Oct
3
dupixent
📍 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
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 →
Coming up
Mon, Sep 28, 2026 · Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History
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.
Music
📍 Downtown Santa Cruz
Music
Coming up
Mon, Sep 28, 2026 · Ugly Mug CoffeeHouse, 4640 Soquel Dr, Soquel, CA 95073, United States
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
Music
📍 Soquel
Coming up
Mon, Sep 28, 2026 · The Ugly Mug
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!
Music
📍 Soquel
Music
Coming up
Mon, Sep 28, 2026 · The Cruz Room
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.
Music
📍 Downtown Santa Cruz
☀️ Happening today
Monday, September 2847 events on today. No plans required, just go.
9:00 AM
$8600
Certified Massage Therapist Program
📍 Cypress Health Institute
Community
10:00 AM
See listing
Coffee with the Curators
📍 Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History
Music
10:30 AM
$26.45
Roaring Camp Railroads: Redwood Forest Steam Train
📍 Roaring Camp Railroads
Cultural Event
11:00 AM
See listing
What Got You Here WILL Get You There
📍 Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Community
11:30 AM
See listing
Mahjong Club @ Branciforte
📍 Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Community
11:30 AM
See listing
Aptos Bridge Club
📍 Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Community
11:30 AM
See listing
Discovery Zone Playgroup
📍 Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Community
11:30 AM
See listing
Storytime and Stay & Play at Downtown
📍 Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Community
12:00 PM
See listing
Aquarium Sensory Time
📍 Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Community
What's happening
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146 upcoming events · from 2026-10-03 · to 2026-10-04
Oct
3
Predictions of the EL Nino weather seems dire and we can look forward to much rain this fall. Even so the markets will be open and featuring all those good autumnal fruits and veggies. When the sun is shining and when it’s not there will still be good things to eat and enjoy at every Market. Come out and see what’s new and delicious. More markets are listed at https://www.montereycfb.com
Oct
3
Established in 2009 with the City of Scotts Valley, this market has become a seasonal treasure to the local community and to those visiting the area looking for a place to slow down and unwind. Here, every Saturday 9am-1pm, from late spring through the fall, a circle of regional farms, local food businesses and other makers set up their stands to offer shoppers and diners an array of delicious edibles. The market is a resource for nutritious food and agricultural education, providing a gathering place for families, friends and neighbors. Whether your a weekly shopper or just passing through, find what you’re looking for amidst the robust selection of organic vegetables, fruits, herbs, pasture-raised chicken and duck eggs, flowers, artisanal meats, breads, seafood, pastries and ready-to-eat cuisine.
Oct
3
Scotts Valley Farmers' Market
📍 Joe and Linda Aliberti Boys and Girls Club
🕒 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM · FREE
Every Saturday from late spring through fall, a circle of regional farms, local food businesses and makers set up their stands in Scotts Valley — 9 to 1, sun on the redwoods. It's been running since 2009 alongside the City of Scotts Valley, and it's grown into the kind of seasonal ritual you plan your weekend around. Come for the shopping, stay for the slowing down. The market doubles as a resource for nutritious food and agricultural education, and a gathering place for families, friends and neighbors — whether you're a weekly regular or just passing through the mountain town for the morning. Find it all amid the stalls: organic vegetables, fruits and herbs; pasture-raised chicken and duck eggs; flowers, artisanal meats, fresh bread and seafood; pastries; and ready-to-eat plates you can dig into right there with the music going.
Oct
3
Saturday mornings at Cabrillo College in Aptos, 8 to noon. A certified farmers' market with the week's fresh produce and plenty of free parking. Show up early and shop the good stuff first.
Oct
3
Zen Meditation. Open to all. Free of charge.
Oct
3
Come get your hands dirty and help native plants thrive in some of the park’s most popular day-use areas and trails! Volunteers will water and weed around previously planted native plants while removing invasive and non-native vegetation, including ice plant, Himalayan blackberry, English ivy, mustard, wild radish, and other weeds. We’ll use hand tools like hori horis, Pulaskis, hand clippers, and loppers, plus 5-gallon buckets and other equipment to haul water to thirsty plants. Ages 8 and older are welcome! Minors must be accompanied by an adult and bring a signed waiver. Snacks will be provided, but we recommend bringing a personal lunch. Want something extra? Steamers Lane Coffee Supply has food, snacks, and refreshments available for purchase. Come lend a hand, get some fresh air, and help keep the park’s native habitat healthy and thriving! 🌿 REGISTER HERE: https://volunteer.calparks.org/opportunity/a3tJw000002qFeXIAU/lighthouse-field-state-beach Meeting Location: 644-670 W Cliff Dr, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 Google Link : https://goo.gl/maps/Wowc8kYVpneDUKoV7 The most convenient parking is in the lots near Steamer Lane Coffee Supply. There is also street parking available on Pelton Ave if the lot is full. Carpooling is recommended. Meet in the open field immediately behind Steamer Lane Supply. Volunteer event signs will be posted at the entrances to the parking lots to help guide volunteers to the correct location.
Oct
3
The Westside Farmers’ Market takes place every Saturday, year round at the corner of Hwy 1 and Western Drive. Here we serve the communities of the west end of Santa Cruz including Bonny Doon, the North Coast and the University of California, Santa Cruz campus. Sitting on the northern edge of Santa Cruz’s greenbelt this market is a great launching location for a day outdoors at Natural Bridges beach, Wilder Ranch or any adventure spot up the coast. It is also just a hop, skip and a jump, or bike ride, from Downtown. A community hub for over 15 years, the Westside Market showcases a great selection of 100% certified organic produce, artisan foods, beer, body products, tinctures, sustainable seafood, pasture raised meats, flowers and eggs along with cook-to-order cultural meals, live local music and a full espresso bar operated by Syllable. With an abundance of free parking and accessibility on its side, this market makes for a convenient and celebratory Saturday morning outing any time of the year.
Oct
3
Classic cars and coffee every Saturday morning, in East Lake Village Shopping Center. It doesn't get much better. Come walk around the expansive parking lot, look at some beautifully restored cars, drink delicious coffee, and visit with your community. Stay awhile and enjoy one of the many great eateries in the shopping center!
Oct
3
Come enjoy picking your own organic strawberries and/or flowers at the campus farm! When : U-picks will take place on Saturdays from 9am to 12pm, July 11–August 22, or while supplies last. PLEASE NOTE that u-pick will not occur on Saturday, July 4. Where : Free parking will be available in the Hay Barn lot or lot 115/116 during u-pick hours. Please do not park in the dirt lot at the farm’s back gate. Please walk to the check-in table near the strawberries/flowers at the farm to pre-pay and collect your u-pick container(s). We will have directional signage displayed. There is one ADA parking spot on the farm. The UCSC Farm has uneven, hilly terrain. If you require accommodations to fully participate, please email [email protected] and we will do our best to accommodate. Cost: UCSC students with valid ID get 25% off produce. Strawberry pints – $4 each Strawberry flats (12 pints) – $44 Flowers – $25 for 32oz deli container Flower buckets – $75 Payment : Credit card payments only (you will need a smartphone to scan a QR code and enter your card info manually). Dogs are not allowed on the UC Santa Cruz campus (service animals are OK).
Oct
3
Watsonville Wetlands Watch Fall Native Plant Sale
📍 Fitz Wetlands Educational Resource Center at Pajaro Valley High School
🕒 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM · FREE
Watsonville Wetlands Watch hosts its Annual Fall Native Plant Sale on Saturday, October 3rd, from 9:00am-1:00pm at the Fitz Wetlands Educational Resource Center at Pajaro Valley High School, located at 500 Harkins Slough Road in Watsonville. The sale features over 80 species of locally-adapted native and drought tolerant plants that attract birds, bees, and butterflies and help save water. Proceeds from the sale support their on-going wetlands restoration and education programs. The plant list is available at watsonvillewetlandswatch.org.
Oct
3
Saturday mornings at Hwy 1 and Western Drive, year-round. Fifteen-plus years on the Westside, with 100% certified organic produce, pasture-raised meats, sustainable seafood, flowers, and eggs, plus cook-to-order meals, live local music, and espresso from Syllable. On the edge of the greenbelt, minutes from Natural Bridges and Wilder Ranch, a bike ride from Downtown. Free parking, easy to reach.
Oct
3
The Ben Lomond Village Alliance is launching the 2026 Village Market, an expanded and reimagined version of last year’s Wee Kirk Market, bringing new energy to the San Lorenzo Valley. The season kicks off Saturday, June 6 at Ben Lomond County Park on Mill Street and continues on the first Saturday of each month through October, creating a consistent space for the community to gather. The market will feature a wide mix of local vendors, including fresh produce, prepared foods, artisans, and craft makers, along with live music and children’s activities designed to make each event welcoming for all ages. With its new location offering more space and a scenic setting, the Village Market builds on last year’s success while creating an even more vibrant and inclusive environment to connect, support local businesses, and celebrate the creativity and character of Ben Lomond.
Oct
3
Join Thrill the World Santa Cruz for free community dance classes and spooky Halloween performances! Learn Michael Jackson’s iconic “Thriller” choreography—no dance experience required—and join us for the official worldwide Thrill the World dance on October 24 at 3 PM in Downtown Santa Cruz.
Oct
3
Docent-led tours of the Elkhorn Slough Reserve are every Saturday AND Sunday, at 10 am and 11 am. Tours are on a first-come, first-serve basis – visitors may sign up at the Visitor Center front desk, or call ahead the morning of using the phone number (831) 728-2822. The Docent will craft a walk that meets the groups needs and abilities.
