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πŸ“ Santa Cruz County, CA

From the waves to the redwoods, it's all happening here.

Live music, festivals, art walks, surf contests, trail days and everything in between.

In-person only, on purpose. Everything here is something you can actually show up to. No screens, no streams.

β˜… Featured this season

Promotional image for Phamily Time! β˜… Featured Event
Sat, Aug 8, 2026 Β· 4:00 PM

Phamily Time!

πŸ“ Woodhouse Blending & Brewing Β· Downtown Santa Cruz Β· See listing

Phamily Time, presented by Phreeborn is back with a summer edition you won’t want to miss. There will be something for everyone, so bring the whole phamily! Get tickets for the whole day celebration here: TICKETS

Music Festivals πŸ“ Downtown Santa Cruz Details β†’
Music
β˜… Featured
Sat, Jul 25, 2026 Β· Westside Locations

Chamber Choir Now Auditioning

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.

Music πŸ“ Westside
Promotional image for Movie Night Under the Stars: Screening β€œSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” β˜… Featured
Tue, Jul 28, 2026 Β· Stevenson College

Movie Night Under the Stars: Screening β€œSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”

The DSAS Center for Leadership and Involvement and Summer Edge invite you to join us for our Movie Night Under the Stars event screening β€œSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”: Date: Tuesday, July 28th Screening Time: Event entry begins at 7:30 p.m. | Movie starts at 8:00 p.m. Location: Stevenson College Knoll *Bring your own blanket! Limited chairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis.* Free movie snacks will be available! For any questions or accommodations, please email [email protected] . You Belong Here: The programs and services described here are open to all, consistent with state and federal law, as well as the University of California’s nondiscrimination policies. Every initiativeβ€”whether a student service, faculty program, or community eventβ€”is designed to be accessible, inclusive, and respectful of all identities. To learn more, please visit UC Nondiscrimination Statement or Nondiscrimination Policy for UC Publications .

Education πŸ“ UCSC
Promotional image for Free Beach BBQ Parties and Concerts β˜… Featured
Thu, Jul 30, 2026 Β· Santa Cruz Harbor Beach

Free Beach BBQ Parties and Concerts

Every Thursday throughout the summer, enjoy a family-friendly party on the beach at no charge! There will be local bands and DJs performing on the outdoor stage, providing music for dancing and socializing. There will be BBQ food and drinks for purchase all in a beachside setting providing stunning views of the ocean and Walton Lighthouse. Parking is limited in the area, so consider enjoying a free water taxi ride from other parking areas! 2026 Lineup: May 21, 2026: Sambada May 28, 2026: Space Heater June 4, 2026: James Durbin & The Lost Boys June 11, 2026: Ancestree June 18, 2026: Jive Machine June 25, 2026: Cake by the Ocean July 2, 2026: Ripatti Rose Band July 9, 2026: Extra Large July 16, 2026: Fishhook July 23, 2026: Harry & The Hitmen July 30, 2026: Matt Masih & The Messengers August 6, 2026: The Houserockers August 13, 2026: The Joint Chiefs August 20, 2026: La Familia August 27, 2026: Alex Lucero Band September 3, 2026: Sambada

Food & Drink πŸ“ Seabright & Harbor
Promotional image for Zen Buddhist Meditation Coming up
Sat, Jul 25, 2026 Β· Santa Cruz Zen Center

Zen Buddhist Meditation

Zen Meditation. Open to all. Free of charge.

Music πŸ“ Downtown Santa Cruz

β˜€οΈ Happening today

Saturday, July 25

93 events on today. No plans required, just go.

12:00 AM
$7
SC Beach Boardwalk: National Carousel Day
πŸ“ Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Family
8:00 AM
FREE
Cabrillo Farmers Market
πŸ“ Cabrillo College
Markets
8:00 AM
FREE
Scotts Valley Farmers' Market
πŸ“ Joe and Linda Aliberti Boys and Girls Club
Markets
8:00 AM
FREE
Rally in the Pajaro Valley
πŸ“ Franich Park
Outdoors
8:30 AM
FREE
Zen Buddhist Meditation
πŸ“ Santa Cruz Zen Center
Music
8:39 AM
FREE
Chamber Choir Now Auditioning
πŸ“ Westside Locations
Music
9:00 AM
FREE
UC Santa Cruz Farm U-Pick
πŸ“ UC Santa Cruz
Food & Drink
9:00 AM
$895
Summer Production (3-weeks): Moana Jr
πŸ“ All About Theatre
Art & Culture
9:00 AM
$59
Dynomite Farm: Private Dahlia U-Cut Experience
πŸ“ Dynomite Farm
Community

