Grab a cup of coffee and hang out with a MAH curator! Coffee with the Curators is a morning at the museum where you can chat, ask questions, and hear behind-the-scenes stories about the exhibitions and collections. Coffee and good conversation are complimentary with museum admission.
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
Treehouse Dispensary First Friday
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.
Coffee with the Curators
Grab a cup of coffee and hang out with a MAH curator! Coffee with the Curators is a morning at the museum where you can chat, ask questions, and hear behind-the-scenes stories about the exhibitions and collections. Coffee and good conversation are complimentary with museum admission.
Open Mic w/ SteveV, every Monday
It's Monday Open Mic at the Ugly Mug! Sign ups at 5p Beer, Espresso Drinks and Desserts available
Coming up
Open Mic · Every Monday 5-8p
you Are A Star! Come share what you love · what you are working on Every Monday 5pm - 8pm · Lottery signups begin @5:15 One 5 minute song or two 3 minute songs We welcome: Poetry · Spoken Word · Music · Originals & Covers Hosted by SteveV Beer, Coffee, Tea and Cafe Snacks are always available. Non-performers are always welcomed & Appreciated We Cannot Wait to see you!
Hosted Board Game Night — 2026-09-28
6 - 8pm · Hosted Board Game Night — open & hosted games, library of 30+ games, raffle, merch, and a Learn to Play demo at 6:30pm. Taught on the spot.
☀️ Happening today
Monday, September 2847 events on today. No plans required, just go.
What's happening
Filter by category, date, or area. Everything listed is in person, county-wide.
Showing 30 of 97 upcoming events · Music · from 2026-09-28 · to 2026-10-05
you Are A Star! Come share what you love · what you are working on Every Monday 5pm - 8pm · Lottery signups begin @5:15 One 5 minute song or two 3 minute songs We welcome: Poetry · Spoken Word · Music · Originals & Covers Hosted by SteveV Beer, Coffee, Tea and Cafe Snacks are always available. Non-performers are always welcomed & Appreciated We Cannot Wait to see you!
Open Mic w/ SteveV, every Monday
It's Monday Open Mic at the Ugly Mug! Sign ups at 5p Beer, Espresso Drinks and Desserts available
6 - 8pm · Hosted Board Game Night — open & hosted games, library of 30+ games, raffle, merch, and a Learn to Play demo at 6:30pm. Taught on the spot.
6:30pm · Playtest the game Catfish at 6:30pm! Learn how to play with co-designer, Jeremy Parker, & help shape this game! Compete against other cats in this party card-lane battler! Host: Jeremy Parker. Local Designer! Part of Hosted Board Game Night (6 - 8pm) — library of 30+ games, raffle, merch & a Learn to Play featured game demo at 6:30pm with The Game Night Collective. Trivia 8 - 10pm.
Ronstadt Revolution: Linda Ronstadt Tribute
For those lucky enough to grow up listening to Linda Ronstadt, it isn’t hyperbole to refer to her as the Queen of Country Rock. Bringing that big personality to the stage takes a special performer and Natalie Amaya tributes Ronstadt with note perfect renditions of Ronstadt’s songs from every part of her career. Amaya appeared on American Idol and tours throughout Northern California with several bands. “Blue Bayou” will give you chills, remembering one of the greatest performers of the last 100 years. -DNA; Good Times Santa Cruz
8 - 10pm · Weekly trivia night — gather your team and come test your knowledge!
A weekly music jam session in downtown Santa Cruz, featuring lights and fun for all musicians.
Community Revels: The Santa Cruz Opera Project presents La Bohème The Santa Cruz Opera Project connects people to the beauty and power of opera by innovating and creating accessible experiences for all. La Bohème is a timeless masterpiece that inspired later works such as RENT and Moulin Rouge, and continues to captivate hearts and minds. Originally set in the bohemian quarters of Paris, this opera portrays the universal human experiences of passion, longing, and the pursuit of dreams. It serves as a reminder that the struggles, aspirations, and joys depicted within its framework transcend time and place. One night only: Tuesday, September 29 @ 7PM Santa Cruz Shakespeare's Community Revels are special performances by local area artists, held on select Tuesday nights at the Audrey Stanley Grove in DeLaveaga Park, offering a lively, intimate alternative to the main repertory season.
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
"Party"
Presented by Celtic Society of the Monterey Bay
Free live music every Tuesday night with the Del Mar Trio at Callahan's in Santa Cruz.
Aldous Harding:: Rio Theatre Santa Cruz 9/29
Aldous Harding comes to Santa Cruz for a special performance at Rio Theatre.
7pm sign-ups · Weekly pinball competition for players of all skill levels.
Motion Pacific: Dance for PD
Dance for Parkinson’s at Motion Pacific is a class for people with Parkinson’s Disease and their caretakers. The class is based on the innovative and internationally renowned Dance for PD® program designed by the Mark Morris Dance Group and the Brooklyn Parkinson Group. Trained Dance for Parkinson’s teachers use prompts and multiple dance styles to inspire movement, creative expression, and community. Dancers may sit in a chair, use a barre, or stand. Dance for Parkinson’s at Motion Pacific is open and free to the public. Classes are appropriate for anyone with Parkinson’s, no matter how advanced. Movement modifications will be made available and there is no dance experience required. Dance for Parkinson’s is offered every Wednesday from 1:00pm to 2:15pm, with the exception of the first Wednesday of the month, during which class is not held. Classes are offered in-person, in the Lobby at The 418 Project.
A weekly beginning hip hop house dance class. Participants will learn foundational movements, rhythms, and combinations in a structured, studio setting.
Motion Pacific's Melissa Contemp. Jazz class series at The 418 Project in Santa Cruz, CA, running weekly through November.
