John Waters kicks off Christmas season in Santa Cruz with annual tour

SANTA CRUZ — Christmas is just around the corner. You may have seen Christmas trees and inflatable snowmen going up in stores as early as September, and you might have already heard these same stores get a head start on their holiday jingle playlists. However, it’s hard to deny the excitement people have for a holiday that brings a lot of feelings of warmth, nostalgia and a touch of kitsch.

One person who always gets very excited for Christmas is John Waters, the filmmaker behind such cult...