Santa Cruz VIBES Magazine

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05/14/2026

She started cooking before “farm to table” was a hashtag. Now her restaurant is a Santa Cruz institution — and her story will change how you think about every meal you eat.

New episode of Owning the Coast Podcast drops today. We sat down with Carolyn Rudolph of Charlie Hong Kong — and it got deep fast.

Soil health. Dopamine. Dancing in the kitchen. Her husband’s Parkinson’s. The invisible people who grow your food and never get thanked.

This one isn’t just about noodles. It’s about what we owe each other.

🎙️ Link in bio. Subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next.

05/07/2026

We can all agree, nobody wants to feel like they’re on the outside looking in. Some people talk about what to do about it. Others go create the space and just open the door.

Matthew Swinnerton is the second kind.

Parking lots turned into events. Storefronts turned into stages. A consistent rhythm that trains Santa Cruz to show up — week after week.

Midtown Fridays. Entrepreneur Speaker Series. Legends Live and Local. No hype. Just the quiet, hard work of making it happen.

He breaks down what actually makes an event work: helping small businesses get noticed, giving local artists a real platform, and pairing Santa Cruz talent with iconic musicians who can elevate the whole scene.

His advice for anyone building something here:

Collaborate. Build community into your model. Don’t be afraid to ask.

This is Season 1, Episode 1 of Talking Local — the Think Local First podcast hosted by Ryan Buckholdt. Each episode is a sit down with the people quietly building Santa Cruz from the inside: local business owners, makers, artists, organizers, and operators who chose this community and keep showing up for it.
Coming up: restaurant owners, fitness studios, retail founders, nonprofit leaders, musicians, developers, farmers, brewers — the full fabric of what makes Santa Cruz worth staying for.

Full conversation — link in bio to listen 🎙️

Who else in Santa Cruz is doing the quiet work and you think would be a great guest? Tag them below.

Sunny California is throwing their Grand Opening Party at the new Santa Cruz location ( 912 41st Ave) all day Saturday a...
04/29/2026

Sunny California is throwing their Grand Opening Party at the new Santa Cruz location ( 912 41st Ave) all day Saturday and we’re showing up loud for the evening— Santa Cruz Vibes is giving away 50 FREE General Admission tickets to the Ribsy’s Nickel show Saturday night!!

Since the event space is limited capacity, we have to cap the numbers for the Ribsy’s gig 🎶

This is what community looks like. Three local brands, one big night, and YOUR name on the guest list.

HOW TO ENTER:

✅ Follow + +
❤️ Like this post
👇 comment on this post to enter!

🔁 Bonus Ticket Opportunity : Share this post

50 winners. Announced Friday …See you there.

GiveawayAlert SantaCruzEvents LocalLove

Spring 2026 Santa Cruz Vibes Magazine Pick Up PartyAs the seasons shift, a new issue of Santa Cruz Vibes seems to arrive...
04/24/2026

Spring 2026 Santa Cruz Vibes Magazine Pick Up Party

As the seasons shift, a new issue of Santa Cruz Vibes seems to arrive right alongside it—and this has become one of our favorite rhythms. A moment to gather, catch up, and reconnect with the people and stories that shape this place we call home.

Join us Saturday, May 2nd from 4:30–6:00 PM at the brand new Sunny California (Pleasure Point) as we celebrate the release of our Spring 2026 issue.

It’s a laid-back event—meet the writers, photographers, and contributors behind the pages, grab a fresh copy of the magazine, and spend some time with the community that keeps this coastline alive on and off the page.

We’re proud to be co-hosting this free, open-to-all gathering with Black Surf Santa Cruz—a group doing meaningful work to expand access, connection, and culture in and around the ocean here.

This issue features a painted cover by Joe Vickers and a gallery showing from Shawn “Barney” Barron in the new Sunny California Art Gallery.

Our Vibes House DJ , Selecta 7 will be there as always setting the mood 🎶

Free and open to all. No ticket needed—just show up.

The Vibe. The People. The music. The Mag.

Link in bio to RSVP !



And if you’re feeling it… the night continues.

Sunny California’s Grand Opening VIP After Party is a separate ticketed event—and this is where things turn up a notch.

As the sun dips, the space transforms. Barney’s work settles into the room, the lights come down, and Ribsys Nickel takes over with a live set that carries the night forward.

VIP After Party Includes:
– Live music from Ribsys Nickel
– Drinks + two drink tickets
– Fresh musubi from Pono Hawaiian Grill
– Snacks throughout the night

Your VIP Sunny California Gift Card Pass acts as your all-access ticket—and can be used in the shop during the event or anytime after, so the experience essentially pays for itself.

It’s a different energy… a little deeper into the night, a little more dialed in.

If you’re in, get the full details here:
www.sunnycalifornia.com

LINK IN BIO FOR MORE VIP PARTY INFO AND TO PURCHASE TICKETS

Vibes Spring Issue is rolling out and these are gonna go fast — don’t say we didn’t warn you by 😉. Unreal cover this iss...
04/16/2026

Vibes Spring Issue is rolling out and these are gonna go fast — don’t say we didn’t warn you by 😉.

Unreal cover this issue! “Pleasure Point Sighting” by — and honestly when we saw this piece we just knew. The golds, the teals, the California poppies, that wave tucking through ( the UFO 🛸!!) … the color palette on this one just hits different than anything we’ve done and people are already feeling it.

Joe paints in mixed media on wood panels and the texture and warmth he brings to his work is just next level.

So honored Joe let us use this one. Now, go show Joe some love — joevickersart.com - give him a follow , his work is the very much real deal and will just make you happy.

