From the waves to the redwoods, it's all happening here.

Zen Meditation. Open to all. Free of charge.

No set up - nothing special just stage space

Learn about the origins and practice of Iranian dance in this talk and performance by Dr. Farima Berenji. She will discuss Iranian rituals and beliefs in relation to dance, as well as how Iranian culture has impacted global music and dance traditions. There will be a short performance and audience participation dance as part of the program. Registration is recommended, and walk-ins are welcome. https://santacruzpl.libnet.info/event/16520725 Rooted in one of the world's oldest civilizations, the traditions of Iranian/Persian sacred dance and music embody the profound wisdom of our ancestors. Observing nature, the stars, and the rhythms of life, they crafted movements expressing love, strength, and spiritual transcendence. These rituals continue to inspire cultures worldwide, preserving a legacy of mysticism and artistic expression. Author Dr. Farima Berenji presents her research upon the evolutionary origins and practice of Iranian rituals, beliefs, and dances, exploring how Iranian culture permeated global music and dance traditions, developing distinctly from its sister nations. All this is explored in her book Companions of the Sun. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing.

Kanekoa, band of limitless possibilities, is one of Hawaii’s premier live music experiences, selling out shows wherever they perform.

Stax Johnson is an independent rock and blues artist based out of California's Central Coast. With B3 hammond organs coupled with smooth guitar licks and deep rooted back beats, he transcends musical genres while incorporating pieces of the blues, rock and roll, and soul into a style all his own. Stax Johnson and his band have performed at various festivals and venues across the U.S. with artists that include Robbie Krieger of The Doors, Chris Isaak, Leon Russell, The Pointer Sisters, The Guess Who, John Mayall, Charlie Musselwhite, Ratt, Greg Kihn, Blues Traveler, Y&T, and The Blue Oyster Cult. Stax Johnson & Company includes Manny Castro(bass guitar and vocals), Robbie Bohn (lead guitar and vocals), Brad Burchell (drums), and Stax Johnson(guitar, keys, vocals, and harmonica).

Join us for live music, 5 boutique wines & charcuterie at our ridge top winery!

Hear the future of new music in this free chamber concert of original works programmed, produced, performed and presented by our adventurous 16–24-year-old Youth Ensemble. FREE!

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

5:30-7:30pm Jazz quartet based in Santa Cruz, CA. Death And Saxes is: John Bouwsma - Tenor Saxophone Harrison Brand - Guitar Jamie Brudnick - Upright Bass Ben Sibley - Drums

A crowd favorite band that is 3 generations deep! Playing classic Hawaiian music as well as contemporary. Hula is a must!

Conducted by Cristian Măcelaru Clarice Assad: Kontrol (Philippe Quint, Violin) (Festival Commission & world premiere) Jackson A. Waters: Defending Greenwood (West Coast premiere) Hannah Ishizaki: Spin (West Coast premiere) Dan Dediu: Concerto for Orchestra (U.S premiere) A genre-expanding program examining power, agency, and the forces that shape contemporary life. Clarice Assad‘s 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. Waters—winner of the 2026 Cabrillo Emerging Black Composers Prize—bears witness to the Tulsa Race Massacre, countering historical erasure through musical testimony and remembrance. Merging the Viennese waltz with electronic dance music, Hannah Ishizaki’s 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 Dediu‘s Concerto for Orchestra (U.S. premiere) closes the program with a virtuosic and celebratory showcase of the ensemble, dedicated to Cristian Măcelaru in recognition of their long-standing artistic collaboration.

Hailing from the vibrant Monterey Bay Area music scene, JAM and the Buttered Biscuits have been serving up a delicious blend of bluesy funk rock music since the Fall of 2024. Formed to bring frontman Jeffrey A. Meyer's (JAM) two solo albums to the stage, the recipe has been evolving ever since. While Meyer's "Wilder Times" and "Colors of the Mind" albums served as the basis of the repertoire, the group has added a new flavor to the work and new songs along the way. Leo MacDonald was among the first to join—bringing smooth buttery bass lines—with drummer, Cliff Nichols, and his driving rhythmic grooves on the pots and pans following closely behind. Meyer’s guitar and vocals are complemented by Fernando Giraldo’s fiery lead guitar work and the indispensable blues and country seasoning provided by Brad Kava on harmonica. With their Monterey Bay roots, JAM and the Buttered Biscuits are a must see act on California's Central Coast. You can catch them up and down the coast including Santa Cruz, Monterey, the San Francisco Bay Area, Morro Bay and beyond.

