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Featured Event
Phamily Time, presented by Phreeborn is back with a summer edition you wonβt want to miss. There will be something for everyone, so bring the whole phamily! Get tickets for the whole day celebration here: TICKETS
Coming up
Zen Meditation. Open to all. Free of charge.
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.
No set up - nothing special just stage space
Coming up
The Second Annual Santa Cruz Jug Band Festival Thursday August 6th β Sunday August 9th, 2026 Free admission for all events! Contact [email protected] Jug band music is scrappy, soulful, and a little unexpected β The songs are an energetic and artful blend of old-time jazz with blues and gospel. It can be played using washboards, jugs, kazoos; anything that can be turned into an instrument - or guitar, banjo, and brass - itβs the kind of music that makes you stop and smile! Calendar of events: Thursday August 6th, 5:45-7:30 pm at Pono Hawaiian Grill. 120 Union St. Downtown Santa Cruz. Β· Join the Trolley Drops at their monthly jug band sing and play along. Bring your voice and/or instruments and your good humor. Lyrics projected on the wall. Itβs free. Friday August 7th, 6-9 pm at Abbott Square Market and the MAH, 725 Front St. Santa Cruz Β· 6 pm in the MAH lecture hall: βThe Wild & Wacky History of Jug Band Musicβ, a presentation by the Trolley Drops. Β· 7 pm at Abbott Square: The Puffball Collective plays dance music, βProhibition to Psychedelia: Jug Band Roots as Rock.β Saturday August 8th, Noon-9 pm at Abbott Square. 725 Front St. Santa Cruz Β· Five bands will play one hour sets with sing-alongs or solo performances between sets. Β· Alphabetically the bands are: The Rivertown Skifflers The Quake City Jug Band The San Lorenzo Valley Ramblers The Trolley Drops The Washboard Rhythm Company Sunday August 9th, 2-5 pm at Shanty Shack Brewing. 138 Fern St. Santa Cruz. Β· Jug Band Happy Hour: various members of the five Jug Bands will perform some of their favorite songs in a more intimate setting.
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Showing 30 of 129 upcoming events Β· Community Β· from 2026-08-08 Β· to 2026-08-15
Enjoy Dynomite Farmβs 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.
Write Queer, a creative writing group Date: May 9, and the Second and Fourth Saturdays Time: 10:30 am - 12:00 Noon Cost: Free Location: The Diversity Center, 1117 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95062 Ages: 18+ Join Jesse and Peggy for all or part of this series, running from March through May. Unleash your creativity at Write Queer, an 18+ group for writers of all levels. Respond to provided prompts, or bring your own projects. Meetings include writing time, optional sharing and positive feedback. Please bring a pen and paper or a laptop. .
Help Shape Your Neighborhood Coastline How should Santa Cruz prepare for coastal flooding, erosion, and sea level rise over the next 30 years? Join the City of Santa Cruz for an interactive community workshop focused on the future of our coastline. Community members have helped shape the conversation about the future of Santa Cruz's coastline through previous workshops, open houses, and outreach efforts. Now it's time to evaluate potential coastal resilience strategies for West Cliff, Main Beach, Cowell Beach, East Cliff, and Seabright Beach. Participants will take part in a guided tabletop exercise to explore options, discuss tradeoffs, and share feedback that will help inform future planning. Conversation Date August 8, 2026 10:30 a.m.β12:30 p.m. Bay View Elementary School Focus Area: West Cliff Light refreshments will be provided. Learn more and register at santacruzca.gov/resilient-coast Additional Date August 3, 2026 5:30β7:30 p.m. London Nelson Community Center Focus Areas: Main/Cowell Beaches and East Cliff/Seabright Beach
Saturday, August 08 2026 10:00am - 12:00pm In partnership with the Volunteer Center Literacy Program
Staff offers a guided adobe tour centered on the experiences of Native communities in the Santa Cruz mission providing insight into daily life, cultural change, and the impacts of the mission system. Visitors will gain a deeper understanding of the resilience and enduring presence of Indigenous people in the region. Reservation Link:
Saturday, August 08 2026 10:00am - 12:00pm Big stories, tiny prices! Browse our pop-up book sale packed with great finds. $5 a bag!! Every purchase supports the Aptos Library. Stop by, snag a stack, and support your library today!!!
Saturday, August 08 2026 10:00am - 12:00pm Join us each Saturday morning for a relaxing time crafting with your neighbors.
Saturday, August 08 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm The Zentangle Method is a fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns. Join Certified Zentangle Teacher Lisa Hoesing for an introductory workshop and monthly meetup.