What's happening

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Showing 30 of 110 upcoming events Β· Art & Culture Β· from 2026-07-25 Β· to 2026-08-01

Jul
25

Didgeridoo Down Under

πŸ“ La Selva Beach Branch Library
πŸ•’ 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Β· See listing

Join us for an energetic fusion of Australian music, culture, art, science, comedy, character building, and audience participation. The show also includes storytelling and information about didgeridoo history and crafting. https://santacruzpl.libnet.info/event/16206168

Jul
25

POKEMON ART CONTEST FOR KIDS!

πŸ“ Comicopolis
πŸ•’ 12:00 PM Β· FREE

It's time to get those crayons sharpened, paints mixed and markers at the ready for our Summer 2026 PokΓ©mon Art Contest for kids 5-12! To join in, create a picture of your favorite PokΓ©mon having a fun moment or striking a cool, dynamic pose. Submissions should be on 8.5 x 11 paper. You can use any medium you like, such as paint, marker, crayon, pencil, etc. No digital art. There will be prizes awarded to two age groups, 5-7 and 8-12. Entries accepted June 1st-July 31st. Winners will be announced on August 6th. BONUS: All participants will receive a free PokΓ©mon:Chaos Rising 11x17 mini-poster (while supplies last) when you hand in your art.

Jul
25

Role-playing Games at the Library

πŸ“ Freedom Branch Library
πŸ•’ 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM Β· See listing

Watsonville Public Library and the Santa Cruz County Roleplayin g Games Group invite anyone in the community interested in tabletop role-p laying games (TTRPGs) to come and learn how to play multiple role-playing games. Several games will be presented at the same session at different ta bles. The focus for this session is for people to experience the ga mes without the commitment of lots of sessions or money spent. Everything needed to play will be provided, and all skill levels are welcome! Audience: Adults. https://www.watsonville.gov/calendar.aspx?EID=7416

Art & Culture Family πŸ“ Watsonville Details β†’
Jul
25

Spring Exhibitions at the Institute of the Arts and Sciences

πŸ“ Institute of the Arts and Sciences
πŸ•’ 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM Β· See listing

Visit the IAS, UCSC’s premier art galleries, for our spring exhibitions. On view April 10–August 16, 2026 are three diverse and interdisciplinary shows: Libia Posada: Everything is Going Right , the first US solo exhibition by the Colombia-based artist and medical doctor; Gina Athena Ulysse: A Redwoods Rasanblaj , a site-specific and immersive exploration of the Haitian kreyol conception of rasanblaj; and Ronaldo V. Wilson: There Are No Words, But Melodies , a mixed-media exhibition emerging at the intersections of Black poetics, performance, and visual art. The IAS Galleries are open Wednesday-Sunday, 12 pm – 5 pm. Admission is free to the public. Libia Posada: Everything is Going Right Libia Posada’s first solo exhibition in the United States features installations, sculptures, and drawings meticulously constructed from surgical instruments, gauze bandages, crutches, used books, and domestic picture frames. The new and existing works in the exhibition powerfully stitch together the personal, social, and political disorders and afflictions that currently trouble the world, from the wars that resonate across the globe to the violences of aging in US prisons. Gina Athena Ulysse: A Redwoods Rasanblaj: Origins & Disentanglements The internationally-lauded work of humanities professor Gina Athena Ulysse is on view as a premier Faculty Spotlight Exhibition. The site-specific installation, produced in community from things collected, found, purchased and donated, centers on the Haitian concept of rasanblaj, a form of assembly and collage that transcends the formal use of materials to draw together people, spirits, and ideas. Ronaldo V. Wilson: There Are No Words, But Melodies Collage is both a material practice and a structural interrogation in the Faculty Spotlight Exhibition artworks by literature professor Ronaldo V. Wilson. In video, painting, and installation, layers and folds conceal and reveal, delving into the experience, both bodily and emotive, of living in time

