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Weekender: First Friday, get your parades on and a love letter to Santa Cruz surf culture
Another busy weekend lies ahead, and Wallace Baine has recommendations for things to do plus news, notes and other highlights from Santa Cruz County arts & entertainment.
Arrest warrant issued for boyfriend of Utah woman who was found safe after going missing last month
The boyfriend of the Utah woman who went missing and was later found safe failed to appear for a hearing and is now wanted by police. Alex Nunez stands to forfeit the $25,000 bail he posted on charges related to Danielle Staley. Continue reading…
Waymo’s expansion includes a sliver of Santa Cruz County. What does that mean for local roads?
Waymo, a company operating self-driving cars, recently expanded its operations into more of the Bay Area, including an area of Lexington Hills that lies mostly in Santa Clara County but very slightly reaches into Santa Cruz County. However, don’t expect to see Waymos on local roads in the near future.
Diversity Center outreach manager facing felony embezzlement charges in San Luis Obispo County
Dustin Colyer-Worth has been charged with four counts of grand theft by embezzlement in San Luis Obispo County, where he was the executive director of the Gala Pride and Diversity Center in San Luis Obispo.
Santa Cruz High music director to march in Rose Parade on New Year’s Day
Christina Latham is among 300 band directors invited to make up a marching band of music teachers from around the country at the Jan. 1 Rose Parade in Pasadena.
OPINION: Santa Cruz’s moonshot: Build the trail now and stop chasing a rail mirage
Santa Cruz County faces a rare moment of alignment: a viable path to build the coastal trail without railbanking or surrendering the corridor, writes trail advocate Jack Brown. With a “peace deal” to build over the tracks before the Regional Transportation Commission, Brown says rail remains decades away and financially unrealistic.
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Best of Santa Cruz County events, December 5-7
Here are some events you may be interested in this weekend:
Friday, Dec. 5
- Kianti’s “Jack Is Back” Holiday Performance | 6 p.m. @ Kianti’s Pizza & Pasta Bar
- Guided Tour | 1 p.m. @ Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History
- Mindful Movement with Horses | 9 a.m. @ BEYOND liberty | $25 (This class included with membership)
Repeats once more on December 5
- Living Legends | 9 p.m. @ The Catalyst | $41 to $52
- Santa Cruz Gardens Winter Market | 4 p.m. @ Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary School | Free
- Fall 2025 Open Studios | 12 p.m. @ Elena Baskin Visual Arts Center | Free
- Van Halen Tribute Band featuring James Durbin and More! | 8 p.m. @ Bruno’s Bar and Grill | $23.18
- Sparky’s Holiday Lights | 5 p.m. @ Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds | $20 to $40
Saturday, Dec. 6
- Cars and Coffee | 9 a.m. @ East Lake Village Shopping Center | Free
- Aptos Farmers Market | 8 a.m. @ Cabrillo College | Free
- Sweet & Savory Focaccia Baking Workshop | 10 a.m. @ Farm Discovery at Live Earth Farm
- Capitola Village Holiday Cookie Walk 2025 | 11 a.m. @ Capitola Village
- TELEPHONE NUMBERS, THE SHIMMERS, BUBBLE DAGGER | 8 p.m. @ The Crepe Place
- Snowy Christmas Tree ON SLICED REDWOOD! | 4 p.m. @ The Painted Cork | $75
- Le Creuset Day at Toque Blanche | 9 a.m. @ Toque Blanche | Free
- Holiday Market at GOAT Santa Cruz (in Live Oak) | 1 p.m. @ GOAT Santa Cruz | Free
Sunday, Dec. 7
- Open Mic Comedy at Shanty Shack | 7 p.m. @ Shanty Shack | Free
- Andy Fuhrman on the Westside | 2 p.m. @ MJA Vineyards Westside
- Farmers Market Live Oak | 9 a.m. @ East Cliff Shopping Center | Free
- Castro Adobe Open House | 10 a.m. @ Castro Adobe State Historic Park | Free
- Moe’s Alley Presents: John Németh | 4 p.m. @ Moe’s Alley
- Holiday Succulent Craft Class | 4 p.m. @ Bruno’s Bar and Grill | $30
- The Treasure Barn – Holiday Gift Sale | 12 p.m. @ The Treasure Barn | Free
- Holiday Gift Making (Ages 7-12) | 10 a.m. @ Santa Cruz Maker Studios | $50 to $100