Mar Vista Harvest Festival 2018It’s baaack! The Annual (not to be missed) Mar Vista Harvest Festival is October 28th, 2018 from 12-4 PM at Mar Vista Elementary School (behind the Aptos/La Selva Fire Station on Soquel). This community event is open to all families and community members, and that includes folks who don’t have kids at Mar Vista!
Admission is free but rides and activities require tickets or an unlimited wristband. There will be many fun activities including a cake walk, photo booths, dunk tank, rock wall, bungee swings and so much more!
Food Trucks at the Harvest Festival
- Ate3one
- Saucey’z
- Pono Hawaiian Grill
- El Buen Taco
This is a really, REALLY fun event that never fails to disappoint. If you’re looking for a fun, inexpensive, weekend family activity, this is one you honestly won’t want to miss!
Tickets can be pre-purchased online at https://squareup.com/store/mvps-club/item/harvest-festival. All-day wristbands are available for $15 each if you pre-order before October 28th, and after that they’ll be $20 each at the door and online. You can also buy ride and activity tickets online for $1 each or $10 for a book of 12.*Rain or shine, you’ll have a great time!*
If you have a teenager and they need community service hours, please e-mail the Harvest Festival organizers at marvistaharvest@gmail.com and they will be in touch.
Halloween at the Santa Cruz KOA
If you know anything about Santa Cruz County’s reputation, you wouldn’t be surprised to hear that Halloween is a big deal here. Every Halloween evening in downtown Santa Cruz, there’s a massive street party attended by many thousands of people in costume. The police are out in force to make sure everyone stays safe amid the chaos. While some children do go downtown for the festivities, many parents are wary of bringing their kids, especially those of single-digit ages, into that madhouse.
So what is a fun-loving family to do in Santa Cruz county for Halloween? It turns out, there’s a raging party down by the southern end of the county at the Santa Cruz Monterey KOA.
KOAs are known as squeaky-clean family campgrounds, a Disney-fied camping experience that’s cleaner, better-run and with much superior amenities compared to anything you’d find in a public campground. So imagine my surprise when I learned that at our amazing KOA they host a Halloween party that is absolutely off the hook.
Each year, for the last three weekends of October, the Santa Cruz Monterey KOA hosts what they call the “Halloween Spooktacular.” For 2018, the weekends are October 12-14, October 19-21, and October 26-28. Of course, you’re probably already too late to get a spot for any of these weekends; I understand that they are generally booked up a year in advance – but they could have a cancelation, so it’s worth your time to inquire.
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So what’s this “Spooktacular” all about? They have a bunch of activities during the day, like a pumpkin carving contest, the spooky train, site decorating contest, Halloween ceramic painting, the KOA Ice Cream Bike, and new this year, the “Haunted Trail” in the evening. So there’s plenty of activities to keep everyone occupied until the witching hour, which starts at 6:30 PM.
That’s when the real fun begins. The whole campground turns into a massive trick-or-treat extravaganza, with most cabin and RV sites hosting visitors, sharing candy for the kids and cocktails for the adults. Many of the sites are decorated very creatively in splendid Halloween adornments, which make great conversation starters with the site tenants and fellow revelers.
Later in the night, a roving dance party makes its way through the campground, with sound, lights, and dozens (hundreds?) of people bouncing around, with every color and configuration of lights flashing and swaying to the beat.
It’s an amazing thing to experience – a great time for children of all ages (even those who’ve been in their double digits for decades). If you’re able to grab a spot and you’re looking to have fun this Halloween, you need to look into spending one of the last three weekends in October at the Santa Cruz / Monterey KOA.
Video from Santa Cruz / Monterey KOA Halloween Spooktacular
Photo Gallery for Halloween at the Santa Cruz KOA
Unified Corridor Investment Study Released, Workshops Planned
The long-awaited Unified Corridor Investment Study (UCIS) “Draft Step 2 Scenario Analysis” was released on Friday, September 28th 2018. The document is available on the RTC web site but is also being made available for download here. The Santa Cruz RTC (Regional Transportation Commission) will be holding two public workshops so residents can join the discussion about transportation options for our Aptos community’s transportation needs now and into the future.
The UCIS is investigating what projects on Highway 1, Soquel Avenue/Soquel Drive/Freedom Boulevard, and the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line will provide the greatest benefit to the community. These workshops will feature an overview of the UCIS draft Step 2 scenario analysis and seek public input on a preferred scenario for Santa Cruz County’s transportation future.
Public input is critical as we move forward with examining how well combinations of transportation investments – automobile, transit, bicycle and pedestrian – serve the community’s needs. The evaluation is based on a triple bottom line (environment, economic and equity) approach to sustainability and adopted UCS performance measures.