Mickey Avalon has no shortage of street cred or endless raw raps about male prostitution or smoking crack. Avalon’s early home life reeked of addiction, and he left his father for the streets of Hollywood, California. Slinging weed and trying to find purpose, Avalon even dabbled in orthodox Judaism (his grandmother is a holocaust survivor). A marriage and a family got pushed aside for their own personal raging heroin addiction. But Avalon’s story and music is all about overcoming the odds and pushing past great struggles. Ever since Avalon showed up on MySpace Records with the single, “Jane Fonda,” he have been on the frontline of music’s edge. Punk, Hip Hop, Rap, Glam and Mickey Avalon. -DNA; Good Times Santa Cruz

South Dakota-born Shawn Colvin broke out in a big way right from the beginning of her recording career. Colvin’s remarkable debut album, 1989’s Steady On appeared on the Billboard 200 chart, spawning a hit single and earning her a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. Since then, Colvin has continued to cultivate an ardent fan base, one that includes critics and a diverse audience of music lovers. Two more Grammy Awards, an ASCAP Pop Music Award and an Americana Trailblazer Award have all followed. These days Colvin concentrates more on live performance than recording. Her last release of new material was 2018’s The Starlighter. -Bill Kopp; Good Times Santa Cruz

Hey, Fishhook Fans! Fishhook is back at The Crow's Nest in Santa Cruz on Saturday, August 8th. We are the band that does not let up on the gas! 🎸🎼 You will hear all your favorite songs "leveled up" the FISHHOOK way! And you will experience some of the best Rock and Roll in town. 😉 Let's Party! And bring your friends too. The show starts at 8:00 PM. Address: The Crow's Nest 2218 E Cliff Dr, Santa Cruz Check our website for upcoming events, and join our mailing list to find out what we are up to. http://fishhooktheband.com Visit our Fishhook Store at Zazzle. Get your official Fishhook swag! https://www.zazzle.com/store/fishhook_band - FISHHOOK

Live music by WoodMill at Henfling's of Ben Lomond.

Saturday, 8:00 PM - Performing with "WOODMILL"

Groovesters! Shake off the cold at Joe's in Boulder Creek! Join us on August 8th from 8:30pm to 11:30pm and warm up those dancin' shoes! Saturday, August 8 The Groovy Judy Band Grooves! Joe’s Bar 13118 State Route 9 Boulder Creek, CA 831-338-9417 8:30pm – 11:30pm 21+ FREE

Peoples Disco is back featuring DJ PNUT & DJ D. STROSaturday, August 8, 2026Show: 8pm*No Cover*21+This is a free event, but it is strictly 21 and over, so remember your ID!

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.

Moes Alley Presents a rockin Sunday matinee with Gary Blackburn Band! Sunday, August 9, 2026Doors: 1pm / Show: 2pm$15 in advance / $20 day of the show21+* No Refunds | All sales are final* Avoid scammers! Only purchase tickets from moesalley.com or ticketweb.com* Tickets requested by email will be delivered 3 days prior to the event* Will Call tickets will be available at the door on the day of the event====Gary Blackburn BandGary Blackburn Band based in Santa Cruz, CA., and the Monterey Bay brings their high energy roots rock based in the Rock, Country, Blues genres. The Gary Blackburn Band currently performs at music venues up and down the Central Coast and Bay Area, blending old school with contemporary, the band will weave a musical journey up on the stage, and you will be dancing! Fronted by Santa Cruz local, and celebrated veteran singer songwriter, Gary Blackburn, the band performs familiar rocking covers along with a few of Garys originals. You can hear one of Garys country tunes, Carolina on KPIG 107.5 Freedom, California. With Gary on guitar and lead vocals, the band also features, Sean Woodward, lead guitar, mandolin, harmony vocals, Kevin Taylor, keyboards, harmony vocals, Dan Waller, bass, harmony vocals, and Tom Duncan, drums. The Gary Blackburn Band brings it yall, come have some fun!

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.

3:00-5:00pm JADe is an Acoustic Trio performing in the Santa Cruz / Bay Area, playing acoustic rock, adult contemporary, beautiful ballads and more from the 60's to present. They feature 3 lead vocals with fabulous harmonies, 2 guitars, flute and melodica.

Join us for an unforgettable evening of jazz and stories from Ukraine at the Songrise Andrey Chmut Benefit Concert at the picturesque Bargetto Winery. All proceeds will benefit Songrise International’s vital music programs and initiatives for youth globally. Enjoy a wonderful afternoon with live jazz, a festive dinner, fine wines, silent and live auctions, and the chance to make a meaningful difference!

Frontier Sunday: Craig Rayburn Band