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📍 Santa Cruz County, CA

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

★ Featured this season

Cannabis
★ Featured Event
Fri, Oct 2, 2026 · 6:30 PM

Treehouse Dispensary First Friday

📍 Treehouse Dispensary · Soquel · FREE

First Friday: Costume Party Edition 👻 Friday, October 2 · 7–10 PM · 21+ Treehouse is hosting our first-ever cannabis consumption event, and we're kicking it off with a costume party. Come as you are, or come as someone (or something) else entirely. Spooky season starts here. Live music by Junebug (8–9:30 PM) Folk-fusion fingerstyle guitar from a one-woman band. Junebug also tap dances and plays harmonica, autoharp, kazoo, trumpet, ukulele, and banjo, so expect the unexpected. Artists & Makers Market (7–10 PM) Browse and shop work from local artists and makers: Art by Dejon, Cyanide Cyn, Mori Mysterium, Mountain Medusa, Stitch and Story, Penning Beads, WilderWilds, Corals Tiny World, Hermelinda, and Potato Studios. Stash Jar Making (7–10 PM) Puff, puff, craft. Stop by our free DIY station and decorate a one-of-a-kind stash jar to keep your favorite flower fresh and stylish. All supplies provided. Just bring your creativity. Cannabis Elixirs 🍹 Sip, sip, hooray. Enjoy refreshing cannabis elixirs while you get crafty and catch the show. Free to attend. Costumes strongly encouraged. Must be 21+ with valid ID. Treehouse Dispensary · 3651 Soquel Drive, Santa Cruz We're proud to offer everyday savings for our community: New Members: 10% off your first order Wisdom Discount (65+): 5% off Medical Patients: 10% off Students & Teachers: 20% off with valid ID Veterans: 20% off *Please note that discounts do not stack with other deals. Ask staff for exclusions.

Cannabis Art & Culture 📍 Soquel Details →
Promotional image for The Art Lande Trio Coming up
Sun, Sep 27, 2026 · Samper Recital Hall

The Art Lande Trio

Art Lande (piano) — Günter Wehinger (flute) — Tim Wendel (guitar) WILLIAM WINANT - Percussion

Music 📍 Soquel
Promotional image for Heather/Nelsen Duo Coming up
Sun, Sep 27, 2026 · Discretion Brewing

Heather/Nelsen Duo

3:00-5:00pm Heather Norquist has been singing as long as she can remember. She has performed at restaurants and cafes throughout Santa Cruz, and she enjoys singing a wide array of songs including classics from the swing era, bossa nova, French cafe music and pop classics. Heather's vocal style is subtle, warm and delicate as she shares these beautiful songs with her audience. Nelsen Hutchison is a guitarist, educator, and composer who regularly performs with luminaries of the gypsy jazz (Hot Club of SF), swing (Gunhild Carling), and straight-ahead jazz traditions. In addition to being an active performer, Nelsen also teaches courses in guitar at Skyline College and is pursuing his PhD in Cross-Cultural Musicology at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Music 📍 Soquel
Promotional image for Karaoke with Moondog Coming up
Sun, Sep 27, 2026 · Fast Eddy's Billiards Dart Room

Karaoke with Moondog

Sing your heart out! We will start at 3pm....ends when the cops show up or when I throw in the towel....No way you can be too late to get into the rotation.....We use Karafun, so the artists who own the songs get paid ROYALTIES via BMI or ASCAP. Venmo & TIP JAR FOR THE KJ. Beer and Wine , Bar Food Menu. Plenty of free parking.

Music 📍 Capitola
Promotional image for Full Moon Meditation for September Coming up
Sun, Sep 27, 2026 · Spa Santangelo

Full Moon Meditation for September

🌕 Full Moon Sound Bath & Guided Meditation 80-Minute Experience | Spa Santangelo, Felton, CA + Online Join Melissa at each Full Moon for a deeply restorative journey designed to help you reconnect, release, and restore your inner balance. Step into a serene, supportive space and allow yourself to fully unwind. This immersive experience combines the healing vibrations of a live sound bath, guided meditation, journaling, and fire release to bring a deeper sense of peace and balance. You’ll be guided through Melissa’s Mystic Meditations—a thoughtfully curated journey inspired by the energy of the Full Moon: 🌕 Full Moon — LET GO Release what no longer serves you, clear stagnant energy, and create space for what’s next. The Full Moon offers an opportunity to reflect on what has come to fruition and consciously release what you’re ready to leave behind. Through meditation, sound, journaling, and fire release, allow yourself to let go and make room for renewed balance and clarity. Whether you join us in person at Spa Santangelo in Felton, CA, or online from the comfort of your own home, come exactly as you are. In-person groups of up to 10 guests are welcome. Gather your friends, family, or community and share this beautiful experience together. 📚 Extend Your Wellness Journey Continue exploring your path with offerings from The Groovy Goddess, including: ✨ In-person & online sessions 📚 Books 🎧 Guided meditations 🌿 Online transformational courses ✨ Come as you are. Leave feeling lighter, grounded, peaceful, and renewed—ready to move forward with greater clarity.