Oct
3
Ticket price includes 1 pound of apples in addition to what you pick during your timed hour on the farm. Click the link in the orange button above to reserve your hour time slot. Apples are notorious for not reading travel itineraries. Please double check on what is ready to be picked before you go!
Oct
3
Take a free, guided tour of the 30-acre organic UCSC Farm. Visitors can enjoy touring the organically managed greenhouses, hand-worked garden beds, orchards, row crop fields, and 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. Tours will take place from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on the following dates (please RSVP for the tour of your choice): Saturday, July 11 Saturday, August 1 Saturday, September 12 Saturday, October 3
Oct
3
Call to register or if you have questions: 457-2273 Location will vary so call for details The facilitator will bring photos. You are responsible for purchasing materials (see below). Discover your Wisdom with SoulCollage® Let's explore our inner selves. Using images, imagination and intuition, you will begin to create your own personal deck of collaged cards. Part art project, part spiritual practice, SoulCollage® allows you to deepen your understanding of yourself and tap into your inner wisdom that can guide you on important life decisions. In a fun, creative, and relaxed environment, you will create cards that will reveal parts of your personality, your archetypes, and other guides, allies, and challengers. We will talk about the ways you can use your personal deck of collaged cards to tap into your inner wisdom. No art experience necessary. Anyone can create SoulCollage® cards! We use scissors, glue, and images cut from magazines to create our cards. You’ll take home several finished cards—and no doubt a love for this creative process! Please bring with you : * Scissors * Glue stick (best kind is Pioneer glue stick) * 8 x 5 mat board * Pen & Notebook
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.
Oct
3
We're turning ONE! Celebrate the Pilates Social with Pilates, Prosecco & local vendors
Oct
3
Climb aboard emergency vehicles, buses, and construction equipment! Explore hands-on STEM learning stations, watch pumpkins smashed from towering heights, and grab lunch at the BBQ & Beer Garden.
Oct
3
Roaring Camp Railroads: Redwood Forest Steam Train
📍 Roaring Camp Railroads
🕒 10:30 AM – 3:00 PM · $26.45
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.
Oct
3
Climb aboard the emergency vehicles, buses, and construction equipment that keep our community moving! Explore hands-on STEM learning stations, watch pumpkins smashed from towering heights, and grab lunch at our BBQ & Beer Garden. Come support the Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery while inspiring the next generation of essential workers our community needs! October 3, 2026 | 10:30 AM–3:00 PM | Capitola Mall | Admission is Free
Oct
3
The Family Service Agency of the Central Coast announced that The Upscale-Resale Nonprofit Daisy Store will celebrate autumn with a week-long sale. Everything in the store is 50% off. All proceeds benefit Family Service Agency programs.
Oct
3
Join Sewing for Kids Downtown! A different hand sewing project is offered each month. October's project is a pumpkin. Project supplies are limited to the first 25 participants. Sewing for Kids meets on the first Saturday of the month from 10:30 to 11:30 am. No sewing experience needed. No registration required. https://santacruzpl.libnet.info/events?n=30&term=sewing&r=range&start=2026-10-03&end=2027-05-01
Oct
3
Climb aboard the emergency vehicles, buses, and construction equipment that keep our community moving! Explore hands-on STEM learning stations, watch pumpkins smashed from towering heights, and grab lunch at our BBQ & Beer Garden. Come support the Santa Cruz Children's Museum of Discovery while inspiring the next generation of essential workers our community needs! October 3, 2026 | 10:30 AM–3:00 PM | Capitola Mall | Admission is Free
Oct
3
Saturday, October 03 2026 10:00am - 12:00pm Join us each Saturday morning for a relaxing time crafting with your neighbors.
Oct
3
First Saturday Tours are a wonderful way to introduce yourself to the Arboretum or to deepen your knowledge of the Arboretum’s plant collections. Each tour is a little different depending on the time of year, the interests of the tour guide, and the people who join in. For example, you might learn about the birds and mammals that make this land their home or about the amazing physical adaptations that plants have evolved to better deal with our extreme weather and climate conditions. Tours are free with paid admission. Admission is always free for current UCSC Students and Arboretum members.
Oct
3
Saturday, October 03 2026 10:00am - 12:00pm In partnership with the Volunteer Center Literacy Program
Oct
3
Wilder Ranch State Park: Guided Coastal Nature Walk
📍 Wilder Ranch State Park
🕒 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM · FREE
On this 2.5-mile, 2-hour family-friendly walk, you will explore the plants, animals, and geology of the Santa Cruz County coastal bluffs. Bring water, a hat, closed-toe shoes, layered clothing, and binoculars if available. Pre-registration required at the link in the orange button above. Meet next to the park map in the main parking lot. Rain cancels. Free event. Vehicle day-use fee is $10.
Oct
3
Calling all Daisies, Brownies, Juniors, Cadettes, and Seniors—this exciting overnight adventure is just for you! Includes: • Camping Under the Stars on the Boardwalk • Exclusive Free Play in the Arcade • Dinner & Breakfast • Outdoor Movie • Exclusive time on the Looff Carousel & Pirate Ship Friday night • Sand Sculpture Competition • Event Patch • Ride Wristband for Saturday • Discounted Parking Package Price: $99.95 per person Deadline September 27, 2026, or until full. Register today! bit.ly/Fall-Girl-Scout-Overnight
Oct
3
Join us harvesting Tomatoes and making Tart Tatin & Syrup!
Oct
3
First Saturday Guided Tours at the UCSC Arboretum
📍 UC Santa Cruz Arboretum & Botanic Garden
🕒 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM · FREE
Discover the stunning beauty of the UCSC Arboretum & Botanic Garden on a guided tour! Led by our docents, you’ll explore our world-class plant collections and learn about our history, our unique Mediterranean climate, and the work we do to conserve and display the world’s incredible biodiversity of plants. When: First Saturday of every month Cost: Free with paid admission (Members get in free!) Reserve your spot(s) by registering on our website at: forms.gle/767hWuW9JpAuRiwD9 Walk-ins are welcome. Please note that registration forms are updated the Tuesday after the previous tour. Consider becoming a member! Membership includes free admission, local nursery discounts, and reciprocal entry to 345+ gardens nationwide. For more information, please visit our website.
Oct
3
We will be hosting the Open Studios Preview Exhibition, showcasing the work of all the 330+ Santa Cruz County Open Studios Artists who are participating in the program
Oct
3
Come tour brand new homes, meet our lender, and learn about a special 4.99% rate available right now. Face painting, food, and more fun! Join us Saturday, October 3rd from 11am to 4pm for a special open house event at Hillcrest! This is a family friendly, free event for anyone curious about this community, whether you're actively house hunting or just want to see what's new in the neighborhood. Bring the kids for free face painting, enjoy some food while you're here, and take your time touring the homes. A lender will be on site to answer your questions and walk you through financing, including a special rate of 4.99% available right now. It's a great chance to get real answers about what buying at Hillcrest could actually look like for you. No appointment needed, just stop by any time between 11 and 4. We'd love to see you there!
Oct
3
Saturday, October 03 2026 10:15am - 12:30pm Join Saturday Shakespeare at Aptos Library for five lively sessions with guest experts, group readings, and discussions, ending with a shared play viewing. Attend in person or on Zoom!
Oct
3
Saturday, October 03 2026 10:30am - 11:15am ¡Acompáñanos en nuestro nuevo horario, cada primer sábado del mes!
Oct
3
Saturday, October 03 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm Have you been hankering for an in-person book club? Join us on the first Saturday of the month from 10:30AM-12PM in our cozy Fireside Room for a friendly book discussion group.
Oct
3
Saturday, October 03 2026 10:30am - 11:30am Step into a world of imagination with stories, rhymes, and songs for children ages 0?8, shared with families and caregivers in a warm, welcoming space.
Oct
3
Discover the calming and creative power of music 🎶 Our beginner-friendly harp lessons offer a peaceful space to learn something new, connect with sound, and explore music in a supportive group setting. No experience is needed, and instruments are provided. 🗓 1st & 3rd Saturdays 🎵 All levels welcome ⚠️ Limited to 10 spots—advance booking recommended
Oct
3
Saturday, October 03 2026 10:30am - 11:30am Join Sewing for Kids Downtown! A different hand sewing project is offered each month. October's project is a pumpkin. Project supplies are limited to the first 25 participants.
Oct
3
Santa Cruz Porchfest is a free, all-ages, one-day music event that turns downtown porches into stages. Wander the neighborhood, follow the sound, and discover your new favorite band on a neighbor’s front steps. On the day: Several bands playing on porches across downtown. (Including the Santa Cruz County Visitor Center) Music from 12 to 6pm, with sets running about an hour each. Walk the route at your own pace — bring water, a friend, a kid. Food and drinks at local spots along the way.
Oct
3
Harvest Festival returns to Downtown Santa Cruz. There will be throwing up tents, popping popcorn, stacking hay bales and setting up a slew of silly, throw-back games and fun activities for all of you. Think of a sweet nook version of county fair meets a school fair but, filled with local farms and businesses. The Harvest Festival offers tons of activities for all ages, including: Carnival Games ~ Enjoy classic carnival games! Mechanical Bull Who’s gonna try it? Wreath Making Station, sponsored by the Santa Cruz Warriors Striker, Glitter Tattoos, sponsored by Pacific Cookie Co. Face Painting, sponsored by Go Ask Alice Plinko, Froggy Fly, sponsored by Game Santa Cruz Corn Hole & Foosball, sponsored by the Downtown Association of Santa Cruz.. Food ~ Savor delicious fall flavors! Popcorn, sponsored by Downtown Association of SC Churros by La Casa de Churros Live Music Garden Variety Cheese Farm Animal Meet & Greet ~ Rebecca King brings baby sheep, ewes and chicks for viewing & handling. And more! See link in orange button above.
