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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.

๐Ÿ“
In-person only, on purpose.

Every listing is something you can actually show up to, from Davenport down to Watsonville.

No webinars No livestreams Just show up โœ“

โ˜… Featured this season

Cannabis โ˜… Featured Event Treehouse
Fri, Aug 7, 2026 ยท 5:00 PM

Treehouse Dispensary First Friday

๐Ÿ“ Treehouse Dispensary ยท Soquel ยท FREE

Treehouse Dispensary hosts a monthly First Friday event on the first Friday of every month. These events feature live music, local artists, makers, and an art market with up to 20 different vendors, along with shop-wide discounts and community activities. The shop is open 8:00 AM to 9:45 PM daily. We're proud to offer everyday savings for our community: New Members: 10% off your first order Wisdom Discount (65+): 5% off Medical Patients: 10% off Students & Teachers: 20% off with valid ID Veterans: 20% off *Please note that discounts do not stack with other deals. Ask staff for exclusions.

Cannabis Art & Culture ๐Ÿ“ Soquel Details โ†’
โ˜… Featured
Sat, Sep 12, 2026 ยท Capitola Village

43rd Annual Capitola Art & Wine Festival

Stroll the festival with friends and family, sipping exceptional wines from Santa Cruz Mountain wineries while admiring the artistic talents of over 100 fine artists. Sway to live music and be inspired by local dance groups while taking in the ocean breeze and breathtaking view of the Monterey Bay. Feed your cravings with tantalizing cuisine from local food purveyors, and cruise through the Artisans Marketplace for locally handcrafted goods. If that isnโ€™t enough, Capitola Village is filled with restaurants for every taste and charming boutiques to satisfy a shopperโ€™s dream. Art, wine, music, and gourmet cuisine in the enchanting beach-side setting of Capitola Villageโ€ฆsummerโ€™s last hurrah, and truly a weekend in paradise! This event is from 10am to 6pm on Saturday, September 12 and from 10am to 5pm on Sunday, September 13. See link to the event in the orange box above.

Food & Drink ๐Ÿ“ Capitola
โ˜… Featured
Mon, Sep 21, 2026 ยท The Cruz Room

The Cruz Room: Hosted Board Game Night

The Game Night Collective provides a curated experience. Every Monday night with a library of 30+ board games, guided game teaching, hosted featured games, and prizes! Whether you arrive alone or with a group, the goal is to make it easy to sit down and start playing. Hosted micโ€™d board games 5 โ€“ 8 Trivia 8 โ€“ 10

Family ๐Ÿ“ Downtown Santa Cruz

โ˜€๏ธ Happening today

Thursday, July 23

72 events on today. No plans required, just go.

12:00 AM
See listing
Busy
๐Ÿ“ The 418 Project
Art & Culture
8:30 AM
$400
Art and Science in Nature Summer Camp
๐Ÿ“ Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History
Outdoors
9:00 AM
$895
Summer Production (3-weeks): Moana Jr
๐Ÿ“ All About Theatre
Art & Culture
9:00 AM
See listing
BEGINNING/INTERMEDIATE SEWING (6/6)
๐Ÿ“ Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center
Community
9:00 AM
$345
Summer Production (1-week): Moana Jr.
๐Ÿ“ All About Theatre
Art & Culture
10:00 AM
See listing
Chen, X. (STAT) โ€“ Changepoint Detection and Clustering Methods for Multivariate Time Series and Attributed Networks
๐Ÿ“ UC Santa Cruz
Education
10:00 AM
$32
Santa Cruz Beach Train
๐Ÿ“ Roaring Camp Railroads
Family
10:00 AM
See listing
CLAY INDEPENDENT LAB TIME
๐Ÿ“ Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center
Art & Culture
10:30 AM
See listing
Storytime in the Park: Read and Ride
๐Ÿ“ Watsonville
Outdoors

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Showing 30 of 72 upcoming events ยท from 2026-07-23 ยท to 2026-07-23

Jul
23

Art and Science in Nature Summer Camp

๐Ÿ“ Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History
๐Ÿ•’ 8:30 AM โ€“ 3:30 PM ยท $400

Calling young artists and scientists curious about nature! This summer, young explorers can join us on a journey to investigate symmetries, patterns, and curiosities in the natural world. Spend the week exploring nearby beach, creek, and garden habitats, and making all sorts of art inspired by what we discover.