Festivals 📍 San Lorenzo Valley

☀️ Happening today

Sunday, September 27

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

12:00 AM
See listing
Take In: Featured Artist
📍 Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center
Community
12:00 AM
See listing
Santa Cruz Triathlon
📍 Santa Cruz Wharf
Outdoors
6:00 AM
$3000
The Art of Unwinding Wellness Retreat
📍 La Bahia Hotel & Spa
Wellness
8:00 AM
See listing
Capitola Beach Festival
📍 Capitola Village
Festivals
9:00 AM
$65
Bio-Vibe Table: Sound & Vibration Wellness Sessions
📍 Soulcare Studios
Wellness
9:00 AM
See listing
Drop-in Meditation
📍 Land of Medicine Buddha – In the Gompa
Community
9:00 AM
FREE
Live Oak: Farmers Market
📍 Live Oak Farmers’ Market
Markets
9:00 AM
FREE
Live Oak Farmers' Market
📍 East Cliff Village
Markets
10:00 AM
$245
Youth Robot Series - Santa Cruz Maker Studios
📍 Santa Cruz Maker Studios
Family

What's happening

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Showing 30 of 252 upcoming events · Cultural Event

Sep
29

Latin American & Latino Studies Ph.D. Program Information Sessions

📍 UC Santa Cruz
🕒 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM · See listing

An interdisciplinary department that centers the interconnected experiences and perspectives of Latin American and Latinx communities. This program provides rigorous training in disciplinary and interdisciplinary theory and research methods to investigate transnational processes that link the Americas. We especially invite applications from students interested in: Transnationalisms, Migration, and Displacement Intersectionality, Identities, and Inequalities Culture, Power, and Knowledge Collective Action, Social Movements, and Social Change Session 1: Tuesday, September 29, noon-1pm Learn about our interdisciplinary and hemispheric approach and major research areas Hear from faculty and graduate students about their scholarship Ask questions about the program and UC Santa Cruz Session 2: Tuesday, November 17, noon-1pm Learn about the Ph.D. program curriculum and structure Hear from the Graduate Director and Graduate Program Coordinator Ask questions about the application process RSVP to one or both sessions using our Google Form >>

Education Cultural Event 📍 UCSC Details →
Sep
29

Téada Concert

📍 Kuumbwa Jazz Center
🕒 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM · $15.25

Come help us celebrate Téada’s 25th Anniversary of touring as one of Ireland's leading traditional bands! The five members of the band are fiddle player Oisín Mac Diarmada, button accordion player Paul Finn, Damien Stenson performs on flute, Samantha Harvey, piano/dance, Seán Mc Elwain who switches between the bouzouki and guitar and bodhrán player Tristan Rosenstock. You will undoubtedly recognize fiddler Oisín Mac Diarmada, if you have attended an Irish Christmas In America concert. A leading exponent of Irish traditional music, Téada is driven by a fascination for the timeless, expressive force of music inherited from previous generations of musicians. An Irish band with a truly worldwide reach, Téada has frequently appeared as headliners at major music festivals throughout the US, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Africa, Russia, Israel and Australia. Highlights include a 30,000-capacity stadium concert in Brittany, along with performances at Penang World Music Festival in Malaysia, Edmonton Folk Festival in Canada, Harare International Festival of the Arts in Zimbabwe, and the Milwaukee Irish Festival. The group also received an invitation from the Irish Embassy in Rome during 2008 to perform at a commemorative event marking the 400th anniversary of the landmark event in Irish history known as The Flight of the Earls. With engaging textural arrangements, Téada, which means "strings", will have you dancing in your seat. Tickets: celticsociety.org members: $27 non-members: $31.25 student/child: $15.25

