Best of Santa Cruz County food & drink events, June 20-26

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.

The Food Truck Fridays summer series pops up at Simpkins Family Swim Center in Live Oak one Friday evening per month May through August. The local lineup includes: Taquizas Gabriel (get the quesabirria tacos!); Scrumptious Fish & Chips, with its addictive curry ketchup; Rollin Snack Shack; and Cre’s BBQ and Soul Food, plus resident nonprofit coffeeshop Skills of Life Cafe. This family-friendly community event is free to enter.

For the third year in a row, the team at Venus Spirits is hosting a Pig Roast for Whiskey Folks at the Westside tasting room in Santa Cruz. The day centers around roasting a whole pig on an open grill, and serving up smoky, porky plates with baked beans, potato salad, garlic rolls and a strawberry-rhubarb dessert. This year, the award-winning craft distillery is releasing its first 10-year single-malt whiskey. There’s no fee to enter, and a plate of BBQ is $45. A $100 VIP ticket gets you in an hour before the event for a vertical Wayward Whiskey tasting and hors d’oeuvres, a welcome cocktail, a commemorative glass and a plate of barbecue.

At Sip for Second Harvest this Sunday at Seascape Beach Resort in Aptos, guests immerse themselves in local wines while supporting Second Harvest Food Bank and accessible, nutritious food for Santa Cruz County families. The event centers around a wine tasting with 16 Santa Cruz-area wineries, with beloved names like Big Basin Vineyards, Beauregard Vineyards and Birichino. Live music and appetizers round out the afternoon. Tickets are $75; VIP tickets, with exclusive tastings and a swag bag, are $125.