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Featured Event
Phamily Time, presented by Phreeborn is back with a summer edition you wonโt want to miss. There will be something for everyone, so bring the whole phamily! Get tickets for the whole day celebration here: TICKETS
Beati Quorum, a new and growing Ensemble, is seeking new local members. Beati Quorum is a small, hybrid professional / volunteer ensemble based in Santa Cruz. We focus on a cappella singing, Renaissance through contemporary works, and collaborations with artists from our local network to international groups. Visit www.beatiquorum.org to set up an audition today.
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Featured
The Tony Award-Winning San Francisco Mime Troupe Opens their 67th Season with: WRECKAGE: A Musical Tragicomedy July 3 โ Sept. 7, 2026
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Enjoy a festive Summer Luau by the beach! Dress in your best Hawaiian attire and enjoy a tropical buffet, live music, hula dancers, and fun for all ages. Perfect for families, date nights, or just wrapping up a fun day the the Boardwalk!
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Rebecca Coupe Franks / Trumpet Nancy Heth / Vocals and Piano
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Showing 30 of 2494 upcoming events
Enjoy a festive Summer Luau by the beach! Dress in your best Hawaiian attire and enjoy a tropical buffet, live music, hula dancers, and fun for all ages. Perfect for families, date nights, or just wrapping up a fun day the the Boardwalk!
Rebecca Coupe Franks / Trumpet Nancy Heth / Vocals and Piano
Aloha, Youโre InvitedโSummer Luau by the Beach! Dress in your best Hawaiian attire and enjoy a tropical buffet, live music, hula dancers, and fun for all ages. Perfect for families, date nights, or those wrapping up their fun day at the Boardwalk! Schedule 6pm Doors Open 6pm-6:30pm Appetizers 6pm-7:30pm Live Music 6:30pm-7:30pm Tropical Buffet Station 7:30pm Hula Dancers $69.95 + tax - Adult $45.95 + tax - Child (2-8) Upgrade to Premium seating! $79.95 + tax - Adult Premium Seating $55.95 + tax - Child (2-8) Premium Seating Reserve your spot today: https://bit.ly/Boardwalk-Luaus-s Online reservations are available up to one week before the event or until sold out. - Adult beverages available for purchase. - Each attendee will also receive a colorful lei!
Pole Fitness 101 is more than just aerial training. Get movement training youโll use for life! โ Pole technique with dance & fitness modules โ Functional conditioning โ Mobility & flexibility training โ High level Xpert Xpole certified (L1-L4) โ FRC certified Mobility Specialist (FRCms) Drop in on one class or attend the fully programmed module for 7 weeks! Fridays 6 pm. www.ohanastudiosantacruz.com
OUTERNATIONAL (((Global Bass Dance))) โข FRIDAY JULY 31STโข โข With Resident DJs SELECTA 7 & RUDI B โข Reggae โข Dancehall โข Rub A Dub โข Jungle โข Dubstep โข Remixes No Cover Donations Appreciated 6pm-10pm Woodhouse Brewing and Blending 119 Madrone St. Santa Cruz Sponsored by The Green Spot!! Sound Reinforcement by Zion Farms!!
Join us for The Turveydrop Gala on July 31, 2026, as we celebrate the 46th Annual Dickens Universe Conference! Now open to the public, this enchanting evening invites community members to don their finest Victorian attire and enjoy a night of lively entertainmentโincluding Victorian dance lessons, casino tables, a raffle, postprandial potations, and a live auction! Hosted by the Dickens Project, the Dickens Universe is a unique cultural event that brings together scholars, teachers, students, and members of the general public for a week of stimulating discussion and festive social activity on the beautiful Santa Cruz campus of the University of Californiaโall focused on one or two Victorian novels, with this yearโs novel being Charles Dickensโs Bleak House. The week-long conference culminates in The Turveydrop Galaโa festive celebration that brings together conference attendees and community members. Purchases from the eveningโs activities will support the Dickens Projectโs educational programs. Gala Details: 6:30 PM: Doors Open 7:00-8:00 PM: Live Auction Bid on Dickens-related items, including a first-edition of Bleak House by Charles Dickens 8:00 PM: Announcement of the 2027 Dickens Universe Novel Purchase a copy from local bookseller Liz Pollock of the Cook's Bookcase 8:15-11:00 PM: Victorian Ball and Gaming Dance to nineteenth-century music performed by the Great Expectations Orchestra, with dances led by dance instructor Annie Laskey (This event is 21+) Questions about The Turveydrop Gala? Email: [email protected].
