Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk preps for Memorial Day weekend

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION) Memorial Day crowds are getting ready to hit the boardwalk. A

A weekend full of smiles, sun, and laughter. People came from all over to enjoy a day of fun at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. This will be the first holiday weekend where families will be able to enjoy rides, something that couldn't happen last year due to the pandemic. A pair KION spoke with says this is one of the first things they've done since quarantine.

This is like one of the first times that we've been with since quarantine and so it was really nice, we're nice, we're here with our family and so it's a good weekend, just to get away especially celebrating the holiday," said Perez.

 A large part of Martin Pulido's family has served in the military and has huge respect for the holiday.

 "For me, I think it's a big deal, I love Memorial Day to remember everyone," said Pulido.

One family came from Los Altos to Santa Cruz for a day of fun with their grandkids.

"It's great and it's a perfect day, everyone wearing is a mask so it works out pretty well," said Johnson.

The family says they would never have done an outing like this but feel more confident now that they're confident now that they're vaccinated.

"We would have never done this. We were very, very conservative before the vaccine, very conservative and I was thinking everybody is wearing masks, we're outside, so many of us California are vaccinated now so life is coming back," said Jan Schroder.

The beach boardwalk current capacity is 35% and all advanced tickets are sold out but walk-up tickets may be available tonight or tomorrow.