Tuesday, August 11, 2026
Meteors and Marine Layer
Santa Cruz County · August 11, 2026
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Twenty editions in, and we get exactly one clear day before the marine layer takes the rest of the week.
Our kids went back on the 5th. This felt VERY early to be back in school, but then about four days in we remembered how much we missed the routine. Most of the county started the same week and Watsonville goes tomorrow. Cabrillo doesn't start until the 24th and UCSC not until late September, so enjoy the parking while you got it.
The Perseids meteor shower is this week, so that's one thing worth staying up for on Wednesday night. More below.
Now let's get into it.
TOGETHER WITH POINTSIDE MEAT SHOP
This deli earns the detour. Maddy Feduk runs the woman-owned meat shop and deli at 915 41st Ave near Pleasure Point. The counter carries Freedom Meat Locker cuts from Watsonville, local beer and wine, and truly mouth-watering sandwiches. My personal go-to is the classic Italian, but favorites include the smoked Tri-Tip & Chimi and the Hot Bird, a hot turkey number that is worth planning a surf around.
For Low Tide readers, mention us this week for a free drink with any sandwich, plus 15% off Freedom Meat Locker cuts.
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CONDITIONS · TUESDAY, AUGUST 11
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Sunny and 72 today, then the gray returns tonight and stays. Water is 63, keep the full suit. Town spots are 2 to 3 feet, the Lane and Pleasure Point about even, 3 to 4 north of Davenport and 1 to 2 down at Capitola. Minus tides every morning, all of them before sunrise.
Wednesday night is the Perseids, the best meteor shower of the year. Earth passes through the dust trail of an old comet, the specks burn up overhead, and you get up to a meteor a minute somewhere dark. It lands on a new moon this year, so nothing washes it out. Fog is the only problem. Go inland and uphill, Bonny Doon or Empire Grade.
The dolphin numbers out in the bay right now are ridiculous. Monterey Bay Whale Watch logged 1,500 long-beaked common dolphin on Sunday and 600 more on Monday, alongside 12 to 18 humpbacks on the morning trips. The sightings log has the daily photos.
Peak stone fruit and the first real tomato weeks. Markets are stacked with peaches, nectarines, pluots, Padrón peppers, sweet corn, and heirloom tomatoes. Dry-farmed Early Girls are hitting their stride.
For u-pick, Live Earth Farm in Watsonville has Early Girl tomato rows open on weekends at $3 a pound, alongside strawberries and flowers, running through late October. Crystal Bay Farm runs strawberry u-pick Wednesdays and Sundays, 12 to 5, at $8 a pound plus $2 a head to get in. And Dynomite Farm in Live Oak is deep into peak dahlia u-cut season, cut-your-own by appointment.
We post between Tuesdays now. Extra events, conditions, and whatever we spot around the county. Come say hi.
Five Watsonville berry growers are about to try steaming their soil instead of fumigating it
County Agricultural Commissioner David Sanford has a three-month pilot starting in September that injects high-temperature steam into the soil to kill pests and pathogens instead of using chemical fumigants. The state is putting up $175,000. Sanford says the equipment is the hard part. Watsonville is ground zero for the state's berry industry, so if the rigs scale it matters for every field near a fence line.
Your photo could end up on the side of a METRO bus
METRO's Art in Transit contest is open to anyone, and the winning shot gets printed as a full wrap on a real bus. They want the Monterey Bay: coastline, wildlife, redwoods. Runners-up go up at bus shelters. Entries close August 21.
The local author with the Grand Canyon murder mystery reads Monday
Nina Simon of Santa Cruz wrote the bestseller "Mother-Daughter Murder Night." The follow-up, "My Sister is Going to Kill Me," came out of a 2023 rafting trip down the Grand Canyon with her actual sister. She reads at Bookshop on the 17th, in the calendar below.
View Mo's Map to see what's happening near you, plus the markets and the weekend's sales.
Garage sales get refreshed every Friday. Know of one? [Submit it here](https://lowtide.media/submit-event.html).
★ = family-friendly
TUESDAY, AUGUST 11
★ Tuesday Night Live on the Wharf · 6 to 8 PM · Wharf Commons, 21 Municipal Wharf · Free
The free wharf concert series continues out over the water. Two hours of free parking with validation.
