Photo Gallery: A Wild and Colorful First Friday

First Friday art exhibits packed downtown Santa Cruz shops Friday evening and visitors also got to see a small protest (what day in Insanity Cruz is complete without one?) and a wild Burner decompression party (the cops were too busy following the dozen or so protestors to bother with the freewheeling 75 or so partiers outside Forever 21.)

The protest looked a little pathetic compared to the frenetic energy of the Burning Man refugees, whose old Winnebago still had playa dust on it. The protest was against police arresting people on the courthouse for sleeping illegally and accompanied by a mournful tuba, they held a sign that said The Earth is for People. 

It drew yawns. The Burners, banging samba rhythms, drew dancers.

Check it all out in our photo gallery.