Here, find a curated list of the best food and drink events in Santa Cruz County for the coming week. At the top, I share my picks of unmissable local happenings.
Chaminade Resort & Spa’s summer dinner series Vine To View continues Friday evening with pairings by Napa Valley winery Caymus Vineyards. At the hilltop restaurant overlooking Monterey Bay, chef Avram Samuels will prepare a four-course menu while a winery representative guides guests through a tasting of Caymus’ bold wines, particularly cabernet sauvignon. This is the third of six monthly events held through October with different wineries. Tickets are $155.
The 15th annual Hop N Barley Beer and BBQ Festival – the longest-running craft beer festival in the county – is popping up once again at Skypark in Scotts Valley. Craft breweries and small cideries from around the state will pour dozens of beverages alongside food trucks serving everything from pizza to tacos and, of course, barbecue. Live music on two stages goes all day. Tickets are $55 and include unlimited beverage sampling.
Best of Santa Cruz County food and drink events, July 11-17
Here are some upcoming local food and drink events you might be interested in:
Friday, July 11
- Summer Anniversary Sale | 3 p.m. @ Aptos Vineyard Tasting Room
- 2025 Event Santa Cruz Midtown Fridays Summer Block Party | 5 p.m. @ 1111 Soquel Ave.
- Boardwalk Summer Luau | 6 p.m. @ Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
- Vine to View Dinner Series: Caymus Vineyards | 6:30 p.m. @ Chaminade Resort & Spa
Saturday, July 12
- Aptos Farmers Market | 8 a.m. @ Cabrillo College
- Artisanal Plant-Based Cheese, Please! | 10 a.m. @ private Live Oak Home; address provided with registration
- Summer Sizzle West Cliff Outdoor Market | 10 a.m. @ Lighthouse parking lot, 701 West Cliff Dr.
- Noodle Party for Kids @ Charlie Hong Kong | 10 a.m. @ Charlie Hong Kong
- Behind the Scenes Tour of Live Earth Farms with Farmer Tom | 10:30 a.m. @ Live Earth Farm
- Hop n’ Barley Beer Festival | 11 a.m. @ Skypark
- Surf City Wine Walk | 1 p.m. @ Swift Street Courtyard
Tuesday, July 15
- Wine and Cheese Pairing Party | 1 p.m. @ Byington Vineyard & Winery
- The Science and Flavor of Cancer Prevention and Healing | 6 p.m. @ Santa Cruz Seventh-Day Adventist Church
- Tacos and Trivia Tuesday! | 7 p.m. @ Bruno’s Bar and Grill
Wednesday, July 16
- Wig Out Wednesday | 4 p.m. @ Big Basin Vineyards Tasting Room and Wine Bar
- Ecosystem of Care Webinar: Dining Services | 6 p.m. | Virtual
- Whiskey and Wings with Nick Disalvo | 6 p.m. @ Bruno’s Bar and Grill
Thursday, July 17
- Women in Business Lunch | 11 a.m. @ Seascape Golf Club
- Weekly Farmstand | Noon @ Cowell Ranch Hay Barn
- Free Beach BBQ Party w/ Fishhook | 5 p.m. @ Crow’s Nest