Education Art & Culture πŸ“ Westside Details β†’
Jul
25

Nicholson Vineyards: Summer Series

πŸ“ Nicholson Vineyards
πŸ•’ 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM Β· $25

Enjoy summer weekend afternoons at the beautiful Nicholson Vineyards! Saturdays from noon to 5pm – Enjoy perusing art from local artists Sundays from 1pm to 4pm – Enjoy listening to local musicians Pack a picnic spread, gather your friends and family, and sip on their refreshing summer wine flight, featuring the best of our warm-weather selections. Book your reservation today! July 11 & 12: The Clay Chalet and music by Dos Bros July 18 & 19: Indigo and Vine and music by Jo Coleman July 25 & 26: Sour Sammy Sourdough and music by Six String Mixtape August 1 & 2: Scout and Sea and music by Half Pass August 8 & 9: Lili Arnold Studios and music by Eden Edell August 15 & 16: Desert Moon Design and music by Kip Allert August 22 & 23: Papelline Jewelry and music by Zach Bailey August 29 & 30: Anna Gail Designs and music by Jeff Smith September 5 & 6: All You Knead and music by Cake Party!

Food & Drink Art & Culture πŸ“ Aptos & Seacliff Details β†’
Jul
25

Annieglass Craftbar: Color Theory Collage Workshop

πŸ“ Annieglass
πŸ•’ 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM Β· $110

Get your hands dirty with award-winning artist Suzanne McCourt. Suzanne will be hands-on to help create a mixed media canvas 12 x 12” along with a small practice canvas. Explore color theory collage on canvas which include spray paint stencils, layering paper, painting with acrylic, collages and getting as creative as possible! Unravel the mysteries of color theory and have a great time. Be sure to bring your apron or paint t-shirt. You’ll also receive 15% off Annieglass first-quality pieces on the day of the event. Sparkling waters provided. Half bottles & bottles of wine available for purchase.

Community Art & Culture πŸ“ Watsonville Details β†’
Jul
25

Annieglass Craftbar: Glass Coasters Workshop

πŸ“ Annieglass
πŸ•’ 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM Β· $85

Make your own beautiful set of four glass coasters with Smithsonian artist, Annie Morhauser. Everything you need will be providedβ€”glass, stencils, colorful glass enamels, adhesive feet, and expert guidance throughout the process. You’ll design and decorate 4β€³ glass squares, then load them into the kilns (don’t worryβ€”they’ll be off!). Annieglass will fire your pieces for you, and you can have them shipped to your home. Want a full set of eight? Book two workshops! You’ll also receive 15% off Annieglass first-quality pieces on the day of the event. Sparkling waters provided. Half bottles & bottles of wine available for purchase.

Community Art & Culture πŸ“ Watsonville Details β†’
Jul
25

Didgeridoo Down Under

πŸ“ Capitola
πŸ•’ 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM Β· See listing

Join us for an energetic fusion of Australian music, culture, art, science, comedy, character building, and audience participation. The show also includes storytelling and information about didgeridoo history and crafting. https://santacruzpl.libnet.info/event/16224944

Art & Culture Family πŸ“ Capitola Details β†’
Jul
25

Didgeridoo Down Under

πŸ“ Live Oak Branch Library
πŸ•’ 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM Β· See listing

Join us for an energetic fusion of Australian music, culture, art, science, comedy, character building, and audience participation. The show also includes storytelling and information about didgeridoo history and crafting. https://santacruzpl.libnet.info/event/16224944

Art & Culture Family Details β†’
Jul
25

SIX is for 6enocide Powerful Poetry by Daniel Reyes

πŸ“ Capitola
πŸ•’ 2:00 PM Β· See listing

Daniel reads from his powerful book of poetry, SIX is for 6enocide. Copies of the book are available for purchase and signing. Light refreshments will be provided. Registration is recommended. Join us as Daniel Reyes reads from his book SIX is for 6enocide, which is dedicated to the Alaydi family in Gaza, Palestine. Local Palestinian poet Howla Jardali will read a poem and introduce Daniel. Professor Stephen Zunes, Program Director of USF's Middle Eastern Studies Program will be present to answer any questions about the history and politics of the region. Registration required. https://santacruzpl.libnet.info/event/16418611

Art & Culture BIPOC πŸ“ Capitola Details β†’
Jul
25

SIX is for 6enocide

πŸ“ Santa Cruz Public Libraries
πŸ•’ 3:00 PM Β· See listing

Saturday, July 25 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm Daniel reads from his powerful book of poetry, SIX is for 6enocide. Copies of the book are available for purchase and signing. Light refreshments will be provided. Registration is recommended.

