PRESS ROOM
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Fathom Spirits: Where Science Meets the Sea in South County
What do you get when you combine an electrical engineer and marine biologist with a love of distilled spirits? The newest distillery in the region, where botanically-infused gin is crafted by business partners with science and engineering backgrounds. These erudite elixirs are made by infusing a gin base with juniper, citrus peel, edible flowers and other…
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Eighth Edition of Santa Cruz County Wildlife Guide Now Available
To guide visitors through the nine ecosystems and a diversity of habitats found throughout the region, Visit Santa Cruz County announces the new Wildlife Guide for 2026 – 2028. This 56-page guide is a way to educate and honor the nearly 400 migratory and permanent bird species and the thousands of monarch butterflies, whales, and elephant seals which call the area…
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La Placa Opens in Scotts Valley
Expanding its footprint in a new location, Sicilian-style cafe and bakery La Placa relocated from a diminutive spot in the San Lorenzo Valley to a quaint location in the Santa Cruz Mountains-adjacent city of Scotts Valley. The move is a bright spot in this family-friendly community, where classic, homemade Italian fare had been a scarcity. …
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Valle del Pájaro Park Debuts in Watsonville
Following three years of planning, the first park in Santa Cruz County with a Spanish name has opened. The 39-acre Valle del Pájaro in south county, once a watercress farm now offers visitors a new spot for outdoor recreation in the heart of the county’s agricultural region. This first phase of Valle del Pájaro features…
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Locally-Sourced Butcher Shop and Gourmet Eatery Opens in Live Oak
Once solely focusing on cuts of pork and beef from well-known purveyors, including Stemple Creek Ranch and Niman Ranch, along with Mary’s organic chicken and Schwarz sausages, the newly expanded and renamed Carne in the Santa Cruz neighborhood of Live Oak is making visitors’ keto-inspired dreams come true. Employing a full-time butcher and an executive…
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Chaminade Resort + Spa Unveils Guestroom Renovations
Following a $7.5 million renovation of its 156 guestrooms including 44 suites, Santa Cruz’s Chaminade Resort & Spa is debuting a marriage between its 1930s Spanish Revival architecture and a contemporary California vibe throughout all guestrooms. The renovation connects the upscale property with its rustic surroundings, incorporating natural textures, layered colors and locally inspired details that emphasize the resort’s history with the beauty of the outdoors. Warm earth tones, layered textiles, handwoven Spanish-style…
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Vinyl Shops and Listening Bars: The New Trend That is Replacing Clubbing
A countywide trend is the next logical step in vinyl culture for audiophiles who are looking for a mellow spot to enjoy vintage, new and emerging tunes. Three new spots for sound waves have opened in mid-county, the westside and Downtown Santa Cruz. The first listening bars, or ongaku kissa, were created 100 years ago in Japan. Customers drank coffee while European classical music played through high-fidelity speakers. Today, Santa Cruz County brings…
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The Park at Rispin Mansion Opens in Capitola
The former home of Henry Allen Rispin, a wealthy oil entrepreneur and developer, is now the focal point of a new park in Capitola, a small seaside community six miles south of Santa Cruz. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the .86-acre Park at Rispin Mansion includes a new amphitheater, seating areas, picnic tables, restoration of a grand staircase…
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New Ride Featured at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
The highly anticipated Vertigo 360, a new ride that spins, soars, and thrills riders at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, California’s favorite seaside amusement park has opened for summer. Vertigo 360 features a spacious circular gondola where 16 passengers face outward, their feet dangling below and secured by over-the-shoulder restraints. The ride simulates a pendulum motion, combining swinging and rotating movements. With each increasingly powerful…
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Walking Tours of Santa Cruz Show Off Pedestrian-Friendly, Historic Spots
History is afoot in Santa Cruz with three walking tours from Walk Santa Cruz. These small-group excursions feature scenic areas of town and neighborhoods rich with stories of notable pioneer families, lovingly preserved examples of late-Victorian style architecture such as Queen Anne, Stick-Eastlake, and Italianate, and local culture as it was at the turn of the century. These personalized, 90-minute walking tours host a maximum of 10 guests. The Santa Cruz Surf Walk tour sheds light on the…
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Mane Kitchen + Cocktails Opens in Downtown Santa Cruz
Located in the heart of Downtown Santa Cruz’s Pacific Avenue, Chef Desmond Schneider has renovated a cozy space into an elegant bistro offering fresh sustainable seafood caught daily, pasta dishes, steaks, and craft cocktails. Formerly chef de cuisine at the now-closed Michelin-starred Alderwood, Schneider approached the creation of Mane Kitchen + Cocktails with locals in mind, but where visitors can mix effortlessly…
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Diminutive Historic Space Transformed into Cocktail Lounge
Blurring traditional boundaries between kitchen and lounge, the new Alley Oop Cocktail Lounge, located on Jazz Alley off Downtown Santa Cruz’s Pacific Avenue has quietly opened in time for Valentine’s Day.