Santa Cruz County is at it again. For one glorious week, the land of kombucha-brewing surfers, dreadlocked trust-fund kids, and retirees who “totally remember Woodstock” will transform itself into a food-and-drink Disneyland. From overpriced cider flights to wine festivals where half the crowd can’t pronounce “Cabernet,” there’s something for everyone—if by “everyone” you mean people who don’t mind paying $17 for a vegan donut.
Grab your tote bag, dust off your reusable wine tumbler, and mentally prepare to be stuck in traffic behind a Subaru Outback with six bumper stickers about kindness. Because here comes Santa Cruz’s “best” food and drink events for Aug. 15–21.
Friday, Aug. 15 – Farmers, Block Parties, and Lighthouse Nostalgia
Watsonville Farmers Market – 2 p.m. Downtown Watsonville
The Watsonville Farmers Market kicks off at 2 p.m. in downtown, where you can buy produce so fresh it still has trauma from being ripped out of the ground that morning. Yes, you’ll see tomatoes, you’ll see kale, you’ll see that one guy aggressively pushing pluots like they’re NFTs circa 2021. Watsonville is farm country, so if you don’t walk away with something that still has dirt on it, you’ve failed.
Midtown Santa Cruz Friday Summer Block Parties – 5 p.m.
The Midtown block party begins at 5 p.m. in the Midtown Block Party Lot, which is basically a parking lot rebranded as “urban chic.” Expect a mix of food trucks, craft beer, and at least one acoustic guitarist covering Radiohead while you try to eat tacos in peace. Santa Cruz specializes in making chaos sound festive, so prepare for an evening of half-eaten burritos, dancing toddlers, and a woman in a wide-brimmed hat trying to sell you homemade candles.
Lighthouse Lawn: West Cliff Drive Celebration – 5 p.m. Steamer Lane at Lighthouse Point
At 5 p.m., head to Steamer Lane for the Lighthouse Lawn event. This is less about food and drink and more about standing on a cliff while staring dramatically at the ocean like you’re in a moody indie film. There will be food, sure, but the real dish is watching surfers do things you could never accomplish without breaking three ribs. Bonus points if you overhear a tourist say, “Wow, the Pacific is so big!”
Saturday, Aug. 16 – Farmers, Cars, Cider, and a Festival That Refuses to End
Farmers Markets: Aptos, Westside, Scotts Valley
By 9 a.m., Santa Cruz is drowning in farmers markets. Aptos, Westside, and Scotts Valley are all holding their produce parades. You can either go to Cabrillo College in Aptos and pretend you understand heirloom squash, hit the Westside market where everyone is aggressively “local and organic,” or head to Scotts Valley where soccer moms treat buying blueberries like a competitive sport.
Cars and Coffee – 9 a.m. East Lake Village Shopping Center
Also at 9 a.m., Scotts Valley’s slightly more caffeinated cousin—Watsonville—offers Cars and Coffee. Yes, this is exactly what it sounds like: men with midlife crises standing around shiny vehicles while pretending they aren’t one flat tire away from an emotional breakdown. Coffee will be served, because nothing says “look at my Mustang” like aggressively slurping a cappuccino.
Fermented Hot Sauce Class With Jess – 10 a.m. Mountain Feed & Farm Supply
For the masochists among us, there’s a fermented hot sauce class at Mountain Feed & Farm Supply. “With Jess,” apparently, though you’ll spend half the class wondering who Jess is and why you trusted her with your gastrointestinal future. Nothing says fun like botulism paranoia in a Mason jar.
Behind the Scenes Tour of Live Earth Farms with Farmer Tom – 10:30 a.m.
If you’ve ever wanted to watch kale grow while a guy named Farmer Tom explains soil pH like it’s the Da Vinci Code, then this is for you. You’ll nod enthusiastically while secretly Googling “what is loam.”
