Local News

The Watsonville Strawberry Festival returns this year on Aug. 4 and 5, bringing with it some old favorites and a few new additions.

PAJARO VALLEY—About 50 people gathered Sunday in Watsonville’s community room to explore ways to phase out toxic farming chemicals and convert Pajaro Valley farmlands to organic and regenerative farming.  The group of speakers included farmers, farmworkers, doctors, retired teachers, experts in environmental health and justice...

No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings. That’s the message for the No Kings protest Saturday in Watsonville Plaza and around the nation. “We’re not watching history happen—we’re making it,” said organizers for Indivisible Pajaro Valley. “Join us.” Speakers will include congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, Santa Cruz County...

Circus Alegria, a Las Vegas-based circus entertainment group that has been around since 1912, kicked off their 2025 performance Thursday evening in Watsonville. With their massive big top tent dominating the entrance to the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, the shows will run Thursday through...

UPDATE: Soquel Drive has reopened. ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Westbound Soquel Drive at Cabrillo College is closed indefinitely after a trailer hauling an excavator struck a pedestrian bridge. The collision occurred at about 12:30pm at Cabrillo College Drive. California Highway Patrol is advising motorists to avoid the area, and...

After the outbreak of COVID-19 prompted shelter-in-place orders last week, scores of performing arts venues and museums across Santa Cruz County have closed.  Staff and artists are now out of work, and locally-owned venues are currently figuring out their next step. Cabrillo College Box Office Specialist...

Martin Rubalcava came to the U.S. in 1979 from Mexico, and before he earned his citizenship constantly worried about getting rounded up by immigration officials.  “With the papers, I could begin to feel safe,” he said through a translator. “I could invest, help my kids...

Community Bridges has settled into its new offices in downtown Watsonville, bringing its headquarters closer to the majority of people it serves.

Public defenders in Santa Cruz County will join colleagues across California and the nation April 23 in a coordinated protest highlighting what they describe as chronic underfunding and unmanageable caseloads that threaten defendants’ constitutional right to counsel. Chief Public Defender Heather Rogers is urging community...

Special events Watsonville Young Eagles Rally (Jan. 4) Local pilots donate their time and planes to introduce kids to aviation and help them join the Experimental Aircraft Association (EEA) Young Eagles Program. All for free. Register for the January rally online at youngeaglesday.org. The pilots who...