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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†’
Promotional image for Sacred Return Retreat: A Psilocybin Ceremony Retreat Coming up
Sun, Aug 2, 2026 Β· Sacred Owl Land

Sacred Return Retreat: A Psilocybin Ceremony Retreat

Sacred Return Retreat offers a trauma-informed container for ceremony, breathwork, yoga, sound healing, and deep inner work. Facilitated in collaboration with Dr. Leta Jussila and Dallas McKenzie at Sacred Owl Land, this immersive retreat supports healing, transformation, and personal growth through intentional preparation, ceremony, and integration.

Wellness
Promotional image for Skypark: Scotts Valley 60th Celebration Coming up
Sun, Aug 2, 2026 Β· Skypark

Skypark: Scotts Valley 60th Celebration

Enjoy a full day of 60’s nostalgic vibes including storytelling, family-friendly entertainment, food trucks, and music! 10:30am: Storytelling 11:30am: Birthday Song & Dessert 12:00pm: Activities, Booths, Food Trucks and Fun

Festivals πŸ“ Scotts Valley
Promotional image for Scotts Valley 60th Birthday Bash Coming up
Sun, Aug 2, 2026 Β· Skypark

Scotts Valley 60th Birthday Bash

Celebrate 60 Years of Scotts Valley! Join us as we celebrate Scotts Valley's 60th Birthday Bash on Sunday, August 2nd at Skypark for an unforgettable community celebration! Event Highlights: Share Your Story (submit at [email protected]) Birthday Song & Birthday Dessert, Live Music, Roller Skating, Food Trucks, Kids Activities, Interactive History, Family Fun for All Ages! Bring your family, friends, and neighbors as we celebrate six decades of community, memories, and hometown pride. Whether you've lived here your whole life or are new to Scotts Valley, this is the perfect opportunity to come together and celebrate everything that makes our city so special. Sunday, August 2, 2026 Skypark – Scotts Valley 10:30 AM – 3:00 PM FREE Event Let's make history together as we celebrate 60 incredible years of Scotts Valley! We can't wait to see you there!

Festivals πŸ“ Scotts Valley
Promotional image for Watsonville Strawberry Festival Coming up
Sun, Aug 2, 2026 Β· Historic Downtown Watsonville

Watsonville Strawberry Festival

The Watsonville Strawberry Festival returns to historic downtown Watsonville on Saturday, August 1 and Sunday, August 2! This free, family-friendly festival features live entertainment, carnival rides, kid's activities, local artisans, business and specialty vendors and a mouthwatering variety of food. Strawberry lovers can look forward to creative berry-infused treats like pizza, tacos, churros, popcorn, shortcake, beer and more! Be sure to catch crowd favorites like the Pie-Eating Content and Berry Best Dressed Contest. Don't miss this cherished Watsonville tradition that celebrates community, creativity and all things strawberry. Mark your calendars and bring your family and friends for a weekend packed with fun, food and festivities! For more info: **watsonvillestrawberryfestival.com** or IG/FB @watsonvillestrawberryfestival Saturday, August 1 | 11AM-8 PM Sunday, August 2 | 11 AM-7 PM

Festivals πŸ“ Watsonville

β˜€οΈ Happening today

Sunday, August 2

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

9:00 AM
FREE
Live Oak Farmers' Market
πŸ“ East Cliff Village
Markets
9:00 AM
$59
Dynomite Farm: Private Dahlia U-Cut Experience
πŸ“ Dynomite Farm
Community
9:00 AM
$20
Wildlife Cameras and Other Methods for Assessing Backyard Biodiversity
πŸ“ Hay Barn
Education
9:00 AM
See listing
Farmers Market Live Oak
πŸ“ Mission St & Western
Markets
9:00 AM
FREE
Live Oak: Farmers Market
πŸ“ Live Oak Farmers’ Market
Markets
9:00 AM
$800
Sacred Return Retreat: A Psilocybin Ceremony Retreat
πŸ“ Sacred Owl Land
Wellness
9:00 AM
See listing
Drop-in Meditation
πŸ“ Land of Medicine Buddha – In the Gompa
Community
10:00 AM
See listing
CLAY INDEPENDENT LAB TIME
πŸ“ Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center
Art & Culture
10:00 AM
$32
Santa Cruz Beach Train
πŸ“ Roaring Camp Railroads
Family

What's happening

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13 upcoming events Β· Art & Culture Β· from 2026-08-02 Β· to 2026-08-02

Aug
2

Chaminade Resort and Spa: Nature Journaling

πŸ“ Chaminade Resort and Spa
πŸ•’ 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM Β· $35

Reconnect with creativity, curiosity, and the natural world through guided Nature Journaling and watercolor exploration beneath the redwoods. This mindful outdoor experience blends observation, sketching, watercolor, reflection, and sensory awareness to help reduce stress, inspire creativity, improve focus, and deepen your connection with nature. No art experience needed β€” just a willingness to slow down, notice, and explore the beauty of Santa Cruz through creative expression and mindfulness in nature.

Outdoors Art & Culture πŸ“ Midtown Details β†’
Aug
2

Script, Please!

