Hi friends,
If you’re going to the Santa Cruz County Fair anyway, do yourself a favor and visit Gizdich Ranch, where the county fair vibe is year-round. U-pick apples opens this weekend!
Now, on with the show.
THIS JUST IN
Mountain Community Theater in Ben Lomond is doing “Midsummer” in mid-fall. MCT is gearing up for Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” for a run at Park Hall beginning Nov. 21. SLV’s favorite sons The Coffis Brothers play live at Felton Music Hall on Nov. 29. Speculative fiction author Jeff VanderMeer is set to visit Bookshop Santa Cruz on Oct. 20. And the Roy and Frances Rydell Arts Fellowship is coming around again, honoring local artists with an exhibition at the Museum of Art & History, to open Jan. 23.
Be sure to check out Lookout’s carefully curated and constantly updated planning guide, Down the Line, for the staggering riches and amazing choices awaiting Santa Cruz audiences. It’s our look ahead at the best shows, concerts and events through the rest of the year at clubs, stages and venues all over the county.
CHECK THIS OUT
Best 9: Top events for the week ahead in Santa Cruz County arts & entertainment, Sept. 11-18
THIS WEEK IN A&E
Opening Day: Scenes from the 2025 Santa Cruz County Fair
The Santa Cruz County Fair opened Wednesday with a vibrant mix of old and new traditions, from livestock exhibitions to wrestling matches. The annual event, which draws tens of thousands to Watsonville each fall, runs through Sunday. Lookout’s Kevin Painchaud captured the first-day fun.
Zombie chickens invade Santa Cruz: Cult studio Troma films latest grindhouse flick downtown
Cult movie studio Troma, which has helped launch the careers of Hollywood A-listers like James Gunn, filmed its latest low-budget shock-horror production, “Poultrygeist 2,” in downtown Santa Cruz.
Closing this weekend: All About Theatre delivers energetic take on provocative teen musical ‘Spring Awakening’
If you think community theater can’t rock, “Spring Awakening” at All About Theatre will prove you wrong. With a driving rock score powered by an impressive orchestra and a cast that builds to explosive energy, “Spring Awakening” is messy, moving and alive — a reminder […]
That’s all I got, friends. Come at me with comments, ideas, complaints or thundering insights. Thanks to all Lookout members for your faith and support, and please, spread the word on what we’re doing.