A concert featuring Pete Sawyer and the Left Hand Monkey Wrench Gang, performing a set of rock and alternative music.
Maria Muldaur is known worldwide for her 1974 hit โMidnight at the Oasisโ which received several GRAMMY nominations and critical acclaim. Muldaur has toured worldwide and has recorded forty-three solo albums, spanning American roots music, gospel, R&B, jazz, and big band. Mulduar has recorded and produced, on average, one album per year throughout her career. In 2019, The Americana Music Association awarded Muldaur โThe Lifetime Achievement Americana Trailblazer Awardโ for her lifelong work covering the depth and breadth of roots music. On this concert date, Muldaurโs Jazzabelle Quintet will be performing a special evening of jazz and blues. Maria Muldaur Website (Ticket Includes 5% City of Santa Cruz Admission Tax)
A story written by Capitolaโs very own, Joe Ortiz, comes to life at The SC Actors Theatre. Escaping Queens follows an immigrant family as they navigate the challenges of poverty and a fatherโs problems with gambling, alcohol, and women. This funny, edgy, ultimately hopeful musical paints a cast of colorful characters, from neighborhood bookies to a doo wop group to all the shades and personalities in a mixed Italian and Puerto Rican family. Based on Oritzโs own memoir, PastinaโMy Fatherโs Misfortune, My Motherโs Good Soup, the emotional turbulence of navigating an escape from New York is presented as a compelling and sophisticated story that asks if children are fated to repeat their parentsโ mistakes. -Shelly Novo; Good Times Santa Cruz
Cabrillo Stage is a musical theatre company dedicated to presenting high-caliber, large-scale musical productions to the area. They are committed to the creation of musicals with Broadway-level production values. In this way, they foster educational opportunities while giving audiences the highest-quality family entertainment. They aim to be a destination point for the best of live theatre. Sister Act hits the stage with the force of a disco ball struck by divine inspiration. Deloris, a bold and big-hearted nightclub singer, lands in a convent for her own protection and winds up transforming a tuneless choir into a soulful powerhouse. Her energy shakes the dust off every pew as she teaches the nuns to sing with joy, courage, and a little sparkling attitude. By the finale, the once-quiet convent is radiating harmony, friendship, and unstoppable fun. Sister Act delivers a burst of laughter, heart, and high-energy music that leaves the audience glowing long after the curtain falls. Click โMore Event Datesโ in orange above to see other showtimes, or follow the link in the orange button above to purchase tickets. Locals Love: Stunning, creative sets, talented live orchestras, and passionate performances, often at reasonable prices. First Timers Miss: The theaterโs architecture beautifully complements the overall experience, designed for optimal viewing. Insights: Santa Cruz METRO bus lines 1, 2, 55, and 73 all service Cabrillo College, providing access to the campus and the Crocker Theater. If taking a car, parking in Lot L is free.
Fridays & Saturdays 8pm-10pm through October. Opening weekend July 10-11! Experience the magic once again as this beloved art and light installation returns to the Santa Cruz Mountains for its second year. Lighted lanterns hang high overhead surrounded by thousand year old redwoods that are uplit to create a unique and awe-inspiring retreat back to nature.
A young, wholesome, and seemingly normal couple, Brad and Jan, set out to visit their old professor, but their plans change when a large storm causes their car to go flat. Desperate to get out of the rain, they find an old castle that is home to Dr. Frank-N-Furter. From there, the night only becomes weirder. That night will be one they and the audience will not forget. This cult classic continues to entertain crowds, and this run is no different. Audience members can purchase interactive goodie bags with their tickets and participate in a costume contest. Goes until August 22.
