B9: Nine necessary know-abouts for the week ahead

The Wait-it’s-December-already? Baine’s Nine:

1. December comes in with a bang in downtown Santa Cruz on Saturday morning, thanks to the annual Holiday Parade up Pacific Avenue.   
2. A beautiful and uplifting annual event comes ‘round again as the Cabrillo Symphonic Chorus presents three performances of “Music for the Feast of Christmas” at Holy Cross Catholic Church. 
3. Yep, he’s a living, breathing, guitar-playing link — maybe the last link — to the 20th-century culture of Woody Guthrie-esque folk. And Ramblin’ Jack Elliot is ramblin’ our way.
4. If you didn’t know better, you’d swear Deke Dickerson just dropped out of 1959, the era of cars with fins, gorgeous guitars and honest twangy country music. 
5. The Beatles pre-“Sgt. Pepper” is the focus of a tribute show presented by a group of veteran side players, at the Kuumbwa on Friday. 
6. On the same spot of the summer’s weekly block party now comes the Midtown Night Market. Different season, same pursuit of fun, all through December.
7. Mary McCaslin was one of Santa Cruz’s finest. It just makes sense that many of Santa Cruz’s greatest folk musicians come out to the Kuumbwa to pay her tribute.     
8. The mighty concrete artist Tom Ralston is also a musician, and he brings his muscular 14-piece band to the Rio to raise money for Second Harvest Food Bank. 
9. Hear ye, Midcounty-ers! Aptos Village is the site for a holiday craft fair and tree lighting, Saturday afternoon. And yes, there’s hot cocoa from Manuel’s available.