The Lost Boys Are Back

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Wow, what a week. We opened this up on Saturday and posted it in Nextdoor and Facebook…expecting a few subscribers, only to find ~1,500 of you sign up in a few days 🥹 We’re elated. Thank you, sincerely. We’re so glad you’re here.

This is our first Tuesday edition. We switched from Thursdays so everyone has time to plan the week before the weekend. Hopefully that’s helpful. We’re also trying out a few new sections so after you meander through this issue, let us know what you think. Enjoy.

Classic June gloom into summer this weekend: marine layer through the morning, clearing to the mid-70s by afternoon. Sunday is the pick of the three days, with light easterly wind keeping it glassy most of the day.

Surf is on the smaller side, 2 to 3 feet on a SSW swell. Longboarders and beginners will have fun; everyone else is waiting for better swell. Sunday morning is your cleanest window.

Water is sitting around 56°F. Full 4/3mm recommended still. Lowest tide of the week is Monday at 5:31 AM, -2.0 feet. For the truly committed.

Sunset all weekend: 8:27 PM.

Live conditions at lowtide.media

On June 2, a mola mola (ocean sunfish) launched itself out of the water in Monterey Bay, a full breach. Mola molas weigh up to 2,000 pounds and are not known for athleticism. Nobody knows why they do it. The same trip spotted 4 humpback whales. Three orca pods rolled through the bay the following day.

See the photo → Full sightings log at montereybaywhalewatch.com/sightings.

Strawberries are at peak. You know this if you’ve been to any market in the last two weeks. Get them while the getting is good.

Swanton Berry Farm near Davenport has U-pick open weekends, 9 AM–5 PM, $8/lb. No reservations. Bring a sweater, the fields are cold and windy even in June.

Gizdich Ranch in Watsonville is opening olallie berries mid-month. Check before you drive down, they go fast. Stone fruit is just starting too, first cherries are showing up at the markets this week.

Santa Cruz Guitar Company marks 50 years
Richard Hoover founded Santa Cruz Guitar Company out of a Westside workshop in 1976. Fifty years and several Eric Clapton guitars later, the anniversary is being marked with limited-edition instruments and an exhibit at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History running through October 4.

Woody’s is opening at the Watsonville Airport
Chef Tim Wood is soft-opening a new restaurant in the old Ella’s at the Airport space at 100 Aviation Way. The menu runs from salads and seafood to a wood-fired pizza oven and a signature burger, with a patio that looks out onto the tarmac. Wood’s team won USA Today’s number one airport restaurant ranking for their Monterey location. Grand opening and ribbon cutting is Monday, June 15, 5–7 PM.

Junior Guards are back on the water
Junior Lifeguard programs are running at beaches across Santa Cruz County this summer. Our son just turned 6 so yesterday was his first day ever, and he crushed it. Proud parents over here! California State Parks runs separate programs at beaches from Santa Cruz to Capitola, Rio Del Mar, Manresa, and beyond. Many of the County’s beaches will have a program going this summer. If you see a pack of kids in matching red suits sprinting into the surf, that’s the next generation of the people who will pull you out of trouble :)

★ = family-friendly

TUESDAY, JUNE 9

★ Tuesday Night Live at the Wharf: The Viva Santana Show · 6–8 PM · Santa Cruz Wharf · Free
Free live music on the Wharf to kick off the first Tuesday edition. The Viva Santana Show brings the full Santana catalog out over the water. Bring a chair or wear your dancing shoes. After-party at Vino by the Sea upstairs.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10

★ Capitola Twilight Concerts: Trestles · 6–8 PM · Esplanade Park Bandstand, Capitola Village · Free
Surf and garage rock at the bandstand, week three of the free Wednesday series. Trestles took Santa Cruz’s Band of the Year in 2024. Bring a low chair, no dogs or alcohol in the park.

Crow’s Nest: Matt Masih · 7 PM · 2218 E Cliff Dr, Seabright · $3 cover
Matt Masih & the Messengers bring funk, soul, and groove to the harbor. Three dollars.

THURSDAY, JUNE 11

★ Crow’s Nest Beach BBQ: Ancestree · 5:30–8 PM · Santa Cruz Harbor Beach, Seabright · Free
Free live music on the beach, the weekly Thursday institution. Ancestree this week. Grab food off the Crow’s Nest deck and find a spot in the sand before they start.

Bargetto Winery: Big Bad Wolf · 6–8 PM · 3535 N Main St, Soquel · Free, no cover
Big Bad Wolf in the creekside courtyard. Outside food welcome after 5:30.

FRIDAY, JUNE 12

★ Food Truck Fridays · 4:30–7:30 PM · Monterey Park Ave, Capitola Village · Free
Live music and local food trucks in the park. Easy Friday evening with the family in Capitola.

★ Save the Waves Film Festival: World Premiere · Doors 6 PM, films 7 PM · Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave, Midtown · Ticketed (kids 12 and under free with adult)
Save the Waves is the only international surf and ocean environmental film festival, and the world premiere is at the Rio. Short films from California, Ghana, Portugal, Indonesia, Peru, and more. It will sell out. Buy ahead.

★ Midtown Fridays: Salsa By The Sea · 5–8:30 PM · 1111 Soquel Ave, Midtown · Free
Free summer block party with food trucks, vendors, and family activities. Runs every Friday through late August.