Jon Dryden at the Alley-Oop · 6:30 to 9 PM · 320 Cedar St, Suite D, Downtown · No cover
The Northern California jazz pianist put out a record in June. Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Alley-Oop are always no cover.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12
★ Capitola Twilight Concerts · 6 PM · Esplanade Park, Capitola Village · Free
Low chairs and a picnic supper on the bandstand. No pets or booze in the park.
Perseid meteor shower peaks tonight · After 11 PM · Anywhere dark · Free
Best viewing is after midnight into pre-dawn Thursday. Get up Bonny Doon or Empire Grade, away from the city glow.
Vintage Jazz with The Silver Lining Serenaders · 7 to 10 PM · The Crow's Nest, 2218 East Cliff Dr · $3 cover
New Orleans swing ensemble on their West Coast tour, hitting the Crow's Nest lounge. A reader sent us this one.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 13
★ Crow's Nest Beach BBQ with The Joint Chiefs · 5:30 PM · Harbor Beach, 2222 East Cliff Dr · Free
Live music and the BBQ going on the sand. Free harbor water taxi runs Thursdays. The series has three more after this one, so no rush.
★ Last Seabright Movie Night: Goat · 8 PM · Murray St and Seabright Ave, Seabright · Free
The Seabright Collective closes out the block-party movie series. Bring chairs, blankets, and layers.
Art à la Carte: Beach Treasures · 5:30 to 7:30 PM · Another Banger, 8040 Soquel Dr, Aptos · $60
Paint a seashell trinket dish while Sandra Martinelli feeds you vegan caviar on blinis and mocktails, with Jill Nelson of Pinwheel Creative running the art half. Tickets were still up this morning.
Bargetto Winery: Music in the Courtyard · 6 PM · 3535 N Main St, Soquel · Free
Live music in the creekside courtyard at the oldest continuously operating winery in the county.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 14
★ Midtown Fridays Block Party · 5 PM · 1111 Soquel Ave, midtown · Free
Food trucks and a band on the midtown lot.
Atmosphere at the Quarry Amphitheater · 6:30 PM, doors · UCSC Quarry Amphitheater · $56 to $91
The Minneapolis hip-hop duo plays the outdoor bowl on the hill. Have a listen ↗
Lester Estate Wines Summer Sundowner · 5 PM · 2000 Pleasant Valley Rd, Aptos · $25
Nautical Thrust plays and Italia Fire handles the food, up in the hills above Aptos.
★ Roaring Camp Sequoia Lights · 8:30 PM · 5400 Graham Hill Rd, Felton · $16 to $27
The nighttime redwood-illumination train pulls out of Felton after dark.
New Works Weekend at Park Hall · 8 PM · Park Hall, 9400 Mill St, Ben Lomond · $10
Eight original 10-minute plays written, directed, and performed by valley locals. A ghost of Mae West turns up in one. Runs again Saturday at 8 and Sunday at 2.
Perch album release at The Catalyst · 8 PM · 1011 Pacific Ave, Downtown · $29
Local math-rock outfit Perch drops a new record with Strawberry Girls and openers.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 15
★ Scotts Valley Art, Wine, and Beer Festival · 10 AM to 6 PM · Skypark, 361 Kings Village Rd · Free entry
Two days of juried art, county wineries and breweries, and live music at the park. Our Weekend Pick. Full plan below.
Ani DiFranco at the Civic · 8 PM · Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, 307 Church St · $64
Ani DiFranco with special guest Valerie June, the folk-soul singer out of Memphis. Have a listen ↗
★ Parks and Rex Dog Pool Party at Simpkins · 11 AM to 4 PM · Simpkins Family Swim Center, 979 17th Ave, Live Oak · $15
The end-of-summer one where the dogs get in the pool too, plus beer, wine and ice cream for everyone else. Book your dog a swim slot before you go.
★ Basket Weaving Workshop at Henry Cowell · 10 AM to noon · Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, 101 N Big Trees Park Rd, Felton · $10 parking
Weave your own basket out of local Ponderosa pine needles and raffia that traveled a good deal further. Space is limited and you need to RSVP.
★ Star Walk at Henry Cowell · 8:45 PM · Henry Cowell Campground, 2591 Graham Hill Rd · $10 parking
Ranger-led mile loop under the trees, two nights after the Perseid peak. RSVP required. Meets at the campground entrance off Graham Hill, not the main Felton park.
