). There is a GofundMe page set up to fund a bench in his honor along West Cliff Drive. A celebration of his life will be held on what would have been his 80th birthday, on Sept. 17.

Palacios Steps Down

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors announced that County Executive Officer Carlos J. Palacios will step down in December after more than 30 years in local government leadership. He was sworn in as county administrative officer in 2017, becoming the county’s first Latino leader following 20 years as the city manager of Watsonville.

“It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve the people of Santa Cruz County,” Palacios said. “I am incredibly proud of the progress we have made together—from responding to crises to building a stronger, healthier and more equitable community. None of it would have been possible without the tireless work of county staff, the partnership of community organizations, and the leadership of the Board of Supervisors. I look forward to supporting a smooth transition and seeing what the future holds for this remarkable county.”

Board of Supervisors Chair Felipe Hernandez added, “Carlos was Watsonville’s city manager when I served my first term as councilmember. He has been one of the most consequential public servants in the history of Santa Cruz County. He led us through some of the toughest times our community has ever faced—from wildfires to a pandemic to historic flooding—with grace, resolve and a deep sense of compassion.”

One of Palacios’ signature accomplishments was the creation of Santa Cruz County’s first Strategic Plan, a community-informed roadmap to guide operations and policy priorities, said Jason Hoppin, public information officer for Santa Cruz County.

The plan was complemented by an Operational Plan and a public-facing dashboard to track progress, earning a 2021 California State Association of Counties Merit Award for innovation in government operations. 

Hoppin said that Palacios played a key role in the acquisition and renovation of 500 Westridge Drive in Watsonville, the new South County Government Center in the Pajaro Valley at the former West Marine facility.

Other accomplishments by Palacios:

  •  Establishing the Office of Response, Recovery & Resilience (OR3), which improved disaster preparedness and laid groundwork for improving community resilience to the impacts of climate change.
  • Helped establish the Public Defender’s Office, transitioning from a decades-long contract model, and worked with the Sheriff’s Office to reopen the Sobering Center to provide care-first alternatives to incarceration.
  • Helped lead a successful unification of the Planning and Public Works departments into the Community Development and Infrastructure Department, streamlining permitting processes and customer service and creating the Unified Permit Center.
  • Launched the county’s Housing for Health Division, aligning homelessness response with behavioral health and supportive housing and the Children’s Crisis Stabilization Center, and launched the Focused Intervention Teams and mobile crisis response units.
  • Spearheaded the transformation of Watsonville Community Hospital into a public entity.

Storage Wars

The Santa Cruz County Commission on the Environment is convening a series of public technical workshops to examine the role and risks of battery energy storage systems (BESS) in modernizing the energy grid.

The workshops, scheduled for June 25, July 30 and Aug. 27, will be held 5–8pm in the Board Chambers at the Santa Cruz County Governmental Center, 701 Ocean St., Santa Cruz.

BESS facilities are believed to be a critical component of California’s shift away from fossil fuels, allowing excess energy—especially solar and wind—to be stored for use when renewable generation is unavailable.

Industry experts say these systems can enhance grid stability and help utilities meet peak demand while reducing dependence on fossil fuels.

But as interest in BESS projects grows, so do community concerns about public safety, emergency response readiness and long-term environmental impacts.

The June 25 workshop will feature presentations on climate change, the importance of energy storage and the role of BESS in the regional power grid. 

Key speakers include Dr. Mark Jacobson, director of Stanford University’s Atmosphere/Energy Program and a leading expert on clean energy systems, and a representative from Central Coast Community Energy (3CE), which has committed to achieving 100 percent renewable energy by 2030. Additional experts will be featured as part of the review.

“These workshops are a chance for the community to engage with world-class experts and better understand the opportunities and risks associated with large-scale energy storage,” said Kris Damhorst, chair of the Commission on the Environment. “As we respond to the climate crisis, it’s essential that we examine how new technologies align with our values, safety needs and long-term environmental goals.”

While technical in nature, the sessions are designed to be accessible to the general public. The workshops will not address land use planning, zoning decisions, or specific project proposals.

To join via Zoom, visit bit.ly/3HJdFtN.

Honky-Tonkin’ and Boot Scootin’

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Across the nation all forms of country music—from pop to honky tonk, Western swing to outlaw—have been wranglin’ more and more listeners and are once again rising in popularity. Whether it’s from mainstream mega artists like Beyonce or Post Malone—both of whom released country albums within the last couple of years—newer stars such as Orville Peck, classics like Deke Dickerson and Wayne Hancock or up-and-comers like Benjamin Tod or Ben Lomond’s own Jesse Daniel, America is rediscovering its wild west musical roots.

And Santa Cruz is no exception.

Throughout the county, several regular Western theme nights have popped up for locals to boot scoot, two-step or line dance. But these ain’t yer grandpappy’s Western nights, these are bonafide Santa Cruz style.

