Aug
6
Event date: August 6, 2026 Event Time: 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM Location: 275 Main Street, Suite #100 Watsonville, CA 95076
📍 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.
★ Featured this season
★ Featured Event
Sat, Aug 8, 2026 · 4:00 PM
Phamily Time!
📍 Woodhouse Blending & Brewing · Downtown Santa Cruz · 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
📍 Downtown Santa Cruz
Details →
Coming up
Thu, Aug 6, 2026 · Kuumbwa Jazz
Sylvia Cuenca's Bridging Generations feat. Wallace Roney Jr
In 2026, jazz is often considered an old person’s genre. Let’s face it, it’s not like the jazz clubs are the hot spots all the kids are clamoring to get into. However, Sylvia Cuenca is trying to change that. A powerhouse drummer from the San Francisco and New York scenes, Cuenca is bringing together multiple generations of musicians together to play original numbers as well as standards throughout America’s past. Featuring saxophonist Rico Jones, pianist David Kikoski, Wallace Roney Jr. on trumpet, and bassist Essiet Okon Essiet, they are showing every generation why jazz will never go out of style. -Mat Weir; Good Times Santa Cruz
Music
📍 Downtown Santa Cruz
Coming up
Thu, Aug 6, 2026 · Woodhouse Blending & Brewing
Comedy Night!
Do not miss this showcase!
Music
📍 Downtown Santa Cruz
Coming up
Thu, Aug 6, 2026 · Felton Music Hall
Young and Dead
Purchase tickets here Show 8pm // 21+ ***This is a standing room general admissions show. There will be a limited number of chairs located in the back of the concert hall. Seating will be first come first served. Bar and food will be open at 5pm.
Music
📍 San Lorenzo Valley
Coming up
Thu, Aug 6, 2026 · Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Anthony Arya
Anthony Arya plays the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk with his band on the Colonnade stage Thu August 6th 8:30-9:30 pm.
Music
📍 Beach & Boardwalk
☀️ Happening today
Thursday, August 655 events on today. No plans required, just go.
12:00 AM
See listing
National IPA Day - Laughing Monk
📍 Laughing Monk Brewing
Comedy
12:00 AM
See listing
Submerge - Going Deep in Dance
📍 Santa Cruz Yoga
Art & Culture
9:00 AM
See listing
Joe Melendrez
📍 Christian Retreat Center
Music
9:00 AM
$59
Dynomite Farm: Private Dahlia U-Cut Experience
📍 Dynomite Farm
Community
9:00 AM
See listing
BEGINNING/INTERMEDIATE SEWING (2/6)
📍 Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center
Community
10:00 AM
See listing
CLAY INDEPENDENT LAB TIME
📍 Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center
Art & Culture
10:00 AM
$32
Santa Cruz Beach Train
📍 Roaring Camp Railroads
Family
10:30 AM
See listing
Bilingual Toddler Storytime
📍 Watsonville Civic Plaza
Family
11:00 AM
FREE
Guided Mindfulness for Queers and Friends Hosted by TDC @ TDC
📍 1117 Soquel Ave.
LGBTQ+
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Showing 30 of 164 upcoming events · Free · from 2026-08-06 · to 2026-08-13
Aug
6
Guided Mindfulness for Queers and Friends Hosted by TDC @ TDC
📍 1117 Soquel Ave.
🕒 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM · FREE
Well-being offering: Guided Mindfulness Group Date: Weekly on Thursdays Time: 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Location: The Diversity Center, 1117 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz Ages: Adults and teens welcome Cost: FREE Program description: Give your brain a break, and reconnect with the present moment, using guided breathing and mindfulness techniques. All LGBTQ+ people and allies are welcome. View our Community Agreements for Diversity Center groups.
Aug
6
Thursday, August 06 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm Join us for a drop-in needlework group every first Thursday at La Selva Beach Branch Library.
Aug
6
Join us Wednesday, May 21st from 12:00 PM- 1:00 PM at California Coffee for an informative and uplifting workshop you won't want tfor suo miss! Our featured guest speaker, Manas S. Kshirsagar, AD, MS a NAMA Board Certified Ayurvedic Doctor with years of experience in holistic wellness and healing, will be presenting "Tools for Stress and Anxiety". With today's fast-paced world and the stress levels many of us are unduring, this workshop will offer valuable insight, practical tools and wellness strategies to help bring more balance, peace and calm into our daily lives. Lunch Special Available: Half Sandwich + Chips just $9.99 California Coffee, 9105 Soquel Dr., Aptos, CA 95003 cacoffeeaptos.com Thank you from myself Sylvia Reyes, and my amazing team for supporting our small business and community events!
