Morning Lookout: Hitting the Corralitos Wine Trail, youth soccer upheaval & Weekender

What’s doing, Santa Cruz County? It is Friday, May 26, and another cloudy, drizzly morning awaits before maaaybe some sunny peeks. Will we get blue skies this Memorial Day weekend? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

No doubt that there’s plenty new on Lookout to peruse; if you’d rather peruse at your own speed, I hear that.
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The Friday of a long weekend is surely deserving of a toast, and Laura Sutherland is here with a guide to the family wineries of the Corralitos Wine Trail. Read on for her informative roadmap, just the latest addition to our library of Lookout Guides, covering food and entertainment, neighborhoods, parenting and more.

From pitchside, Max Chun reports on upheaval at Santa Cruz City Youth Soccer Club, where the firing of a longtime coach has left a championship team in limbo ahead of a major regional tournament.

The Friday headlines also include Weekender, Wallace Baine’s recommendation-filled stroll through the county’s arts and culture scene, and Student Lookout — strap in and let’s hit it.

South County sips: A guide to the Corralitos Wine Trail

(Laura Sutherland / Lookout Santa Cruz)

No need to trek all the way to those packed valleys up north when the Corralitos Wine Trail will lead you to world-class wine right here in Santa Cruz County. Laura Sutherland saddles up to give you the roadmap to Alfaro Family Vineyards, El Vaquero Winery, Nicholson Vineyards, Lester Estate Wines, Storrs Winery and Windy Oaks Estate. Check it out here.

➤ ELSEWHERE: In vino veritas: A guide to Westside Santa Cruz’s walkable wine scene

‘They’re impacting the future of these kids’: Firing of longtime youth soccer coach leaves season in jeopardy

(Via Irena Polić)

The Santa Cruz City Youth Soccer Club Sharks 07 team’s season is now shrouded in uncertainty. It’s been a tumultuous few weeks since the firing of its longtime coach, German Plaza. Though the club’s board of directors has announced an interim coach, many of the players have maintained that they do not want to attend the June regional tournament in Idaho without Plaza, leaving the remainder of the season in flux. Max Chun details the situation.

➤ MORE FROM YOUTH SPORTS: On Scotts Valley High School’s signing day, student-athletes look forward to their next chapters

Upcoming events in Santa Cruz County

FRIDAY 5/26
The Lost Boys feat. James Durbin @Bruno’s Bar and Grill
Tyler Rich @Felton Music Hall
CreateAbility Hour @Felton Branch Library
G Perico @The Catalyst
OS Muntates @Moe’s Alley
Pipe Down Official: Pipe Down w/ Koosh @Crow’s Nest Restaurant

SATURDAY 5/27
Bike Month Community Ride @Watsonville Cyclery
#GOATyoga w/piglets @Beer Thirty Bottle Shop & Pour House
Fae Masquerade Ball @Brookdale Lodge
FALCON! with Kettle of Hawks @The Crepe Place
Afrobeats Nite Santa Cruz @Moe’s Alley
Poi Rogers @Fruition Brewing

SUNDAY 5/28
Brown Babes Brunch with Dr. Terence Lester @Oswald Restaurant
Big Richard Band @Moe’s Alley
Hella Queer Market: Pride! @Greater Purpose Brewing Company
Mae Powell @The Catalyst
Poi Rogers @Malone’s Grille

MONDAY 5/29
Veteran Surf Alliance Memorial Day Paddle Out @Capitola Beach

You’re all cued up and ready to power through Friday and into the long weekend — but save some bandwidth for Wallace Baine’s latest local news quiz, coming shortly. You won’t miss it if you’re following Lookout on social media — on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram — and we make keeping up with Santa Cruz County news and views easy with all our other newsletters and breaking news alerts, which you can sign up for here. That includes our specially curated Sunday Reads, which you definitely don’t want to miss this weekend.

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Have a good Friday, and please take a moment this Memorial Day weekend to honor those who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. I’ll see you Tuesday.

Will McCahill
Lookout Santa Cruz