Santa Cruz Shakespeare invites you to experience Shakespeareโs Much Ado About Nothing, un-der the trees and stars of the Audrey Stanley Grove in Santa Cruzโs DeLaveaga Park this summer. Much Ado About Nothing By William Shakespeare Directed by Charles Pasternak One of Shakespeareโs wittiest and most beloved comedies, the 2026 season will open with Shakespeareโs Much Ado About Nothing. Of all the couples in Shakespeare, perhaps none is more widely loved than Beatrice and Benedick. Their battle of wits; their antagonism turned to eroticism; their history. Before the play begins, they already seem to define each other. The audience, like the other characters in the play, wait with excitement as their wits clash, and eventually, as their love blossoms. Much Ado About Nothing runs July 11 โ August 30. More information or to purchase tickets, follow the link in the orange above, or contact the box office Tuesday through Friday from noon to 4pm at the number listed above.
A live performance of swing, blues, pop, jazz, and Latin music from a local band. Low-ticket price and an intimate seaside setting.
Conducted by Cristian Mฤcelaru Vivian Fung: America the Beautiful? (Festival Commission & world premiere) Pedro Emanuel Pereira: Clarinet Concerto (Carlos Ferreira, Clarinet) (Festival Commission & world premiere) Philip Glass: Symphony No. 15 Lincoln (Zachary James, Baritone) (West Coast premiere) 6:30PM โข PRE-CONCERT PICNIC + TALK: A free outdoor pre-concert experience featuring a brass sextet and a special welcome by Music Director Cristian Mฤcelaru. Bring takeout or some snacks from home. Table seating available. The 64th season kicks off with Music Director Cristian Mฤcelaru leading the Festival Orchestra and audience in a powerful meditation on the distance between national ideals and lived reality. Vivian Fungโs America the Beautiful? (Festival Commission & world premiere) opens the season with a work responding to the U.S. National Anthem through the lens of her intersectional identity as a dual Canadian-American citizen with Chinese familial lineage. The piece confronts the tension between patriotic tradition and the deeply imperfect struggle to uphold democratic values for all. Pedro Emanuel Pereiraโs Clarinet Concerto (Festival Commission, world premiere), featuring clarinetist Carlos Ferreira, blends Portuguese musical traditions with experimental timbres and performative innovation, reimagining virtuosity for the present moment. The program concludes with Philip Glassโs Symphony No. 15 Lincoln (West Coast premiere)โfeaturing GRAMMYยฎ award winning baritone Zachary Jamesโis a six-movement symphony incorporating Abraham Lincolnโs own words, including the Emancipation Proclamation and reflections on law, power, and ambition. The work resonates forcefully with the urgencies of today.
Ashez is an Auckland, New Zealand-based producer working in the bass genre and debuting in the late 2010s. On record, his primary mรฉtier is the single. His two albumsโ2021โs Digital Human and the new-for-2026 Headwayโare both remix collections. Named after Brazilian folkloreโs protector of the rainforest, Kaipora is a Santa Clarita duo trafficking in bass and rhythmic soundscapes with processed vocals (both sung and rapped), deep grooves and glitchy synthesizer textures that are heavy and hypnotic. Regular fixtures on the festival circuit, both acts cultivate a musical atmosphere designed for dancing and other forms of communal celebration. -Bill Kopp; Good Times Santa Cruz