Aug
6
Rules Are Not Neutral: Play As Sense-Making, Acts Of Resistance, And Imagining Otherwise
📍 Eloise Pickard Smith Gallery
🕒 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM · FREE
This exhibition brings together a range of analog games – including board, card, role-playing, and other participatory works – that engage social and political realities in different ways. The works span widely circulated commercial games to independently produced projects, one-of-a-kind artworks by artists, faculty, alumni, and students, and materials drawn from UC Santa Cruz Special Collections and Archives. In part, the exhibition challenges the persistent assumption that games and play are detached from social and political life. On the contrary, game designers and artists across diverse perspectives and positions have long used play to engage questions of social systems, lived experience, and how power operates. This exhibition does not attempt to represent that full spectrum. Instead, it brings together a particular set of works that foreground how games can make systems visible, intervene in them, and imagine alternatives. All games embody values, whether intentional or not. – Mary Flanagan , game designer and scholar Across all of these works, games are not only forms of entertainment, though they may be that as well. They are encountered in multiple ways: as objects, as systems, as artworks, and as experiences that unfold unpredictably through interaction. In each case, rules and constraints shape what participants can do. In these different forms, the works stage systems – such as housing and land ownership, capitalism, race and identity, civil rights and protest, fascism, and colonialism – in ways that are simplified and easy to see, opening space to recognize similar structures beyond the game. In this sense, the works suggest that rules are not neutral – they organize experience, distribute power, and produce meaning. Games are the art of agency. – C. Thi Nguyen , philosopher The exhibition is intentionally dense. This abundance reflects the breadth of ways games operate across contexts, from activism and education to art and everyday life. While it cel
Aug
6
Far West Fungi’s Santa Cruz Store & Café is launching Myco-Mixers – Enjoy an afternoon of food, fun, and fungi! Each Myco-Mixer will feature complimentary bites, product samples, and happy hour discounts on café favorites. Guests can meet the Far West Fungi team, learn about unique mushroom products, and discover new flavors to take home. Head Far West in Santa Cruz each week to taste house-made tacos, explore featured products, and find your new favorite mushroom treats. Whether you’re a foodie, mushroom enthusiast, or just looking for a fun Thursday outing, Myco-Mixers are the perfect way to experience local one-of-a-kind flavors!
Aug
6
Thursday, August 06 2026 2:00pm - 4:00pm Are you stuck with a technology question? You can make a free appointment with a tech savvy library staff member!
Aug
6
Go explore the harbor shops, restaurants and experiences with very little car traffic! Passengers may be picked up and dropped off at the following locations: X1 Gate (northeast harbor) AA Dock (southwest harbor) Launch Ramp (southeast harbor) Please visit the Port District’s website to view the map for all water taxi pick-up and drop-off locations in the harbor. Visitor parking is available for water taxi passengers in the north harbor near X Dock.
Aug
6
Santa Cruz Water Department Presents Aqua Cruz: The Water Challenge
📍 Sword and Board Games
🕒 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM · FREE
Play the new board game Aqua Cruz! There’s a lot that goes into keeping the water flowing in Santa Cruz, which is completely dependent on local rainfall for the City’s water supply. To show customers what it takes to plan for a reliable water future, the Santa Cruz Water Department has developed Aqua Cruz, a board game that puts players in charge. Every decision counts in the race to close the water supply gap. Aqua Cruz players will strategize which projects to pursue while navigating real-world challenges to keep the water flowing! The event is free to attend and no RSVP is necessary. Aqua Cruz is recommended for ages 13 and older.
Aug
6
Mariposa de la Comunidad LGBTQ+ De Watsonville (Hosted by TDC @ Watsonville Library)
📍 Watsonville Public Library, 275 Main St STE 100, Watsonville, CA 95076, USA
🕒 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM · FREE
Biblioteca Watsonville Primer jueves del mes, 5:30-7:30pm Facilitado por Roselyn Macias el primer jueves de cada mes ¡Bienvenidos al grupo Mariposa de la Comunidad LGBTQ+ de Watsonville del Centro de Diversidad! ¿Tiene 18 años o más, se siente solo, sin apoyo? O quieres conocer a otros como tú. Lo encontraste. Aquí obtendrá recursos, apoyo, capacitaciones y tendrá nuevas conexiones en la comunidad. Watsonville Library Every first Thursday of the month, 5:30-7:30pm Facilitated by Roselyn Macias on the first Thursday of the month Welcome to The Diversity Center’s Spanish-speaking LGBTQ+ support group in Watsonville ! Are you 18 or older, feel alone, unsupported, or want to meet others like yourself? You found us. Here you will get resources, support, trainings, and make new connections in your community.
