Save Seabright - DWA! Seabright Motors, Feb 2026

Save Seabright - DWA! Seabright Motors, Feb 2026

Words and photos by: Lane Skelton

There are places that shape you. And then there are places that raise you.

Seabright is the latter.

I was born at home on Pennsylvania Ave., in the Seabright neighborhood of Santa Cruz. Before I understood much about the world, I understood this place — the fog sitting low over the rivermouth, the smell of salt air mixed with fryer oil from the harbor, the sound of skate wheels humming down the sidewalk.

As kids, my brother and friends and I would spend entire days at the rivermouth beach. Sunburned and starving, we’d skate or BMX up to Aldo's Harbor Restaurant for fries — one basket, 8 hands. Then it was Day's Market for candy and soda, and Seabright Wine and Cheese for a sandwich and Red Vines. We’d wander through Seabright Surf Shop owned by the legendary Pat Farley.

That stretch of storefronts was ours.

As we got older, the routine evolved but the setting stayed the same. Wow Wow Tuna sandwiches and beers from Day’s. Neighborhood nights at Seabright Brewery. Mornings after at Linda's Seabreeze Cafe or Java Junction for a bagel and a coffee.

Now I’m in my mid-40s, and I get to experience it all again — this time with my wife and two kids.

Dinner at Tramonti, La Posta, or Engfer Pizza Works. Milkshakes and burgers at Betty Burgers. Sandwiches from Seabright Deli. Smoothies at Java Junction. And when friends visit, I take them into Brady's Yacht Club — no-frills, just right.

This area means the world to me. So when the Murray St. Bridge closed and businesses began to struggle, it was heartbreaking. You could feel it. Fewer people walking around. Quieter nights. Real concern from people who’ve poured decades into their shops and restaurants.

When my brother Shane suggested we put on DWA! car show to bring people back into the neighborhood, we didn’t hesitate.

Seabright Motors is our small way of giving something back.

Feb 14th marked our second event, and it was everything we hoped it would be. Live music from The Parafins, streets filled with great cars, and — most importantly — people spilling into the local restaurants and bars throughout the day.

The support from our friends and followers has been incredible, a reminder of how much this community cares, and we appreciate every one who attended.

Catch you at the next one!