Off Hours: Flyin’ and floatin’

Three-day weekends are welcomed throughout the year, but especially so in the summer. The Labor Day holiday is particularly sweet; it generally marks the imminent start of the school year — a final wild weekend before locals get their ’hood back from the tourists and parent get a break from having to occupy and entertain their kids 24-7.
With that perspective, you’ll want to pack in some recreation along with that backyard barbecue, and there are two important events on the Sept. 3-through-6 calendar that fill the bill nicely. With the right scheduling, you can pack the weekend full of memorable times without long travel or major cost.
A sky-full of entertainment
The Watsonville Fly-In takes place Sept. 3 through 5, and, as always, there will be a variety of interesting and historical aircraft. The fly-in was established in 1964 to spread the word about aviation history, to help local charities and nonprofits and to promote the extremely valuable and important asset that the Watsonville Airport represents to the Central Coast.
Aerial demonstrations and precision daredevil over-flights will take place all weekend, along with many on-the-ground displays, vintage and experimental planes and lots of approachable aircraft. Military planes will include the massive C-17 jet transport that plays such a crucial role in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; an OV-10 Bronco, a twin-tail spotter plane beloved by those of us who served on the ground in Vietnam; and a Mitchell B-25 Bomber, a long-range plane that was instrumental in World War II. Also on the agenda will be mock dogfights between World War II fighter planes, plus vertical takeoff and landing demos by modern Marine Harrier jets. This year, there also will be a classic car show on the grounds and, of course, lots of food and refreshment.
Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for kids younger than 12 and free for those under 6, a modest price for the great family entertainment and educational experience.
Remember, though, that this is a fly-in event. Planes and helicopters will be overhead throughout the area, so if you just want a short dose, all that is necessary is to find a comfortable spot relatively near the airport, and you’ll be able to see plenty entirely free.
Flowery festivities at the shore
Also on tap over the Labor Day weekend is the Capitola Begonia Festival, a free annual celebration that has remained popular with county folks for more than 50 years.
At the turn of the 20th century, the Brown family immigrated to what was then known as Camp Capitola and began looking for some sort of sustainable agriculture in a primarily tourist area. Finding the moist, cool coastal climate of Santa Cruz County eminently hospitable to the begonia, they obtained the best bulbs from Germany and the best tubers from Belgium and then crossbred the two varieties for a hardy plant with beautiful flowers. The resultant Pacific Begonia was a hit, and from the 1930s to the 1970s, about 90 percent of the world’s begonias came from the Brown Bulb Ranch in Capitola.
Peggy Matthews was a local resident who taught swimming, staging the Capitola Water Follies every fall to showcase her students. Learning that the Brown Bulb Ranch used the fields of begonia flowers only to signify in death when it was time to dig up and market the bulbs, she asked for and was given permission to pick as many blossoms as she liked.
That year — 1951 — the Capitola Water Follies featured paddleboards decorated with begonias, which is basically how the Begonia Festival got started. The next year was the first year actual “floats” were made and a waterborne parade took place.
This year marks the 58th annual Capitola Begonia Festival, and free, fun, family-oriented things will be going on throughout the Labor Day weekend. Take along a blanket and a picnic basket for a family movie night at the beach Friday and Saturday, starting at dusk. The sand sculpture contest on the beach Saturday morning is a must; the nautical parade takes place starting at 1 pm Sunday; and on Monday, there will be a fishing derby on the wharf, a children’s art event in Esplanade Park and rowboat races in the lagoon.
With planning and coordination you can enjoy both major events. They’re both local, and they offer lots of outstanding and inexpensive ways to wind up the summer and send the kids back to school.
Steve Bailey of Boulder Creek has spent plenty of time in recreational activities. Contact him at

sb*****@cr****.com











.