This Week on the Central Coast...
a kayaker completed an amazing journey, Santa Cruz announced an art Gallery Crawl, a local elementary music class teaches mariachi, and a Salinas beer brewer is inspired by her childhood.
Monterey
Kayaker completes solo kayak trip from Monterey to Hawaii
Cyril Derreumaux began a solo kayak journey from Monterey on June 21 and, after ninety-one days and 2,400 miles, arrived at Hilo, Hawaii. He described the trip as an adventure and spiritual journey, detailing rough days at sea as well as calm ones with a visit by a bird in the middle of nowhere. “Before leaving I couldn’t really explain why I wanted to take on this challenge, but I finally found all the answers to my questions on the water.”
Derreumaux plans on making a documentary and book about the voyage. His website has many great pictures as well as several podcast episodes he started after finishing the trip.
Santa Cruz
Open Studios features close to 300 artists in “art crawl”
Beginning October 1, Open Studios will feature close to 300 local artists, including 46 first-timers. The Santa Cruz Art League offered a preview and will continue to show participants’ art through October 16. This year’s event will use new symbols at each artist’s display which indicate first-time participants, mask wearing, and bilingual speakers.
Artwork will be on display at two different galleries. “At R. Blitzer, work from Open Studio artists in rural sites will be on display October 1-16, with a First Friday Reception on October 7. Meanwhile work from hundreds of Open Studios artists continues to be displayed at the Santa Cruz Art League through October 16.”
Salinas
Salinas teacher is teaching students to be mariachi musicians
Over the past five years, Julian Estrada, a music teacher in Alisal, has taught over 500 students to play mariachi. He explained how mariachi is not just music, but also encompasses history, culture, and pride within its melodies. “Every song that we sing, there's always a meaning behind it.”Alisal has the only school mariachi band on the central coast and is one of only twenty throughout the country.
Local Latina beer brewer finding success with family-friendly brewery
Marlene Garcia is the owner of Brew-n-Krew Ale House in downtown Salinas. Her brews offer a unique flavor profile, drawing inspiration from “the candies we used to get from the piñatas, just even the moles that our parents used to make. So everything has a savor.”
Garcia is very involved in the community, having hosted an event for school kids to get free haircuts and school supplies as well as giving back to farm workers.
You can visit them in downtown Salinas at 155 Main St. Though they don’t have a website, you can follow Brew-n-Krew on their Instagram and Facebook pages.