Music Cultural Event 📍 Downtown Santa Cruz Details →
Sep
30

Cyrille Aimée

📍 Kuumbwa Jazz
🕒 7:00 PM · See listing

Cyrille Aimée (Sur­real M­A) is a French­Dominican vocalist and actress. Winner of the Montreux Jazz Festival's Vocal Competition, the Sarah Vaughn International Jazz Vocal Competition and finalist in the Thelonious Monk Vocal Competition, Aimée is—in the words of Will Friedwald of The Wall Street Journal—"one of the most promising jazz singers of her generation." In the same Wall Street Journal feature (which included vocalist Cecile McLorin Salvant), Friedwald declared both to be “astonishing creative singers, with a brilliant sound, fresh ideas, impeccable rhythm and an overall approach that honors tradition without being shackled to the past." Aimée was born in Fontainebleau, France, to a French father and Dominican mother. Her introduction to jazz was the result of the fortuitous location of her upbringing, the village Samois­sur­Seine—the same place where legendary gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt had lived. Every June for decades, gypsies have descended upon Samois, setting up caravans in nearby meadows for the annual Django Reinhardt Festival. During those June nights many years ago, after her parents would fall asleep, a young, curious Aimée would climb out her bedroom window and wander into the gypsy encampments. Aimée would sing by the fire with Django’s descendents and began to fall in love with the gypsy way of life—scampering home before the sun rose. Explained Aimée, "I was hypnotized by gypsy music which made me want to tap my feet; music that swings makes me so happy." As a teenager, Aimée performed in various Parisian cafés and clubs. When her family moved to Singapore, she remained in Paris to attend the American School of Modern Music. She also auditioned for "Star Academy," a kind of French "American Idol." Selected to be one of 16 semi­finalists, Aimée had second thoughts when handed a contract that tied her up every which way for years—including the songs to sing. This was too much for her gypsy spirit—so she quit. The French media so pursued

Music Cultural Event 📍 Downtown Santa Cruz Details →
Oct
1

World Class Music Live Presents: El Khat

📍 Kuumbwa Jazz
🕒 7:00 PM · See listing

Straight out of Yemen comes El Khat, a self-proclaimed homemade junkyard band. The humor and ingenuity are that most of the instruments are recycled plastic, metal, and wood. This dynamic three-piece creates a cinematic mindscape that feels like you’re drifting over the sands of the Arabian Desert. But this isn’t spa music; it’s like Frank Zappa and a ’70s progressive rock band melded with an ancient rhythm. Multi-instrumentalist Eyal El Wahab leads the charge with a message of humanity over nation. El Khat is named after the chewed speedy drug khat and the music has a kick to it. -DNA; Good Times Santa Cruz

Music Cultural Event 📍 Downtown Santa Cruz Details →
Oct
1

THEATRE OF HORRORS The Sordid Story of Paris' Grand Guignol Film Screening

📍 The 418 Project
🕒 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM · $15

Santa Cruz Theatrical Premiere – New Documentary! THEATRE OF HORRORS: THE SORDID STORY OF PARIS’ GRAND GUIGNOL (2025, Severin Films, 89 min. Dir. David Gregory.) In 1897, in a back alley in the seedy Pigalle district of Paris, a former chapel turned small performance space became a theatrical institution forged in naturalism, controversy and grisly spectacle. Over the next 65 years, it would actively provoke revulsion, celebration and begrudging global esteem. More than a half century after its final performance, the Grand Guignol remains one of the most wildly misunderstood and profoundly influential traditions in entertainment history. From horror films to tabloid journalism, avant-garde theater to the true-crime genre, France’s ‘Theater of Death’ is still slicing, gouging, and spurting its pervasive way through culture both high and low. Or as the BBC recently declared, “Even if there were no ghosts onstage, this unusual little Parisian theater continues to haunt us today.” In the new documentary by award-winning producer/director/editor David Gregory – whose previous explorations of transgressive entertainment include LOST SOUL: THE DOOMED JOURNEY OF RICHARD STANLEY’S ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU, BLOOD & FLESH: THE REEL LIFE & GHASTLY DEATH OF AL ADAMSON, ENTER THE CLONES OF BRUCE and SUZZANNA: THE QUEEN OF BLACK MAGIC – and narrated by international genre icon Barbara Steele – legendary star of BLACK SUNDAY, THE PIT & THE PENDULUM, THE GHOST and more – discover the history, mystery, and ongoing socio-cultural impact of what may be France’s most infamous export. “I’ve been fascinated by The Grand Guignol since childhood,” says Gregory. “But despite brief mentions in horror history books and deep scholarly studies, my search for a cinematic exploration of the subject had consistently proved unrewarding. Even my interactions with French genre filmmakers revealed their own superficial knowledge of the Theater’s significance. It’s all led me to dig deeper and discover the