πŸ“ Market Street Senior Center, 222 Market Street, 95060
πŸ•’ 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM Β· See listing

β€œSCRIPT, PLEASE!” Calling all you thespians out there! Come audition for a part in our upcoming short play staged readings. Six short plays, written by two local playwrights, will be performed with script-in-hand using costumes and props. Auditions will be held on Sunday, August 2nd at The Market Street Theater and Senior Center, 222 Market Street, Santa Cruz from 11a.m. to 2p.m. No need to prepare. We will have parts for you to read! Rehearsals will be held at the convenience of individual cast members. Dress rehearsals will be held on two Thursdays, September 10th and 17th, and performances will be held on Saturday, September 19th and Sunday, September 20th at The Market Street Theater and Senior Center. For any questions or synopses of plays, contact: Sally Bookman @ (831) 818-9959 or [email protected].

Art & Culture Details β†’
Aug
2

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†’
Aug
2

Dungeons and Dragons for Adults

πŸ“ Downtown Branch Library
πŸ•’ 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM Β· See listing

Come join the magical world of D&D storytelling, where you can be a bard, a wizard, or a barbarian for a few hours and let your creativity run free. Solve weird and wonderful problems with spells, cunning, or daggers and make some new friends in the process. Whether you're a complete beginner or a seasoned player you will be welcomed every 1st Sunday for an afternoon of collaborative storytelling at the Downtown Branch. Friendly game masters will be ready with dice, characters, and the start of a story; all we need is your creativity and enthusiasm. No prior experience is necessary. This program is for adults 18+. This program also happens on 3rd Saturdays at the Capitola Branch from 12-5. What is Dungeons and Dragons? D&D is one of many tabletop roleplaying games, in which players create and control fictional characters within a shared imaginary world. A Game Master guides the story and sets the scene, while the players make decisions for their characters, rolling dice to determine outcomes. TTRPGs encourage creativity, teamwork, and storytelling as players collaborate to overcome challenges and complete quests. Modern D&D has veered away from the combat-heavy game it used to be. While it's still possible to spend hours attacking monsters and finding loot, many groups now tell stories of mystery, intrigue, horror, or whimsy. Who are the game masters? This event is organized by Jeltje van Baren ( [email protected] ), who learned to play a few years ago and has been creating games for new players ever since. She will be assisted by a rotating group of diverse GMs from the local TTRPG community, all of whom are used to patiently explaining the rules and keeping the game fun for everyone.

Art & Culture Adults 21+ πŸ“ Downtown Santa Cruz Details β†’
Aug
2

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†’
Aug
2

Sister Act, The Musical

πŸ“ Cabrillo Crocker Theater
πŸ•’ 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM Β· $25

The Cabrillo Theater is preparing for a dazzling production of Sister Act. This uplifting story follows Deloris, a bold and loving nightclub singer, as she is sent to a convent for her own protection. While there, Deloris teaches the nuns to sing with passion and joy. The nuns and Deloris learn how to step into their own power. Promising mischief and friendship, the fun never stops during Sister Act. The audience will glow with laughter throughout the comedic production. The infectious and high-energy songs will light up attendees long after the curtain falls. Goes until August 2nd. -Isabella Marie Sangaline

Art & Culture Music πŸ“ Soquel Details β†’
Aug
2

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

Aug
2

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

Art & Culture Outdoors πŸ“ Midtown Details β†’
Aug
2

WRECKAGE: A Musical Tragicomedy by San Francisco Mime Troupe

πŸ“ London Nelson Community Center
πŸ•’ 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM Β· FREE

WRECKAGE: A Musical Tragicomedy by San Francisco Mime Troupe London Nelson Community Center – Outdoors (Santa Cruz) Sat., Aug. 1 - 3:00 pm (Music 2:30) Sun., Aug. 2 - 3:00 pm (Music 2:30) 301 Center St., Santa Cruz 95060 Ticket Info: FREE ($20 suggested donation)

Art & Culture Free Details β†’
Aug
2

Audrey Stanley Grove: Live Drama in the Redwoods

πŸ“ Audrey Stanley Grove in DeLaveaga Park
πŸ•’ 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM Β· $25

Santa Cruz Shakespeare invites you to experience August Wilson’s Fences, under the trees and stars of the Audrey Stanley Grove in Santa Cruz’s DeLaveaga Park this summer. Fences By August Wilson Directed by Susan Dalian August Wilson joins the Santa Cruz Shakespeare stage for the first time in 45 years. Fences is the perfect offering, wonderfully in line with the Santa Cruz Shakespeare season’s theme: Till Death Do Us Part. Troy Maxson is one of Wilson’s great creations; Shakespearean in scope; a wordsmith and brilliant storyteller. He has survived the terrible trauma of his past and built himself a good life. But the backbone of that life, the spine that keeps it standing strong, is his wife Rose. Like all of Wilson’s best work, Fences is both mythic and intimate; the questions it asks both human and eternal. Fences runs July 28 – August 28. Tickets available for purchase starting May 1. More information through the link in the orange button above. Seasonal box office hours beginning May 1 are Tuesday through Friday from 12p.m. to 4p.m. Call the number above.

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

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