Community Art & Culture Details β†’
Jul
25

Escaping Queens

πŸ“ Santa Cruz Actors' Theatre
πŸ•’ 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM Β· $16

A story written by Capitola’s 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 father’s 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 Oritz’s own memoir, Pastinaβ€”My Father’s Misfortune, My Mother’s 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 parents’ mistakes. -Shelly Novo; Good Times Santa Cruz

Jul
25

Macbeth, presented by Santa Cruz Shakespeare

πŸ“ The Audrey Stanley Grove in DeLaveaga Park
πŸ•’ 8:00 PM Β· See listing

Something wicked this way comes, indeed. Starting this weekend and running through August 30th, Santa Cruz Shakespeare presents one of The Bard’s most infamous plays, Macbeth. Coincidentally the play’s first ever performance is believed to have been in 1606 marking this as the 420th anniversary, which is very Santa Cruz. And for anyone familiar with Macbeth, it’s easy to see why it’s lasted throughout the ages. Witches, murder, moral failings and tons of tragedy are beautifully sewn throughout the acts, stitched together with lines such as β€œBlood will have blood,” and β€œthe wine of life is drawn.” -Mat Weir; Good Times Santa Cruz

Art & Culture Outdoors πŸ“ Midtown Details β†’
Jul
26

Spring Exhibitions at the Institute of the Arts and Sciences

πŸ“ Institute of the Arts and Sciences
πŸ•’ 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM Β· See listing

Visit the IAS, UCSC’s premier art galleries, for our spring exhibitions. On view April 10–August 16, 2026 are three diverse and interdisciplinary shows: Libia Posada: Everything is Going Right , the first US solo exhibition by the Colombia-based artist and medical doctor; Gina Athena Ulysse: A Redwoods Rasanblaj , a site-specific and immersive exploration of the Haitian kreyol conception of rasanblaj; and Ronaldo V. Wilson: There Are No Words, But Melodies , a mixed-media exhibition emerging at the intersections of Black poetics, performance, and visual art. The IAS Galleries are open Wednesday-Sunday, 12 pm – 5 pm. Admission is free to the public. Libia Posada: Everything is Going Right Libia Posada’s first solo exhibition in the United States features installations, sculptures, and drawings meticulously constructed from surgical instruments, gauze bandages, crutches, used books, and domestic picture frames. The new and existing works in the exhibition powerfully stitch together the personal, social, and political disorders and afflictions that currently trouble the world, from the wars that resonate across the globe to the violences of aging in US prisons. Gina Athena Ulysse: A Redwoods Rasanblaj: Origins & Disentanglements The internationally-lauded work of humanities professor Gina Athena Ulysse is on view as a premier Faculty Spotlight Exhibition. The site-specific installation, produced in community from things collected, found, purchased and donated, centers on the Haitian concept of rasanblaj, a form of assembly and collage that transcends the formal use of materials to draw together people, spirits, and ideas. Ronaldo V. Wilson: There Are No Words, But Melodies Collage is both a material practice and a structural interrogation in the Faculty Spotlight Exhibition artworks by literature professor Ronaldo V. Wilson. In video, painting, and installation, layers and folds conceal and reveal, delving into the experience, both bodily and emotive, of living in time

Education Art & Culture πŸ“ Westside Details β†’
Jul
26

Nicholson Vineyards: Summer Series

πŸ“ Nicholson Vineyards
πŸ•’ 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM Β· $25

Enjoy summer weekend afternoons at the beautiful Nicholson Vineyards! Saturdays from noon to 5pm – Enjoy perusing art from local artists Sundays from 1pm to 4pm – Enjoy listening to local musicians Pack a picnic spread, gather your friends and family, and sip on their refreshing summer wine flight, featuring the best of our warm-weather selections. Book your reservation today! July 11 & 12: The Clay Chalet and music by Dos Bros July 18 & 19: Indigo and Vine and music by Jo Coleman July 25 & 26: Sour Sammy Sourdough and music by Six String Mixtape August 1 & 2: Scout and Sea and music by Half Pass August 8 & 9: Lili Arnold Studios and music by Eden Edell August 15 & 16: Desert Moon Design and music by Kip Allert August 22 & 23: Papelline Jewelry and music by Zach Bailey August 29 & 30: Anna Gail Designs and music by Jeff Smith September 5 & 6: All You Knead and music by Cake Party!