Stay for the entertainment from 8:30pm to 9:30pm on the Colonnade Deck! Where you can listen to live music with delicious food & drink in your hand, be amazed by Magicians & acrobats, and show off your best dance moves with a DJ dance party at the Plaza stage. Admission is free! Monday, June 15, 2026 8:30pm Circus Comedy with Coventry & Kaluza 9:00pm Magic with Kris Bentz Tuesday, June 16, 2026 8:30pm Magic with Kris Bentz 9:00pm Acrobatics with Molly Keczan Wednesday, June 17, 2026 8:30pm Circus Comedy with Coventry & Kaluza 9:00pm Magic with Kris Bentz Thursday, June 18, 2026 from 8:30-9:30pm โ Live Music with Fire Peach Friday, June 19, 2026 โ Free showing of Ferris Buellerโs Day Off movie on the beach at 9pm Saturday, June 20, 2026 from 8:30-9:30pm โ DJ Dance Party with Santa Cruz DJ Company Sunday, June 21, 2026 from 8:30-9:30pm โ DJ Dance Party with Santa Cruz DJ Company Monday, June 22, 2026 8:30pm Circus Comedy with Coventry & Kaluza 9:00pm Circus Acrobatics with MeeZee! Tuesday, June 23, 2026 8:30pm Circus Acrobatics with MeeZee! 9:00pm Circus Comedy with Coventry & Kaluza Wednesday, June 24, 2026: World Cup Watch Party for Mexico Game Thursday, June 25, 2026: World Cup Watch Party for USA Game Friday, June 26, 2026 โ Free showing of the movie Kicking and Screaming on the beach at 9pm Saturday, June 27, 2026 from 8:30-9:30pm โ DJ Dance Party with Santa Cruz DJ Company Sunday, June 28, 2026 from 8:30-9:30pm โ DJ Dance Party with Santa Cruz DJ Company Monday, June 29, 2026 8:30pm Magic with Patrick Livingstone 9:00pm Surfing Magic with Doug Hofkins Tuesday, June 30, 2026 8:30pm Magic with Patrick Livingstone 9:00pm Surfing Magic with Doug Hofkins Wednesday, July 1, 2026 8:30pm Circus Comedy with Coventry & Kaluza 9:00pm Circus Acrobatics with MeeZee! Thursday, July 2, 2026 from 8:30-9:30pm โ Live Music with El Brick Friday, July 3, 2026 โ Independence Day Celebrations Saturday, July 4, 2026 from 8:30-9:30pm โ DJ Dance Party with Santa Cruz DJ Company Sunday,
This nighttime experience will bring you a magical and immersive perspective on the ancient forest at Roaring Camp. During the 0.8-mile loop walk, you will view 26 unique, lighted lanterns, hung approximately 50 feet above the ground. The lanterns were crafted by local artists including Anna Bobisuthi, Roaring Campโs resident blacksmith, and Chris Butler, who also created the lighting design for Sequoias at Night. Tickets are available at the link in the orange button above. Kids under two enter for free. Roaring Campโs food services and gift shop will be open.
Join us this summer for a maker experience where students (ages 7 โ 12) design and build custom creations they can proudly take home. Our summer camps combine creativity, engineering, and craftsmanship in a supportive studio environment designed for both first time makers and returning students. Each camp week provides access to our 3D printing, woodworking, and textiles stations, with dedicated instructors in each area guiding students through tools, techniques, and projects. Every week also features a themed focus that inspires ideas across our maker zones and gives students a starting point for their creations. While themes provide structure, students are encouraged to explore projects that interest them, combine ideas across weeks, or pursue custom builds with instructor support. Camp Schedule and Daily Flow Summer camp runs from May 29 through July 31, 2026, with ten themed camp sessions offered throughout the season. Camp hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Camps are designed for students ages 7 to 12 and take place at Santa Cruz Maker Studios, located at 427 A. Swift Street in Santa Cruz. Session 1: May 27 & 29 (Two-Day Camp) Choose Your Mini Project โ $144.00 This one day camp is designed for creative exploration and flexibility. Students choose a mini project based on their interests and skill level and spend the day designing, building, and finishing something they are excited about. Projects may include woodworking builds, simple robots, sewing projects, laser cut designs, or 3D printed creations. This session is a great introduction for new students and a fun option for returning makers looking to try something new. Session 2: June 1 โ June 5 Arcades and Games โ $720.00 Students step into the role of game designers and builders. Using woodworking, laser cutting, and 3D printing, campers create playable arcade style games such as a mini foosball table and mini-golf course. Others may design custom board games, chess boards and pieces,