Oct
3
Aptos Village Park: Gourmet Grazing on the Green
📍 Aptos Village County Park
🕒 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM · $65.87
Held at beautiful Aptos Village Park, Gourmet Grazing on the Green is a fabulous day of fine wine, craft beer, gourmet food and live music! Spend the afternoon sampling the delicious flavors from dozens of the finest local restaurants, wineries and breweries.
Oct
3
The Scotts Valley Multicultural Fair is a free celebration aimed at broadening our understanding and appreciation for multiculturalism and diversity. There will be: Live musical acts from all different backgrounds and influences. Dance troupes performing captivating routines; with audience participation encouraged! Food vendors to explore. A fashion show to show-case traditional clothing of different cultures. Art displays representing different cultures and age groups. Booths displaying and offering activities representing different cultures.
Oct
3
Carlos Motta: When Time Stands Still
📍 Institute of the Arts and Sciences
🕒 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM · See listing
Carlos Motta’s When Time Stands Still, the artist’s second solo show with the IAS , features new and recent installations, videos, and sculptures highlighting the artist’s preoccupation with the historical and aesthetic productions of difference and marginalization that shape the present. The selection of artworks in the exhibition explore the unsettling experience of living in a time that seems violently stuck on repeat. Archetypal figures from art history (a fool, a siren, a witness, a victim) reappear in the current moment as containers of time, bringing the past of imperialism, colonization, and displacement into a present marked by the rise of anti-immigration politics, climate injustice, and other forms of disposability. Some works challenge this violent repetition of time. The clock moves, if gruelingly, in an endurance-based video performance, No One , 2025. For forty-six minutes, the artist undertakes to keep his eyes open, witnessing, withstanding, confronting, and resisting the bombardment of images, both historical and otherwise, that normalize harm. In another video work, Gravity , 2024, performers enact rescue carries, supporting each other until they can’t bear the weight. Together, the artworks act as a proposal about how to rethink time—how to slow time—with a poetic and aesthetic cadence that might counter the numbing reverberations of living in the present. When Time Stands Still is organized as part of Visualizing Abolition, an arts-based initiative that reaches across prison borders to create a future free of prisons. Carlos Motta (b. 1978, Colombia) is a multidisciplinary artist whose work has been shown widely nationally and internationally. Solo exhibitions venues include the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona; Nikolaj Kunsthal, Copenhagen; Museo de Arte Moderno de Bogotá; Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus, OH ; Röda Sten Konsthall, Gothenburg, Sweden; Galeria Vermelho, São Paulo; Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM); Tate Modern, London; and
Oct
3
Victor ‘Marka27’ Quiñonez: Ni de Aquí, Ni de Allá
📍 Institute of the Arts and Sciences
🕒 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM · See listing
Organized in partnership with the Center for Art and Advocacy, located in Brooklyn, New York, Ni de Aquí, Ni de Allá ( Not From Here, Not From There ) by multidisciplinary artist Victor ‘Marka27’ Quiñonez features a wide range of artworks that issue a bold declaration of dual belonging, including altars, an elaborately immersive botanica, paintings referencing visual symbolism drawn from textiles, graffiti and community traditions, and, in a series called I.C.E. Scream , large, brightly colored resin sculptures in the shape of melting Mexican paletas (popsicles). As the exhibition title suggests (a phrase widely used in bilingual and bicultural communities), these artworks reflect the artist’s interest in the experience of living between worlds even as violent notions of nationalism and identity pervade. Accompanying the exhibition, Elevar la Cultura , an immersive sculptural installation featuring a twenty-two-foot-tall pyramid built from ice coolers adorned with ancestral textiles, sacred symbols, and mural work will be on view at Santa Cruz Barrios Unidos (1817 Soquel) November 7, 2026- March 7, 2027. As Quiñonez explains, this sculpture epitomizes the contradictions of living—and laboring—as an immigrant in the United States: “Most people see the cooler as a tool for leisure…for barbecues, tailgating, and celebrations. But for immigrant communities, the cooler is a tool and symbol for opportunity and independence. In every major city, you see families and vendors selling fruit, food, and water out of these coolers on the streets and in subway stations. They’re a necessity for survival and a way to start an honest living,” the artist shares. The Institute of Arts and Sciences will be the second venue to successfully present Ni de Aquí, Ni de Allá to the public. First organized by Boston University Art Galleries and curated by Kate Fowle in September of 2025, the exhibition debuted to critical acclaim before gaining national attention after its abrupt removal from
Oct
3
Harvest Festival returns to Downtown Santa Cruz. We'll be throwing up tents, popping popcorn, stacking hay bales and setting up a slew of silly, throw-back games and fun activities for all of you. Think of a sweet nook version of county fair meets a school fair but, filled with local farms and businesses. This vibrant community event is produced in partnership with The Downtown Association of Santa Cruz the Santa Cruz Community Farmers' Markets . The Harvest Festival offers tons of activities for all ages, including: Carnival Games ~ Enjoy classic carnival games! Mechanical Bull Who's gonna try it? Wreath Making Station, sponsored by the Santa Cruz Warriors Striker, Glitter Tattoos, sponsored by Pacific Cookie Co. Face Painting, sponsored by Go Ask Alice Plinko, Froggy Fly, sponsored by Game Santa Cruz Corn Hole & Foosball, sponsored by the Downtown Association of Santa Cruz.. Food ~ Savor delicious fall flavors! Popcorn, sponsored by Downtown Association of SC Churros by La Casa de Churros more announced soon. Live Music ~ Wreath Making ~ Enjoy this free fall craft sponsored by the Santa Cruz Community Farmers’ Market. Garden Variety Cheese Farm Animal Meet & Greet ~ Rebecca King brings baby sheep, ewes and chicks for viewing & handling.
Oct
3
Free Multicultural Celebration: culture booths, performances, fashion show, international food, free activities & crafts. All ages welcome! Join us for the 5th Annual Scotts Valley Multicultural Fair — a completely free, family-friendly celebration of culture, community, and connection! This beloved nonprofit event is held on Saturday, October 3, 2026 from 12–4pm at Skypark in Scotts Valley, and is made possible entirely by volunteers and donations. Whether you're a longtime local or new to the area, there's something for everyone: 🌍 Interactive culture booths showcasing traditions from around the world 🎭 Vibrant live performances curated by renowned choreographer Tandy Beal 👗 An international fashion show celebrating global style and heritage 🎨 Hands-on activities and crafts free for all ages 🍜 Delicious international food from a variety of vendors 🤝 A welcoming space for all families, youth, and community members Now in its 5th year, the Multicultural Fair was founded to broaden understanding and appreciation of different cultures, and to build positive connections — especially for our youth. Through fun and festivity, this event celebrates community joy, unity, and belonging in Scotts Valley and beyond. Interested in participating in the fair? You can host a cultural booth, walk in the fashion show, become a sponsor, join as a food vendor, or volunteer. Email us at [email protected] or visit www.scottsvalleymulticulturalfair.com to learn more! Come as you are. Bring your family. Celebrate with us!
Oct
3
SANTA CRUZ TRANS POTLUCK
📍 SubRosa Community Space, 703 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
🕒 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM · See listing
SANTA CRUZ TRANS POTLUCK - Saturday May 2nd, 12pm - 3pm at SubRosa (703 Pacific Ave in downtown Santa Cruz). Trans ppl!!! Bring ur friends! * Make Trans Friends * Share Food * Build Community Community announcements at 2pm. This can include things like board game nights or dinners, more formal planned events, or a milestone you feel like sharing with the community! This is a dry space (no alcohol) - Masks encouraged (available at SubRosa). Send feedback or suggestions to: [email protected] —@@@@@— SubRosa is a collectively run anarchist community space - a place to meet people, share resources and ideas, challenge our assumptions and act on our passions. Let’s create together the world(s) we want to live in now. @subrosa_space And SubRosa is part of the Hub Community Center at 703 Pacific Ave in downtown Santa Cruz - a constellation of projects that support skill-sharing, appropriate re/use of resources, and interconnected, creative communities - since 1994! More about the Hub i
Oct
3
Henry Cowell Redwoods SP: Redwood Grove Guided Walk
📍 Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
🕒 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM · FREE
Experience an old-growth redwood forest filled with ancient trees over 200 ft. tall, and connect one on one with park staff. On this 1-mile stroll, you will be chatting about life histories, ecology, etc., and sharing a wonderful adventure among these giants. You don’t want to miss this! Meet at the visitor center. Although the event is free, the vehicle day-use fee is $10. Hold on to that receipt! Once you have paid for parking at one state park, you have paid for them all. There are 14 state parks in Santa Cruz County alone!
Oct
3
Santa Cruz Porchfest is a free, all-ages, one-day music event that turns downtown porches into stages. Wander the neighborhood, follow the sound, and discover your new favorite band on a neighbor’s front steps. On the day: Several bands playing on porches across downtown. (Including the Santa Cruz County Visitor Center) Music from 12 to 6pm, with sets running about an hour each. Walk the route at your own pace — bring water, a friend, a kid. Food and drinks at local spots along the way.