Jul
23

Chen, X. (STAT) โ€“ Changepoint Detection and Clustering Methods for Multivariate Time Series and Attributed Networks

๐Ÿ“ UC Santa Cruz
๐Ÿ•’ 10:00 AM โ€“ 12:00 PM ยท See listing

Time series data with dependence arise across a wide range of scientific and engineering disciplines, often presenting challenging inferential problems related to structural change and clustering. This Ph.D. proposal addresses several related problems in statistical inference for multivariate and network-indexed time series. First, we develop a weighted multivariate $U$-statistic procedure for detecting a single changepoint in the mean of a multivariate stationary time series. The proposed framework accommodates short-range dependence, encompasses classical CUSUM and Wilcoxon tests as special cases, and admits a tractable limiting distribution after a pre-whitening transformation. Second, we study nodal clustering in graphs with dynamic attributes through a decoder-only latent space framework that integrates temporal dynamics and structural information via a graph-fused LASSO regularization. An extension of this framework, in which the neural network decoder is replaced by an autoregressive structure at each node, is also introduced. Lastly, a future research project is proposed on modeling and changepoint inference for Arctic sea ice coverage data, whose marginal distribution is doubly inflated with point masses at zero and one. A latent Gaussian process transformation approach is outlined that accommodates this exotic marginal structure while permitting temporal and spatial autocorrelation, trends, and seasonal dynamics. In tandem, these efforts aim to provide flexible and theoretically grounded tools for analyzing complex dependent data. Event Host: Xi Chen, Ph.D. Student, Statistical Science Advisor: Robert Lund Zoom: https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/97760514185?pwd=ImfeI5uEdBvq9eoiFXnF5pecmwfVHd.1 Passcode: 333103

Jul
23

Santa Cruz Beach Train

๐Ÿ“ Roaring Camp Railroads
๐Ÿ•’ 10:00 AM โ€“ 4:00 PM ยท $32

From Trees to Shining Seas โ€“ Felton to Santa Cruz. Departing from the Santa Cruz Mountains, travel through Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, down the scenic San Lorenzo River Gorge, across a 1909 steel truss bridge, and through an 1875 tunnel before arriving at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Reverse roundtrips departing from the beach in Santa Cruz to Roaring Camp and back may be purchased from the conductor on the train departing from Santa Cruz. The Santa Cruz Big Trees & Pacific Railway operates passenger and freight services on one of the oldest and most historic lines in California. When the route opened in 1875 it carried lumber as well as picnickers and tourists to the Big Trees and Santa Cruz. Todayโ€™s Beach Train passengers can start their roundtrip journeys from either Roaring Camp in Felton or from the beach in Santa Cruz. Departs from both the beach in Santa Cruz and Roaring Camp. See departure times for more information. The Beach Train will run weekends and holidays through May, and then daily June through the first week of August, then back to weekends and holidays to the end of September. Please note that the 4 p.m. train leaving Santa Cruz is one-way only. There is no return train to the beach.

Jul
23

Storytime in the Park - Books and Bikes

๐Ÿ“ Callaghan Park
๐Ÿ•’ 10:30 AM โ€“ 11:30 AM ยท See listing

Itโ€™s storytime in the park with an exciting twistโ€”bikes. Join us for storytime and stay at the park for a special bike series hosted by Ecology Action. These programs will take place at 10:30am at Callaghan Park (225 Sudden St) on the following dates: July 16: Bike rodeo on the basketball courts July 23: Bike safety talk with the SC Bike Team July 30: Family bike ride with the SC Bike Team Bring blankets, hats, and sunscreen. Biking is optional. All participants who want to ride must have a parent signed waiver and be fitted with a helmet before biking. Audience: Children aged 0-5 and their caregivers. ESPAร‘OL Es la hora de cuentos en el parque, pero con un toque divertido: las bicicletas. Acompรกรฑanos a la hora de cuentos y quรฉdate en el parque para disfrutar de una serie especial de actividades con bicicletas organizadas por Ecology Action. Estos programas se llevarรกn a cabo a las 10:30am en el Parque Callaghan (225 Sudden St) las siguientes fechas: 16 de julio: Rodeo en bicicleta en las canchas de bรกsquetbol 23 de julio: Charla sobre seguridad en bicicleta con SC Bike Team 30 de julio: Paseo familiar en bicicleta con SC Bike Team No se le olvide traer cobijas, sombreros y protector solar. Montar en bicicleta es opcional. Todos los participantes que quieran montar deben traer un casco puesto, y sus padres deben firmar una exenciรณn de responsabilidad. Audiencia: Niรฑos de 0 a 5 aรฑos y sus cuidadores.