DANCE ON DARK WAVES
Moes Alley presents Prezident Brown with none other than Jamaican reggae legends Chalice! Friday, July 31, 2026Doors: 8pm / Show: 9pm$35 in advance / $40 day of show21+ * No Refunds | All sales are final* Avoid scammers! Only purchase tickets from moesalley.com or ticketweb.com* Tickets requested by email will be delivered 3 days prior to the event* Will Call tickets will be available at the door on the day of the event====PREZIDENT BROWNPrezident Brown, born Fitz Albert Cotterell, has been called, one of the most interesting cultural dee-jays since U Roy. Emphasizing positive messages, Prezident Brown has continued to pioneer his own direction, developing his own approach to dee-jaying that he calls, The chanting stylee. Born to a Seventh Day Adventist family in Colonel Ridge, Clarendon, Prezident Brown grew up in the small town of Oracabessa in the Parish of St. Mary, Jamaica.He was forced to leave school at a young age when his father died leaving him with his mother and three sisters. Prezident Brown launched his musical career at the age of fourteen, when he began dee-jaying for the Sound King Stereo Mix at the Bamboo Lounge. Initially known as Junior Ranking, Prezident Brown was dubbed, Slim Brown, by dee-jay Nicodemus. When he recorded his debut single in 1988 Prezident Brown was named, Dancehall Doctor. The late Jack Ruby, producer of Burning Spears albums, Marcus Garvey, and, Man In The Hills, bestowed the title, Prezident, upon him.In 1989, he joined Courtney Coles label, Roof International, and began performing and dee-jaying at the Rooftop Club in Ocho Rios. In 1990, Prezident Brown became involved with producers Barry OHare and Steven Stewart at Grove Music in Ocho Rios. It was Barry OHares X-Rated Record label that became Prezident Browns home base and it was X-Rated Records with Runn Records that launched his career in Europe. In Jamaica the X-Rated label took off as a massive roots revival swept across the country paving the way for Prezident Browns
Get the full lineup: bit.ly/Free-Movies-on-the-Beach FREE Movies on the Beach Friday Nights at 9pm June 12 โ August 7, 2026 (Except July 3) Beach in front of the Colonnade Jurassic Park - July 31 at 9 PM Thereโs nothing quite like watching your favorite movies under the stars with your toes in the sand, enjoying the nostalgic flavors of classic Boardwalk treats. Grab your blankets and your favorite people for a Boardwalk movie night packed with unforgettable fun! Admission FREE! โข Each movie will include a 15-minute intermission. โข Seating is first-come, first-served. โข Low-back chairs and blankets are encouraged for seating; please allow others space and a good view. โข Smoking is not permitted on the beach or Boardwalk. Alcohol and glass are prohibited on the beach. โข A limited number of assistive listening devices (ALDs) are available for check-out at the Mini Golf Kiosk inside Neptune's Kingdom. โข If you require other special accommodations or would like to request Closed Captioning, please contact the Manager on Duty at least 48 hours in advance of the movie at (831) 423-5590. Free Movies on the Beach is sponsored by KDON, KOCN, KWAV, KCDU, and the City of Santa Cruz Parks & Recreation and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Printable Schedule: coming soon... ENJOY THE SHOWS!