Input can also be emailed to ucs@sccrtc.org or mailed to the RTC at 1523 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz 95062.
UCIS Public Workshop Dates and Locations
Monday, October 15
6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Live Oak Elementary School
Multi-Purpose Room
1916 Capitola Road, Live Oak, CA
Tuesday, October 16
6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Civic Plaza Community Rm A, 4th Fl
275 Main Street, Watsonville, CA
(Parking in garage on Level 6)
Looking for a Home in Aptos?
Every home in Aptos is unique, and finding just the right home can be like finding that needle in a haystack. Fortunately, now there's SantaCruz.RealEstate, featuring the best search engine for Aptos homes and real estate available online today!
Valencia Vendor Fair on Sunday, October 7th
Valencia Elementary School will be having a fundraiser and vendor fair on Sunday, October 7th from 10 AM util 2 PM at the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz (Across the street from Safeway & Beside Chase bank). They’ll have a hot dog stand, and be selling lemonade, coffee/tea, and having a bake sale as well. A number of local Aptos vendors will be attending, including:
- DoTerra Essential Oils
- H20 at home
- Agnes & Dora apparel
- Rodan + Fields
- Healy Chiropractic
- Monat
- Prime My Body CBD oil
- Alixandra Art & Photography
- Wolf camp
- Tu p p e r w a r e
- 31 bags 4 Partylite “ Beaches and Bubbles “
- LuLaRoe
- Beautycounter
- Arbonne International
- Melaleuca Chalk couture
- Vintage With a Spin
- Gone Seaglassin
- Pretty nails by Jenn
- Greeting cards
- Cocoa Exchange
- and so many more
You’ll also have an opportunity to purchase tickets Drive for Schools raffle – where you can win a new car or $25,000 in cash! All proceeds go towards Valencia School fundraiser. Come on down and support a great local school and mix and mingle with your Aptos friends and neighbors!
Looking for a Home in Aptos?
Every home in Aptos is unique, and finding just the right home can be like finding that needle in a haystack. Fortunately, now there's SantaCruz.RealEstate, featuring the best search engine for Aptos homes and real estate available online today!
Golden Goals Community Celebration and Auction comes to Aptos
The Aztecas Youth Soccer Academy will be holding its 4th annual Golden Goals Community Celebration at the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County (on Soquel Drive, across from the Safeway at the Rancho Del Mar Shopping Center) on Friday, September 28th 2019 from 4:00 until 8:00 PM. Come and join their many supporters to celebrate Aztecas’ inspiring successes and dreams for our community! Patrons will enjoy great local food, drink and live music while socializing and bidding on a huge variety of auction items to benefit the Aztecas Youth Soccer Academy. Be a part of a healthy solution that reclaims the lives of at-risk youth.
Tickets are $50 each and can be purchased online using this link.
See you there!
Home Seller Seminar Comes to Aptos in January 2019
This coming January 24th, 2019 local author and real estate broker Sebastian “Seb” Frey will be putting on a “Savvy Seller Seminar” for home owners thinking about selling their homes in 2019. This novel home seller seminar will be held from 6:30 to 8:00 PM at the Best Western Seacliff Inn (home to Severino’s Bar and Grill) on Old Dominion Court, just off Highway 1 / State Park Drive, across from the Rancho Del Mar Shopping Center.
The seminar will be fun, fast-paced and very informative. The goal of the seminar is to teach attendees how to achieve four simple objectives for a successful home sale:
- Maximize the Sale Price
- Minimize the Costs of Sale
- Speed the Sale Process
- Mitigate Risk
The presentation will be given by a number of speakers with years of experience in their respective fields. Topics that will be explored include:
- Current Market Statistics
- Ninja Marketing and advertising tactics
- Staging Your Home to Sell Quickly at Peak Pricing
- Disclosure Requirements
- Key Features of the Listing Agreement
- Key Features of the Purchase Agreement
- What to know about the Appraisal Process
- Buyer’s Contingencies and Inspections Purchase
- What Makes Deals Fail
Ticketing Information
Tickets are available at no charge on EventBrite – but hurry, seats are limited and are expected to fill quickly. Limit two tickets per person, and include snacks, drinks, end eligibility to win any of several door prizes.
Libro Castro: Saturday, June 23
Libro Castro is a fundraising party and book launch to honor Castro Adobe stewards from the past and celebrate the recent progress toward opening the Castro Adobe, the first State Historic Park in the Pajaro Valley. The event will be 4-7 p.m. Saturday, June 23.
Tickets are now available. Cost is $75 per person, including food and drink, or $100 with food, drink and a copy of the book. All donations will be matched 1:1 by the James & Carol Toney Fund.