Art & Culture Cultural Event 📍 Downtown Santa Cruz Details →
Oct
2

Un Pueblo Unido: Art as Collective Care

📍 Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History
🕒 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM · See listing

Join the Santa Cruz Museum for a free public Zine-Making activity, with access to our ongoing exhibitions! Presented in connection with a pop-up project on Oaxacan Languages of the Transnational Central Coast with the UC Santa Cruz Humanities Institute , this interactive activity will invite museum visitors to share personal stories or reflections on language, identity, and belonging. *More information on the Oaxacan Languages Pop-Up will be available soon

Art & Culture Cultural Event 📍 Downtown Santa Cruz Details →
Oct
3

UCSC: Free Guided Farm Tour

📍 (UCSC Farm) Farm Road, Santa Cruz, California 95064
🕒 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM · FREE

Take a free, guided tour of the 30-acre organic UCSC Farm. Visitors tour organically managed greenhouses, hand-worked garden beds, orchards, row crop fields, and the children’s garden while learning about the history of the site and the basic concepts of organic farming and gardening. Perched on a meadow near the campus entrance, the farm also offers spectacular views of the Monterey Bay. Heavy rain cancels. Free and open to the public. RSVP required.

Cultural Event Free 📍 UCSC Details →
Oct
3

Victor “Marka27” Quiñonez: Ni de Aquí, Ni de Allá

📍 UCSC Institute of the Arts and Sciences
🕒 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM · FREE

“Ni de aquí, ni de allá” (“neither from here, nor there”), is a phrase commonly used by bilingual, bicultural communities. In the exhibition the phrase becomes a bold declaration of dual belonging against a violent notion of nationalism and identity. Through paintings, immersive installations, sculptural works, and a curated soundscape, Marka27 invites gallery goers into a vibrant, layered world where street culture meets Indigenous tradition, and personal memory collides with collective truth and activism. Curated by internationally recognized curator Kate Fowle, this exhibition is organized in partnership with The Center for Art & Advocacy and as part of Visualizing Abolition, an arts-based initiative that reaches across prison borders to contribute to the unfolding collective story and alternative imagining underway to create a future free of prisons.

Art & Culture Cultural Event 📍 UCSC Details →
Oct
3

UCSC: Victor “Marka27” Exhibition

📍 UCSC Institute of the Arts and Sciences
🕒 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM · FREE

“Ni de aquí, ni de allá” (“neither from here, nor there”), is a phrase commonly used by bilingual, bicultural communities. In the exhibition the phrase becomes a bold declaration of dual belonging against a violent notion of nationalism and identity. Through paintings, immersive installations, sculptural works, and a curated soundscape, Marka27 invites gallery goers into a vibrant, layered world where street culture meets Indigenous tradition, and personal memory collides with collective truth and activism. Curated by internationally recognized curator Kate Fowle, this exhibition is organized in partnership with The Center for Art & Advocacy and as part of Visualizing Abolition, an arts-based initiative that reaches across prison borders to contribute to the unfolding collective story and alternative imagining underway to create a future free of prisons. ABOUT THE ARTIST: Victor “Marka27” Quiñonez is a renowned visual artist working at the intersections of contemporary art, graffiti, vinyl toys, fashion and design, and art activism.

Art & Culture Cultural Event 📍 UCSC Details →
Oct
3

Wilder Ranch: Historic Grounds Tours

📍 Wilder Ranch State Park
🕒 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM · FREE

Discover what life was like a century ago on this innovative dairy ranch. This hour-long tour includes the 1896 water-powered machine shop, horse barn, uniquely constructed 1860’s cow barn, 1858 farmhouse, and 1897 Queen Anne Victorian home. Meet at the visitor’s center. This tour is free. Parking in Day-use lot is $10. Hold on to that receipt! Once you have paid for parking at one state park or beach, you have paid for the day at all of them! There are over 14 in Santa Cruz County alone. For more information, email [email protected] or call (669)758-1963. Click the link in the orange button above to reserve your spot!

