Good Times Santa Cruz

Enter for a chance to win tickets to Sister Act by Cabrillo Stage at the Crocker Theater in Aptos on July 9. Drawing Date is July 2, 2026.

Enter for a chance to win tickets to Sister Act by Cabrillo Stage at the Crocker Theater in Aptos on July 31. Drawing Date is July 23, 2026.

This week’s letters and online comments range from World Cup frustration and political outrage to praise for local institutions and debate over beach access.

Roots reggae legends Israel Vibration & Roots Radics bring their Kingston-born sound to Moe’s Alley on Friday, June 19, in a Santa Cruz calendar week packed with music, theater and art.

Steel Bonnet Brewing expands toward Salinas while its Scotts Valley outpost becomes an experimental hub, H&H Fresh Seafood opens on the Westside, and Toriman brings Japanese market and sake-tasting energy to the local dining scene.

At Watsonville’s Miyuki Restaurant, longtime server and sushi chef Chris Ishikawa helps preserve a home-cooked Japanese dining tradition built on loyal regulars, standout sushi and a Wednesday-only signature ramen that has earned its own local following.

Santa Cruz native Oliver Tree Nickell, the musician, performance artist and internet star known for his fearless weirdness, global reach and deep local roots, is remembered by the community after his death in a Brazilian helicopter crash.

Espressivo’s season finale brings Mendelssohn, Sibelius and Copland’s Appalachian Spring to life, while Santa Cruz stages and galleries prepare for Kay Martin, Sister Act, 36 North and Boomeria.

Santa Cruz writer Wallace Baine’s debut novel, Founding Daughter, imagines a startling alternate history in which the Declaration of Independence’s most famous ideals come not from Thomas Jefferson, but from a brilliant teenage servant girl with everything at stake.

Brad Kava reflects on American absurdity, Wallace Baine’s provocative new novel, the loss of Oliver Tree, Brett Dennen’s artful show and local community news.

After three years on Portola Drive, And Friends Art Gallery is moving into a larger, more visible Pleasure Point location, expanding its role as a showcase for local artists, handmade goods and community connection.

UCSC grad Brett Dennen brings a new kind of performance to Felton Music Hall on Wednesday, June 17, pairing his singer-songwriter catalog with paintings that invite the audience into the conversation.

What’s your most exciting sports experience?

The Healthy Way marks 40 years of helping Santa Cruz County residents pursue sustainable health, nutrition and lifestyle changes with a June 27 anniversary party and health fair.

Frank Family Vineyards’ 2025 Carneros Rosé of Pinot Noir brings peach, wild strawberry, white nectarine and citrus notes just in time for summer celebrations.

This week’s Free Will Astrology finds liberation in minimalism, guidance in inherited wisdom, healing in unexpected places and beauty in life’s strategic irregularities.

Enter for a chance to win tickets to Elkhorn Slough Safari Nature Boat Tours in Moss Landing. Drawing Date is July 9, 2026.

Enter for a chance to win tickets to sail on a Chardonnay Sailing Charters cruise in Santa Cruz. Drawing Date is July 23, 2026.

Enter for a chance to win a $50 gift certificate to Streetlight Records in Santa Cruz or San Jose. Drawing August 6, 2026.

Enter for a chance to win a $50 Gift Certificate to Hula's Island Grill and Tiki Room in Santa Cruz. Drawing Date is August 20, 2026.