ARTICLE
By Kristen Brown, Executive Director, Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce The holiday season is a meaningful time to support the small businesses that keep Santa Cruz vibrant. Every neighborhood in our county benefits when we choose to shop, dine, and spend locally, but this year that support is especially important for a few key areas. Downtown and Seabright Businesses Need You Our Downtown businesses continue to face significant economic pressures, and your patronage directly helps sustain their storefronts, their staff, and the energy that brings so many residents and visitors into the heart of the city each month. Discovering a new shop, grabbing gifts, or enjoying a meal before or after a local event strengthens our downtown core. In Seabright, the temporary Murray Street closure has created real challenges for businesses on both sides of the harbor. Despite the detour, these businesses remain open, offering everything from dining and coffee to retail and services. Making the extra effort to visit Seabright right now makes a noticeable impact. Celebrate the Season at the Downtown Holiday Parade One of Santa Cruz’s most cherished traditions returns this month: the Downtown Holiday Parade, organized annually by the Downtown Association. This festive event serves as the official kickoff to winter celebrations and highlights Santa Cruz County’s schools, youth organizations, and nonprofits. The parade draws roughly 1,200 participants and more than 3,000 spectators, rain or shine. The parade begins at Laurel Street and Pacific Avenue, traveling up Pacific Avenue and concluding at Water Street. It is a joyful, community-centered celebration and a great opportunity to continue the holiday spirit by supporting Downtown restaurants and shops before or after the parade. A cup of coffee, a brunch stop, or a holiday shopping trip goes a long way in sustaining the downtown business community. Harboropoly: Shop, Dine, Explore and Win To help lift up harbor-area businesses this season, the Santa Cruz Port District has launched Harboropoly, a community game encouraging people to visit harbor, lower Seabright, and lower 7th Avenue businesses throughout the fall and winter. Participants can pick up a gameboard at the harbor office, at participating businesses, or download it online. Each visit earns a stamp, and receipts can be used if a business does not have a stamp on hand. Any harbor-area business counts, including dining, retail, services, and charters. Completed gameboards submitted by December 3st will be entered into a January 7th prize drawing with opportunities to win harbor merchandise, gift cards, exclusive experiences, and more. Harboropoly is a fun and engaging way to explore the waterfront while supporting businesses that have stayed resilient through construction impacts. Support Artists, Creatives, and Sole Proprietors Beyond our local business districts, countless small businesses in our community are powered by sole proprietors: artists, photographers, writers, makers, and professional service providers who enrich our local economy. These entrepreneurs bring creativity, character, and craftsmanship to Santa Cruz. Consider purchasing their goods or services as gifts for loved ones this season. A portrait session, a handmade item, a custom design, or a local creative service can make a meaningful and memorable holiday gift. Let’s Lift Up Local Together From Downtown to Seabright to the Harbor and across every corner of Santa Cruz County, your support for local businesses matters. This season, choose local when you shop, dine, gather, and celebrate. Your choices strengthen our economy, sustain jobs, and help ensure our business community enters the new year strong. You can explore local Chamber member businesses anytime by visiting our online directory. There’s Never Been a Better Time to Join the Chamber If you have been considering Chamber membership, December offers an added benefit. Join now and your membership begins immediately, giving you the month of December for free! It is a great way to step into 2026 with new business connections, increased marketing and visibility, access to advocacy at all levels of government, educational and professional development opportunities, and a supportive network of local business and civic leaders. Learn more in our 2026 Member Guide and sign up for membership, here.
By Kristen Brown, Executive Director, Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce
The holiday season is a meaningful time to support the small businesses that keep Santa Cruz vibrant. Every neighborhood in our county benefits when we choose to shop, dine, and spend locally, but this year that support is especially important for a few key areas.
Downtown and Seabright Businesses Need You
Our Downtown businesses continue to face significant economic pressures, and your patronage directly helps sustain their storefronts, their staff, and the energy that brings so many residents and visitors into the heart of the city each month. Discovering a new shop, grabbing gifts, or enjoying a meal before or after a local event strengthens our downtown core.
In Seabright, the temporary Murray Street closure has created real challenges for businesses on both sides of the harbor. Despite the detour, these businesses remain open, offering everything from dining and coffee to retail and services. Making the extra effort to visit Seabright right now makes a noticeable impact.
Celebrate the Season at the Downtown Holiday Parade
One of Santa Cruz’s most cherished traditions returns this month: the Downtown Holiday Parade, organized annually by the Downtown Association. This festive event serves as the official kickoff to winter celebrations and highlights Santa Cruz County’s schools, youth organizations, and nonprofits. The parade draws roughly 1,200 participants and more than 3,000 spectators, rain or shine.
The parade begins at Laurel Street and Pacific Avenue, traveling up Pacific Avenue and concluding at Water Street. It is a joyful, community-centered celebration and a great opportunity to continue the holiday spirit by supporting Downtown restaurants and shops before or after the parade. A cup of coffee, a brunch stop, or a holiday shopping trip goes a long way in sustaining the downtown business community.
Harboropoly: Shop, Dine, Explore and Win
To help lift up harbor-area businesses this season, the Santa Cruz Port District has launched Harboropoly, a community game encouraging people to visit harbor, lower Seabright, and lower 7th Avenue businesses throughout the fall and winter.
Participants can pick up a gameboard at the harbor office, at participating businesses, or download it online. Each visit earns a stamp, and receipts can be used if a business does not have a stamp on hand. Any harbor-area business counts, including dining, retail, services, and charters. Completed gameboards submitted by December 3st will be entered into a January 7th prize drawing with opportunities to win harbor merchandise, gift cards, exclusive experiences, and more.
Harboropoly is a fun and engaging way to explore the waterfront while supporting businesses that have stayed resilient through construction impacts.
Support Artists, Creatives, and Sole Proprietors
Beyond our local business districts, countless small businesses in our community are powered by sole proprietors: artists, photographers, writers, makers, and professional service providers who enrich our local economy. These entrepreneurs bring creativity, character, and craftsmanship to Santa Cruz. Consider purchasing their goods or services as gifts for loved ones this season. A portrait session, a handmade item, a custom design, or a local creative service can make a meaningful and memorable holiday gift.
Let’s Lift Up Local Together
From Downtown to Seabright to the Harbor and across every corner of Santa Cruz County, your support for local businesses matters. This season, choose local when you shop, dine, gather, and celebrate. Your choices strengthen our economy, sustain jobs, and help ensure our business community enters the new year strong. You can explore local Chamber member businesses anytime by visiting our online directory.
There’s Never Been a Better Time to Join the Chamber
If you have been considering Chamber membership, December offers an added benefit. Join now and your membership begins immediately, giving you the month of December for free! It is a great way to step into 2026 with new business connections, increased marketing and visibility, access to advocacy at all levels of government, educational and professional development opportunities, and a supportive network of local business and civic leaders. Learn more in our 2026 Member Guide and sign up for membership, here.