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.
Oct
3
Carlos Motta’s When Time Stands Still features new and recent installations, videos, and sculptures highlighting the artist’s preoccupation with the historical and aesthetic productions of difference and marginalization that shape the present. The selection of artworks in the exhibition explore the unsettling experience of living in a time that seems violently stuck on repeat. Archetypal figures from art history (a fool, a siren, a witness, a victim) reappear in the current moment as containers of time, bringing the past of imperialism, colonization, and displacement into a present marked by the rise of anti-immigration politics, climate injustice, and other forms of disposability. Some works challenge this violent repetition of time. The clock moves, if gruelingly, in an endurance-based video performance, No One, 2025. For forty-six minutes, the artist undertakes to keep his eyes open, witnessing, withstanding, confronting, and resisting the bombardment of images, both historical and otherwise, that normalize harm. In another video work, Gravity, 2024, performers enact rescue carries, supporting each other until they can’t bear the weight. Together, the artworks act as a proposal about how to rethink time—how to slow time—with a poetic and aesthetic cadence that might counter the numbing reverberations of living in the present. When Time Stands Still is organized as part of Visualizing Abolition, an arts-based initiative that reaches across prison borders to create a future free of prisons. About the Artist Carlos Motta (b. 1978, Colombia) is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice documents the social conditions and political struggles of sexual, gender, and ethnic communities, challenging normative discourses through acts of self-representation. His work has been the focus of several survey exhibitions.
Oct
3
Harvest Festival returns to Downtown Santa Cruz. There will be throwing up tents, popping popcorn, stacking hay bales and setting up a slew of silly, throw-back games and fun activities for all of you. Think of a sweet nook version of county fair meets a school fair but, filled with local farms and businesses. The Harvest Festival offers tons of activities for all ages, including: Carnival Games ~ Enjoy classic carnival games! Mechanical Bull Who’s gonna try it? Wreath Making Station, sponsored by the Santa Cruz Warriors Striker, Glitter Tattoos, sponsored by Pacific Cookie Co. Face Painting, sponsored by Go Ask Alice Plinko, Froggy Fly, sponsored by Game Santa Cruz Corn Hole & Foosball, sponsored by the Downtown Association of Santa Cruz.. Food ~ Savor delicious fall flavors! Popcorn, sponsored by Downtown Association of SC Churros by La Casa de Churros Live Music Garden Variety Cheese Farm Animal Meet & Greet ~ Rebecca King brings baby sheep, ewes and chicks for viewing & handling. And more! See link in orange button above.
Oct
3
Steel Bonnet's 11th. Anniversary Party!
📍 Steel Bonnet Brewing Company
🕒 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM · See listing
Steel Bonnet celebrates 11 years on Saturday, October 3rd from 12-9pm. Live music, food trucks, activities and delicious beer ALL DAY LONG!! Mark your calendars. More info to come!
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.
Oct
3
Held at beautiful Aptos Village Park, Gourmet Grazing on the Green is a fabulous day of fine wine, craft beer, spirits, gourmet food, live music and more! Spend the afternoon sampling the delicious flavors from dozens of the finest local restaurants, wineries and breweries. parking & shuttle service Parking is limited at the Aptos Village Park. We encourage guests carpool and use ride share. We also provide parking at Cabrillo College parking lot K and our shuttle service will bring you to and from the event approximately every 15 minutes. Shuttle service runs from 11:30-5pm. Limited handicap parking is available at the park. If you uber, drop off is at the top of the park. what to bring In years past the weather has been warm and sunny. We recommend wearing layered clothing, a sun hat, and sunscreen. The event provides shaded tents, table umbrellas and chair for guests to sit, eat and relax. The perimeter of the park is often grassy and shaded, feel free to bring a blanket if you care to relax picnic-style. *Service animals only please. All pets must be on leash at all times, and we ask that you respect other guests personal space. *Refund & Cancellation Policy We have a no refund policy unless we have to cancel. Tickets are transferable. In the event of cancellation we will provide you with a refund or give you the option to donate to the cause!
Oct
3
Saturday, October 03 2026 12:00pm - 5:00pm Play tabletop board games and have some fun!
Oct
3
Saturday, October 03 2026 12:00pm - 4:00pm Join SCPL at the Downtown Santa Cruz Harvest Festival!
Oct
3
Wilder Ranch State Park - Ranch History Tour
📍 Wilder Ranch State Park
🕒 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM · See listing
Want to learn about the rich dairy history of Wilder Ranch State Park? Dreamt of peeking inside our beautiful Victorian homes and barns? Join us weekly on Saturdays and Sundays for a 1.5 hour long tour of the historic buildings of Wilder Ranch! Meet at the visitor's center at 1 pm. Pre-register here or join us on the day-of. This tour is free. Parking in Day-use lot is $10. Questions?Call (669)758-1963or email [email protected]
Oct
3
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!
Oct
3
Saturday, October 03 2026 12:00pm - 3:00pm Manifest your visions, desires, and dreams through the art of Soul Collage!
Oct
3
September is California Wine Month, and this year, there is plenty to celebrate. It has been a fascinating growing season in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Harvest arrived an incredible three to four weeks ahead of schedule, making 2026 one for the books already. Join us over Labor Day weekend for our September First Saturday and experience the vineyard at one of our favorite times of year. As the summer fog begins to roll back from the coast and sunshine fills our valleys, September brings some of the most beautiful days to the Santa Cruz Mountains. Come spend the afternoon with us, taste our estate wines and new releases, take in the vineyard views, and celebrate California Wine Month right where the wine begins. First Saturday at Rosscienda Vineyard Saturday, September 5 | 1–5 PM Aptos • Santa Cruz Mountains
Oct
3
Bill Trimpi, better known as Mr. Bill, has been educating local students and telling stories for the past 50 years. But for the last 35, he has also connected with hundreds of students at Soccer Camp. He just put out a new children’s book, Out of the Box. To celebrate its release, there will be an afternoon of puppetry, fun, and creativity. Along with the puppet show, there will be a Santa-Cruz-themed activity book filled with non-competitive games. It also includes the story of Soccer Camp and several of Trimpi’s original stories, including “Surfer Cat,” “Stumpy the Tree,” and “Star Girl.” The new book will be available to purchase and Trimpi will happily sign them. -Isabella Marie Sangaline; Good Times Santa Cruz
Oct
3
Pros & Cons of State Ballot Propositions
📍 Aptos Branch Public Library - Betty Leonard Community Room
🕒 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM · FREE
Learn the pros and cons of the 14 statewide propositions on the November ballot. From the Billionaire Tax Act to voting restrictions, at this free public event you’ll hear a nonpartisan review of the issues by a panel of speakers from the League of Women Voters of Santa Cruz County. Be ready to cast your informed vote when your ballot arrives in the mail. Co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters Santa Cruz County and American Association of University Women.
Oct
3
A Road of Her Own: Author Visit with Kimberly Gomes
📍 Capitola Branch Library
🕒 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM · FREE
Local author Kimberly Gomes will share her new book, A Road of Her Own. In this work of Autofiction, meet Mira. She writes about the dead. Now she’s ready to finally live. At twenty-nine, Mira is stuck writing obituaries, caring for a once-wild, now-blind mother, and living in a fish-scented apartment that smells like failure—until a last chance artist fellowship offers a shot at something more. With a camera in her hand and nothing left to lose, she hits the road alone, crossing America’s national parks, skydiving, unraveling, and meeting women who remind her what it means to want, to risk, and to live. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing. Light refreshments will be served. Registration is recommended, and walk-ins are welcome. Register at https://santacruzpl.libnet.info/event/16461290. KIMBERLY GOMES is a writer, songslinger, and creativity coach. She’s the author of the poetry collection Love Notes to the Body (Dancing Girl Press, 2019). Her debut novel, A Road of Her Own, was a semi-finalist for the 2022 Black Lawrence Press Prose Book Award. Her work has been named a top personal essay of 2021 by Entropy Magazine, and has been featured in The San Francisco Chronicle and Sunset Magazine. When she’s not creating, you can find Kimberly hiking mountains, plotting her next passport stamp, and swing dancing with people she loves. ___ The views and opinions expressed by presenters in Santa Cruz Public Libraries programs are their own and do not constitute an endorsement by Santa Cruz Public Libraries or its member jurisdictions. Los puntos de vista y opiniones expresadas por los presentadores de programas en las Bibliotecas Públicas de Santa Cruz son propias y no constituyen en un respaldo o reflejo de la postura de las Bibliotecas Públicas de Santa Cruz ni de sus jurisdicciones miembro.
Oct
3
Saturday, October 03 2026 1:00pm - 3:30pm A joint meeting between the League of Women Voters and AAUW to discuss the initiatives on the November ballot.
Oct
3
Saturday, October 03 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm In this workshop for teens, we'll explore how poets borrow and invent forms to help break them free. Come for the workshop and stay for the pizza!
Oct
3
REFUGE: Voices of Courage and Resilience Book Launch Celebration
📍 Resource Center for Nonviolence
🕒 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM · FREE
Come celebrate the launch of REFUGE: Voices of Courage & Resilience for Our Fractured World at the Resource Center for Nonviolence in Santa Cruz. This anthology brings together more than 100 writers and artists responding to the emotional, political, and spiritual challenges of our time—including 22 writer and artists from Santa Cruz County. We’ll spend the afternoon bringing the pages of REFUGE to life, sharing a selection of writing and art that reflects the heart and breadth of the collection. REFUGE combines essays, poetry, photography, painting, drawing, fiber art, sculpture, and other visual work. Its contributors explore grief and uncertainty, resistance and creativity, beauty and wonder, and the ways people continue to find meaning and hope in these difficult times.