Scotts Valley Art, Wine & Beer Festival – 10 a.m. Skypark
Ah yes, the main event. The Scotts Valley Art, Wine & Beer Festival at Skypark, running both Saturday and Sunday. This is where suburban ambition collides with bohemian delusion. Saturday features the “Cops Car Show,” because nothing screams wine tasting like posing next to a police cruiser. Sunday is “Dog Day,” because Santa Cruz will never miss a chance to pretend pets are people. Over 100 artists, live music, food trucks, and enough alcohol to make you forget you paid $20 for parking.
Santa Cruz Cider Co. 12-Year Anniversary Party – Noon Watsonville
Meanwhile in Watsonville, Santa Cruz Cider Co. celebrates its 12th birthday. Expect live music from 2 to 5 p.m., food trucks, and a cider-and-donut flight courtesy of Hole Foods Vegan Donuts (because why not pair booze with something that tastes like disappointment). Sisters Nicole Todd and Natalie Henze will unveil new ciders, proving once again that fermentation is the only thing holding Santa Cruz society together.
Herbal Mocktail Pop-Up – 1:30 p.m. Go Ask Alice
For those who like their beverages to taste like regret and yard clippings, there’s an herbal mocktail pop-up at Go Ask Alice. Bring $12 and your willingness to drink liquid lavender.
Sunday, Aug. 17 – Brunch, Bocce, and “Reality” Tours
Big Queer Weekend: You Better Brunch – 8 a.m. Courtyard Santa Cruz
The weekend kicks off strong with Big Queer Weekend brunch, which starts at 8 a.m. because gays apparently wake up earlier than the rest of us. Expect bottomless mimosas, drag performances, and enough glitter to choke a seagull.
Pancake Breakfast & Bake Sale – 8 a.m. Highlands Park Senior & Community Center
If drag brunch isn’t your thing, the Highlands Park Senior Center is offering pancakes and a bake sale. It’s less “fabulous” and more “did Ethel use real butter?” Bring cash, because credit cards died in 1997 as far as bake sales are concerned.
Chaminade Resort & Spa Sunday Brunch Buffet – 9 a.m.
Chaminade Resort serves its brunch buffet at 9 a.m., which is really just an excuse to overpay for eggs. Yes, there’s probably a mimosa fountain, but you’ll still end up sitting next to a tech bro explaining cryptocurrency to his girlfriend who regrets saying yes to brunch.
Live Oak Farmers Market – 9 a.m. East Cliff Village
Another farmers market, because we clearly don’t have enough. This one’s in Live Oak, where you’ll probably run into your yoga instructor buying turmeric like it’s a personality trait.
Scotts Valley Art, Wine & Beer Festival (Dog Day Sunday) – 10 a.m. Skypark
Back at Skypark, it’s Dog Day Sunday. This is basically Coachella for golden retrievers. Picture wine tastings while someone’s pug is humping your leg. Magical.
Ferragosto BBQ & Bocce – 1 p.m. DeLaveaga Park Washington Picnic Area
At 1 p.m., it’s Ferragosto BBQ & Bocce, because nothing says Italian tradition like badly grilled sausages and people pretending they know how to play bocce.
Farmworker Reality Tour – 3 p.m. Crystal Bay Farm
Finally, for those who like their fun with a side of guilt, there’s the Farmworker Reality Tour at Crystal Bay Farm. Learn about the actual human labor behind your $7 kale smoothie. Don’t worry—you can still Instagram it.
Monday–Thursday (Aug. 18–21): The “Recovery” Period
The official list doesn’t even bother telling you what’s happening Monday through Thursday, which says everything you need to know. These days are for recovering from too much cider, too many farmers markets, and one too many strangers telling you “this IPA has notes of grapefruit.”
The Snarky Takeaway
Santa Cruz food and drink culture is a study in contradictions. On one hand, it’s a celebration of community, sustainability, and creativity. On the other hand, it’s a rotating circus of overpriced bread, kombucha evangelists, and people who think bocce counts as cardio.
But that’s Santa Cruz County for you. If you’re not sipping cider next to a vegan donut stand while a guy named Farmer Tom explains composting, are you even living?