This year’s stewardship event honors the Paizis family, who owned and cared for the property from 1959-1963, and also celebrates the launch of the second edition of Suzanne Paizis’s chronicle of the Castro’s history: The Castro Adobe in the Twentieth Century: From Earthquake to Earthquake.
The event will pay tribute to John Paizi’s Greek heritage with assorted Mediterranean food. Wine from Storrs Winery, local beer, and made-to-order espresso and tea will be served.
Early 60’s period address is encouraged! The Castro Adobe site is fragile, so guests are encouraged to park offsite at the Strawberry Business Center at 125 Hangar Way in Watsonville. Free shuttles will be running through the evening, but some parking for mobility-impaired guests will be available at the Adobe. But guests who do take the shuttle will be given a free ticket to enter a raffle drawing.
African Dance comes to Aptos Library in June
The Diaspora Performance Project supports our community of Artists of the African Diaspora and provides opportunity for the development of new work, deep and meaningful connection to our community, and performances. All ages are welcome to these interactive and inspiring workshops. This program is made possible by the Tannery World Dance + Cultural Center.
Mandjou Koné: West African Dance
Workshop for all ages Saturday, June 9th at 2 p.m. at the Aptos Library. As a young girl Mandjou helped her Griot father keep his band alive by singing, dancing and playing instruments like the Djembe, Bala, Dundun, Kora and Tama. She is a popular dance educator and has been teaching and performing over the past twenty years throughout the US.
Nano Loubayi: Congolese African Dance
Workshop for all ages Saturday, June 30th at 2p.m. at the Aptos Library. Promoting Congolese dance is the focus of Nano Loubayi, dance teacher, choreographer and director of Bitezo Bia Kongo, his Congolese African dance company. Loubayi lives in Santa Cruz, California, frequently teaching traditional Congolese dance.
These events are part of the Santa Cruz Public libraries Summer Reading Program, Reading Takes You Everywhere. A reading and activities program for all ages. To register, visit santacruzpl.org/srp/.
Ninth Annual Kitayama Brothers Farms Gerbera Festival
Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks today announced the ninth annual Kitayama Brothers Farms Gerbera Festival, a benefit for Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks, will be held Saturday, June 9 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Kitayama Brothers Farms is located at 481 San Andreas Road in Watsonville (next to Sunset State Beach).
The Gerbera Festival, part of the Monterey Bay Greenhouse Growers Open House event, features free greenhouse tours, potted Gerbera plants and cut flowers for sale, flower arranging demonstrations, a farmers market, tacos, local beer and a PopUp ParkStore.
All proceeds from the Gerbera Festival benefit Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks.
The Gerbera Festival is part of the larger Monterey Bay Greenhouse Growers Open House, a daylong event on June 9 featuring guided tours of four Monterey Bay flower farms, including Kitayama Brothers. Go to www.montereybayfarmtours.org for more.
Santa Cruz Greenway Looking to Capitola
An indication of its popularity and momentum, Santa Cruz County Greenway is looking to Capitola, which is a key section of the Santa Cruz County Branch Line Rail Corridor. Greenway Capitola, a local transportation advocacy organization, is sponsoring a 2018 City of Capitola ballot initiative which aims to preserve and utilize the rail corridor and trestle for active transportation and recreation in the City of Capitola. The group is currently gathering paper signatures from Capitola registered voters.
To help educate the public about the ballot initiative and the rail corridor, Greenway is inviting the public for a short talk and question-and-answer session on Wednesday, May 2, from 7:00 to 8:30 pm at the Jade St. Community Center (4400 Jade Street, Capitola, California 95010). Attendees are encouraged to come early to meet near the tracks behind the Jade Street Park baseball field at 6 pm for a brief rail walk prior to the Q&A session at 7.
Greenway would like your help to spread the word – check out and share the event on Facebook.
Not able to make it to the meeting and trail walk on May 72? Then please join Greenway for a second walk at 10 am on Saturday, May 5th, meeting again behind the Jade Street Park baseball field.
Also, community members who are concerned with the future use of the rail corridor are also encouraged to attend the next SCCRTC (Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission) meeting at 9 AM Thursday, May 3 at Capitola City Hall to share your thoughts in an oral comment at the start of the meeting. It’s important that everyone on the RTC understand how vital the future use of the rail corridor is to the community.
Related Posts On AptosCommunityNews
- Unified Corridor Investment Study Released, Workshops Planned (September 29, 2018)
- Audio and Video from Aptos Greenway Presentation (February 24, 2018)
- Santa Cruz Greenway Aptos Presentation (February 19, 2018)
- The Trouble with Santa Cruz Passenger Rail (July 19, 2014)