The Lost Boys on the Beach · 9 PM · Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Beachfront · Free
The movie filmed in Santa Cruz, screened on the beach where it was filmed. Free Friday night on the Boardwalk. Actor Jamison Newlander (Alan Frog) is doing a free meet-and-greet starting at 6 PM. Bring a blanket and low-back chairs.

SATURDAY, JUNE 13

★ Santa Cruz Cycle Fair · 11 AM · Bicycle Trip, 1001 Soquel Ave, Midtown · Free
First annual from Bike Santa Cruz County. Live music, a community bike ride, bike rodeo, free minor repairs on the spot, and a food truck. Designed for everyone, not just the lycra crowd.

★ Capitola Rod and Custom Car Show (19th annual) · 8:30 AM–5 PM · Capitola Village · Free
Hot rods, muscle cars, and classics cruise into Capitola Village from the Boardwalk and fill the Esplanade. Free to watch, easy to spend a Saturday morning here with coffee from the village.

SUNDAY, JUNE 14

Aki Kumar and Alabama Mike at Moe's Alley · Doors 3 PM, show 4 PM · 1535 Commercial Way, Live Oak · $20 advance, $25 door (21+)
Aki Kumar is a San Jose blues guitarist who grew up on Bollywood and figured out they go together. Alabama Mike is a Bay Area blues veteran. Buy the advance tickets.

★ Second Sunday Artisan Faire at Abbott Square · Noon–4 PM · 725 Front St, Downtown · Free
Local artists and makers in the garden, with live music from Dan Frechette from 1 to 3 PM. Free to wander through.

MONDAY, JUNE 15

★ Woody's at Watsonville Airport Grand Opening · 5–7 PM · 100 Aviation Way, Watsonville · Free (public welcome)
Chef Tim Wood cuts the ribbon on his new Watsonville Airport restaurant, the one with the tarmac patio. If you want to be among the first, tonight's the night.

Gilman Brewing · 817 Soquel Ave, Midtown

Gilman started on Gilman Avenue in Berkeley, the same block that gave the Bay Area punk rock. The Santa Cruz location at 817 Soquel is their fourth taproom, the only one with a real kitchen and a massive outdoor patio.

Twenty taps, 35-beer rotation: farmhouse ales, saisons, hazies, lagers, sours. The Gilman Belgian saison is the one to order if it's on. The food punches above its weight: Smashburgers with house-made sauce and grass-fed beef, Steak Frites, shoestring fries cooked in zero seed oils, and buffalo wings that get talked about. Full kids menu, family-friendly outdoor patio.

Wednesday nights: trivia at 6:30 PM. World Cup watch parties coming. There's a new GM who was born and raised in Santa Cruz. Open Tuesday 4–8 PM, Wednesday through Saturday noon–9 PM, Sunday noon–8 PM. Closed Mondays.

The Lost Boys on the Beach · Friday, June 12

The movie that was filmed in Santa Cruz, screened on the beach where it was filmed. Free, Friday night, right on the Boardwalk. Actor Jamison Newlander (who played Alan Frog) is doing a free meet-and-greet starting at 6 PM for anyone who wants to show up early. Movie starts at 9 PM. Bring a blanket and low chairs, grab food from the Boardwalk before it starts. The movie was filmed here. This is that beach.

The markets and standing plans that run every week.

Tuesday: Felton Farmers Market · 1:30 to 5:30 PM · 120 Russell Ave, Felton
Mountain market under the big trees.

Wednesday: Downtown Santa Cruz Farmers Market · 12:30 to 5 PM · Cedar and Church, Downtown
The big one. Show up around 3 when the crowds thin out.

Thursday: Boulder Creek Farmers Market · 1:30 to 6:30 PM (through Aug 27) · Junction Park, Boulder Creek
Mountain SLV market, Thursdays through late October. Hours shorten to 1:30–5:30 PM after Labor Day.

Friday: Watsonville Farmers Market · 2 to 9 PM · Peck and Union, Downtown Watsonville
The prepared-food vendors are the move. Come hungry.

Friday and Saturday: Live Band at Abbott Square · 7 to 10 PM · 725 Front St, Downtown · Free
Rotating lineup in the open garden, no cover.

Saturday: Westside Farmers Market · 9 AM to 1 PM · Mission St Ext and Western Dr
Runs rain or shine. The one with the coffee line.

Saturday: Aptos Farmers Market · 8 AM to Noon · Cabrillo College, 6500 Soquel Dr
Year-round, nearly 90 vendors.

Saturday: Scotts Valley Farmers Market · 8 AM to Noon · Boys and Girls Club, 5060 Scotts Valley Dr
Seasonal through November.

Sunday: Live Oak Farmers Market · 9 AM to 1 PM · 15th and East Cliff Dr
Quiet neighborhood version of the Downtown market. Go before brunch.

Sunday: Humble Sea and Scrumptious Fish and Chips · Noon to 6:30 PM · 820 Swift St, Westside · Free entry
Fog beer in the Westside beer garden. Dog- and kid-friendly. Saturdays too.

If you know someone who'd like this, send them your referral link below. Refer 7 friends and we'll buy you a coffee at Verve.

If something in here sounds good, go. Tell a neighbor. If you heard about something happening in Santa Cruz County that we should cover, hit reply or send it here.

See you next Tuesday. 🌊

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