CLAY INDEPENDENT LAB TIME
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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.
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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
Coming up
The first annual Aloha Music & Arts Festival Santa Cruz will take place Friday, July 31, and Saturday, Aug. 1, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. each day at Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, bringing together local musicians, hula schools, artists, food vendors, and community organizations for a weekend celebrating Hawaiian, Polynesian, and Pacific cultures. Gates open daily at 11 a.m. Admission to the festival is free. Donations are welcome. Parking will be available for $20 per vehicle. No in-and-out privileges will be allowed, and re-entry fees will be enforced. Produced by Victor Ohana Productions LLC, the festival aims to celebrate the Spirit of Aloha while creating a new cultural tradition for the Central Coast community. Organizers say the event was created to strengthen connections among local Polynesian communities, while offering residents and visitors a new summer cultural experience in Santa Cruz County. โThis festival is about bringing people together through music, dance, food, art, and community,โ said Marie Victor, founder of Victor Ohana Productions. โSanta Cruz has deep cultural and historical connections to Hawaiสปi through surf culture and the ocean lifestyle. We wanted to create an event that celebrates those shared influences while showcasing the incredible local talent we have here in Northern California.โ Rather than featuring a national headliner, the festival will spotlight local bands and performers from throughout Santa Cruz County and the surrounding region. Organizers said the focus of the event is community participation and cultural authenticity. Festival attendees can expect: โ Food vendors featuring Pacific-inspired cuisine โ Local arts, crafts, and merchandise vendors โ Information booths from community nonprofits and organizations โ Family-friendly cultural activities and entertainment Local Live Music โ Victor Ohana 3 Generations โ Ho' Omana โ Hunawai โ Kanalu โ Laule'a Hawaiian Band โ Ka La'i O Mele โ George Kahumoku Jr (Grammy Award Winner in
Coming up
Feel the rhythm of Hawaiian Music with live performances both Friday and Saturday. Enjoy Polynesian inspired dance and vibrant performances throughout the festival. Savor a curated selection of local food vendors serving up dishes and community favorites. Browse a vibrant marketplace of local artisans, handcrafted goods, and unique finds from vendors across the county. Open from noon to 6pm both Friday and Saturday. Although the event entry is free, parking at the venue is $20 per vehicle.
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Showing 30 of 134 upcoming events ยท Art & Culture ยท from 2026-07-31 ยท to 2026-08-07
0 booked, 6 available Handbuilding
Dive into crafting killer screen stories & boost your writing skills with fellow creatives at our educational, hands- intensive 3 day class!
Visit the IAS, UCSCโs premier art galleries, for our spring exhibitions. On view April 10โAugust 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 โ 5 pm. Admission is free to the public. Libia Posada: Everything is Going Right Libia Posadaโs 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
Take a guided tour of the MAH by one of our staff members! At the MAH, our tours don't just take you through art and history. They immerse you in it and connect you to Santa Cruz and beyond. If you're ready to dive into a new perspective, join us every Friday for an informative private tour free with admission. Art experts, historians, and educators are here to help. Plus, stick around to meet new people or check out our new gift shop. If you are an educator and interested in booking a tour for your class or group, browse our educational field trips here.
Renown graphic artist Jim Phillips will present his first-ever one-man solo show of new artworks. The exclusive show represents first time ever the celebrated artist has shown his work at a solo exhibit in his hometown. Jim's graphics and surf and skate-themed artworks are a global cultural phenomenon, with millions of fans drawn to the Santa Cruz Red Dot and Screamong Hand, which he created in 1985. Jim's legacy has seen the prolific creating iconic surf and skate graphics, advertising, rock posters and drawings and paintings for a global clientele.
RSVP for Friday, July 31, 2026, 5:30 - 8 PM (Doors Open 5 PM) "Desperado: The Real Story" Tales of Rough Frontier Justice Film Written & Directed by Scott Deal Park Hall Community Center 9400 Mill Street, Ben Lomond, CA 95005 "Desperado: The Real Story" film shows crimes and cities where they happened. Mountain Community Theater actors and locals play Outlaws Black Bart, Juan Soto and Lewis Dreibelbis for their resemblance to historic villains, victims and lawmen. $20 General, $15 Senior & Youth ORDER TICKETS: [email protected] zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/desperado-the-real-story Website & QR Code: KSLV.tv *Concessions are available during the intermission. *Proceeds Benefit the Park Hall Sprinkler System. INVITE FRIENDS!