Cultural Event Free 📍 North Coast Details →
Oct
4

Picnic of Memory at Evergreen Cemetery

📍 Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History
🕒 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM · $45

Gatherings: 11:00 am - 2:00 pm | 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm Food is a bridge between worlds. It carries ritual, lineage, and presence across time. Picnic of Memory weaves local lore, historical crops, forgotten recipes, and global mourning traditions into a living gesture of remembrance. During the Victorian period, gathering for a picnic beside loved ones in the cemetery was a common, cherished way to honor the departed, weaving remembrance into the fabric of everyday life. From this practice to global traditions like Dia de los Muertos, Japanese Obon, and Korean Chuseok, sharing a meal at the threshold of death remains an ancient, human way to soften the veil. The Experience: Picnic of Memory transforms Evergreen Cemetery into an immersive experience combining site-specific walking installations with individual heirloom picnic baskets. Guests are also welcome to bring their own food & drinks to enjoy during the picnic gathering. Conceived of by Liz Birnbaum, founder of The Curated Feast, as a return to place-based culinary storytelling, Picnic of Memory invites you on a contemplative walk through site-specific installations before gathering on the lawn for a shared picnic. Baskets are crafted by Chef Jessica Yarr of The Grove in Felton, featuring local and historical flavors, and logistics and sourcing support thanks to Seth Heitzenrater of La Posta.

Food & Drink Cultural Event 📍 Downtown Santa Cruz Details →
Oct
4

Victor “Marka27” Quiñonez: Ni de Aquí, Ni de Allá

📍 UCSC Institute of the Arts and Sciences
🕒 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM · FREE

“Ni de aquí, ni de allá” (“neither from here, nor there”), is a phrase commonly used by bilingual, bicultural communities. In the exhibition the phrase becomes a bold declaration of dual belonging against a violent notion of nationalism and identity. Through paintings, immersive installations, sculptural works, and a curated soundscape, Marka27 invites gallery goers into a vibrant, layered world where street culture meets Indigenous tradition, and personal memory collides with collective truth and activism. Curated by internationally recognized curator Kate Fowle, this exhibition is organized in partnership with The Center for Art & Advocacy and as part of Visualizing Abolition, an arts-based initiative that reaches across prison borders to contribute to the unfolding collective story and alternative imagining underway to create a future free of prisons.

Art & Culture Cultural Event 📍 UCSC Details →
Oct
4

UCSC: Victor “Marka27” Exhibition

📍 UCSC Institute of the Arts and Sciences
🕒 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM · FREE

“Ni de aquí, ni de allá” (“neither from here, nor there”), is a phrase commonly used by bilingual, bicultural communities. In the exhibition the phrase becomes a bold declaration of dual belonging against a violent notion of nationalism and identity. Through paintings, immersive installations, sculptural works, and a curated soundscape, Marka27 invites gallery goers into a vibrant, layered world where street culture meets Indigenous tradition, and personal memory collides with collective truth and activism. Curated by internationally recognized curator Kate Fowle, this exhibition is organized in partnership with The Center for Art & Advocacy and as part of Visualizing Abolition, an arts-based initiative that reaches across prison borders to contribute to the unfolding collective story and alternative imagining underway to create a future free of prisons. ABOUT THE ARTIST: Victor “Marka27” Quiñonez is a renowned visual artist working at the intersections of contemporary art, graffiti, vinyl toys, fashion and design, and art activism.

Art & Culture Cultural Event 📍 UCSC Details →
Oct
4

Wilder Ranch: Historic Grounds Tours

📍 Wilder Ranch State Park
🕒 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM · FREE

Discover what life was like a century ago on this innovative dairy ranch. This hour-long tour includes the 1896 water-powered machine shop, horse barn, uniquely constructed 1860’s cow barn, 1858 farmhouse, and 1897 Queen Anne Victorian home. Meet at the visitor’s center. This tour is free. Parking in Day-use lot is $10. Hold on to that receipt! Once you have paid for parking at one state park or beach, you have paid for the day at all of them! There are over 14 in Santa Cruz County alone. For more information, email [email protected] or call (669)758-1963. Click the link in the orange button above to reserve your spot!

Cultural Event Free 📍 North Coast Details →
Oct
4

Vajra Dance of Gesar Ling

📍 Wisdom Center of Santa Cruz
🕒 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM · $10

The purpose of this Tibetan spiritual dance is to avert global calamities and bring peace and harmony to the world. Mipham Rinpoche prophesied that if this dance tradition can be propagated, then diseases, famines, and warfare would disappear without a trace, and the sun of happiness would shine. The late Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok promoted this dance practice. Tulku Lakshey Zangpo will teach these dances. Everyone of any age is very welcome. Previous experience or dance skills are not required. And they are meant to be joyful and fun.

Music Cultural Event Details →

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