A little more than a year after Metavinyl closed in downtown Santa Cruz, Redwood Records has taken its place as the pillar of the downtown records scene, thanks in large part to its participation in the growing First Friday arts event. This Friday, Redwood Records will bring in one of its most ambitious acts yet — San Francisco singer-songwriter Gilberto Rodriguez — to perform live in the store at Cedar and Maple.
City Life
Posted inCity Life
Santa Cruz Shakespeare takes a bow for 2023 season; next stop, a big 2024
It’s the final weekend to see “The Taming of the Shrew,” “King Lear” and Lauren Gunderson’s “The Book of Will” in the Grove at DeLaveaga, but an expanded five-production season is in the works for Santa Cruz Shakespeare next year.
Posted inCity Life
It’s never too soon to start planning for Halloween in Santa Cruz County
The Boardwalk can get you in the mood with its “Fright Flicks” series happening throughout October, and there’s ALO’s “Haunted Halloweekend” happening at Felton Music Hall, a Zappa tribute downtown and other events on the calendar already, with more sure to follow.
Posted inCity Life
Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s stunning ambition: Company goes big with five productions in 2024
“Hamlet” — which co-artistic director Charles Pasternak calls “the world’s most famous play” — headlines next year’s season, with an announcement made Monday at the company’s DeLaveaga Park home. But the big news: five productions — the most ever by a company that can claim four decades of performance — and only two of them are Shakespeare’s. The works of Oscar Wilde, Tennessee Williams and Charles Dickens complete the 2024 playbill.
Posted inRecreation & Sports
Fight night at Santa Cruz’s KP Arena: Four hours in, hometown hero Danny Compton enters the Octagon
Forget pro wrestling, the five-hour card — with 11 bouts — Friday night at the Santa Cruz Warriors’ arena is a first-of-its-kind event in town. Mixed martial arts incorporates kickboxing, wrestling, jiu-jitsu and any number of techniques of formalized hand-to-hand (or even foot-to-foot) combat. The contestants are quite a mix as well — strawweight, bantamweight, welterweight, including “The Cali Cowgirl,” one representing his home country of Kyrgyzstan. How bloody will this evening be, and how will the local guy perform in a make-or-break duel at the end of the evening?
Posted inFood & Drink
Full Steam Dumpling chef launches Back Door Bánh Mí
Chef Andy Huynh of Santa Cruz dumpling and ramen shop Full Steam Dumpling has launched Back Door Bánh Mí, a pop-up that specializes in Vietnamese bánh mí sandwiches. He says he hopes to eventually open a brick-and-mortar location.
Posted inHousing & Development
Stained glass ‘Dancing Waters’ now adorns downtown Santa Cruz’s River and Front entryway
The “Dancing Waters” installation on the San Lorenzo River-facing side of the downtown River Front Garage is 32 panels of stained glass, documenting Santa Cruz’s long, enduring relationship with water. It’s ambitious public art, and maybe just the beginning of a new wave of it as redevelopment gallops along.
Posted inCity Life
Strauss to Star Wars and Rossini to Ravel, Santa Cruz Symphony fires up for 2023-24 season
Kicking off Sept. 23 at the Civic Auditorium and also playing at the Henry J. Mello Center in Watsonville, the Santa Cruz Symphony’s upcoming season promises variety.
Posted inCity Life
AfroLatine Festival set to make splash on Santa Cruz cultural scene
Celebrating the cultural heritage of the Latine and African cultural diasporas and put on by Mi Gente, the AfroLatine Festival comes Sept. 16 to Santa Cruz’s Woodhouse Blending & Brewing.
Posted inWatsonville / Pajaro
Free music outdoors, wine, beer and art and Pajaro Valley Pride — it’s a packed weekend in Watsonville
From free, family-friendly activities to strolling downtown and sampling the goods from Santa Cruz County wineries and breweries, it’s a good time to get yourself to Watsonville.