Oct
3
Saturday, October 03 2026 1:30pm - 3:00pm A safe space to explore questions and feelings about dying
Oct
3
Saturday, October 03 2026 1:30pm - 3:00pm Local author Kimberly Gomes shares her new book.
Oct
3
Come out to the 1st Annual Santa Cruz Porchfest in downtown on Sat. October 3rd from 12-6pm. Free. Blü Egyptian plays at Calvary Church, 532 Center St.
Oct
3
Placeholder for possible Porch Fest event
Oct
3
Saturday, October 03 2026 2:00pm - 4:00pm Come enjoy work from the Watercolor Class at the Scotts Valley Senior Center and meet the artists.
Oct
3
🌑 New Moon Sound Bath & Guided Meditation 80-Minute Experience | Spa Santangelo, Felton, CA + Online Join Melissa at each New Moon for a deeply restorative journey designed to help you reconnect, set meaningful intentions, 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 New Moon: 🌑 New Moon — BRING IN Set intentions, plant new seeds, and invite the energy, experiences, and possibilities you want to cultivate. The New Moon offers an opportunity for reflection and new beginnings. Take time to turn inward, become clear about what you want to welcome into your life, and intentionally create space for what comes next. 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 grounded, centered, inspired, and renewed—with fresh intentions for the journey ahead.
Oct
3
Saturday, October 03 2026 3:00pm - 4:30pm Youth ages 9-17 are invited to design and make a custom keychain, coaster, or fridge magnet to take home. Parent, guardian or responsible adult required to be present for the duration of workshop.
Oct
3
The Institute of the Arts and Sciences (IAS) is pleased to announce its Fall/Winter season of exhibitions. On view are exhibitions highlighting two artists whose explorations in video, installation, painting, and sculpture examine some of the most enduring and challenging issues of our time: Carlos Motta: When Time Stands Still, a poetic and aesthetically rich exploration of the historical and aesthetic manifestations of difference and marginalization that inform current anti-immigration politics and climate injustices; and Victor “Marka27” Quiñonez: Ni de Aquí, Ni de Allá (Not From Here, Not From There), which grapples with issues of migration and belonging—and gained national attention after it was abruptly censored by the University of North Texas. Also as part of IAS programming, an outdoor installation of Victor “Marka27” Quiñonez: Elevar la Cultura, a public sculpture project, will be at Santa Cruz Barrios Unidos November 7, 2026–March 5, 2027. An opening celebration for the exhibitions open on October 2, 2026, 5–8 p.m., with a performance by vocal artist and composer Samita Sinha, celebrations with the artists, and more. Elevar la Cultura opens at Santa Cruz Barrios Unidos on November 7, 2026, 2–6 p.m., with a celebration with the artist, featuring lowriders, free food, live entertainment, vendors, and more. The exhibitions and opening events are free and open to the public.
Oct
3
Get your tickets for Santa Cruz High School's 60th Reunion on Saturday, October 3rd at the Portugurese Hall in Harvey West Park. Socializing! No Host Bar! Mexican Buffet Dinner! Music & Dancing. $50 per person. Please purchase tickets by August 31!
Oct
3
5:30-7:30pm Love Creek is a folk-rock/jam band from Santa Cruz, California. Current band members consist of Malakai Lawton (vocals/guitar), Alex Bahler (lead guitar), Ryan Jensen (bass/vocals), Ed Levy (keys), and Rob Borella (drums). Love Creek pulls from a musical headwaters of jam band and folk rock influences, creating original material that is both heartfelt and powerful, both lyrically and instrumentally. Along with a growing repertoire of original songs, Love Creek also performs music written by artists such as: Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers Band, Jerry Garcia Band, The Cure, Van Morrison, Marshall Tucker Band, Rusted Root, America, as well as many others. Catch them every 1st Saturday of the month!
Oct
3
MindTravel October Live-to-Headphones Piano Experience in Santa Cruz
📍 (on the sand in front of)
🕒 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM · $53.57
Santa Cruz at sunset: immersive live-to-headphones piano by Murray Hidary. Mindful concert in nature. Join us.
Oct
3
Saturday, 6:00 PM
Oct
3
Saturday, October 03 2026 5:00pm - 6:30pm Youth ages 9-17 are invited to design and make a custom keychain, coaster, or fridge magnet to take home. Parent, guardian or responsible adult required to be present for the duration of workshop.
Oct
3
Understory (Nicole Wilson)
Oct
3
The SLV Theatre Department is proud to present The Outsiders, a dramatic coming-of-age novel originally written by S.E. Hilton and adapted to stageplay by Christopher Sergel. This production is directed by high school seniors Ryan Jones and Benjamin Rotte. Performance dates are October 2nd-10th.
Oct
3
7 - 9pm · Cousin Dave
Oct
3
Ode to The Dying Senses: An Immersive Dance-Theater Experience
📍 Santa Cruz Dance Theater
🕒 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM · $24.25
Ode to the Dying Senses is an immersive dance-theater experience combining live singers and SCDT's Project Company dancers. The evening begins as you enter and explore a space immersed in total darkness. What follows invites you to reconnect with your senses in a show like nothing you've ever seen. With only 15 tickets per show, this is an exclusive event you won't want to miss.
Oct
3
An Evening of Group Astrology Readings For the Venus Retrograde
📍 The 418 Project
🕒 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM · $15
Sat., October 3rd – 7:00 PM – SMALL THEATRE An Evening of Group Astrology Readings for the Venus Retrograde Join us for an evening of storytelling, insights—possible tears and many laughs. Astrologers Blair Bogin, Camirin Farmer and Vivi Henriette break down the current sky and the upcoming Venus Rx into simple language anyone can understand. Along the way, we’ll pull charts from the audience opening to share insights and open the stage to your stories and collective wisdom. To participate, please come prepared with your birth time, date and location. ABOUT YOUR ASTROLOGERS: BLAIR Blair Bogin is an astrologer, video artist, teacher, coach and community theater-maker. She is the Director of Planets, Planets, Planets, an alt-comedy astrology theater troupe in LA and produces a lot of experimental horoscopes and films. She’s been a consulting astrologer since 2013 alongside her studies in physical theater clown, hermetic mysticism and somatic trauma therapy. She teaches and writes on many topics and trains other astrologers and mystics at Your Life Is Enormous, an astro-coaching school. CAMIRN Camirin Farmer is a nonbinary, queer, black performer & astrologer based in Los Angeles, CA. In 2020 Camirin began to fuse their appreciation for astrology, and comedic practice with their astrology based advice show Your Virgo Friend, Camirin on the streaming website Eternal Family. In 2023 Camirin began a more serious study of astrology under the tutelage of Sisterbride, née Blair Bogin, and also joined the clown astrology group Planets Planets Planets directed by Blair Bogin. They have been interviewed on the astrology podcast TALKTALKTALK by Vivi Henriette, and participated on a panel about The Astrology of Los Angeles and the Entertainment Industry during the first Annual Los Angeles Astrology Festival. They are currently an adjunct professor in the Comedy Department of the USC School of Dramatic Arts. Camirin believes that comedy can be a pure container for strong truths. V
Oct
3
The Last Five Years, presented by Santa Cruz Shakespeare
📍 The Audrey Stanley Grove at DeLaveaga Park
🕒 7:00 PM · See listing
Relationships are beautiful and complex things. They all have a beginning and an ending. Jason Roberts explores the complexities of relationships in his emotional musical, The Last Five Years. Cathy and Jamie are romantically involved for five years, and the audience watches it unfold from each perspective. Cathy’s view of the relationship will begin at the end and work its way back to the beginning, while Jamie’s perspective starts at the beginning of the relationship and moves to the end. The story features beautiful and clever music that explores the sacrifices and costs of relationships. Audiences will contemplate how relationships affect how we define ourselves. Goes until Oct 3. -Isabella Marie Sangaline
Oct
3
Catch Understory’s much anticipated live show at Ugly Mug-- original acoustic phunkadelic folk music in one of our favorite intimate venues.
Oct
3
With stories and fractured essays writer/actor Christopher Michael Palermo presents his unique perspective on the world as it is, was, and has always been.
Oct
3
A classical orchestral performance of Scheherazade by the Santa Cruz Symphony.
Oct
3
Mama's Broke performs folk and roots music with close harmonies and acoustic instrumentation.
Oct
3
Fridays & Saturdays 8pm-10pm through October. Opening weekend July 10-11! Experience the magic once again as this beloved art and light installation returns to the Santa Cruz Mountains for its second year. Lighted lanterns hang high overhead surrounded by thousand year old redwoods that are uplit to create a unique and awe-inspiring retreat back to nature.
Oct
3
This alt rock act from Baton Rouge might still be fledgling (last year saw their first headline tour), but they are already making waves. Their song “Virginia” was co-written by Kevin Griffin of Better Than Ezra, their song “The Fence” was produced by Cage the Elephant’s Brad Shultz, and last year Coldplay’s Chris Martin attended their show at Vanderbilt University. Their tone borrows elements from The Strokes with 1990s college rock for a sound that’s familiar but still fresh and catchy. So, it’s kind of wild to find out they just dropped their debut full-length on September 18th, which only confirms this group has much more in store for hungry ears. -Mat Weir; Good Times Santa Cruz
Oct
3
Sometimes stripped down is better than gussied up. That being said, any fan of TV’s Top Chef also knows that if it’s not going to be fancy, then it has to be perfect or else it falls flat and becomes plain ol’ basic. It’s a concept that electronic musician Marielle V Jakobsons is familiar with, even if she doesn’t watch the show. Her stripped-down, ambient music is miminal but not basic. She plays with the space within each song to create a sound that’s light, moving and somehow also deeply personal. That makes The Tannery’s Indexical the perfect place to see her perform. -Mat Weir; Good Times Santa Cruz
Oct
3
A casual live-music night on the coast, with an energetic band mixing originals and covers.