A theater production of the musical Dear Evan Hansen.
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
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 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
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.
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 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.
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
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!
This is a mixed-level ballet class for adult ballet dancers with Elizebeth Randall Rains.
Call to register or if you have questions: 457-2273 Location will vary so call for details The facilitator will bring photos. You are responsible for purchasing materials (see below). Discover your Wisdom with SoulCollageยฎ Let's explore our inner selves. Using images, imagination and intuition, you will begin to create your own personal deck of collaged cards. Part art project, part spiritual practice, SoulCollageยฎ allows you to deepen your understanding of yourself and tap into your inner wisdom that can guide you on important life decisions. In a fun, creative, and relaxed environment, you will create cards that will reveal parts of your personality, your archetypes, and other guides, allies, and challengers. We will talk about the ways you can use your personal deck of collaged cards to tap into your inner wisdom. No art experience necessary. Anyone can create SoulCollageยฎ cards! We use scissors, glue, and images cut from magazines to create our cards. Youโll take home several finished cardsโand no doubt a love for this creative process! Please bring with you : * Scissors * Glue stick (best kind is Pioneer glue stick) * 8 x 5 mat board * Pen & Notebook
0 booked, 6 available Handbuilding
Join Dr. Michelle Bean, Dr. Leta Jussila, and Cindy Hill-Ford for an introductory exploration of psychedelic-assisted therapy. Learn about ketamine-assisted therapy, preparation and integration practices, safety considerations, clinical applications, and current research shaping this evolving field of healing and mental health.
Dive into crafting killer screen stories & boost your writing skills with fellow creatives at our educational, hands- intensive 3 day class!
Visit the IAS, UCSCโs premier art galleries, for our spring exhibitions. On view April 10โAugust 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 โ 5 pm. Admission is free to the public. Libia Posada: Everything is Going Right Libia Posadaโs 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
Enjoy summer weekend afternoons at the beautiful Nicholson Vineyards! Saturdays from noon to 5pm โ Enjoy perusing art from local artists Sundays from 1pm to 4pm โ 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!
Saturday, August 01 2026 12:00pm - 3:00pm Manifest your visions, desires, and dreams through the art of Soul Collage!
Make your own beautiful set of four glass coasters with Smithsonian artist, Annie Morhauser. Everything you need will be providedโglass, stencils, colorful glass enamels, adhesive feet, and expert guidance throughout the process. Youโll design and decorate 4โณ glass squares, then load them into the kilns (donโt worryโtheyโll 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! Youโll 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.
The exhibition of Mary Altier's photography includes 60 images taken in Papua New Guinea, China, Italy, India, several countries in Africa, and more. The library is open every day except Sunday from 10:00 AM until 7 PM, M-Th and 5 PM Fri. and Sat. The reception will feature refreshments and an on going slide show of recent work. Free and open to the public.
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.
Saturday, August 01 2026 1:30pm - 4:30pm Join local artist Mary Altier to celebrate her photography exhibit at the Aptos Branch Library. Enjoy refreshments and view the installation.
The Tony Award-Winning San Francisco Mime Troupe Opens their 67th Season with: WRECKAGE: A Musical Tragicomedy July 3 โ Sept. 7, 2026
They may be Joe Russoโs Almost Dead, but their covers are breathing life into the Grateful Deadโs discography. Instead of note-for-note covers, the band delivers fresh improvisational reinterpretations of the legendary jam bandโs songs. Led by Joe Russo, drummer and longtime apprentice of the Grateful Dead, is an impeccable drummer and born leader. Flanked by his longtime collaborators, Marco Benevento, Dave Dreiwitz, Scott Metzger, and Tom Hamilton, thereโs an overflow of rock prowess in their performance. Delivering high energy, boundless creativity, and face-melting riffs, JRAD is for the rock fans and the music nerds alike. -Shelly Novo; Good Times Santa Cruz
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
104 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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