Jul
23

Guided Mindfulness for Queers and Friends Hosted by TDC @ TDC

๐Ÿ“ 1117 Soquel Ave.
๐Ÿ•’ 11:00 AM โ€“ 12:00 PM ยท FREE

Well-being offering: Guided Mindfulness Group Date: Weekly on Thursdays Time: 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Location: The Diversity Center 1117 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz Ages: Adults and teens welcome Cost: FREE Program description: Give your brain a break, and reconnect with the present moment, using guided breathing and mindfulness techniques. All LGBTQ+ people and allies are welcome. If you have questions about this well-being offering, please contact Tara Maxon, Wellbeing Coordinator, at: [email protected] View our Community Agreements for Diversity Center groups.

Jul
23

Tibetan Qigong

๐Ÿ“ Wisdom Center of Santa Cruz
๐Ÿ•’ 11:00 AM โ€“ 12:15 PM ยท See listing

Qigong acknowledges our inherent infinite wisdom. Through movement and meditation, Tibetan Qigong can rapidly increase and balance the energies in the body, reduce stress and enhance the immune system. One Finger Zen Dynamic Form strengthens the bodyโ€™s natural energy pathways and clears the body of disease to improve and maintain good health. Through nine different movements, this practice was taught to the elite Shaolin monks by the great Indian Saint Bodhidharma. Five Element Stake Qigong is a standing meditation form that purifies and balances the five formative elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. It is based on ancient understandings of the universe: Yin/Yang Bagua, Five Element theory, mudras and Dharma. This qigong form allows us to connect with the energy field of the universe and to absorb the energy into our system so that healing can occur on all levels of our being.

Wellness Details โ†’
Jul
23

Spa Day Passes

๐Ÿ“ La Bahia Hotel & Spa
๐Ÿ•’ 11:00 AM ยท $54

A notable new offering for the property, La Bahia has introduced Spa Day Passes, now available via ResortPass (based on availability), granting both travelers and locals access to enjoy the propertyโ€™s serene spa amenities for a restorative escape by the sea.

Jul
23

Interview Preparation Workshop

๐Ÿ“ UC Santa Cruz
๐Ÿ•’ 12:00 PM โ€“ 1:30 PM ยท See listing

Join Career Success for an interactive workshop on Interview Best Practices, followed by Mock Interview Practice! Note: You must Register via Zoom for this event. Once registered, make sure to add the event to your calendar. We will provide captions for the presentation. If you have disability-related needs, please contact the Career Success office at [email protected] as soon as possible. YOU BELONG HERE Programs and services are open to all, consistent with state and federal law, as well as the University of Californiaโ€™s nondiscrimination policies. Every initiativeโ€”whether a student service, faculty program, or community eventโ€”is designed to be accessible, inclusive, and respectful of all identities. To learn more, please visit UC Nondiscrimination Statement or Nondiscrimination Policy for UC Publications.

Three learners who fail the same level of an educational game the same number of times can be failing in three different ways, and the difference determines what each should do next. Yet the measures a gameโ€™s logs are usually reduced to (completion time, error counts, mastery estimates) render the three identical. This proposal takes one breakdown as its object: failure-to-adapt, the case where the game has repeatedly surfaced evidence that a learnerโ€™s current approach is failing and the learnerโ€™s approach shows no responsive change. The construct is grounded in Winne and Hadwinโ€™s monitor-and-control model of self-regulated learning and defined at the level of the learnerโ€™s plan. To detect it, a plan-recognition engine maintains a continuously updated probability estimate of which strategy the learner is executing across the whole trace; an episode is flagged when that estimate shows no evidence-responsive revision. Because behavior alone cannot settle what broke down, flagged episodes are validated against learnersโ€™ own verbal reports, coded blind, and decomposed into monitoring failure, control failure, or control the trace cannot show. Three studies carry the work: detection and diagnosis on real telemetry from an educational game, including a comparison against the analytics the field already runs; a formative study of what a facilitator (an instructor or teaching assistant running a class play session) must see to judge correctly which learners need attention; and a documented authoring case carrying the detection to a second game. The contribution is knowledge for game-based-learning researchers: a theory-grounded construct, a validated way to detect it from play, and the authoring knowledge to embed that detection in new games. Event Host: Jiahong Li, Ph.D. Student, Computational Media Advisor: Magy Seif El-Nasr Zoom: https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/93238603235?pwd=zENRsu82HRj4JYKcMEn9MZibU8kC7F.1 Passcode: 835328

