Student Lookout: Halloween night, three downtown discounts and Taco Tuesday

Happy almost Halloween, folks,

Ok, I’ve been really lazy with the costumes for the past few years. Two years in a row now I’ve worn the same panda onesie which, while kind of funny, is not particularly imaginative nor is it original. This year, however, I’m breaking that streak and will be dressing up as one half of “American Gothic” with a friend, who will be the other half. I’m proud of myself, and you should be proud of me, too.

What are you dressing up as this year? Shoot me a text and let me know.

If you are a student and haven’t signed up for your FREE Lookout membership yet, enter your phone number below to register. Not only will you get unlimited access to all of Lookout, but you’ll also receive Student Lookout text alerts every Friday with exclusive deals, local recommendations, puzzles and more. So what are you waiting for?

Now, for the rest…

Deals Download

Check out these three downtown student discounts:

• Arslans Turkish Street Food: 10% off for students.
• HoM Korean Kitchen: 15% off for students.
• Woodstocks Pizza: $6 off XL pizza for students.
  

What’s the best student deal you’ve found? Shoot us an email to let us know at studentlookout@lookoutlocal.com.

Best Deal: CineLux $5 Ticket Tuesdays

CineLux Theatres are now offering $5 movie tickets on Tuesdays. You can purchase your ticket online or in person. What a deal!

➤ Want to share these deals with your friends? Have them sign up for Student Lookout texts with this link.

Eats on a budget

This week’s deal comes with an ocean view. Cruise down to the wharf and stop by Olitas Cantina and Grille on a Tuesday or Thursday for a taco-and-drink deal for anywhere from $10 to $12, depending on which taco filling you choose. The deal includes a drink — alcoholic or nonalcoholic — with one of those options being a house margarita. Catch some beautiful views over the bay and enjoy a cheap meal at the same time.

If you love eating, cooking and reading about food, be sure to check out the work from our local food expert, Lily Belli. She has the scoop on a brand-new breakfast spot heading to downtown Santa Cruz as early as next month, adding to the big changes coming to the area. She’s also pretty excited about an upcoming November MAH event that celebrates Santa Cruz’s winemaking history.

Inside Santa Cruz: Tips, tricks and treats for this Halloween

Recommended by newsroom intern Blaire Hobbs.

This week we have a special round of Halloween recommendations. If you haven’t participated in Halloween in Santa Cruz yet (2020 and 2021 notwithstanding), you’re in for a real treat (or trick!).

Tips: Keep these five things in mind if you plan on hitting up downtown Monday.

1. Pacific Avenue (from Water Street to Cathcart Street) will be closed the night of Halloween as the entirety of Santa Cruz converges to strut their costumed stuff down the asphalt runway. Pacific will be closed starting at 1 p.m. Monday, so if you are heading downtown to grab some last-minute costume prep, add some buffer time in case you need to go around.
2. If you plan on visiting Pacific Avenue on Halloween, I recommend arriving downtown early to get a table at a patio outside. Grab a drink, order an app and watch the stream of clever (or not-so-clever) costumes go by! Betty’s Burgers is a particularly advantageous location, but any outdoor spot will do.
3. Parking: Parking fines downtown will be doubled on Halloween night as will all other fines! I repeat, parking fines will be doubled. I said it twice to fully emphasize the ramifications ahead of time, so that when the hum of the crowds calls to you, you still have the wherewithal to check your meter. Stay safe. Don’t get a ticket.
4. Going to a bar, concert or other potentially adults-only event? Make sure to bring your ID and some cold hard cash. Venues will be extra vigilant that night and most will charge a cover.
5. Check the weather! At this point, it looks like a balmy mid-60s for Monday during the day, but you never know. Make sure you dress accordingly. It’s an LOL time of year — lots of layers — so I suggest a costume that keeps you cozy.

Tricks: Trick your place out with these kooky hand-made decorations. I specifically chose ones that don’t require a lot of materials or finesse, so you don’t have to be a crafting connoisseur to give them a go!

1. For those of you immersing yourselves in the Harry Potter universe this season, here’s your guide to creating the perfect Hogwarts replica. I’m partial to the floating candles, but any of these ideas will spark magic.
2. Balloons are the perfect way to celebrate any occasion. How do you make them Halloween festive, you might ask? Add some white tissue paper or cloth and you’ve got yourself a ghoulish ghost!
3. Keep those plastic bags you accumulate from the grocery store (even when you try so hard not to), because they are the only item you’ll need for these spider webs.
4. Is it the Night Before Christmas, or can Halloween merge with Yuletide in other ways? Use those Christmas lights you or your roommates surely have strung up around the house (we all know someone who has them) and make this (totally scary) string of illuminated ghosts.

Treats: Staying home this Halloween? Treat yourself or your guests to some spooky snacks!

1. Try thess meringue ghosts for a bite of sweetness.
2. Looking for something a little healthier? Try these witchy mozzarella fingers or any of the additional healthy snacks in this blog. Pro tip: You can get the frozen mozzarella sticks instead of the regular uncooked ones for a gooier experience.
3. For a slightly more complicated treat, try these Rice Krispie spiders. They might have more ingredients, but I still have faith you can make them. Sadly, you can’t find all the ingredients at Trader Joes, but Safeway has your back.

Puzzle Center

Get your Halloween vocab on with this criss-cross word puzzle.

Around Town - Events

Did you know that we have an events calendar? BOLO, which stands for Be On the Lookout, is our hub for the best events in the county. See all the listings here.

Here are upcoming events we think students need to know about:

Thursday - Monday, varying times
Santa Cruz Cinema: Five Nights of Fright
Love scary movies? Well then, the Santa Cruz Cinema is the place for you this Halloween weekend. The theater will be screening 26 Halloween-themed movies, and will certainly have something for everyone. Some of these films might thoroughly creep you out, and others are just some good seasonal fun. Whatever you’re looking for, you’ll definitely be able to find it here.

Saturday, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History: Museum of the Macabre
Wear your costume to the Natural History Museum across the street from Seabright Beach for the museum’s sixth annual “Museum of the Macabre.” There will be a host of indoor and outdoor exhibits including a “Creature from the Black Lagoon” movie screening, art prints, and admission to the Maritime Mysteries and Monsters exhibit. Oh, and a costume contest, of course.

Saturday, 9 p.m.
Crow’s Nest Halloween Party
I’m guessing a fair amount of you will be attending parties this weekend, but if you don’t have any lined up, then perhaps head to the Crow’s Nest for a costume party with live music. Entry is cheap, just $8, and you can bring as many friends as you like. Take this chance to check out the Crow’s Nest’s venue and restaurant while beginning your Halloweekend.

➤ Want more? If you’re still looking for great things to do, check out Wallace Baine’s Weekender here.

➤ More local jobs: Browse more open positions on the Lookout Job Board.

One last thing …

Did you know … that between 1970 and 1973, Santa Cruz was dubbed the Murder Capital of the World? It started when John Linley Frazier killed the Ohta family on Oct. 19, 1970. He was arrested four days after the murders took place, but that was just the beginning. Herbert Mullin and Edmund Kemper terrorized the town with serial killings until 1973, when Mullins was arrested and Kemper turned himself in. All three killers received life sentences for their crimes.

Well, Halloween is just around the corner already! I hope everyone has a good time whether you’re in costume or not.

Take care, and talk to y’all soon.

— Max

If you have recommendations on places we should feature next week, pass them along and we’ll send you a free Lookout T-shirt. Email your ideas to student@lookoutlocal.com.