Oct
3
This nighttime experience will bring you a magical and immersive perspective on the ancient forest at Roaring Camp. During the 0.8-mile loop walk, you will view 26 unique, lighted lanterns, hung approximately 50 feet above the ground. The lanterns were crafted by local artists including Anna Bobisuthi, Roaring Camp’s resident blacksmith, and Chris Butler, who also created the lighting design for Sequoias at Night. Tickets are available at the link in the orange button above. Kids under two enter for free. Roaring Camp’s food services and gift shop will be open.
Oct
3
Moe's Alley Presents: Diggin Dirt *Special Two-Night Pass
📍 Moe's Alley
🕒 9:00 PM – 11:55 PM · See listing
Are you ready for a weekend-long funk party! Well then, we got you! Diggin Dirt is hitting Moes for two nights. Special guests to be announced. Save money buying a two-night pass!*Limited quantities available*Special Two-Night Pass for Oct. 2nd and Oct. 3rdDoors: 8pm / Show: 9pm$4021+* 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====DIGGIN DIRTFrom behind the redwood curtain of Humboldt County, California, the seven piece funk-soul band Diggin Dirt has carved out a niche as a live party not to be missed. Shoveling their own path, Diggin Dirt has seen sustained growth over the past few years, with multiple national tours and festival stops at Jam Cruise, High Sierra, Hulaween, Same Same but Different, Live Oak, Cascade Equinox, Joshua Tree Music Festival and many more. Per a 2024 Jam Cruise writer, This was the soul music I grew up with in the 60s and 70s, but I confess I wasnt expecting [Diggin Dirt] to be throwing it down this hard. This group is impossibly tight, and Zach Alder might be the best soul shouter Ive ever heard, and Ive heard a few. Their infectious sound is fueled by blazing horns, searing guitars and a relentlessly driving rhythm section, and tying it all together is the bands frontman who launches the ensemble into rarefied air with his pipes, charisma and natural-born soul. With flashes of James Brown or Sly and the Family Stone, Otis Redding or Tower of Power, the bands sound is both familiar and yet refreshingly original, layering psychedelic rock, Motown soul, afrobeat and even reggae atop a thick foundation of late-60s inspired funk.
Oct
4
Race Details Entry Fee: Adults are $20 and kids 12 and under are $15 Date: Oct. 17, 2026 Start Time: 8:00 AM Location: East Upper Field, UCSC Learn more about Race the Flame and register today! About the Race: In an effort to increase public awareness and preparedness for wildfire season, University of California, Santa Cruz has partnered with the City of Santa Cruz to host the first Race the Flame taking place on Oct. 17, 2026. Join the award-winning emergency preparedness run/walk at UC Santa Cruz! Last year the City of Santa Cruz’s Race the Wave earned a CAPIO Award for Excellence—and this year we’re putting a new emergency scenario to the test. If you had to escape a wildfire in Santa Cruz how long would it take you to run or walk to reach safety? Would you know which way to go? Here’s your chance to test yourself and gain knowledge about wildfires and their impact on our community. At the finish line, an emergency preparedness fair will highlight the importance of having enough supplies and a plan to care for yourself and your household during the first 72 hours after a disaster.
Oct
4
Join us for Sunday drop-in Meditations 9-10 am weekly. In person only– in the Gompa at Land of Medicine Buddha with Venerable Yangchen! Venerable Yangchen's guided meditations bring together a refreshing and precious combination of simplicity, depth, and accessibility. These weekly, hour-long sessions are of great relevance and value to long-term Buddhist practitioners as well as to complete newcomers to meditation. The practice begins with brief instruction, 10 minutes of silent meditation, followed by guided analytical meditation and discussion based on the theme of the week.
Oct
4
Started in 2000, this neighborhood market has grown to be a weekly event that is loved and depended on by the communities of Live Oak, Pleasure Point and Capitola. Here the atmosphere is bumping with families, cyclists, beach goers, locals, visitors, the young and the old. Shoppers find an excellent selection of organic produce from regional farms. The tables are stacked high with tree-ripened fruits, greens, fresh bread, pastries, nuts and legumes, sustainable seafood, pasture-raised organic meats and seasonal flowers. Many visitors spend hours at the market, filling their bags with berries, chicories and bagels – then moving onto a unique meal from one of the accomplished cooks that sell at the market. Sunday brunch offerings include traditional Michoacan Mexican dishes, gyoza, savory and sweet crepes and farm-driven meals that spotlight the harvest in clean, creative and bright arrangements. Watsonville-based Hidden Fortress Coffee provides that hot, comforting cup of goodness that brings us back to the simple pleasures of life. This is your Sunday destination.
Oct
4
Time to Party with Thomas the Tank Engine, for a 25 minute train ride, entertainment, and fun filled activities for the entire family. Please note: The first weekend is Thomas the Train only—Percy joins us for the second, third, and fourth weekends!
Oct
4
Surfrider Santa Cruz Launches Fundraising Beach Cleanup-a-Thon
📍 Rio Del Mar State Beach
🕒 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM · FREE
Surfrider Foundation Santa Cruz is inviting community members to join its Fundraising Beach Cleanup-a-Thon at Rio Del Mar State Beach on Sunday, October 4, from 9:00 to 11:00 AM. The event will bring volunteers together to remove trash from the beach while raising funds to support Surfrider Santa Cruz’s local programs and free community cleanups. The concept is simple: participants sign up for the cleanup and ask friends, family, and coworkers to pledge donations based on the total amount of trash collected. After the cleanup, Surfrider volunteers will weigh the collective total of trash removed, and participating sponsors will make donations based on the Chapter-wide total. Supporters can also set a cap on their donation amount (for example, no more than $50). “Every piece of trash we remove makes a difference, but when our community comes together, we can make an even bigger impact,” said Darcie Connell, Co-Chair and Volunteer Coordinator of Surfrider Santa Cruz. “This event gives people a fun way to get involved while helping fund the programs that keep our beaches clean and protect our local coastline.” Surfrider Santa Cruz is a 100% volunteer-run Chapter. Funds raised through the Cleanup-a-Thon will support local programs including beach cleanups, Blue Water Task Force water quality testing, and other efforts to protect the Santa Cruz coastline. Participants are encouraged to invite friends, family, and coworkers to support the event by making pledges through the Chapter’s fundraising form. The more trash the community removes collectively, the greater the potential impact. Event Details What: Fundraising Beach Cleanup-a-Thon When: Sunday, October 4, 2026 | 9:00–11:00 AM Where: Rio Del Mar State Beach, 110 Aptos Beach Dr., Aptos, CA Who: Community members of all ages are welcome Sign up for the cleanup: https://x.gldn.io/e/RgfHrCx5j1b Pledge your support: https://forms.gle/KvjEm1WKTrfYosyN7 For more information, visit santacruz.surfrider.org. About Surfrider Fo
Oct
4
Experience the Bio-Vibe Table at SoulCare Studios, a gentle, non-invasive wellness experience using sound frequencies and soothing vibrations to encourage relaxation, release tension, and support overall balance. Simply lie down comfortably while the table delivers vibrations throughout the body, creating an opportunity to slow down, rest, and reset. ✨ Potential Benefits: • Encourages deep relaxation • Supports better sleep • Helps relieve muscle & joint tension • Supports a calmer nervous system • Helps reduce everyday stress Sessions & Pricing: 🌿 60-Minute Full-Body Session: $120 Package of 4: $400 🌿 30-Minute Focused Session: $65 Package of 4: $200 📅 Available Wednesdays & Sundays Other days are available upon request. 📍 SoulCare Studios 8035 Soquel Drive, Aptos, CA Scan the QR code on the flyer to book your session.
Oct
4
Sunday mornings near the sea, year-round: regional organic produce, delicious meals and a live music series for the Eastside. EBT/SNAP accepted.
Oct
4
Ticket price includes 1 pound of apples in addition to what you pick during your timed hour on the farm. Click the link in the orange button above to reserve your hour time slot. Apples are notorious for not reading travel itineraries. Please double check on what is ready to be picked before you go!
Oct
4
Docent-led tours of the Elkhorn Slough Reserve are every Saturday AND Sunday, at 10 am and 11 am. Tours are on a first-come, first-serve basis – visitors may sign up at the Visitor Center front desk, or call ahead the morning of using the phone number (831) 728-2822. The Docent will craft a walk that meets the groups needs and abilities.
Oct
4
Youth Robot Series - Santa Cruz Maker Studios
📍 Santa Cruz Maker Studios
🕒 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM · $245
Youth Robot Series at Santa Cruz Maker Studios Join us for our 3-week Robot Series designed for youth (ages 7-12) who love building, problem-solving, and technology. Each Sunday, students will work through exciting engineering challenges while building and programming their very own robot. Time: 3 Sunday Sessions 10am -12pm for youth (7-12 years old). Please see available sessions. Cost Overview: $245 per series (includes all robot materials) Register Here: https://scmakerstudios.com/robot-series-registration-form/
Oct
4
Professional craftspeople from around the bay area offer seconds and overstock at incredibly low prices! Choose from a huge selection of decorative and functional pottery, blown and slumped glass, jewelry and more by nationally know artisans.
