News broke this week that the Santa Cruz Seaside Company would not renew Twisselman Enterprises’ lease for Hot Dog on a Stick or its three other food booths. The local, family-run business had been a tenant at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk for 90 years. Fourth-generation Allison Twisselman says the outpouring of community support from former employees and customers is “bittersweet.”
City Life
Posted inCity Life
Open Studios is back this month with more than 300 artists opening their doors across the county
Besides the wonderful artistic encounters, Open Studios gives you an excuse to explore areas of the county that might not be a part of your daily routine. This weekend, it’s South County’s moment to shine — that’s the studios from Live Oak down to Watsonville. On Oct. 14 and 15, it’s North County, including Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley and the San Lorenzo Valley. And Oct. 21 and 22 is an encore weekend for the whole county.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Community workshop brings residents, officials together to examine West Cliff Drive’s future
For the first time outside of a Santa Cruz City Council meeting, city leaders and consultants met with community members Tuesday to discuss a 50-year vision for the future of West Cliff Drive. Attendees widely agreed that safeguarding coastal resources should be prioritized, and that the city should think twice about restoring the road to its original form.
Posted inCity Life
Santa Cruz Comedy Festival revives pre-pandemic ambitions, welcoming 40 comedians to 10 venues
The Santa Cruz Comedy Festival returns to Santa Cruz from Wednesday through Saturday. The festival struggled through pandemic closures but is getting back to its ambitious origins in full force this week, with 40 acts performing across 10 different venues.
Posted inCity Life
The monster in the mirror: UCSC festival celebrates, scrutinizes specters real and imagined
With panel discussions, readings, exhibits and a costume ball spread between the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History and UC Santa Cruz the weekend of Oct. 13-15, the 2023 Festival of Monsters will explore topics involving the literary and cultural images of monsters, while still acknowledging the fun factor.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
The Santa Cruz music scene is great, but the volume might be giving you hearing loss
Electrical engineer and part-time drummer Ron Green has a suggestion for his fellow musicians: Bring the volume down. He says his ears often ring when he leaves shows, which does not bode well for long-term hearing health. “It seems impossible to attend a live music show without the use of some sort of ear protection,” he writes. “This does more damage than most people realize.”
Posted inCity Life
New ‘Ten’ show opens ‘art season’ in Santa Cruz
Aiming to showcase the “endless” pool of Santa Cruz County arts talent, the group show “Ten” opens Saturday at the Radius Gallery at the Tannery and M.K. Contemporary Art, formerly Curated By the Sea. Gallery owner Melissa Kreisa says “Ten” can be an annual event and, coinciding with the annual Open Studios, herald a fall art season in a county brimming with accomplished artists.
Posted inLatest News
City council to vote on deal to keep Santa Cruz Warriors at KP Arena through at least September 2025
Pending approval by the Santa Cruz City Council, the Golden State Warriors’ developmental team has agreed to extend its lease at the downtown Kaiser Permanente Arena through September 2026, with an early termination option beginning in September 2025 and two one-year extension options.
Posted inCity Life
Midtown Fridays ending season with a bang as organizer celebrates a milestone
The Sept. 29 edition of Midtown Fridays will be double the size of the usual block party along Soquel Avenue, with Santa Cruz legend James Durbin headlining and 30 vendors lined up. All that comes as organizer Matthew Swinnerton celebrates 10 years in business for his one-man company, Event Santa Cruz. “We have a lot of manufactured experiences to connect people,” Swinnerton says of the current scene and how Event Santa Cruz aims to be different. “And I always wanted to make sure ours were genuine.”
Posted inHousing & Development
Santa Cruz County realtors say housing market to strengthen as pandemic-era buyers rethink remote work, second homes
Santa Cruz County’s housing market had a slow summer, though home buyers still showed plenty of interest in more affordable South County and mountain communities. But with interest rates expected to dip by next year, some real estate agents say pandemic-era buyers might be starting to sell — and competition could heat up.