Santa Cruz County Local News: Local Community Groups

Supporters of a ballot measure to help fund affordable housing development in the city of Santa Cruz said they have enough signatures to qualify for the Nov. 4 ballot. County officials are expected to count and verify signatures this month.

As National Travel and Tourism Week reaches its midpoint in the United States, Visit Santa Cruz County announced that the local tourism industry grew by just over 3% in 2024.

Federal cuts by the Trump administration to museum and library funding nationwide have hit hard in Santa Cruz County, where the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History (MAH) and the Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery have lost a combined $250,000 in federal grants.

Ka-Hon Latin Percussion Ensemble delivers their blend of Central and Latin American music Thursday at the Mello Center for over 1,300 students as part of the annual Student Concerts put on by Tandy Beal and Company. For around 50 years Tandy Beal and Co., a Santa Cruz based non-profit dance and theatre company, have delivered a range of dance and music for area students around the county.

Flodberg Park lies in the center of a neighborhood at the end of Alvarado Street, a tiny place with a grassy field, a blacktop, a play structure and tables for picnics.

Every year, the Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture selects the people, organizations and events that help shape the vibrant community that is Watsonville.

The Santa Cruz County Fair is seeking a new leader.

The Elkhorn Slough Foundation launched a new “Elkhorn Forever” campaign with a kick-off celebration Tuesday, with the goal of raising $12 million.

Everyone is invited to take a step back in time at the Agricultural History Project’s annual Easter on the Farm and Egg Hunt April 12 from 11am-3pm.

Over 30,000 under-resourced adults and children in Santa Cruz County rely on affordable dental care to live full, healthy, pain-free lives.

Donations from local agencies have led to the completion of a new outdoor dining area at the Salvation Army in Watsonville.

The Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Cruz is facing major problems serving its clientele after getting hit with cuts by the Trump Administration, according to CEO Erica Padilla-Chavez.

Staff of Life Natural Foods teamed up with Smart Chicken Wednesday to donate 2,639 pounds of high-quality chicken to Second Harvest Food Bank through the Smart Giving Program.

San Lorenzo Valley Museum is counting on locals to visit its newest exhibition, “The Way We Calculated,” at the San Lorenzo Valley’s Faye G. Belardi Memorial Gallery in Felton. The exhibition runs until June 15, with a reception on Saturday, March 15, from 2-4pm.

Planning for the two-day Scotts Valley Art, Wine & Beer Festival, scheduled for Aug. 16-17, was about to be derailed when discussions between the Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce and the City got back on track with the help of Councilmember Steve Clark, who was elected to his first term in November.