WEEKENDER
Your cheat sheet for eating well and going out in Santa Cruz County.
Sept. 10, 2026
ART, WINE, OPERA AND IRONMAN
With Labor Day – and a wild heat wave — in the rearview, Santa Cruz County has a fall festival season to look forward to. It kicks off this weekend with the Capitola Art & Wine Festival, held in Capitola Village on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Featuring over 150 fine artists and more than 20 wineries, the event is free to enter. To taste wine, purchase a festival glass for $20 and tasting tokens for $1 each.
A short, two-weekend run of Giacomo Puccini’s “The Girl of the Golden West” concludes with performances on Friday and Sunday at the Colligan Theater at the Tannery Arts Center. In her review, Lookout contributor Jana Marcus said the show, which was translated from Italian into English, is led by three powerhouse voices, and is at times laugh-out-loud funny.
On Sunday, Bookshop Santa Cruz marks the 25th anniversary of “The Corrections,” the celebrated novel by Santa Cruz author Jonathon Franzen, with a mix-and-mingle gathering and book signing. It’s free, but RSVPs are encouraged. – Lily Belli
UPCOMING EVENTS YOU’LL LOVE
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FROM THE LOOKOUT LIST
FAVORITE COCKTAIL WITH A VIEW
CROW’S NEST
“I love the harbor and the sounds of gulls and pelicans, the food is good and the location is wonderful.”
ICYMI: ARTS & DINING STORIES
A TREAT BEFORE YOU GO
In the mood for something tasty this weekend? Check out my roundup of the best things I ate and drank in August. – Lily Belli
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