City of Santa Cruz Wins Planning Association Award for West Cliff 50-Year Vision | |
The City of Santa Cruz has been awarded the 2025 Resilience and Sustainability Award of Excellence by the American Planning Association (APA) California – Northern Section for the West Cliff 50-Year Vision.
This prestigious award recognizes the City’s innovative and community-driven approach to long-term planning for one of Santa Cruz’s most beloved coastal areas.
Selected from a record-breaking number of applicants, the West Cliff Vision stood out for its bold climate resilience strategies, community engagement, and cross-departmental collaboration.
To learn more and view the recently adopted 5-Year Roadmap that kicks off implementation, visit: www.cityofsantacruz.com/westcliff
West Cliff Updates
Work continues on West Cliff, and we are nearing big project milestones!
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1030 West Cliff — Cave infill with new retaining wall above and shotcrete wall in front. Various ongoing work will continue at this location over the next couple of weeks.
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Street Paving (900 Block, 1000 Block, and Woodrow Ave) — Granite has paving tentatively scheduled to start early June. Final striping will begin shortly afterward, sometime in mid-June, for one to two weeks.
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920, 932, 944, 960, 1016, 1110 WCD and Bethany Curve — New retaining walls, sinkhole repair, and culvert reconstruction. Work is substantially completed, and these areas are open to the public.
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974 West Cliff — New sinkhole repair. The path has been reopened and is now accessible to the public.
More updates coming soon!
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| Tuesday Night Live Kicks Off with SambaDá | | |
SambaDá launched the 3rd Annual Tuesday Night Live series at the Santa Cruz Wharf, mixing samba-reggae with funk and packing the pier with dancers. The TNL series includes eight free shows—second Tuesdays from May to September, plus bonus concerts on the fourth Tuesdays of June, July, and August. Presented by the Wharf Tenants, Parks & Recreation, Friends of Parks & Recreation, and Economic Development.
All shows are free and start at 6:00 p.m. at the Wharf Common Stage.
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June 10 — The Viva Santana Show (NorCal's #1 Santana Tribute)
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June 24 — Extra Large
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July 8 — The Lost Boys featuring James Durbin
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July 22 — Fish Hook
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August 12 — The Joint Chiefs
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August 26 — Sweet VooDoo
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September 9 — Jive Machine
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Growing a Greener Future: Educating Youth with Tree Planting
The City of Santa Cruz continues to plant the seeds of sustainability—literally! Recently, local students from Bay View Elementary School joined City staff for a hands-on tree planting event. These educational activities teach youth the value of trees while helping enhance our parks, schoolyards, and neighborhood streets.
Urban trees do more than beautify our community—they provide cooling shade, clean our air, reduce stormwater runoff, and support local wildlife. With a goal to plant more than 500 trees each year, the City is committed to long-term environmental stewardship and community involvement. Together, we’re building a healthier, more sustainable future—one tree at a time.
How You Can Help
Join us in growing a greener Santa Cruz!
🌳 Volunteer for upcoming planting events
📧 Contact us at parksandrec@santacruzca.gov or call (831) 420-5270.
| | Volunteer June 7 for National Trails Day with Santa Cruz Mountain Trails Stewardship | | |
Sign-ups are now open for the free National Trails Day event hosted by Santa Cruz Mountain Trail Stewardship (SCMTS) on Saturday, June 7! Whether you're new to trail work or a seasoned steward, there's something for everyone with more than 20 volunteer projects across the region.
Choose your adventure:
SCMTS offers a wide range of volunteer opportunities in local open spaces:
- Family-friendly beach cleanups
- Guided educational hikes and nature walks
- Trail repairs and habitat restoration projects
- A free meal and drink for all volunteers
- Live music and games
- 20+ local artists and vendors
- An exciting raffle with prizes from Onewheel and more!
Last year, over 600 volunteers came together to make a difference—don't miss your chance to be part of Santa Cruz's biggest outdoor volunteer celebration!
Choose Your Project Site for Santa Cruz National Trails Day
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The Santa Cruzer Returns Memorial Day Weekend!
The Santa Cruzer beach and downtown shuttle is back Memorial Day weekend, Saturday – Monday, 12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.! The Santa Cruzer stops at the Del Mar Theatre and Locust Street Garage in Downtown Santa Cruz, and the Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center across from the Santa Cruz Wharf. Park in our downtown parking garages for a convenient ride in eco-friendly style to the beach without the stress of parking and traffic at the beach.
Summer hours: Saturdays and Sundays, 12:00 p.m. – 8:00 pm. through Labor Day.
New for 2025: Cashless payments — just scan the QR code in the shuttle to purchase your tickets and you're on your way!
Follow @the_santacruzer on Instagram and tag us with your Santa Cruzer memories!