Saturday, August 08 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm In this two-part short story workshop, writers will explore how to shape a story from an initial idea into a more focused, compelling draft.
βConfluenceβ: where separate currents meet. This beautiful exhibition pairs the work of Santa Cruz artists Susana Arias and Glenn Carter, on view August 7 through September 13 at M.K. Contemporary Art Gallery. βConfluenceβ is exhibited alongside of 25+ local and regional artists whose work we adore. Live improvisational jazz music from βThe Leftoversβ at the opening on the First Friday of August from 6-8PM
Saturday, August 08 2026 1:00pm - 3:00pm Write a poem in a creative and supportive environment.
Saturday, August 08 2026 12:00pm - 5:00pm Adults need playtime, too! Come play some new or old favorite tabletop games. Bring your own or play some of the library's games. No prior gaming experience is necessary. 18+. Every 2nd Saturday.
Saturday, August 08 2026 1:00pm - 2:30pm Learn about Iranian rituals and beliefs in relation to dance, as well as how Iranian culture has impacted global music and dance traditions.
Saturday, August 08 2026 2:00pm - 4:00pm Learn about volunteer opportunities and how teens like you can create change in your library! Followed by a chill activity and free snacks (and get your volunteer hours just for showing up)! ACT now!
Saturday, August 08 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm Downtown Library Youth Chess Club. Open to players ages 6 to 18. Instructor is Chess Master Gjon Feinstein.
You won't want to miss CASA of Santa Cruz County's premier fundraising event, Imagine! All proceeds raised go towards our programs supporting children and youth in the foster care and/or juvenile probation systems of Santa Cruz County. Joyous welcome festivities include youth performances, music, raffle, photo booth, and more, while enjoying complimentary appetizers, beverages, and great conversation. Enjoy a scrumptious full-course dinner prepared and served family style by the student chefs at Cabrillo's Culinary Arts program as we celebrate some amazing youth of our community. This is followed by our ever-exciting live auction that you won't want to miss! And concludes with dessert, and dancing. Purchase your tickets today!
Game Night for Trans and Non-binary Young Adults, hosted by TransFamilies Date : Saturday, August 8 Time : 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm Location : The Diversity Center, 1117 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz Ages : Young adults 18+ Welcoming all Trans and Non-binary young adults (18+) for board games, cards, laughter, and friendship. Pizza and drinks provided. Please bring your favorite game or two to share. .
Karaoke for hub and hub adjacent folx Hosted by Tal
A genre-expanding program examining power, agency, and the forces that shape contemporary life. Clarice Assadβs Kontrol (Festival Commission, world premiere), featuring violinist Philippe Quint, is a genre-defying work for narrator, projections, violin, and orchestra that interrogates the role of technology in human autonomy. Defending Greenwood (Movement III: June 1, 1921) (West Coast premiere) by Jackson A. Watersβwinner of the 2026 Cabrillo Emerging Black Composers Prizeβbears witness to the Tulsa Race Massacre, countering historical erasure through musical testimony and remembrance. Merging the Viennese waltz with electronic dance music, Hannah Ishizakiβs Spin (West Coast premiere), evokes motion, disorientation, and suspended time. As elegant triple-meter gestures collide with pulsing, club-like rhythms, the piece blurs past and present, creating a dizzying soundscape that feels both nostalgic and uncannily immediate. Dan Dediuβs Concerto for Orchestra (U.S. premiere) closes the program with a virtuosic and celebratory showcase of the ensemble, dedicated to Cristian MΔcelaru in recognition of their long-standing artistic collaboration.
Free beachside event featuring live music, BBQ, and cold drinks. A relaxed evening by the water with food and entertainment.
Tri Santa Cruz is one of the most fun and scenic events on the west coast. The race has a sprint and international (Olympic) distance triathlon, with relays and aquabike categories for both races. There is a special, non-competitive Family & Friends wave for people who are new to triathlon or just want to have a fun day. The sheltered swim and flat bike and run course make this a perfect place for a first race. The bike ride is a totally closed course and both the bike and run courses follow the coastline to create one of the most scenic races around! It also makes cheering on your athlete a vacation itself!
Join us for Sunday drop-in Meditations 9-10 am weekly. In person onlyβ in the Gompa at Land of Medicine Buddha with Venerable Yangchen! Venerable Yangchen's guided meditations bring together a refreshing and precious combination of simplicity, depth, and accessibility. These weekly, hour-long sessions are of great relevance and value to long-term Buddhist practitioners as well as to complete newcomers to meditation. The practice begins with brief instruction, 10 minutes of silent meditation, followed by guided analytical meditation and discussion based on the theme of the week.