Aug
6
Crow’s Nest: Free Beach BBQ Parties and Concerts
📍 Santa Cruz Harbor Beach
🕒 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM · FREE
Every Thursday throughout the summer, enjoy a family-friendly party on the beach at no charge! There will be local bands and DJs performing on the outdoor stage, providing music for dancing and socializing. There will be BBQ food and drinks for purchase all in a beachside setting providing stunning views of the ocean and Walton Lighthouse. Parking is limited in the area, so consider enjoying a free water taxi ride from other parking areas! 2026 Lineup: May 21, 2026: Sambada May 28, 2026: Space Heater June 4, 2026: James Durbin & The Lost Boys June 11, 2026: Ancestree June 18, 2026: Jive Machine June 25, 2026: Cake by the Ocean July 2, 2026: Ripatti Rose Band July 9, 2026: Extra Large July 16, 2026: Fishhook July 23, 2026: Harry & The Hitmen July 30, 2026: Matt Masih & The Messengers August 6, 2026: The Houserockers August 13, 2026: The Joint Chiefs August 20, 2026: La Familia August 27, 2026: Alex Lucero Band September 3, 2026: Sambada
Aug
6
Jug band music is scrappy, soulful, and a little unexpected — 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 – it’s the kind of music that makes you stop and smile! August 6 from 5:45 pm to 7:30 pm: Pono Hawaiian Grill at 120 Union Street in Santa Cruz August 7 from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm: Museum of Art and History at 725 Front Street in Santa Cruz August 7 from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm: Abbott Square at 118 Cooper Street in Santa Cruz August 8 from 12:00 pm to 9:00 pm: Abbott Square at 118 Cooper Street in Santa Cruz August 9 from 12:00 pm to 9:00 pm: Abbott Square at 118 Cooper Street in Santa Cruz
Aug
6
Jug band music is scrappy, soulful, and a little unexpected — 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 – it’s the kind of music that makes you stop and smile! Click the link in the orange button above for more details. August 6 from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm: Pono Hawaiian Grill at 120 Union Street in Santa Cruz August 7 from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm: Museum of Art and History at 725 Front Street in Santa Cruz August 7 from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm: Abbott Square at 118 Cooper Street in Santa Cruz August 8 from 12:00 pm to 9:00 pm: Abbott Square at 118 Cooper Street in Santa Cruz August 9 from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm: Shanty Shack Brewing at 138 Fern Street in Santa Cruz
Aug
6
Head to Bargetto Winery’s creekside courtyard in Soquel on Thursday evenings for Live Music and Wine! There is no cover charge and wine by the glass and light snacks are available for purchase. May 7, 2026: Alex Lucero May 14, 2026: James Durbin May 21, 2026: The Joint Chiefs May 28, 2026: Sambada June 4, 2026: Alex Lucero June 11, 2026: The Breaux Show June 18, 2026: Beach Cowboys June 25, 2026: The Joint Chiefs July 2, 2026: Alex Lucero July 9, 2026: James Durbin July 16, 2026: 10 O’Clock Lunch Band July 23, 2026: Highwater Blues July 30, 2026: The Joint Chiefs August 6, 2026: TBD August 13, 2026: TBD August 20, 2026: TBD August 27, 2026: TBD September 3, 2026: TBD
Aug
6
Join us at Bargetto Winery in Soquel on Thursday evenings for Live Music and Wine! 6-8PM No cover charge. Wine by-the-glass for purchase. Food will be available for purchase. Open seating, no reservations required. No outside food is permitted. For more info please call: (831) 475-2258
Aug
6
Cat Love: Celebrating Cats Through Art & Story with Teresa Mallen
📍 Capitola Branch Library
🕒 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM · FREE
Join us for an evening dedicated to the beauty and charm of our feline companions. Well-loved Santa Cruz artist and author Teresa Mallen will present from her latest book, sharing personal stories alongside those of her friends. This unique presentation seamlessly blends prose, poetry, and visual arts, featuring vibrant artwork by Mallen herself alongside literary gems from celebrated poets. In addition to celebrating all things feline, Teresa will introduce attendees to the creative journeys behind her other two books, The Artist’s Path and Illuminations. Light refreshments will be provided. Registration is recommended, and walk-ins are welcome. Register at https://santacruzpl.libnet.info/event/16584778 or call 831-427-7705.
