With the weekend nearly here, check out things to do around Santa Cruz County, with a recommendation from Lily Belli and a specially curated list from Lookout’s BOLO events calendar.
Arts & Entertainment
What does UC Santa Cruz have in common with the rest of the UC? A new book explores the system’s complicated history
What makes UC Santa Cruz different from the University of California’s nine other campuses? Journalist Miriam Pawel’s new book, “California Dreams,” traces the UC system’s tumultuous history — and explores how UCSC’s distinctive identity emerged from a vision that quickly collided with the upheavals of the 1960s.
Santa Cruz journalist Martha Mendoza goes inside the global scam industry for new PBS documentary
Santa Cruz journalist and UCSC lecturer Martha Mendoza spent the past year investigating the global online scam industry for a new PBS “Frontline” documentary. Then scammers hit close to home, targeting people close to her in Santa Cruz.
How maestro Daniel Stewart is shaping Santa Cruz Symphony’s 69th season
Santa Cruz Symphony Music Director Daniel Stewart is bringing together Dvořák and Nina Simone, Stravinsky and BTS, Rachmaninoff and virtual reality pioneer Jaron Lanier for the orchestra’s 69th season, “Music Unites Us.” Jana Marcus sat down with Stewart to find out how those unlikely musical pairings come together.
Made in Santa Cruz: Why Art Matters | I.B. Bayo
“Made in Santa Cruz: Why Art Matters” is a video series, published every other Sunday, exploring the artists who shape Santa Cruz County’s creative landscape. Each episode offers a peek into an artist’s practice, the places and experiences that inform their work, and the ways creativity helps us see our community differently. Today’s artist is I.B. Bayo.
Santa Cruz County Fair saw increase in attendance after lowering admission prices
Santa Cruz County Fair officials say attendance at this year’s event increased by 11%.
Sumo wrestlers hit the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk ahead of Saturday’s big showdown
Three professional sumo wrestlers traded the ring for the sand Thursday, taking in the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and posing for photos ahead of Saturday’s World Elite Sumo event at Kaiser Permanente Arena.
Santa Cruz Surfing Museum is turning 40 – and celebrating with a newly restored lighthouse beacon
The Santa Cruz Surfing Museum will celebrate its 40th anniversary Saturday with music, Hawaiian cultural performances and the unveiling of a newly restored beacon at the Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse. The restoration was made possible by more than $90,000 raised by the community.
Dolly Parton’s legacy lives on: 20,000 books to Santa Cruz County children
One year in, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has delivered nearly 20,000 free books to young children across Santa Cruz County. More than 3,000 local children now receive a new, age-appropriate book in the mail every month — building home libraries and a love of reading from the earliest years. As communities celebrate Parton’s legacy through the first-ever “Give Like Dolly Day,” David Brody and Sheree Storm of First 5 Santa Cruz County say this is only the beginning of impact in our county. With community support, they say the next 20,000 books can reach even more young readers. Here, they explain how to sign kids up for the program and support Parton’s work locally.
Weekender: Fall festivals abound
Your cheat sheet for eating well and going out this weekend in Santa Cruz County.