Mags are dropping at all the usual spots around town….Grab one before they walk. 🤙

SurfArt

FINAL WEEK OF THE STORY MENU 🍔🎲Some ideas are simple…but they change the whole feeling of a place.The Story Menu at Food...
03/13/2026

FINAL WEEK OF THE STORY MENU 🍔🎲

Some ideas are simple…
but they change the whole feeling of a place.

The Story Menu at Food Talk was never just about the burger.
It was about slowing down long enough to actually enjoy being at the table.

A red dice.
A few unexpected questions.
And now… new scratch-off prompts with a few surprise winners hidden inside.

Free food.
Cool stuff.
Or maybe just a conversation you didn’t expect.

Because the best part of going out isn’t just what’s on the plate —
it’s the people sitting across from you.

Over the past few weeks we’ve watched strangers talk, friends stay longer, and phones get put down for a minute. And honestly… that’s exactly the point.

At Santa Cruz Vibes, we believe media should create moments like this — not just content, but experiences that bring people together in real life.

Huge love to Food Talk Santa Cruz for embracing the idea and making space for something a little different.

If you haven’t tried the Story Menu yet… this is the last week.

🎲 New scratch-offs
🎲 Surprise winners
🎲 Same great food

Pull up. The table’s waiting.

📸

SantaCruzRestaurants SantaCruzCommunity VibesStoryMenu

03/13/2026

NEW OTC DROP! 🎙️

Some stories start with a falling mortgage rate.
The real ones happen around a neighborhood table.

This week we sat down at Suda with co-owner, realtor, and wake-surf competitor Cole Kerby and general manager Mel Lashbrook to talk about how a Santa Cruz favorite became the kind of place you can love twice a week.

It’s a conversation about hospitality done right — the invisible systems that make a restaurant feel effortless. Cole breaks down how a career in service shaped the way he builds teams and standards. Mel brings a scientist’s approach behind the bar, turning seasonal ingredients into cocktails that feel both thoughtful and familiar.

The result? Near-zero turnover, familiar faces behind the bar, and that rare “Cheers” energy where the room just feels right.

We also get real about the business side — pandemic pivots, razor-thin margins, rising insurance costs, and the precision it takes to keep a restaurant thriving in a high-cost coastal town.

And if you needed an excuse to stop by:

✨ Daily brunch is back
🍸 Expanded hours
🥗 Girl Dinner Thursdays — mini kale Caesar, fries your way, and a martini

Plus the full ecosystem around it: Motive downstairs and Ulterior upstairs — three moods, one building.

If you love restaurant culture, Santa Cruz dining, cocktails, leadership, or the craft of running a small business, this one’s for you.

🎧 Listen now.
Follow the show.
Send it to someone you want to grab dinner with.

Because the best stories in Santa Cruz usually start with a table.

SantaCruzDining CocktailCulture SupportLocalSC VibesMedia SantaCruzRestaurants

Week 3. New Questions. New Vibes.The table is evolving.Every week we refresh the prompts for the Vibes Story Menu at Foo...
03/04/2026

Week 3. New Questions. New Vibes.

The table is evolving.

Every week we refresh the prompts for the Vibes Story Menu at FoodTalk Santa Cruz, because no two nights at the table should ever feel the same.

New cards.
New questions.
New conversations waiting to happen.

Some of this week’s prompts will make you laugh.
Some might catch you off guard.
And a few might lead somewhere deeper than you expected.

That’s the beauty of the Story Menu.

Chef Donnie Sussens believed in the idea from the start — that a restaurant can be more than a place to eat. It can be a place where people reconnect, open up, and remember why sharing a meal matters.

So if you’ve played before… come back.
If you haven’t yet… this is the perfect week to roll the dice.

New questions.
New vibes.
Same table.

Week 3 of the Vibes Story Menu is live.

FoodTalk Santa Cruz × Ulterior
Behind the staircase.

📸

EatLocal SantaCruzFood Ulterior StoryMenu

02/06/2026

What if your skin is telling a story your nervous system can’t say out loud?

On the newest episode of Owning the Coast, we sit down with Jennalee Dahlen of Yōso Wellness to trace a journey that feels both deeply personal and quietly radical — from corporate burnout to hands-on healing, and from her own skin cancer experience to oncology-safe care rooted in dignity, calm, and trust.

We talk about the facial that changed everything.
Why giving care can sometimes feel better than receiving it.
And why truly holistic skincare has very little to do with chasing perfection — and everything to do with listening.

This conversation moves through stress and inflammation, lymphatic flow, hydration, UV protection, and the subtle details people never write on intake forms. Jennalee’s philosophy is simple and brave: meet every client without judgment, build a custom blueprint, and support their choices — injectables, lasers, or fully clean paths — with an eye toward longevity, repair, and nervous system health.

We also zoom out to community. Jennalee shares her work as a downtown commissioner and police advisory committee member, and how informed, compassionate dialogue can soften extremes and improve collective well-being.

Then we slow it way down. Oncology aesthetics. Sensitive skin. Gentle ingredients. Thoughtful timing. And why one quiet hour on the table can give someone their body back — even briefly — when life feels heavy.

We close with an honest conversation about hormones, perimenopause, partnership, and how to support each other without fixing or judging. Slower hugs. Regulated nervous systems. Listening first.

If you care about healthy aging, clean ingredients, and the deeper stories our faces carry, this one’s for you.

🎧 Listen now ( link in bio) and 🤍 Share with someone who needs encouragement

Follow the show + leave a quick review — it helps these stories travel

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95060–95067

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