Started in 2000, this neighborhood market has grown to be a weekly event that is loved and depended on by the communities of Live Oak, Pleasure Point and Capitola. Here the atmosphere is bumping with families, cyclists, beach goers, locals, visitors, the young and the old. Shoppers find an excellent selection of organic produce from regional farms. The tables are stacked high with tree-ripened fruits, greens, fresh bread, pastries, nuts and legumes, sustainable seafood, pasture-raised organic meats and seasonal flowers. Many visitors spend hours at the market, filling their bags with berries, chicories and bagels β then moving onto a unique meal from one of the accomplished cooks that sell at the market. Sunday brunch offerings include traditional Michoacan Mexican dishes, gyoza, savory and sweet crepes and farm-driven meals that spotlight the harvest in clean, creative and bright arrangements. Watsonville-based Hidden Fortress Coffee provides that hot, comforting cup of goodness that brings us back to the simple pleasures of life. This is your Sunday destination.
Enjoy Dynomite Farmβs 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.
Description: Tianguis Realmente Gratuito. Todo es gratis. Really Really Free Market - every second Sunday - 11am - 2pm. No money. No trades. Everything is free. This gathering is not about the "stuff" we give and take, but more about how we can freely give and receive from each other. This is a form of anti-capitalist mutual aid where everyone is invited to participate and share care. Β‘Todo es gratis! No intercambio de dinero, no negocios, no trueques. Trae lo que gustes, toma lo que necesites. Este mercado gratuito es basado en una economΓa de regalar. Learn more about the Santa Cruz Really Really Free Market (RRFM) and RRFMs in general - go to link in bio https://instagram.com/rrfm_ and http://journal.subrosaproject.org/2022/09/really-really-free-market-info-history.html Please wear a mask for community care. with the Really Really Free Market Crew ([email protected]) http://www.subrosaproject.org/ // https://www.facebook.com/subrosaproject // https://www.instagram.com/subrosa_space
Sunday, August 09 2026 11:00am - 1:00pm Local chapter of a global secular (non-religious) movement of people who meet to celebrate life together in congregations and communities around the world. Meets 2nd Sunday of the month 11am to 1 pm.
βConfluenceβ: where separate currents meet. This beautiful exhibition pairs the work of Santa Cruz artists Susana Arias and Glenn Carter, on view August 7 through September 13 at M.K. Contemporary Art Gallery. βConfluenceβ is exhibited alongside of 25+ local and regional artists whose work we adore. Live improvisational jazz music from βThe Leftoversβ at the opening on the First Friday of August from 6-8PM
12:00-3:00pm Animal Shelter Relief is coming back to our Beer Garden! Grab a beer, meet adorable adoptable animals, and learn about what ASR does to help our local furry friends. Stay for live music afterwards from 3-5pm! ASR is an all-volunteer, non-profit, 501(c)(3) animal rescue based in Santa Cruz, CA. Their mission is to relieve overcrowded animal shelters through rescue, thereby reducing euthanasia. Formed in 2008, Amy Strickland along with 2 former co-workers from the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter started Animal Shelter Relief rescue, the ONLY local animal rescue focusing on cats and special needs animals, that existed at the time. The founders knew what help was needed at the County Animal Shelter and formed a rescue to meet those needs and relieve the overcrowding.
Local non-profit American Sign Language Services Community hosting a bingo fundraiser at the Aptos Grange on Sunday's 3PM - 8PM , Monday's 5PM to 10PM.
Sunday August 9th - SubRosa presents a fantfabulous show with... * Lashfull - brown n proud centcal 2 piece - @lashfull.ca ** Half Calf - 2-piece what are we?-core queer emo based in Oakland - @halfcalfca *** Egress - Oakland emo I think - @egress510 **** seeyouatwork! - emo shit? East Oakland - @seey0uatwork ***** Gay Eldest Daughter - queer folk from the central coast - @gayeldestdaughter Doors 6pm & Music 7pm // $15 at door - notaflof!* // all-ages // dry space // safe(r) space // anti-capitalist space // respect the space and each other! *no one turned away for lack of funds SubRosa is at 703 Pacific Avenue in downtown Santa Cruz, CA β@@@@@β SubRosa is a collectively run anarchist community space - a place to meet people, share resources and ideas, challenge our assumptions and act on our passions. Letβs create together the world(s) we want to live in now. @subrosa_space And SubRosa is part of the Hub Community Center at 703 Pacific Ave in downtown Santa Cruz - a constellation of p
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