Weird, wild and safe: Santa Cruz New Year’s Eve a unique celebration
By Shanna McCord
Sentinel staff writer
SANTA CRUZ — Downtown Santa Cruz filled with community spirit Sunday night as a colorful group of about 300 marched from Laurel Street up Pacific Avenue, and several hundred others lined the sidewalks to watch and cheer.
For the second New Year’s Eve in a row, the group known as Last Night DIY — Do It Yourself — brought a wide range of people together to celebrate New Year’s Eve with a parade downtown without permission from city officials or permits from the city to close streets.
Check out all the sights and sounds of the Last Night parade in a Sentinel multimedia presentation.
Marchers filled the entire street as they walked up Pacific Avenue. Cars were forced to use side streets to maneuver around downtown.
Onlookers were bundled in heavy coats and hats to weather the chilly temperatures.
Last Night DIY was designed by community activists to replace the defunct First Night Santa Cruz, an event billed as family-friendly alcohol-free sponsored by the city that was canceled in 2005 because of budget problems.
"To me, this is the best part of what First Night used to be," said marcher Whitney Wilde, who wore pots and blinking lights on her chest. "We shouldn’t have to pay to get together. We’re keeping Santa Cruz weird."
Police said the parade, which wrapped up by 8 p.m., went off without any problems despite the fact that organizers did not get permits.
"The city is very quiet," police Deputy Chief Patty Sapone said. "We haven’t had any major problems."
Parade participants crossed the spectrum from people riding mountain bikes, a man juggling fire torches, four young girls impressing the crowd while riding unicycles and the Santa Cruz Trash Orchestra, a group of people who banged on trash cans, lids, paint cans and even an old washing machine.
The parade included several families with children, and many parade participants wore costumes, including a group in Santa Claus suits.
"I’d be crushed if they didn’t have this parade," said Libby Anderson, a downtown resident standing on the sidewalk in front of Border’s Bookstore.
Others said the parade made them proud to call Santa Cruz home.
"We identify with the DIY culture," said Laura Nadel, a Seabright resident who watched the parade with her sister Deborah Nadel. "I identify with people being creative and not relying on someone else to do it for you."
Clay Ryon, the fire torch juggler, said the high spirits surrounding the parade solidified his decision to move to Santa Cruz in 2006 from Philadelphia.
"I love Santa Cruz," Ryon said. "I’m not leaving."
The city Parks and Recreation Department will host a countdown to midnight at the Town Clock with a fireworks display.
By Shanna McCord
Sentinel staff writer
SANTA CRUZ — Downtown Santa Cruz filled with community spirit Sunday night as a colorful group of about 300 marched from Laurel Street up Pacific Avenue, and several hundred others lined the sidewalks to watch and cheer.
For the second New Year’s Eve in a row, the group known as Last Night DIY — Do It Yourself — brought a wide range of people together to celebrate New Year’s Eve with a parade downtown without permission from city officials or permits from the city to close streets.
Check out all the sights and sounds of the Last Night parade in a Sentinel multimedia presentation.
Marchers filled the entire street as they walked up Pacific Avenue. Cars were forced to use side streets to maneuver around downtown.
Onlookers were bundled in heavy coats and hats to weather the chilly temperatures.
Last Night DIY was designed by community activists to replace the defunct First Night Santa Cruz, an event billed as family-friendly alcohol-free sponsored by the city that was canceled in 2005 because of budget problems.
"To me, this is the best part of what First Night used to be," said marcher Whitney Wilde, who wore pots and blinking lights on her chest. "We shouldn’t have to pay to get together. We’re keeping Santa Cruz weird."
Police said the parade, which wrapped up by 8 p.m., went off without any problems despite the fact that organizers did not get permits.
"The city is very quiet," police Deputy Chief Patty Sapone said. "We haven’t had any major problems."
Parade participants crossed the spectrum from people riding mountain bikes, a man juggling fire torches, four young girls impressing the crowd while riding unicycles and the Santa Cruz Trash Orchestra, a group of people who banged on trash cans, lids, paint cans and even an old washing machine.
The parade included several families with children, and many parade participants wore costumes, including a group in Santa Claus suits.
"I’d be crushed if they didn’t have this parade," said Libby Anderson, a downtown resident standing on the sidewalk in front of Border’s Bookstore.
Others said the parade made them proud to call Santa Cruz home.
"We identify with the DIY culture," said Laura Nadel, a Seabright resident who watched the parade with her sister Deborah Nadel. "I identify with people being creative and not relying on someone else to do it for you."
Clay Ryon, the fire torch juggler, said the high spirits surrounding the parade solidified his decision to move to Santa Cruz in 2006 from Philadelphia.
"I love Santa Cruz," Ryon said. "I’m not leaving."
The city Parks and Recreation Department will host a countdown to midnight at the Town Clock with a fireworks display.
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Re: Weird, wild and safe: Santa Cruz New Year’s Eve a unique celebration
Mon, January 1, 2007 - 6:24 PMAlso check out an interesting multimedia presentation on the event:
www.santacruzsentinel.com/lastnight