Food & Drink Art & Culture πŸ“ Aptos & Seacliff Details β†’
Jul
26

Rite Life - A Writing Group Amongst the Dead

πŸ“ Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History
πŸ•’ 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM Β· See listing

This monthly series of writing workshops in Evergreen Cemetery is facilitated by local poet Gabriel Kittle-Cervine. Rite Life is a workshop that blends the act of automatic writing, with our individual practices of ancestor veneration, to confront that which haunts us, and to celebrate that which allows us to live. The workshop was born in 2016 from the vision of a profound poet and spiritual teacher named Honeysun, just a couple of years before she passed beyond this life. Her initial concept for the Rite Life workshop is preserved in the way it's practiced today; still facilitated by Gabe, her friend and pupil, alongside a bright circle of local writers and practitioners of craft. Learn more at www.blankmetafour.com or follow @unclegabe831 on Instagram. All ages welcome, and we'll be there rain or shine-see y'all in the cemetery!

Jul
26

Jurrasic Jungle Book – A Three Hour Tour

πŸ“ Park Hall Ben Lomond
πŸ•’ 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM Β· See listing

Little People’s Repertory Theatre Presents Jurassic Jungle Book: A Three-Hour Tour Little People’s Repertory Theatre (LPRT) presents Jurassic Jungle Book: A Three-Hour Tour, an original rock musical by Jannine Chadwick, Directed by Daria Elise Troxell, Musical Direction Gabe House. During a sightseeing boat tour, seven passengers become castaways when their boat is shipwrecked on a tropical jungle island. The island is sparsely populated by talking jungle animals, Village People, Mowgli (a boy raised by wolves), Huntriz, three singing dino-hunters, four ninja turtles, and Indominus Khan, a tiger who became a mutant after a sinister group of β€œscientists” came to β€œstudy” the island, with the hidden motive of transforming the island into a prehistoric theme park. This sweet and silly mash-up features more than twenty musical numbers. The cast includes children ages 7–14 singing and dancing to parodies of contemporary pop songs and classic rock hits. It’s alternative children’s musical theatre like no other! Shows regularly sell out, so reserve your tickets early. Ticket information and show times are available online at lprt.org. Performances will be held at Park Hall in Ben Lomond from July 15 through July 25. Please visit the website for specific show times.

Jul
26

Escaping Queens

πŸ“ Santa Cruz Actors' Theatre
πŸ•’ 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM Β· $16

A story written by Capitola’s 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 father’s 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 Oritz’s own memoir, Pastinaβ€”My Father’s Misfortune, My Mother’s 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 parents’ mistakes. -Shelly Novo; Good Times Santa Cruz

Jul
26

Macbeth, presented by Santa Cruz Shakespeare

πŸ“ The Audrey Stanley Grove in DeLaveaga Park
πŸ•’ 2:00 PM Β· See listing

Something wicked this way comes, indeed. Starting this weekend and running through August 30th, Santa Cruz Shakespeare presents one of The Bard’s most infamous plays, Macbeth. Coincidentally the play’s first ever performance is believed to have been in 1606 marking this as the 420th anniversary, which is very Santa Cruz. And for anyone familiar with Macbeth, it’s easy to see why it’s lasted throughout the ages. Witches, murder, moral failings and tons of tragedy are beautifully sewn throughout the acts, stitched together with lines such as β€œBlood will have blood,” and β€œthe wine of life is drawn.” -Mat Weir; Good Times Santa Cruz

Jul
26

Anime Your Way

πŸ“ Santa Cruz Public Libraries
πŸ•’ 2:00 PM Β· See listing

Sunday, July 26 2026 1:00pm - 2:15pm Learn how to create your own anime character from scratch from former Simpson's artist, Carlos Nieto III, in a fun and easy step-by-step process. No experience necessary!

Community Art & Culture Details β†’

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