WESTERN WEDNESDAY

The most well known of the local nights is Western Wednesday at Moe’s Alley. Originally started at the Crepe Place, the event was sponsored by Tom Boy Clothing, their neighbor across the street. But in 2022, Western Wednesday moved to Moe’s Alley to accommodate larger audiences with more space to get their steps in. “It’s really turned into something special in the community,” says Moe’s co-owner Brian Ziel. “And the word has definitely gotten out.” Ziel says he constantly is getting calls from agents who represent big name Western acts, asking if they can play. Held one Wednesday a month (Moe’s just celebrated the 79th event on June 11th), Western Wednesday continuously draws more than 200 people to the venue for a night of tasty cocktails and good ol’ fashioned fun. Patrons are invited to come early for a half-hour lesson on some of the basic steps so they can kick up their heels for local bands like the Carolyn Sills Combo, California players like the Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash, and acts from across the nation like Cory Cross. 21+. $15adv/$20door.

2$TEP TUESDAY

Held on the second Tuesday of every month, 2$tepTuesday is where patrons can go to learn how to two-step in one of Santa Cruz’s oldest bars, the Jury Room. Different than line dancing or other forms of western dancing, the two-step (or often called the Texas two-step) is similar to the foxtrot and grew out of folk dancing so it’s related to a polka or waltz. “I would say two-stepping is the sexiest of the country dances,” Aimee Hamel says. Described by her fellow bartenders as the “organizer and soul” of the night, Hamel started 2$tep Tuesday because she wanted more nights to enjoy western dancing with her friends. “There’s also a free, half-hour dance lesson beginning at 8pm with Molly Barrett—who is  a dancing machine,” Hamel says. While it might still be a fledgling night—it began only last February—this event has consistent regulars and is free to anyone over 21 (with valid ID).

SURF CITY LINE DANCE

Ok, this isn’t a particular night or place, because Surf City Line Dance is a local club that hosts multiple events throughout Santa Cruz County. Started by Niko Takaoka—and the group’s “support guy,” her husband, John Jud—Surf City Line Dance is a great way for beginners of all ages and walks of life to join in on the fun. They regularly host family-friendly dances at Abbott Square, VFW Hall Post 7263 (both of which are free) and the Santa Cruz Elks Lodge #824 ($10 cover charge). SC Line Dance originally started last summer at the Over the Hill Gang Saloon, but Takaoka saw the need for something more. “I wanted something a little more ‘middle of the road’ where I can teach people the dances and not have it be at a bar, club or out late at night.” Takaoka says people often confuse line dancing with square dancing, but modern line dancing is something that can be done without the need for a partner. “It’s also not only country music anymore,” she says. “We dance to oldies, hip hop, waltzes, Latin stuff and even Pitbull.” But don’t get those boots in a twist, SC Line Dance also hosts an array of other styles like the two-step, boot-scootin’ boogies and more traditional country dances as well. In order to stay on top of upcoming events, Takoaka says to keep those eyes peeled to their Instagram: @surf_city_line_dance.

For more on Western Wednesday at Moe’s Alley,
read Sean Rusev’s cover story

Street Talk

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Where would you like to go on a summer cruise?

JULIA

I would love to see the coast and visit the beaches of South America, like Peru and Chile.

Julia Persson, 22, Ph.D. student at UCSC


IRIS

I’ve always wanted to go to Greece, mostly because of Mamma Mia! It’s so pretty there, and the architecture is something I would really love to see. I’ve never been on a cruise before, and I would just like to see what it’s like.

Iris Bertuccelli, 22, DJ


MAX

I think it would be great to take a cruise on the Arctic Ocean or go to Antarctica. I don’t know why that came to mind, I just think it would be fun, it would be super interesting.

Max Homel, 22, Mental Health Counsellor


ALYSSA

Let’s go to Texas! The Rio Grande River, it’s very popular! Look into it, it’s like an insider thing. You have to go, like, with a special club, and you have to take a raft there. I only heard about it on Reddit.

Alyssa Phan, 26, Physical Therapist


GONNY and FRANKIE

Italy. Italy has a beautiful coast—I know the Amalfi Coast is especially beautiful.

Gonny Katzir (right), 21, Bank Teller and Frankie Jimenez (left), 22, Construction


CHRIS

I would take an Alaska cruise, because I’d like to see the glaciers. I’ve been to lots of warm spots, so it would be a nice change-up.

Chris Erickson, 52, Biomedical Equipment Tech

Lending Support

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After producing a staged reading of The Laramie Project that raised over $1,000 for Trans Families of Santa Cruz County, Renegade Theater Co. is back with another fundraiser: two performances of Stop Kiss, a 1998 play by Diana Son about two women falling in love against the backdrop of a violent hate crime.

