The Cocoanut Grove

The Cocoanut Grove was built in 1907 to replace the fire-ravaged Neptune Casino, and more than 1,200 people attended an elaborate gala in June 1907 to celebrate the new Santa Cruz landmark, with congratulatory messages including a telegraph from President Theodore Roosevelt. Early in the Casino’s history, a concert band played on the beach bandstand on summer afternoons and changed into tuxedos for evening dances in the ballroom. In 1924 Isham Jone’s band brought jazz to the Cocoanut Grove, and in 1932 big-name bands arrived as the golden age of ballroom dancing began. Artie Shaw, Ted Fio Rito, Lawrence Welk, Benny Goodman, Skinny Ennis, and Paul Whiteman performed there. As big band appeal faded in the fifties, orchestras led by Billy May, Tex Beneke, Les Elgart, Hal McIntyre, and Si Zentner kept the music alive. By the 1960s, the emphasis shifted to a younger audience with artists such as Nat “King” Cole, Sonny and Cher, the New Christy Minstrels, and the Four Freshmen. In 1977 the Cocoanut Grove reopened to a big band dance series held each spring and fall, with Les Brown and His Band of Renown performing for a crowd of 1,400 at the gala opening, and in the ensuing years Count Basie, Lionel Hampton, and Woody Herman also performed there. Through the years, the Cocoanut Grove has hosted hundreds of public and private events, concerts, and dances and continues to charm visitors with its graceful architecture and picturesque setting.

Santa Cruz, California · United States