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Every year, as the fleeting summer days pass, staff and volunteers at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds prepare for the coming fair, which is at once a community celebration of the region’s agricultural bounty and an embrace of autumn. The first step in the Herculean...

The community is invited to attend the Celebration of Arts and Culture on Sept. 16 at 7pm at the Henry J. Mello Center for the Performing Arts. Presented by Activities 4 All, Ballet Folklórico Ollin, Esperanza del Valle, Estrellas de Esperanza, Grupo Folklórico Los...

These are a collection of images from our photojournalist Tarmo Hannula that did not make it into stories, but we think should be enjoyed. Do you have a photo you’d like to be considered for our gallery? Send it to [email protected].

The community is invited to gather and celebrate Cinco de Mayo on May 5 from 4-7pm in the Watsonville City Plaza. Co-presented by the Farmers’ Market, Poesía en la Plaza and Ballet Folklorico Ollin, the event will feature music, poets, dancers and booths.  We spoke...

Tom Broz was named the 2023 Farmer of Year by the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau June 22 at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds. In its 106th annual meeting, the Farm Bureau welcomed dozens of farmers, agricultural workers and others to the open-air event. Broz and...

WATSONVILLE—Gov. Gavin Newsom on Oct. 1 signed a bill into law that gives full funding to the long-awaited Pajaro River Levee Project, giving 100-year protection to the people who live in the South County communities that are prone to destructive flooding. Senate Bill 489, authored...

In 2022, Watsonville High School student Morielle Mamaril visited nine of the nation’s top universities as part of Pajaro Valley Unified School District’s annual Watsonville Ivy League Tour (WILP). This year, she was accepted to Cornell University, where she will study industrial and labor relations,...

CASTROVILLE—Six months after moving from its iconic Moss Landing location, Phil’s Fish Market reopened in its new location in the heart of Castroville. The restaurant has gained a large following of loyal customers and an international reputation for its seafood dishes, most notably the cioppino—a...

A long-standing fitness center—Toadal Fitness—has opened a new location at 25 Penny Lane in Watsonville. With other locations sprinkled around the county including downtown Santa Cruz, Live Oak, Westside Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley, the Watsonville location threw a soft opening Monday. “While the previous...

Members from the Santa Cruz Warriors and Kaiser Permanente doctors joined forces with staff at Second Harvest Food Bank Tuesday morning in Watsonville to bag food for their third such event to help area families in need. The food is supported by Kaiser Permanente...