Oct
4
Wing Chun martial arts classes with instructor Marcus at The 418 Project in Santa Cruz, meeting multiple times per week.
Oct
4
Roaring Camp Railroads: Redwood Forest Steam Train
📍 Roaring Camp Railroads
🕒 10:30 AM – 3:00 PM · $26.45
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.
Oct
4
Bargetto Winery’s Courtyard Yoga with Alison Trybom Lucas. Elevate your Sunday ritual with Courtyard Yoga and a taste of Bargetto wine! $25 includes yoga class and a glass of Bargetto wine after class! Please bring your own mats and props. All levels welcome. Class is 60 minutes and starts at 10:45am in Bargetto Winery’s Creekside courtyard! Limited To 20 guests. RESERVATIONS REQUIRED: https://bargetto.orderport.net/wines/EVENTS
Oct
4
A small but mighty amazing community market. In beautiful Corralitos, which is located in south Santa Cruz county. The country feel is real with local produce, local flowers, local honey, baked goods, plants, crafts, and so much more. An amazing Jewel hidden in the south County of Santa Cruz also we are right next to Aldridge Park and the famous Corralitos meat market. See you all there. Rain or Shine. Located 127 Hames Road Corralitos 11-3pm plenty additional parkiing @Aldridgepark
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.
Oct
4
For information and registration click here: cherryvaleartfarm.com 🍒 See you this Fall! $75 - Oct 4th, 2026, 11:00 am -1:00 pm Deadline to Register is Sept. 27th, 2026 Dive into Autumn 2026 with our Pumpkin Succulent Workshop, and learn to create a unique arrangement of succulents and seasonal foliage atop a festive pumpkin base. During this workshop, we will visit our neighbors at Soquel U-Pick to select pumpkins, enjoy a selection of coffee, teas, and seasonal baked goods, and craft a lively decoration to spruce up your home all season long. Adults & Youth, minimum age 10, ages 10-13 must be accompanied by an adult. All materials are provided. 4900 Cherryvale Ave, Soquel CA 95073
Oct
4
Carlos Motta’s When Time Stands Still features new and recent installations, videos, and sculptures highlighting the artist’s preoccupation with the historical and aesthetic productions of difference and marginalization that shape the present. The selection of artworks in the exhibition explore the unsettling experience of living in a time that seems violently stuck on repeat. Archetypal figures from art history (a fool, a siren, a witness, a victim) reappear in the current moment as containers of time, bringing the past of imperialism, colonization, and displacement into a present marked by the rise of anti-immigration politics, climate injustice, and other forms of disposability. Some works challenge this violent repetition of time. The clock moves, if gruelingly, in an endurance-based video performance, No One, 2025. For forty-six minutes, the artist undertakes to keep his eyes open, witnessing, withstanding, confronting, and resisting the bombardment of images, both historical and otherwise, that normalize harm. In another video work, Gravity, 2024, performers enact rescue carries, supporting each other until they can’t bear the weight. Together, the artworks act as a proposal about how to rethink time—how to slow time—with a poetic and aesthetic cadence that might counter the numbing reverberations of living in the present. When Time Stands Still is organized as part of Visualizing Abolition, an arts-based initiative that reaches across prison borders to create a future free of prisons. About the Artist Carlos Motta (b. 1978, Colombia) is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice documents the social conditions and political struggles of sexual, gender, and ethnic communities, challenging normative discourses through acts of self-representation. His work has been the focus of several survey exhibitions.
Oct
4
Sunday, October 04 2026 11:00am - 1:00pm Advisory Council of Teens (ACT) is the SCPL young adult advisory group. ACT is open to all Santa Cruz County young adults, ages 12-18.
Oct
4
Victor ‘Marka27’ Quiñonez: Ni de Aquí, Ni de Allá
📍 Institute of the Arts and Sciences
🕒 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM · See listing
Organized in partnership with the Center for Art and Advocacy, located in Brooklyn, New York, Ni de Aquí, Ni de Allá ( Not From Here, Not From There ) by multidisciplinary artist Victor ‘Marka27’ Quiñonez features a wide range of artworks that issue a bold declaration of dual belonging, including altars, an elaborately immersive botanica, paintings referencing visual symbolism drawn from textiles, graffiti and community traditions, and, in a series called I.C.E. Scream , large, brightly colored resin sculptures in the shape of melting Mexican paletas (popsicles). As the exhibition title suggests (a phrase widely used in bilingual and bicultural communities), these artworks reflect the artist’s interest in the experience of living between worlds even as violent notions of nationalism and identity pervade. Accompanying the exhibition, Elevar la Cultura , an immersive sculptural installation featuring a twenty-two-foot-tall pyramid built from ice coolers adorned with ancestral textiles, sacred symbols, and mural work will be on view at Santa Cruz Barrios Unidos (1817 Soquel) November 7, 2026- March 7, 2027. As Quiñonez explains, this sculpture epitomizes the contradictions of living—and laboring—as an immigrant in the United States: “Most people see the cooler as a tool for leisure…for barbecues, tailgating, and celebrations. But for immigrant communities, the cooler is a tool and symbol for opportunity and independence. In every major city, you see families and vendors selling fruit, food, and water out of these coolers on the streets and in subway stations. They’re a necessity for survival and a way to start an honest living,” the artist shares. The Institute of Arts and Sciences will be the second venue to successfully present Ni de Aquí, Ni de Allá to the public. First organized by Boston University Art Galleries and curated by Kate Fowle in September of 2025, the exhibition debuted to critical acclaim before gaining national attention after its abrupt removal from
Oct
4
Carlos Motta: When Time Stands Still
📍 Institute of the Arts and Sciences
🕒 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM · See listing
Carlos Motta’s When Time Stands Still, the artist’s second solo show with the IAS , features new and recent installations, videos, and sculptures highlighting the artist’s preoccupation with the historical and aesthetic productions of difference and marginalization that shape the present. The selection of artworks in the exhibition explore the unsettling experience of living in a time that seems violently stuck on repeat. Archetypal figures from art history (a fool, a siren, a witness, a victim) reappear in the current moment as containers of time, bringing the past of imperialism, colonization, and displacement into a present marked by the rise of anti-immigration politics, climate injustice, and other forms of disposability. Some works challenge this violent repetition of time. The clock moves, if gruelingly, in an endurance-based video performance, No One , 2025. For forty-six minutes, the artist undertakes to keep his eyes open, witnessing, withstanding, confronting, and resisting the bombardment of images, both historical and otherwise, that normalize harm. In another video work, Gravity , 2024, performers enact rescue carries, supporting each other until they can’t bear the weight. Together, the artworks act as a proposal about how to rethink time—how to slow time—with a poetic and aesthetic cadence that might counter the numbing reverberations of living in the present. When Time Stands Still is organized as part of Visualizing Abolition, an arts-based initiative that reaches across prison borders to create a future free of prisons. Carlos Motta (b. 1978, Colombia) is a multidisciplinary artist whose work has been shown widely nationally and internationally. Solo exhibitions venues include the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona; Nikolaj Kunsthal, Copenhagen; Museo de Arte Moderno de Bogotá; Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus, OH ; Röda Sten Konsthall, Gothenburg, Sweden; Galeria Vermelho, São Paulo; Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM); Tate Modern, London; and
Oct
4
Henry Cowell Redwoods SP: Redwood Grove Guided Walk
📍 Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
🕒 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM · FREE
Experience an old-growth redwood forest filled with ancient trees over 200 ft. tall, and connect one on one with park staff. On this 1-mile stroll, you will be chatting about life histories, ecology, etc., and sharing a wonderful adventure among these giants. You don’t want to miss this! Meet at the visitor center. Although the event is free, the vehicle day-use fee is $10. Hold on to that receipt! Once you have paid for parking at one state park, you have paid for them all. There are 14 state parks in Santa Cruz County alone!
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.
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.
Oct
4
Teen Robot Series at Santa Cruz Maker Studios Join us for our 3-week Robot Series designed for teens (ages 11-17) who love building, problem-solving, and technology. Each Sunday, students will work through exciting engineering challenges while building and programming their very own robot. Time: 3 Sunday Sessions 12:30-2:30pm for teens (11-17 years old). Please see available sessions. Cost Overview: $245 per series (includes all robot materials) Register Here: https://scmakerstudios.com/robot-series-registration-form/
Oct
4
Come join the magical world of D&D storytelling, where you can be a bard, a wizard, or a barbarian for a few hours and let your creativity run free. Solve weird and wonderful problems with spells, cunning, or daggers and make some new friends in the process. Whether you're a complete beginner or a seasoned player you will be welcomed every 1st Sunday for an afternoon of collaborative storytelling at the Downtown Branch. Friendly game masters will be ready with dice, characters, and the start of a story; all we need is your creativity and enthusiasm. No prior experience is necessary. This program is for adults 18+. This program also happens on 3rd Saturdays at the Capitola Branch from 12-5. What is Dungeons and Dragons? D&D is one of many tabletop roleplaying games, in which players create and control fictional characters within a shared imaginary world. A Game Master guides the story and sets the scene, while the players make decisions for their characters, rolling dice to determine outcomes. TTRPGs encourage creativity, teamwork, and storytelling as players collaborate to overcome challenges and complete quests. Modern D&D has veered away from the combat-heavy game it used to be. While it's still possible to spend hours attacking monsters and finding loot, many groups now tell stories of mystery, intrigue, horror, or whimsy. Who are the game masters? This event is organized by Jeltje van Baren ( [email protected] ), who learned to play a few years ago and has been creating games for new players ever since. She will be assisted by a rotating group of diverse GMs from the local TTRPG community, all of whom are used to patiently explaining the rules and keeping the game fun for everyone.