Every Friday night on the beach in front of the Colonnade, bring your family and your blanket or low-back chair to experience the ultimate movie night! Watch your favorite movies while munching on mouthwatering Boardwalk treats, from kettle corn and saltwater taffy to corn dogs and turkey legs. Seating is first come, first served and each movie will have a 15-minute intermission. June 12, 2026: The Lost Boys June 19, 2026: Ferris Buellerโs Day Off June 26, 2026: Kicking and Screaming July 10, 2026: 13 Going on 30 July 17, 2026: Back to the Future July 24, 2026: A Minecraft Movie July 31, 2026: Jurassic Park August 7, 2026: The Goonies
The Dickens Universe is a unique cultural event that brings together scholars, teachers, students, and members of the general public for a week of stimulating discussion and festive social activity on the beautiful Santa Cruz campus of the University of Californiaโall focused on one or two Victorian novels, usually (but not always) one by Charles Dickens. In 2026, the Dickens Universe will feature Bleak House by Charles Dickens. Dickensโs ninth novel, published between 1852-1853, shines a light on social injustice and the devastating effects of a corrupt legal system, following the entangled lives of those caught in the never-ending Jarndyce and Jarndyce case. Told in alternating narrative voices, this rich literary experiment plays with a variety of genres from detective fiction and social realism to melodrama and satire. As characters move from city to suburb, from mansions to slums, we discover unexpected connections among classes, plots, and characters. Now in its 46th year of operation, the Dickens Universe combines features of a scholarly conference, a festival, a book club, and a summer camp. Participants include people of all ages and walks of lifeโdistinguished scholars, graduate students, undergraduates, retirees, young professionals, high school teachers, and anyone who loves reading and enjoys long Victorian novels. Here are some things that make the Universe such a special experience. The college lifestyle: participants live on campus, eat together in the student dining hall, and have time to meet and come to know each other in different ways. Everyone is reading the same book. We all have this one important thing in common. The activities include formal lectures, small discussion groups, films, daily Victorian teas, performances, and Victorian dancing. The Universe offers a week of total immersion in the world of Victorian fiction with friendly, like-minded colleagues in a beautiful setting. Whether weโre returning to a Dickens novel that everyone know
The 5th annual Strawberry Jam 1K/5K Fun Run/Walk coordinated by the Friends of Watsonville Parks and Community Services will kick-off the Watsonville Strawberry Festival on Saturday August 1, 2026. The Jam begins and ends at the temporary location, Landmark Elementary School in Watsonville while Ramsay Park is being renovated. This is an easy and fun course that includes Watsonville's beautiful slough system with an out and back section on Ohlone Parkway. See photo of course. No dogs please, but families and strollers are welcome. Register on Active.com. Races will be coordinated by the Santa Cruz Track Club.
We are offering a bird-watching program on August 1st at 8:00 am. Join us to learn all about life histories, behaviors, field markings, etc. On this 1-mile walk, we will make specific observations about characteristics that will certainly help us quack the case for many bird identifications! Let's plan to meet in the campground off of graham hill road. Hope to see you there! Make sure to bring binoculars and weather-appropriate attire. RSVP for this event at this page .
Zen Meditation. Open to all. Free of charge.
Enjoy Dynomite Farmโs show-quality dahlia beds for intimate, unhurried cutting experiences where you and your friends have the field to yourselves. No crowds. No rushing. Just you, your people, and a thousand flowers. Companion passes are available for guests who want to join the fun, explore the farm, and take in the beauty without cutting flowers. Friendly chickens roam the property, there are swings for little ones.
Come enjoy picking your own organic strawberries and/or flowers at the campus farm! When: U-picks will take place on Saturdays from 9am to 12pm, July 11โAugust 22, or while supplies last. PLEASE NOTE that u-pick will not occur on Saturday, July 4. Where: Free parking will be available in the Hay Barn lot or lot 115/116 during u-pick hours. Please do not park in the dirt lot at the farmโs back gate. Please walk to the check-in table near the strawberries/flowers at the farm to pre-pay and collect your u-pick container(s). We will have directional signage displayed. There is one ADA parking spot on the farm. The UCSC Farm has uneven, hilly terrain. If you require accommodations to fully participate, please email [email protected] and we will do our best to accommodate. Cost: UCSC students with valid ID get 25% off produce. Strawberry pints โ $4 each Strawberry flats (12 pints) โ $44 Flowers โ $25 for 32oz deli container Flower buckets โ $75 Payment: Credit card payments only (you will need a smartphone to scan a QR code and enter your card info manually). Dogs are not allowed on the UC Santa Cruz campus (service animals are OK).
Classic cars and coffee every Saturday morning, in East Lake Village Shopping Center. It doesn't get much better. Come walk around the expansive parking lot, look at some beautifully restored cars, drink delicious coffee, and visit with your community. Stay awhile and enjoy one of the many great eateries in the shopping center!
2464 more events further out
If it's happening in person anywhere in Santa Cruz County, whether it's a show, a market, a paddle-out, or a gallery night, we want it on the calendar. Submissions are free and reviewed by our editors.
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