Holiday Mercado honors Watsonville’s past, present and future
Arte del Corazón will be hosting its Annual Holiday Mercado, “Just in Time for the Holidays,” at the VFW, 1960 Freedom Blvd., on Dec. 16 from 11am to 7pm.
Featuring more than 25 vendors with gifts, holiday treats and food, the event will also host workshops that highlight the different cultural traditions practiced in Watsonville.
As an agriculturally abundant area, the Pajaro Valley brought many people from around the world seeking work and opportunities, including Latin American, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Croatian, Sikh and Portuguese, to name a few. To honor this past, Awesome Foundation Santa Cruz has sponsored these workshops to create a Reyes Magos lantern, Filipino Christmas Parol (star), and a Japanese Omamori (good luck pouch) for the New Year.
In 2019, Monica Galvan and a collective of local artists recognized a lack of art-centered events in Watsonville compared to other parts of Santa Cruz County. They held their first event, a Holiday Art Mercado, featuring 23 local artist vendors. Since then Arte del Corazón’s programming has offered local artist exhibitions, youth art mentorship programs and support for artists in their own professional development.
Arte del Corazón reaches 1,500 individuals annually through public community events, offsite youth programming, and supporting the development of emerging artists.
“Just in Time for the Holidays” is free and open to the public. Arte del Corazón accepts donations to support their programming.
Annual Homeless Memorial to be held Dec. 21
The public is invited to the 25th annual Homeless Memorial Service on Dec. 21 from 10am-11:30am at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, 307 Church St.
Held each year in conjunction with the National Homeless Persons Memorial Day, the event will honor homeless community members who died in 2023. The event is presented by Santa Cruz County Homeless Persons Health Project, Housing Matters and Wings, a local nonprofit agency.
Through November, 105 people experiencing homelessness died on the streets of Santa Cruz County, one nearly every three days. While the figure is likely to increase by the new year, it is already the highest number of recorded deaths in any given year, according to the county.
A recent study by the National Bureau of Economic Research showed non-elderly homeless persons are 3.5 times more likely to die as their housed counterparts. In Santa Cruz County, the rate is nearly six times higher for those 40 years old and younger.
Attendance is free. For planning purposes, attendees are requested to register at tinyurl.com/2023-Memorial, but registration is not necessary to attend.
Parking is available in downtown lots near the Civic Auditorium.