Aug
6
Grab some lawn chairs and some blankets and cozy up for this free movie night on Seabright! July 9: The SpongeBob Movie July 16: Legally Blonde July 23: Minecraft Movie July 30: Shrek August 6: Hoppers August 13: Goat
Aug
6
Seabright Summer Movie Nights
📍 Murray Street at the corner of Seabright Ave
🕒 8:30 PM – 10:00 PM · FREE
Thursday Night Movie Nights, a six-week outdoor movie series held Thursday nights on Murray Street starting July 9 through August 13. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets for free outdoor screenings. The event series is free to attend and will feature family-friendly programming throughout the summer. July 23: Minecraft Movie July 30: Shrek August 6: Hoppers August 13: Goat
Aug
6
SC Beach Boardwalk: Evenings on the Colonnade
📍 Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
🕒 8:30 PM – 9:30 PM · FREE
Stay for the entertainment from 8:30pm to 9:30pm on the Colonnade Deck! Where you can listen to live music with delicious food & drink in your hand, be amazed by Magicians & acrobats, and show off your best dance moves with a DJ dance party at the Plaza stage. Admission is free! Monday, June 15, 2026 8:30pm Circus Comedy with Coventry & Kaluza 9:00pm Magic with Kris Bentz Tuesday, June 16, 2026 8:30pm Magic with Kris Bentz 9:00pm Acrobatics with Molly Keczan Wednesday, June 17, 2026 8:30pm Circus Comedy with Coventry & Kaluza 9:00pm Magic with Kris Bentz Thursday, June 18, 2026 from 8:30-9:30pm – Live Music with Fire Peach Friday, June 19, 2026 – Free showing of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off movie on the beach at 9pm Saturday, June 20, 2026 from 8:30-9:30pm – DJ Dance Party with Santa Cruz DJ Company Sunday, June 21, 2026 from 8:30-9:30pm – DJ Dance Party with Santa Cruz DJ Company Monday, June 22, 2026 8:30pm Circus Comedy with Coventry & Kaluza 9:00pm Circus Acrobatics with MeeZee! Tuesday, June 23, 2026 8:30pm Circus Acrobatics with MeeZee! 9:00pm Circus Comedy with Coventry & Kaluza Wednesday, June 24, 2026: World Cup Watch Party for Mexico Game Thursday, June 25, 2026: World Cup Watch Party for USA Game Friday, June 26, 2026 – Free showing of the movie Kicking and Screaming on the beach at 9pm Saturday, June 27, 2026 from 8:30-9:30pm – DJ Dance Party with Santa Cruz DJ Company Sunday, June 28, 2026 from 8:30-9:30pm – DJ Dance Party with Santa Cruz DJ Company Monday, June 29, 2026 8:30pm Magic with Patrick Livingstone 9:00pm Surfing Magic with Doug Hofkins Tuesday, June 30, 2026 8:30pm Magic with Patrick Livingstone 9:00pm Surfing Magic with Doug Hofkins Wednesday, July 1, 2026 8:30pm Circus Comedy with Coventry & Kaluza 9:00pm Circus Acrobatics with MeeZee! Thursday, July 2, 2026 from 8:30-9:30pm – Live Music with El Brick Friday, July 3, 2026 – Independence Day Celebrations Saturday, July 4, 2026 from 8:30-9:30pm – DJ Dance Party with Santa Cruz DJ Company Sunday,
Aug
6
Enjoy free live music every Thursday evening throughout the summer at the Boardwalk’s Colonnade Stage. Grab a bite, enjoy a refreshing drink, and dance along to a rotating lineup of bands and talented artists with the ocean as your backdrop. 2026 Lineup: • June 18, 2026: Fire Peach • July 2, 2026: El Brick • July 9, 2026: Shawn Yanez • July 16, 2026: Flaco El Jandro • July 23, 2026: Papiba & Friends • July 30, 2026: The Deadlies • August 6, 2026: Anthony Arya
Aug
7
Resource Recovery Public Summer Tours
📍 City of Santa Cruz Resource Recovery Facility
🕒 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM · FREE
Free Public Tours of the City of Santa Cruz Resource Recovery Facility are here. Don't miss this educational community favorite activity! Summer Public Tours Are Back! Public Tours of the Resource Recovery Facility will be offered every Friday at 10 AM from June 12th through August 14th, 2026. A single Saturday will also be offered on July 25th. Out of consideration for others, please only sign up on Saturday if Fridays are not an option for you. Come join us! Get ready to discover the journey your recycling and food scraps take—and see firsthand how your actions make a difference! Visitors will see what happens to the 30 to 50 tons of material that Santa Cruzians place into their blue recycle bins every single day. We will also learn why it is important to “recycle right,” avoid “wish-cycling," and why we