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.
Treehouse Dispensary hosts a monthly First Friday event on the first Friday of every month. These events feature live music, local artists, makers, and an art market with up to 20 different vendors, along with shop-wide discounts and community activities. The shop is open 8:00 AM to 9:45 PM daily. 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.
★ Featured
The Boulder Creek Volunteer Fire Department holds its annual Summer BBQ Dinner & Dance on Saturday, August 22. Firefighters serve a tri-tip and chicken dinner in the apparatus bay, and three live bands (Kentucky Mule, Barnstormers, Bootleg Country Band) play out back with dancing until 11 p.m. There’s a bounce house and face painting for kids. Tickets are $30 for dinner and dance, free for kids under 5. Proceeds buy rescue and medical equipment for the all-volunteer department. Tickets and details: bcfd.com
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.
Coming up
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!
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18 upcoming events · Cultural Event · from 2026-08-22 · to 2026-08-29
Travel over trestles, through towering redwood groves and up a winding narrow-gauge grade to the summit of Bear Mountain as conductors narrate the history of Roaring Camp, the railroad and the forest.
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:
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!
Travel over trestles, through towering redwood groves and up a winding narrow-gauge grade to the summit of Bear Mountain as conductors narrate the history of Roaring Camp, the railroad and the forest.
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!
Professional Guinean artists lead drum and dance classes, offering an authentic West African cultural experience.
Travel over trestles, through towering redwood groves and up a winding narrow-gauge grade to the summit of Bear Mountain as conductors narrate the history of Roaring Camp, the railroad and the forest.
A weekly Afro-Brazilian dance class focusing on rhythm and movement.
Travel over trestles, through towering redwood groves and up a winding narrow-gauge grade to the summit of Bear Mountain as conductors narrate the history of Roaring Camp, the railroad and the forest.
Tuesday, August 25 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm Virtual Author Talk with Award-Winning Plant Biologist and Author Beronda Montgomery. When Trees Testify: Reclaiming America’s Black Botanical Legacy.
Writers of Color hosts a monthly Open Mic reading at Satori Arts featuring writers of poetry, prose, one-act plays, and on occasion, music. This month, we celebrate Veterans of all Wars. This month we feature Joseph Jason Santiago Lacour, a local spoken word artist and writer, and a special appearance by General Phlint, a Santa Cruz local poet, DJ, and musician. Bring your writing for Open Mic to share for a 5-minute segment.
Travel over trestles, through towering redwood groves and up a winding narrow-gauge grade to the summit of Bear Mountain as conductors narrate the history of Roaring Camp, the railroad and the forest.
Travel over trestles, through towering redwood groves and up a winding narrow-gauge grade to the summit of Bear Mountain as conductors narrate the history of Roaring Camp, the railroad and the forest.
Travel over trestles, through towering redwood groves and up a winding narrow-gauge grade to the summit of Bear Mountain as conductors narrate the history of Roaring Camp, the railroad and the forest.
Travel over trestles, through towering redwood groves and up a winding narrow-gauge grade to the summit of Bear Mountain as conductors narrate the history of Roaring Camp, the railroad and the forest.
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:
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!
Can we create deeper and more authentic lives by connecting with our ancestors? What is it about Irish spirituality and history that fascinates so many people? Local author Carolyn Brigit Flynn addresses these and many other questions in The Light of Ordinary Days: An Irish American Journey of Healing and Homeland. Flynn's memoir is a moving synthesis of one woman’s story of exile and homecoming, woven within Ireland’s history of ancient spirituality, colonization, and epic resilience. The reading will include refreshments and live traditional Irish music by Gluin. Novelist Regina O’Melveny says, “We truly find ourselves as we read and experience this profoundly courageous, honest, far-reaching journey that, in the end, brings us home to what matters.” Carolyn Brigit Flynn is poet and essayist, the author of the poetry collection Communion and three literary anthologies, and a popular local writing teacher who has offered writing groups and retreats called “Writing to Feed the Soul” in Santa Cruz and Ireland for more than 25 years.
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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