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Pride Picnic Held at Lighthouse Field
The Pride Picnic at Lighthouse Field Lawn overflowed with community spirit, love, and inclusion. Families, friends, and allies relaxed on blankets, played lawn games, as music and laughter filled the air. Local favorites—Evil Wings, Rollin Snack Shack, SnB, and Kukisbowl—kept everyone fueled with delicious bites. Visit Santa Cruz Pride online to explore the full roster of 50th-anniversary events.
| | New Coastal Rail Trail Segment Officially Open | | |
On May 21, Public Works officially opened the Coastal Rail Trail Segment 7 Phase II with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at La Barranca Park. Roughly 500 community members attended the ceremony, including hundreds of Bayview Elementary students who led the celebratory trail walk after the ribbon was cut.
The Coastal Rail Trail Segment 7 Phase II project is a 0.8-mile-long paved bicycle and pedestrian path between Bay Street/California Street and Pacific Avenue/Beach Street. The trail runs along the coastal side of the existing rail line and connects to the popular Beach Street bikeway, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, and Municipal Wharf.
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| City Fleet Showcased at Touch-A-Truck | | On May 21 at Depot Park, community members of all ages got to experience City vehicles and machinery up close at Touch-A-Truck. This annual family-friendly event showcased the impressive equipment and skilled staff that keep our city running. Attendees enjoyed skills competitions, educational booths, demonstrations, and other fun activities. |
| Santa Cruz Garage Sale Weekend Takes Place May 31 and June 1 | | |
Santa Cruz Garage Sale Weekend takes place Saturday, May 31 and Sunday, June 1, 2025. This annual two-day city-sponsored event promotes reuse, repair, and resale opportunities with the goal of helping reduce waste within the community.
Visitors are encouraged to plan their shopping route ahead of time by using the online Garage Sale Treasure Map, which details garage sale locations. The interactive map allows users to sort sales by neighborhood or search for specific items such as tools or antiques.
Community members who are interested in hosting a garage sale during the weekend can sign up on the Garage Sale Weekend website. All submissions will be featured on the Garage Sale Treasure Map.
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| | Celebrate Affordable Housing Month in May! | | |
May is Affordable Housing Month! The Economic Development and Housing Department is excited to share a full calendar of events highlighting local efforts to expand and support affordable housing in our community.
Check out the 2025 Event Quick Guide to find workshops, tours, celebrations, and more happening throughout May. Affordable Housing Month events are also listed on the City Calendar.
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Color Our World With Reading This Summer!
Santa Cruz Public Libraries’ 2025 Summer Reading Program kicks off June 1 with the theme Color Our World, celebrating imagination, creativity, and the joy of reading. Now through July 31, readers of all ages can earn prizes for hitting reading milestones and enjoy free events across all 10 library branches and the Bookmobile. Expect magic shows, live music, arts and crafts, and hands-on workshops for kids, teens, and adults, plus chances to win big prizes like Santa Cruz Shakespeare tickets or a Monterey Bay Aquarium membership. Sign up online or visit your local library to get started.
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SCFD Lifeguard Lieutenants Win Hero of the Year Nextie
Congratulations, Lifeguard Lieutenant Sam Hoffmann and Lieutenant Isaiah Mullen, for winning the Hero of the Year award at the Santa Cruz NEXTies.
Lieutenants Hoffman and Mullen were nominated for their heroic work during the partial Wharf collapse in December 2024.
The NEXTies are Santa Cruz County’s annual awards celebrating local doers, artists, and innovators.
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Grand Opening Held for Natural Bridges Apartments
On May 9, the Housing Authority of Santa Cruz County held a Grand Opening Celebration for the Natural Bridges Apartments! This project is the first completed new housing construction project in 30 years for the Housing Authority.
Natural Bridges is fully leased and includes 20 all-electric, 100% affordable, single room occupancy units, a community room, and other amenities. During the grand opening event, attendees viewed the completed mural “Welcome to Our Nest” painted by the Made Fresh Crew. Another complimentary mural brings color to the rail trail-facing side of the project.
Congratulations to the Housing Authority for this wonderful project, and welcome home to all the tenants! For more information and updates on future projects, visit hacosantacruz.org.
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Summer Fun Awaits — There’s Still Time to Register!
There’s still time to make it an unforgettable summer with 100s of activities for all ages—from creative camps and outdoor adventures to sports, fitness, music, and more! Kids, teens, and adults can all find something they’ll love.
Don’t miss out on the latest free community events happening all season long. Explore and enjoy Santa Cruz’s parks, open spaces, and recreation, open to all.
Check out the Summer Activity Guide -Browse programs and register online today! Need help signing up? Call at 831-420-5270.
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City of Santa Cruz
City Manager's Office
809 Center Street
Santa Cruz CA 95060
santacruzca.gov
831-420-5010
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