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
An evening of live music with Don Caruth and Ted Welty, with dinner available.
7 - 9pm · Weekly bluegrass jam with local musicians.
Acclaimed Irish Singer Songwriter to perform at Ugly Mug Café in Soquel
Ireland-based singer-songwriter, Gráinne Hunt, will be performing at at Ugly Mug Café in Soquel on Wednesday 30th September. Acclaimed singer-songwriter Gráinne Hunt is thrilled to announce her upcoming US tour, a journey through vibrant venues in Washington, Oregon, California, Utah and New Mexico! In addition to the West Coast tour dates, Gráinne has been invited to showcase at FARM Folk Alliance and there will be a show in St Paul, MN too. The tour kicks off on the 10th September and features intimate performances at renowned venues, community spaces and listening audience-favourite rooms. Performing as a duo with San Diego’s Jules Stewart on drums and vocals, the pair create a sound that’s been compared to The Indigo Girls and Brandi Carlile - rich harmonies, heartfelt stories, and magnetic onstage chemistry. Together, they’ve been described as “the bi-continental queer folk duo you didn’t know you needed in your life.” Gráinne’s tour is gratefully supported by Culture Ireland and the Irish Department of Culture, Communications and Sports.
Grainne Hunt
Moes Alley presents Thelma & The Sleaze with special guests Micah Schnabel & Vanessa Jean Speckman!Wednesday, September 30, 2026Doors: 7pm // Show: 8:00pm$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====THELMA & THE SLEAZEThelma and the Sleaze is an independent all-female, queer southern rock band from Nashville, Tennessee. The group is the brainchild of lead vocalist and guitar player Lauren LG Gilbert and features an evolving cast of A-team players to back her up for an unforgettable live experience.LG is the embodiment of hustle. As the driving force behind Thelma and The Sleaze, she is the songwriter, the visionary, the take-no-shit-from-anyone front woman that is single handedly keeping rock and roll alive. Thelma and The Sleaze has been touring the US for years building a legion of fans, affectionally called her creepers. The growing social media presence, the hit podcast, the features with Yamaha Guitars are really all the result of her incredible songwriting, visceral guitar playing, and the guts to deliver on her vision of what Rock and Roll should be.LG has also launched two successful seasons of their Podcast Queen of Shit Mountain. Each episode features legendary musicians such as Tanya Tucker, Brittany Howard, Juliana Hatfield, Kate Pierson, Lori Barber, Patty Schemel, Mary Ramirez and Margo Price.MICAH SCHNABEL & VANESSA JEAN SPECKMANMicah Schnabel and Vanessa Jean Speckman are a modern day folk and punk duo rebelliously and joyfully reporting from the front lines of present day America. Jim Carroll colliding with Patti Smith in the alley back behind the donut shop that used to be a Taco Bell. As a combined artistic force the duo have played with Frank Turner, Lucero, John Moreland, Tim Barry, Chuck Ragan an
Purchase tickets here Show 8pm ***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.
With white face paint and clown smiles, The Rat Utopia Experiment takes the center ring with their style of “circus” rock. This girl-fronted, grunge-heavy band from Washington is stepping out of their home state after graduating and gaining an impressive underground following. Inspired by favorite movements from the 90s, like riot grrl, noise rock, and triphop, they’re loud, brash, and emotional. With a love of theatrics and a passion for punk, they blend political lyrics with high-energy performances. Their sound and color dominate the room and their storytelling and intricate lyrics wrench the heart. -Shelly Novo; Good Times Santa Cruz
5 - 7pm · The owner of Sleight of Hand Pizza will be throwing & spinning pizza!
5:30-7:30pm Slingshot Improv Trio didn't so much form as detonate slowly over two decades - a controlled explosion of shared history, deep grooves, and accumulated musical mischief that the Bay Area never quite saw coming but probably should have. Bassist Pete Novembre and drummer Bret Bailey formed the funk-jam powerhouse Elephino back in 1999. Bret and guitarist Matt Hartle formed Shady Groove in 2001. All three had played together as hired guns countless times before the lightbulb moment when someone finally said: what if we did our own thing? Matt Hartle (China Cats, Painted Mandolin, Shady Groove, Grateful Sundays with the Hartle Gold Band) is widely regarded as one of the premier guitarists in the Bay Area - a fluid, soulful firecracker with a degree in Jazz Performance whose playing draws comparisons to Jerry Garcia, Carlos Santana, and Steve Kimock, yet remains unmistakably his own. Pete Novembre (OM Trio, Coffee Zombie Collective, Aza, Elephino) is the kind of bass player other musicians talk about after the show - a Santa Cruz readers' poll Bronze medalist for Best Musician whose previous band OM Trio was voted Best Jazz Band in San Francisco in 2001. Multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Bret Bailey (Shady Groove, Elephino, BlissNinnies, Cosmic Pinball), raised on New Orleans jazz, brings a rhythmic intuition that makes the whole thing breathe. Together, they've shared stages with Stanley Jordan, Henry Kaiser, Melvin Seals, Donna Jean Godchaux, Joe Craven, Ike Willis, Mark Karan, and many more - a collective résumé that hints at just how far their musical instincts can travel. And travel they do. With a big map and no planned destination, this trio of seasoned improvisers from the jazz, funk, and jamband worlds use song and structure the way spacecraft use planets: not to land and stay, but to slingshot around and be propelled back out into the galaxy. During their mostly-improv shows, a familiar song could materialize at any time. Or not. All we
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
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 by Taquizas Gabriel Open seating, no reservations required. No outside food is permitted. For more info please call: (831) 475-2258
67 more events further out
Hosting something rad?
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.
Submit your event →