Late Night at the MAH: Black Tie Roller Ball · 7 PM · Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, 705 Front St · Ticketed
Roller skating in the MAH galleries, black-tie dress code, live music. 21+.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 16
★ National Roller Coaster Day at the Boardwalk · Boardwalk hours · 400 Beach St · Free entry, rides ticketed
The Giant Dipper turned 102 back in May. Come pay respects.
★ Scotts Valley Art, Wine, and Beer Festival, day two · 10 AM to 5 PM · Skypark, 361 Kings Village Rd · Free entry
Same festival, second day, one hour shorter. Free to walk in.
★ Downtown Makers Market · 10 AM to 5 PM · Pacific Ave at Lincoln and Cathcart · Free
Forty-plus local makers and artists set up along the avenue.
Nicholson Vineyards Summer Series · 1 PM · 2800 Pleasant Valley Rd, Aptos · $25 to $50
Afternoon wine flights and a live set at the family-run estate up in the Aptos hills.
★ New Works Weekend matinee · 2 PM · Park Hall, 9400 Mill St, Ben Lomond · $10
The afternoon showing of the eight new short plays, with the same talkback afterward.
★ Redwood Grove Guided Walk · Noon · Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, Felton · Free with parking
Docent-led walk through the old-growth grove. A good move for out-of-town guests.
MONDAY, AUGUST 17
Nina Simon: My Sister is Going to Kill Me · 7 PM · Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Pacific Ave · Free
The Santa Cruz author's second novel is a family mystery set in the Grand Canyon. Reading and signing.
★ Board Game Night at The Cruz Room · 5 to 10 PM · 1520 Mission St, Westside · Free
The Game Night Collective runs it every Monday with a 30-plus game library and guided teaching.
LOOKING AHEAD
Worth booking now.
Village Book Club: The Shampoo Effect · Wednesday, September 2, 6:30 to 8:30 PM · And Friends, 860 41st Ave · $40
Village Foods' first book club, and the ticket covers bites and drinks. It's in here three weeks early because you have to read Jenny Jackson's novel first, and the room is capped.
Homeless Garden Project Farm Stand · Natural Bridges Farm, Delaware and Shaffer, Westside
The nonprofit farm at the edge of Natural Bridges has been training people out of homelessness through organic farming for more than 30 years, and the roadside stand sells whatever the trainees picked that morning. The Sentinel ran photos on Saturday. Open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 to 4.
Scotts Valley Art, Wine, and Beer Festival at Skypark · Saturday, August 15 and Sunday, August 16
Juried artisans, county wineries and breweries, food trucks, and live music at Skypark. Saturday runs 10 to 6, Sunday 10 to 5. The lawn is big enough for a picnic blanket and the kids' playground is right there. Go Saturday and hit the farmers market at Graham Plaza across the road first (8 to noon), and you've got an easy over-the-hill day.
Free to walk in, tasting glasses ticketed at the gate, parking off Kings Village Road.
The markets and standing plans that run every week.
Tuesday: Felton Farmers Market · 1:30 to 5:30 PM · 120 Russell Ave, Felton
Wednesday: Downtown Santa Cruz Farmers Market · 12:30 to 5 PM · Cedar and Church, Downtown
Thursday: Boulder Creek Farmers Market · 1:30 to 6:30 PM · Junction Park, Boulder Creek
Friday: Watsonville Farmers Market · 2 to 9 PM · Peck and Union, Downtown Watsonville
Saturday: Westside Farmers Market · 9 AM to 1 PM · Mission St Ext and Western Dr
Saturday: Aptos Farmers Market · 8 AM to Noon · Cabrillo College, 6500 Soquel Dr
Saturday: Scotts Valley Farmers Market · 8 AM to Noon · Graham Plaza, 219 Mount Hermon Rd
Sunday: Live Oak Farmers Market · 9 AM to 1 PM · 15th and East Cliff Dr
Sunday: Humble Sea Brewing · 11 AM to 9 PM · 820 Swift St, Westside · Free entry
Fog beer and fish and chips in the beer garden. Dog and kid friendly, Saturdays too.
Any day: the library Puzzle Exchange · Most county branches · Free
Take a jigsaw puzzle off the display, do it at your own pace, then repack the box and swap it for the next one at the front desk of any participating branch. No library card needed, and they will take your finished-with puzzles too if the box is complete. Kelly, who helps run the program, wrote in to tell us about it. She says every branch but Downtown and Live Oak has it now, so check yours.
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See you next Tuesday. 🌊
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