BOLO Best Bets: Cabrillo Fest’s final weekend, First Friday art galore and plenty of ways to get outdoors
Hello friends,
The summer arts/entertainment scene is abloom, but the Delta variant is making socializing and enjoying each other a bit more tricky. This weekend, Moe’s Alley was planning to present shows on its indoor stage for the first time in a year. But the club has announced that it’s postponing its first three shows (Felton Music Hall and The Rio made similar moves last week). When Moe’s is ready to reopen its indoor stage, it will require proof of vaccination.
The First Friday art tour is also heading our way, and while various venues might have different rules with masks, it’s always a good idea to have one available.
This new chapter in the frustrating pandemic story is nothing to be taken lightly. But artists, musicians, and venues all need your attention and patronage. If you’re vaccinated, you can be safe while also being engaged in your community. Now’s the time to be there for these artists and performers.
Best Bets is presented by Santa Cruz Community Credit Union and CineLux Theatres.
For a look beyond the weekend at big events coming to Santa Cruz into 2022, don’t forget to head over to Down The Line. And BOLO’s very own Instagram is taking off, but Lookout readers (and friends!) are always welcome.
Now, to Team BOLO’s latest Best Bets:
LIVE MUSIC
SATURDAY
Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music: “Intonations”: The Cabrillo Festival enters the second and final weekend of its 2021 virtual season under the direction of artistic director Cristian Macelaru with “Intonations: Songs from the Violin of Hope.” To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer tell the amazing story of six violins used by prisoners in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. The recorded video presentation features the Cabrillo Festival Orchestra performing the piece. The free, virtual performance will be immediately followed by a live talk-back and Q&A session with the artists.
SUNDAY
Cabrillo Festival: “Melt + Sprout”: The Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music’s final day showcases “Melt + Sprout,” composer Sean Shepherd’s meditation on the catastrophic loss we’re all facing due to climate change. “Melt” and “Sprout” are two separate compositions, the former a heartbreaking lament and the latter its more hopeful sequel. Illustrated by the work of photographer Camille Seaman, as well as by cutting-edge animation, the twin pieces are presented virtually online with music from the Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, followed by a live talk-back and Q&A session with the artists. The event begins at 7 p.m.
— Wallace Baine
VISUAL ARTS
FRIDAY
As the Santa Cruz art scene comes slowly out of its COVID hibernation, this month’s First Friday is an opportunity to see what dozens of artists have been cooking up. And with this week marking the first First Friday of the BOLO era here at Lookout, we went the extra mile with a breakdown of what to see where:
Quick Take
From the Tannery to the MAH, Midtown to the Westside and Ben Lomond to Felton, Laurel Bushman of Lookout’s Team BOLO has...
— Laurel Bushman
THEATER
THIS WEEKEND
“The Agitators”: Santa Cruz Shakespeare is back with live, in-person theater at the Grove at DeLaveaga Park for the first time since 2019. Mat Smart’s two-character play “The Agitators” is an evocative historical dramatization of the real-life decades-long, up-and-down friendship between 19th-century civil-rights icons Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony, starring, respectively, SCS veterans Allen Gilmore and Patty Gallagher. Performances this weekend include Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 1 p.m. and Wednesday, Aug. 11, at 7:30 p.m. The show runs in rep with “RII” through Aug. 29.
THIS WEEKEND
“RII”: Santa Cruz Shakespeare heads forthrightly into the post-pandemic live theater world with its first in-person performances in two years. The Shakespearean offering at SCS this summer is Jessica Kubzansky’s smart adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Richard II,” titled “RII.” The play, using Shakespeare’s own words, converts the Bard’s play into a three-actor showcase, highlighting today’s relevance of the story of the ill-fated King Richard. This weekend’s performances include Friday at 8 p.m. Saturday at 2 p.m., Sunday at 7 p.m. and Thursday, Aug. 12, at 7:30 p.m., with following performances taking place in rep with “The Agitators” through Aug. 29.