Kyle Vasquez, the artistic director and CEO of Renegade Theater Co., praises Stop Kiss for its resonant themes of love overcoming adversity and its oddly uplifting tone. The shows will take place at the Santa Cruz Actor’s Theatre on June 28, the last Saturday of Pride Month.

Proceeds from this show will be split evenly between Trans Families of Santa Cruz and the Renegade’s Rainbow: Casper’s Memorial Fund, which the theater company created to memorialize the passing of young community member Casper (Damien) Miller. The Rainbow Fund will provide scholarships for LGBTQ+ teens who need financial assistance to participate in Renegade productions.

The original concept for the Renegade benefit came after the death of Nex Benedict, a 16-year-old nonbinary Oklahoma high school student who, after being beaten unconscious by a group of fellow students, committed suicide the following day.

Benedict’s death brought national attention to the consequences of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. The youth’s family told reporters that bullying by students worsened at the beginning of the 2023 school year, a few months after Oklahoma governor Kevin Stitt signed a bill that required public school students to use bathrooms that matched the sex listed on their birth certificates.

Vasquez says that following Benedict’s death, the members of the company were “all feeling sad and angry and helpless, and it just felt like we wanted to do something actionable.”

After the success of the first benefit, another was set to take place before Miller’s passing. But the event took on new meaning after Renegade’s loss.

Originally, the benefit show was intended as “more of a preventative measure rather than in honor of a specific youth in our community,” Vasquez says. “We are hoping that it is still going to be a future preventative and a way that we get to keep alive the memory of someone who is really important and we all really love. Casper’s name will always be associated, and doing positive things at Renegade and in the community.”

The cast of Santa Cruz locals and others commuting from the Bay Area has a diverse range of ages and experiences. Some actors are returning after several Renegade productions, while others are making their company debut. Despite their differences in backgrounds, they are all united by their passion for socially impactful theater and LGBTQIA+ advocacy.

Renegade Theater Co. is a hub for the LGBTQIA+ community in Santa Cruz. The company’s unofficial slogan is “gayer than your average theater company”—a reference to the popularity of theater within the queer community and the fact that the majority of the staff and participants have LGBTQIA+ identities.

Kyle Vasquez is openly queer, the parent of a trans child, and comes from a queer family. Within this company, Vasquez wants to emphasize “how important theater is for youth who have mental health issues, youth who need a community to belong in.”

Vasquez elaborates, “Often queer youth specifically struggle with mental health, are looking for community and feel like outsiders, so theater can be such a crucial place for queer people of all ages, but especially for youth to explore who they are, explore identity, to find community, to find belonging and just be able to figure out who they are in a safe space.”

Stop Kiss will be performed at 2 and 6pm on June 28 at Actors’ Theatre, 1001 Center St, Santa Cruz. Tickets are sold on a sliding scale at renegadetheaterco.org.

Free Will Astrology

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ARIES March 21-April 19

The Hawaiian word refers to a primal darkness from which all life flows. It’s not a fearsome void, but a fertile mystery, rich with future possibilities and the ancestors’ hopes. In the coming weeks, I invite you to treat your inner life as . Be as calm and patient and watchful as an Aries can be as you monitor the inklings that rise up out of the deep shadows. Have faith that the cloudy uncertainty will ultimately evolve into clarity, revealing the precise directions you need.

TAURUS April 20-May 20

In the 17th century, the Taurus polymath Athanasius Kircher constructed a fantastical machine called the Aeolian harp. It wasn’t designed to be played by human fingers, but by the wind. It conjured music with currents invisible to the eye. I nominate this sublime contraption as your power object for the coming weeks, Taurus. The most beautiful and healing melodies may come from positioning yourself so that inspiration can blow through. How might you attune yourself to the arrival of unexpected help and gifts? Set aside any tendency you might have to try too hard. Instead, allow life to sing through you.

GEMINI May 21-June 20

The painter Vincent van Gogh wrote, “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” That’s good advice for you right now. Your ambitions may feel daunting if you imagine them as monumental and monolithic. But if you simply focus on what needs to be done next—the daily efforts, the incremental improvements—you will be as relaxed as you need to be to accomplish wonders. Remember that masterpieces are rarely completed in a jiffy. The cumulative power of steady work is potentially your superpower. Here’s another crucial tip: Use your imagination to have fun as you attend to the details.

CANCER June 21-July 22

Welcome to a special edition of “What’s My Strongest Yearning?” I’m your host, Rob Brezsny, and I’m delighted you have decided to identify the single desire that motivates you more than any other. Yes, you have many wishes and hopes and dreams, but one is more crucial than all the rest! Right? To begin the exercise, take three deep breaths and allow every knot of tension to dissolve and exit your beautiful body. Then drop down into the primal depths of your miraculous soul and wander around until you detect the shimmering presence of the beloved reason you came here to this planet. Immerse yourself in this glory for as long as you need to. Exult in its mysterious power to give meaning to everything you do. Ask it to nurture you, console you and inspire you.

