Food trucks at family-friendly event

The fourth annual Live Oak Jack Rabbit one-mile FUNdraiser Run and Student Art Contest celebration is at Shoreline Middle School (855 17th Ave.) from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. This free event supports arts programming for Live Oak schools via the Live Oak Education Foundation. Two food trucks will be present — Evil Wings and Aparicio Family Ice Cream Truck — plus Cakes with Care (provides cakes to financially and socially disadvantaged kids and seniors) and SOL Café (provides job training to teens and young adults with mild intellectual disabilities via Skills of Life).

Also, there will be a community partner expo (includes Live Oak School District nutrition and life lab programs) and a performance by the Shoreline Middle School Band. For details and full schedule, visit tinyurl.com/LOJR2025.

News from Gabriella Cafe

Recent popular dinner entrees at Gabriella Café (910 Cedar St., 831-457-1677, gabriellacafe.com) include local halibut and chicken piccata with Mary’s organic chicken breast. Brunch options include eggs Benedict three ways. Bobby Markowitz will perform live music Thursday, and Irene Herrmann performs May 1. The current art show at the restaurant, featuring Dan McFadden, will be up through June with sales benefiting the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music. Lunch hours at Gabriella are 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, with dinner available 5-9 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday. Weekend brunch is 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.

SCOTTS VALLEY

Seasonal food truck series starts Friday at Skypark

The 2025 monthly Scotts Valley Food Truck Friday series is launching from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday at Skypark (361 Kings Village Road). Each event from April through October will include food, ice cream and beer and wine gardens benefiting the Scotts Valley Education Foundation, plus live music and face painting. Food trucks at the first event are Taquizas Gabriel, S.C. Eatery, Pana, Scrumptious Fish & Chips, S&B, Cracked Cookies, Spontaneous Confections, and the Rollin Snack Shack (formerly Aunt Lali’s). There are picnic tables or attendees can bring lawn chairs and/or blankets. For details, visit foodtrucksagogo.com.

Events at Venus Spirits

Venus Spirits Tasting Room (200 High Rpad, 831-600-7376, venusspirits.com/tastingroom) has a couple of upcoming events. Lindsay Eshleman is leading martini class Shaken, not Stirred from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Monday. This hands-on class includes a guided tasting of both gin and vodka, plus a cocktail tutorial and tasting. Advance tickets are $65. Also, Venus regularly hosts distillery tours and guided tastings on select Saturdays with Grace Venus. The next one is 2-3 p.m. May 10. Tickets are $25 and advance reservations are required.

WATSONVILLE

Tickets on sale for agriculture benefit

Tickets are available (until May 9, or earlier if it sells out) for the annual Down to Earth Women’s lunch, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 15 at Driscoll’s Rancho Corralitos (242 Corralitos Road). Cost is $150 at eventbrite.com/e/down-to-earth-women-luncheon-tickets-1280201249399. The event benefits Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau programs including Agri-Culture’s Focus Agriculture, plus the Jimmie Cox Memorial Scholarships.

SANTA CRUZ

Save the date for June Japanese Cultural Fair

The annual Japanese Cultural Fair is 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 7 at Mission Plaza Park (103 Emmett St.). Admission is free. A variety of Japanese food will be available for purchase, and attendees can enjoy Japanese crafts, martial arts, cultural demonstrations, and Japanese music and dance performances (including two Taiko drumming troupes). Learn more at jcfsantacruz.org.

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

Beckmann’s Bakery earns accolades

At the 2025 American Pie Council National Pie Championships, Beckmann’s Bakery won six medals in the commercial division. The winning pies were Strawberry Marionberry, Berry Bomb, Pumpkin, Peach, Cherry, and Rum-Laced Chocolate Pecan (which will be available to the public starting in the fall). The competition was held earlier this month. For information, visit piecouncil.org/national-pie-championships. Also, Beckmann’s announced it will launch a new pie flavor in June: Blueberry.

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

Farmers market announces benefit breakfast menus

Tickets for this summer’s two popup breakfasts at the Westside farmers market are on sale, and menu details have been released. Chefs Jessica Yarr of The Grove (July 26) and Rodrigo Serna of La Posta (Aug. 9) are cooking for these Saturday morning sit-down events, which highlight seasonal ingredients from local farms and raise funds for Santa Cruz Community Farmers Markets programs. Visit santacruzfarmersmarket.org/campaigns/pop-up-breakfast for menus and tickets, which are $80-$150. Also, two local farmers markets launch their seasons in a few days. The Scotts Valley market season opens May 3 at the Boys & Girls Club parking lot (5060 Scotts Valley Drive.) Hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekly until Thanksgiving. On opening day there is a Penny Ice Creamery mini-scoop giveaway from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Also, the Market Match Program is available to customers with CalFresh (EBT/SNAP) cards; receive up to $15 in matching funds (usable for fresh produce only) when you swipe your card for tokens. Learn more at santacruzfarmersmarket.org/markets/scotts-valley.

The Felton Farmers’ Market kicks off May 6 with a strawberry shortcake giveaway and a jam workshop from 3 to 4 p.m. The market will be open 1:30-5:30 p.m. Tuesdays through October at the St. John’s Church parking lot (120 Russell Ave., Felton). CalFresh customers can use Market Match. Learn more at santacruzfarmersmarket.org/markets/felton/.

AROMAS

Blossom’s Farmshop open Saturdays

Blossom’s Farmshop and Nursery (2033 San Juan Road, 831-246-1137, blossomsfarm.com), on-site at Blossom’s Biodynamic Farm, reopened last weekend with limited hours. Through the spring, hours will be 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. The shop carries items including herbs, herb salts, ferments, hydrosols, and salves made from Blossom’s Farm ingredients, plus strawberries and vegetables grown on the former site of Windmill Farm, which Blossom’s owners took over in 2024. The nursery has a variety of plants. Stay in the loop by following on Instagram @blossomsbiodynamicfarm.

SANTA CRUZ

Anniversary bash at Toque Blanche

Toque Blanche (1527 Pacific Ave. 831-426-1351, mytoque.com), is celebrating its 29th anniversary Saturday. There will be complimentary coffee starting at 9 a.m., a drawing, vendor demos (including a soup tasting with Le Creuset), and a storewide sale. The store is offering free non-serrated-knife sharpening from 9 to 11 a.m. (limit three per family). Customers need to visit before 4 p.m. to enter the drawing, which has several prizes.

SANTA CRUZ

Senderos events feature Oaxacan food

Local nonprofit Senderos (SCSenderos.org, 831-854-7740) welcomes guest chefs from Oaxaca, Mexico, who are preparing regional cuisine for two outdoor events: both located behind Branciforte Small Schools (840 N. Branciforte Ave.).

From 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Senderos presents Mole & Music with traditional Oaxacan mole dinner for sale and live performances by visiting Oaxacan musicians. Also, there will be a Senderos food booth at the Vive Oaxaca Guelaguetza festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 27. Admission to the Indigenous cultural festival, which features food, dance, crafts, and music, is $10. Kids 5 and under are free.

Senderos provides free after-school music and dance classes, educational support and scholarships for Latino youth and their families.

Quick Bites, compiled by Tara Fatemi Walker, is your weekly helping of Santa Cruz County restaurant, food, and drink news. Send items to sentinelfood@gmail.com (Sunday 7 p.m. deadline for that week’s column). Want local food & drink news as it happens? Follow the Sentinel’s food crew on X @santacruzfood.