— Wallace Baine
BOOKS & LECTURES
TUESDAY
Author Jessamyn Stanley: Jessamyn Stanley doesn’t look like the stereotypical Western yoga practitioner, and she’s been a voice for inclusiveness in a community that’s been all too white and focused on a narrow range of body types. In her new book, “Yoke: My Yoga of Self-Acceptance,” Stanley looks to shake free from the trivial aspects of how yoga is practiced today to reconnect it to its spiritual roots and tie it again to living life every day. Stanley reads from and talks about “Yoke” live in this free virtual event Tuesday at 6 p.m., sponsored by Bookshop Santa Cruz.
— Wallace Baine
FESTIVALS
FRIDAY
Tsunami headlines Midtown Block Party: Every Friday in the heart of Midtown, a parking lot is transformed into a venue filled with local artists, food vendors and new performers every week. August kicks off with headliner Tsunami, a local act of five veteran musicians playing high-energy music with roots in classic rock and R&B from the 1960s to the ‘90s.
SATURDAY
DayDream 2: Following a successful first event in July, Day on the Green Night on the Screen is back for a second. The two-part, day-and-night event is filled with daytime entertainment spread around the Santa Cruz Fairgrounds and a night of movies on the big screen. Put on by the Santa Cruz Burners and Santa Cruz DJs, the all-day event also features food vendors, local artists and a lineup of DJs on the main stage.
SUNDAY
Watsonville Strawberry Festival: Created in 1994 to raise funds and help Watsonville recover in the aftermath of the Loma Prieta earthquake, the Watsonville Strawberry festival has become a tradition recognizing one of the most profitable crops in the Pajaro Valley and bringing the community together. This South County staple also includes live music and other performances, local vendors and friendly competitions.
— Haneen Zain
RECREATION
FRIDAY
Free admission at the Santa Cruz Natural History Museum: Check out the small but informative local natural history museum on East Cliff Drive during its First Friday free admission day. Brush up on your knowledge of local ecology, wildlife and geology before you trek out to the wilderness surrounding Santa Cruz — or cross the street for a day on the sand at Seabright Beach.
SATURDAY
Guided coastal walk at Wilder Ranch: Meet at the Wilder Ranch parking lot for a day out in the park. The guided walk will last 2.5 hours and will explore local wildlife and rock formations along the shores and cliffs lining the outside of Wilder Ranch. Be sure to pack layers and bring a bit of food.
— Max Chun
KIDS & FAMILY
SATURDAY
Seymour Center Outdoors!: With the cancellation/postponement of many children’s events, you might find that your kids are itching for more activities. The Seymour Center can certainly help you out, with outdoor exhibitions open Saturdays from 11 a.m.- 2 p.m. Activities include tide pool exploration, a scavenger hunt, and even a small geocaching game — all on the scenic bluff overlooking Monterey Bay. A donation of $10 per household is suggested.
SUNDAY
Westside Pump Track Grand Opening: Made possible by generous local donors and sponsors, the Westside Pump Track will be officially opening on Sunday. The event, hosted by Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship, will include live music, food trucks, beer, first laps on the new track and more.
— Max Chun
FOOD
SATURDAY
Farm to Fork Gala Dinner: Community Bridges brings the farm-to-table experience to Bargetto Winery for a night of food, win, and auctions. Community Bridges will be bringing its guests of honor — Dr. Gail Newel, Santa Cruz County public health officer, and Mimi Hall, director of Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency — to say a few words.
— Haneen Zain
FILM
WEDNESDAY
Cinema Chaminade: “Jaws”: Every Wednesday through the first week in September, the Chaminade hosts a screening of a classic film, with wine and food. Wednesday’s feature is the blockbuster nautical thriller “Jaws.” Bring the whole family and hold onto your seats.
— Max Chun
HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF BOLO
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