can't rely on a triangle and a blue bin anymore. Visitors will see a mountain of scrap metal, learn about the facility’s Household Hazardous Waste Program, and see the Food Scrap Pre-Processor Machine. Don’t miss out on this chance to become a waste reduction pro! Tours are limited to 20 people. Children must be at least 8 years old. Youth ages 8 to 17 must be accompanied by an adult. Carpooling is encouraged as parking is limited. Pre-registration is required. Registration closes 48 hours before the tour date. No Drop-Ins. Safety Notice: This tour includes stairs and standing/walking for approximately 45 minutes. On this tour, you may be exposed to loud noises, dust, or tight spaces. Please note that this is a working industrial facility with potential hazards, and your safety is our top priority. Please wear closed-toe sturdy shoes and long pants. We will provide safety vests, eye protection, ear protection, and hard hats. Please inform City staff before your tour date if you will need accommodations.
Aug
7
Friday, August 07 2026 11:00am - 12:30pm Join our Bridge Club for friendly games and social fun, open to players of all skill levels.
Aug
7
“Confluence”: 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. “Confluence” is exhibited alongside of 25+ local and regional artists whose work we adore. Live improvisational jazz music from “The Leftovers” at the opening on the First Friday of August from 6-8PM
Aug
7
Friday, August 07 2026 11:00am - 12:30pm Join us for lively conversations and thoughtful insights at our monthly movie discussion group.
Aug
7
Friday, August 07 2026 11:00am - 1:00pm We are knitting at Live Oak Library on Fridays.
Aug
7
Make the MAH your first stop this weekend with FREE First Friday. Explore all three floors of the museum and see our latest exhibitions, check out our giftshop, and hangout among art and history! Then stay into the night dancing to live music out in Abbott Square. First Friday hours are 12-8pm. See you then!
Aug
7
On August 8th, composer Clarice Assad’s new commissioned work, Kontrol, will premiere at the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music. The afternoon before, Assad will join D. Riley Nicholson, Executive Director of the Cabrillo Festival, and Pranav Anand, Faculty Director of The Humanities Institute, for a pre-rehearsal discussion about the inspirations for the piece, which explores impacts of AI on musical creation and performance, both now and in the near future. Stay afterward for the final rehearsal of Kontrol before the premiere on the 8th. Free and open to the public.
Aug
7
Friday, August 07 2026 1:00pm - 2:30pm Sharpen your word skills and enjoy friendly competition at our Scrabble Club - fun for all levels.
Aug
7
Community Bridges WIC 19th Annual Breastfeeding Walk and Health Fair
📍 Community Bridges Plaza
🕒 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM · FREE
We invite you to join us for our 19th Annual WIC Breastfeeding Walk and Health Fair, on Friday, August 7, 2026 at 3pm. We will be celebrating World Breastfeeding Week and sharing information about our services and those of our community partners. There will be fun activities for the whole family, music, healthy snacks, raffle prizes, and more. World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated around the world to highlight the importance of human milk and it's impact on health.
Aug
7
Land Trust Offices: Birds First Friday
📍 Land Trust of Santa Cruz County Office
🕒 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM · FREE
Join the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County for a special bird- themed First Friday celebrating the incredible birds that call Santa Cruz County home. Meet local bird experts, connect with fellow nature enthusiasts, and discover how protecting open spaces helps birds thrive. Throughout the evening, expect: 🦅 Live raptors 📚 A local author 📷 A Wildlife photographer 🪶 An interactive nature museum 🪴 Native Plant Sale by the UCSC Arboretum 🐦 The Bird School Project 🎟️ Free admission There is limited free street parking on Union Street and Chestnut Street. Paid parking options include metered parking on most downtown Santa Cruz streets, as well as the nearest parking garage on Locust Street.
134 more events further out
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