Oct
4
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!
Oct
4
Pie for the People is a local community group raising dough for good causes while bringing neighbors together over delicious sweet + savory pie. This time, we'll be raising money for the Diversity Center, which supports LGBTQ+ youth and adults across Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties. From in-house mental health services to in-school education, the Diversity Center is the hub of support for our area’s LGBTQ community. So come on out, bring a (vegetarian) pie, your whole family, and give what you can to the Diversity Center. We can't wait to see you out at the Homeless Garden Project's gorgeous local farm!
Oct
4
Wilder Ranch State Park - Ranch History Tour
📍 Wilder Ranch State Park
🕒 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM · See listing
Want to learn about the rich dairy history of Wilder Ranch State Park? Dreamt of peeking inside our beautiful Victorian homes and barns? Join us weekly on Saturdays and Sundays for a 1.5 hour long tour of the historic buildings of Wilder Ranch! Meet at the visitor's center at 1 pm. Pre-register here or join us on the day-of. This tour is free. Parking in Day-use lot is $10. Questions?Call (669)758-1963or email [email protected]
Oct
4
🕸️🛼 ROLL CALL!!! 🛼🕸️ The rink is back…and things are getting wheely spooky! 🔊🦇🔊 SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4TH, 1-7PM WOODHOUSE BLENDING & BREWING Woodhouse is shapeshifting into a roller rink once again for an afternoon of roll play, bass, brews & underground Santa Cruz sounds. Come spooky. Come whimsy. Come freaky. Come as ya sweet self. 🦇🍄🧚🏽♂️🧌🤡🧜🏽♀️🧛🏻♂️💕 🔊 ON THE DECKS BLCK SAGE JASIE PENNY SUNYATA Heavy bass. Deep wubs. Breakbeat.
Oct
4
Sunday, October 04 2026 1:00pm - 3:00pm Are you stuck with a technology question? You can make a free appointment with a tech savvy library staff member!
Oct
4
Sunday, October 04 2026 1:00pm - 5:00pm Come join the magical world of D&D storytelling, where you can be a bard, a wizard, or a barbarian for a few hours and let your creativity run free.
Oct
4
The SLV Theatre Department is proud to present The Outsiders, a dramatic coming-of-age novel originally written by S.E. Hilton and adapted to stageplay by Christopher Sergel. This production is directed by high school seniors Ryan Jones and Benjamin Rotte. Performance dates are October 2nd-10th.
Oct
4
Local non-profit American Sign Language Services Community hosting a bingo fundraiser at the Aptos Grange on Sunday's 3PM - 8PM , Monday's 5PM to 10PM.
Oct
4
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.
Oct
4
3:00-5:00pm The BACK PORCH BOYS dig into the glorious roots of American music from the Delta blues in Mississippi to New Orleans up to Memphis over to Austin and jumpin' to Chicago. Singer-guitarist RICH COWAN and harmonica enthusiast VIRGIL THRASHER put their combined 90 odd years of playing music on display. You will hear the likes of Tampa Red, Mississippi John Hurt, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Fats Domino among other icons from the early days.
Oct
4
Live music, food and wine overlooking the Lester Family Vineyards in the heart of Pleasant Valley. Friday, June 12 from 5-8pm: Music by Alex Lucero Band and Food by SnB Food Truck Friday, July 3 from 5-8pm: Music by B-Movie Kings and Food by Happy Dog Friday, July 10 from 5-8pm: Music by Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash and Food by Uncle Papa’s BBQ Friday, August 14 from 5-8pm: Music by Nautical Thrust and Food by Italia Fire Friday, September 18 from 5-8pm: Music by James Durbin & The Lost Boys and Food by SC Eatery Sunday, October 4 from 3-6pm: Music by Jive Machine and Food by High End Comida
Oct
4
Salsa By The Sea is a free, weekly outdoor salsa dancing event held near the wharf on Beach Street, at the Ideal Bar patio. The event runs all year long (except when it rains). Some weekends are Bachata by the Sea, with more bachata music played than salsa.
Oct
4
Cayuga Jazz Band Cayuga Jazz band plays classic jazz, swing and jazz standards, be-bop, bossa novas and other American improvisational style music rooted in the 1940s 50s and 60s. Front line trumpet, tenor and alto saxophones play arranged parts supported by bass and guitars. Cayuga Jazz has delighted audiences at farmers markets, The Crepe Place, Cruz Room, Mission West Bar, Woodhouse, the Wharf to Wharf race, block parties, senior living homes and the Homebrewing Festival. The Cayuga Jazz Band is: Greg Morrison - guitar Jeffrey Werner - bass Len “Doc” Moore – trumpet and flugelhorn Marcia Quackenbush - Alto & Tenor Sax Raymond Mendoza – guitar Steve Gray – alto sax Visit the Cayuga Jazz Facebook page at for videos and photos and more: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578269486995
Oct
4
Name: LGBTQ+ Open Mic Date: Sunday, October 4 Time: 4:00 - 6:30 pm Location: The Diversity Center Ages: 18+ RSVP: tinyurl.com/tdc-open-mic Description: Show off to our community at The Diversity Center! Come enjoy and celebrate queer talent in a nonjudgmental setting. Open to all kinds of art, skills, and performances. If you would like to perform, please register for the open mic through the QR code or at https://tinyurl.com/tdc-open-mic
Oct
4
The Institute of the Arts and Sciences (IAS) is pleased to announce its Fall/Winter season of exhibitions. On view are exhibitions highlighting two artists whose explorations in video, installation, painting, and sculpture examine some of the most enduring and challenging issues of our time: Carlos Motta: When Time Stands Still, a poetic and aesthetically rich exploration of the historical and aesthetic manifestations of difference and marginalization that inform current anti-immigration politics and climate injustices; and Victor “Marka27” Quiñonez: Ni de Aquí, Ni de Allá (Not From Here, Not From There), which grapples with issues of migration and belonging—and gained national attention after it was abruptly censored by the University of North Texas. Also as part of IAS programming, an outdoor installation of Victor “Marka27” Quiñonez: Elevar la Cultura, a public sculpture project, will be at Santa Cruz Barrios Unidos November 7, 2026–March 5, 2027. An opening celebration for the exhibitions open on October 2, 2026, 5–8 p.m., with a performance by vocal artist and composer Samita Sinha, celebrations with the artists, and more. Elevar la Cultura opens at Santa Cruz Barrios Unidos on November 7, 2026, 2–6 p.m., with a celebration with the artist, featuring lowriders, free food, live entertainment, vendors, and more. The exhibitions and opening events are free and open to the public.
Oct
4
Sing your heart out! We will start at 5pm....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.
Oct
4
Silent meditation.
Oct
4
critter bottomlining
Oct
4
Using crystal, brass singing bowls and more, participants can expect to leave feeling rejuvenated, balanced and centered. Sun., October 4th – 6:30 PM – LARGE THEATER HEALING SOUNDBATH OFFERING - with creative mystic Sera Timms Using crystal & brass singing bowls, gong, chimes, rain stick and more, this soundbath promotes deep relaxation, calm and peace as participants receive deep holistic frequency healing to balance both the collective and individual human biofield. Attendees will comfortably lie down for the duration of the soundbath, being given the opportunity to receive and experience the resonant healing vibrations as they fill the space. Benefits of Sound Healing: - Lowers heart rate and blood pressure - Diminishes stress and anxiety - Activates your parasympathetic nervous system (the "rest-and-digest" mode) - Encourages deep relaxation which aides in meditation - Triggers the brain to chemically release natural opiates reducing pain and swelling - Awakens, aligns and balances the Chakra energy centers in the body - The vibrations help shift your brain from active, overthinking states to slower alpha and theta waves, which are linked to deep meditation and REM sleep - Overall, participants can expect to leave feeling rejuvenated, balanced and centered. Note: participants are encouraged to bring their own yoga mats, cushions and blankets if they’d like. The 418 will have yoga mats and blankets available as well. Event duration: approx. 1 hour. Bio: A self-described creative mystic, Sera Beth Timms began her healing path through visual art, music, dream work and imagination, always seeking to find a deeper path of fulfillment and truth than that which the status quo construct had ascribed to the world. Music, sound, and frequency are a deep part of her personal lineage, coming from a patriarchal line of talented musicians, including her father, who spent his life on the road in the outlaw country world. Sera has been creating and performing music for over 25
Oct
4
Ode to The Dying Senses: An Immersive Dance-Theater Experience
📍 Santa Cruz Dance Theater
🕒 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM · $24.25
Ode to the Dying Senses is an immersive dance-theater experience combining live singers and SCDT's Project Company dancers. The evening begins as you enter and explore a space immersed in total darkness. What follows invites you to reconnect with your senses in a show like nothing you've ever seen. With only 15 tickets per show, this is an exclusive event you won't want to miss.
Oct
4
Show 8pm ***This is a fully seated general admission show. Seating will be first come first served. Bar and food will be open at 5pm. Ticket holders will receive 10% off food! Felton Music Hall Presents : MIKE DAWES
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