Boomeria Organ Extravaganza

Boomeria is a beloved place in the Santa Cruz mountains that is a monument to creativity in art, music, and science. The brainchild of Preston Boomer – longtime San Lorenzo Valley High School physics and chemistry teacher, now retired – Boomeria's grounds are known for a working Baroque-style tracker pipe-organ built by Boomer and his students incorporating recycled and European organ pipes and recent work by organ builder Bill Visscher and friends. The ‘Kingdom of Boomeria” also includes a castle built for climbing (most especially for those with short legs,) in a beautiful forest of redwood, bay-laurel, oak and madrone.

Santa Cruz Baroque Festival’s annual Boomeria Organ Extravaganza – always occuring on or near Bastille Day – features organ performances by premier organists, a brass ensemble, a barrel organ, and a fencing demonstration. In between enjoying the perfomances, guests can enjoy the gourmet snacks on offer, quaff some excellent wine, and enjoy gathering with fellow early-music enthusiasts in the beautiful setting.

Longtime Boomeria visitors may remember fondly a few amenities that are no longer in operation. The swimming pool was pumped dry during the fires in August 2020, and remains unusable. The catacombs, have suffered a number of cave-ins, and will not be open to the public. Lastly, a featured celebration of Bastille Day, a full sized, functional guillotine, succumbed to the flames and we can no longer offer an entertaining demonstration of its fearsomeness.