LEO July 23-Aug. 22

In certain medieval maps, unexplored territories were marked with the Latin phrase hic sunt dracones—“here be dragons.” It was a warning and a dare, a declaration that no one knew what lay beyond. In the coming weeks, Leo, you may find yourself traveling into one of those unlabeled regions. Rather than flinching or dodging, I invite you to press forward with respectful curiosity. Some of the so-called dragons will be figments. Others are protectors of treasure and might be receptive to sharing with a bright light like you. Either way, productive adventures are awaiting you in that unmapped territory. Go carefully—but go.

VIRGO Aug. 23-Sept. 22

In traditional Japanese carpentry, joints are made so skillfully that they need no nails, screws or adhesives. Carpenters use intricate joinery techniques to connect pieces of wood so tightly that the structures are strong and durable. They often require a mallet for assembly and disassembly. In metaphorical terms, you are capable of that kind of craftsmanship these days, Virgo. I hope you will take advantage of this by building lasting beauty and truth that will serve you well into the future. Don’t rush the joinery. If it’s not working, don’t force it. Re-cut, re-measure, breathe deeply and try again.

LIBRA Sept. 23-Oct. 22

Here’s one of my unruly rules about human competence: In every professional field, from physicians to lawyers to psychics to teachers, about 15 percent of all the practitioners are downright mediocre, even deficient. Seventy-five percent are at least satisfactory and sometimes good. And 10 percent of the total are surpassingly excellent, providing an extraordinary service. With this in mind, I’m happy to say that you now have a knack for gravitating toward that exceptional 10 percent in every domain you are drawn to. I predict that your intuition will consistently guide you toward premium sources.

SCORPIO Oct. 23-Nov. 21

The Japanese concept of shinrin-yoku means “forest bathing.” It invites people to immerse themselves in the natural world, drawing on its restorative power. In accordance with astrological portents, I urge you Scorpios to maximize your forest bathing. To amplify the enrichment further, gravitate toward other environments that nourish your soul’s need for solace and uplift. The naked fact is that you need places and influences that offer you comfort, safety and tender inspiration. Don’t apologize for making your life a bit less heroic as you tend to your inner world with gentle reverence.

SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22-Dec. 21

The camera obscura was a precursor to modern cameras. It projected the outside world upside down onto interior walls. Artists loved it because it helped them see reality from new angles. I hereby proclaim that you, Sagittarius, will be like both the artist and the camera obscura lens in the coming weeks. Your perceptions may feel inverted, strange, even disorienting, but that’s a gift! So let unfamiliarity be your muse. Flip your assumptions. Sketch from shadow instead of light. Have faith that the truth isn’t vanishing or hiding; it’s simply appearing in unfamiliar guises. Don’t rush to turn right-side-up things. Relish and learn from the tilt.

CAPRICORN Dec. 22-Jan. 19

I’m sure you enjoy gazing into some mirrors more than others. It’s amazing how different you might look in your bathroom mirror and the mirror in the restroom at work. Some store windows may reflect an elegant, attractive version of you, while others distort your image. A similar principle is at work in the people with whom you associate. Some seem to accentuate your finest attributes, while others bring out less flattering aspects. I bring this to your attention, dear Capricorn, because I believe it will be extra important in the coming weeks for you to surround yourself with your favorite mirrors.

AQUARIUS Jan. 20-Feb. 18

Leonardo da Vinci filled thousands of pages with sketches, notes and experiments. He never finished many of them. He called this compilation his “codex of wonder.” It wasn’t a record of failures. It was an appreciation of his complex process and a way to honor his creative wellspring. Taking a cue from da Vinci’s love of marvelous enigmas, I invite you to be in love with the unfinished in the coming weeks. Make inquisitiveness your default position. Reconsider abandoned ideas. Be a steward of fertile fragments. Some of your best work may arise from revisiting composted dreams or incomplete sketches. Here’s your motto: Magic brews in the margins.

PISCES Feb. 19-March 20

In the remote Atacama Desert of Chile, certain flowers lie dormant for years, awaiting just the right conditions to burst into blossom in a sudden, riotous explosion of color and vitality. Scientists call it a superbloom. Metaphorically speaking, Pisces, you are on the verge of such a threshold. I’m sure you can already feel the inner ripening as it gathers momentum. Any day now, your full flowering will erupt—softly but dramatically. You won’t need to push. You will simply open. To prepare yourself emotionally, start rehearsing lively shouts of “HALLELUJAH! HOORAY! WHOOPEE!”

Homework: What action or project could you undertake that would provide you with a rich new sense of meaning? Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com

© Copyright 2025 Rob Brezsny

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