Jul
23

Fueling for Fitness: Nutrition to Support Energy, Performance, and Recovery

๐Ÿ“ UC Santa Cruz
๐Ÿ•’ 12:00 PM โ€“ 1:00 PM ยท See listing

When: Thursday, July 23 Time: 12:00 PM -1:00 PM Where: Register for the Zoom link . The workshop will be recorded, and a link to the recording will be sent out after the first session. Whether youโ€™re walking at lunch, lifting weights after work, training for your first 5K, or simply trying to stay active, what you eat can make a noticeable difference in how you feel, perform, and recover. We will explore the fundamentals of how to nourish your body for fitness without restrictive diets or complicated meal plans. In this workshop, you will learn how to: Time meals and snacks around workouts for sustained energy Build balanced meals using carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats Avoid common nutrition myths that can hinder progress

Education Wellness ๐Ÿ“ UCSC Details โ†’
Jul
23

POKEMON ART CONTEST FOR KIDS!

๐Ÿ“ Comicopolis
๐Ÿ•’ 12:00 PM ยท FREE

It's time to get those crayons sharpened, paints mixed and markers at the ready for our Summer 2026 Pokรฉmon Art Contest for kids 5-12! To join in, create a picture of your favorite Pokรฉmon having a fun moment or striking a cool, dynamic pose. Submissions should be on 8.5 x 11 paper. You can use any medium you like, such as paint, marker, crayon, pencil, etc. No digital art. There will be prizes awarded to two age groups, 5-7 and 8-12. Entries accepted June 1st-July 31st. Winners will be announced on August 6th. BONUS: All participants will receive a free Pokรฉmon:Chaos Rising 11x17 mini-poster (while supplies last) when you hand in your art.

Jul
23

Latte's and Learn

๐Ÿ“ California Coffee
๐Ÿ•’ 12:00 PM โ€“ 1:00 PM ยท FREE

Join us Wednesday, May 21st from 12:00 PM- 1:00 PM at California Coffee for an informative and uplifting workshop you won't want tfor suo miss! Our featured guest speaker, Manas S. Kshirsagar, AD, MS a NAMA Board Certified Ayurvedic Doctor with years of experience in holistic wellness and healing, will be presenting "Tools for Stress and Anxiety". With today's fast-paced world and the stress levels many of us are unduring, this workshop will offer valuable insight, practical tools and wellness strategies to help bring more balance, peace and calm into our daily lives. Lunch Special Available: Half Sandwich + Chips just $9.99 California Coffee, 9105 Soquel Dr., Aptos, CA 95003 cacoffeeaptos.com Thank you from myself Sylvia Reyes, and my amazing team for supporting our small business and community events!

Education Wellness ๐Ÿ“ Soquel Details โ†’
Jul
23

Rules Are Not Neutral: Play As Sense-Making, Acts Of Resistance, And Imagining Otherwise

๐Ÿ“ Eloise Pickard Smith Gallery
๐Ÿ•’ 12:00 PM โ€“ 5:00 PM ยท FREE

This exhibition brings together a range of analog games โ€“ including board, card, role-playing, and other participatory works โ€“ that engage social and political realities in different ways. The works span widely circulated commercial games to independently produced projects, one-of-a-kind artworks by artists, faculty, alumni, and students, and materials drawn from UC Santa Cruz Special Collections and Archives. In part, the exhibition challenges the persistent assumption that games and play are detached from social and political life. On the contrary, game designers and artists across diverse perspectives and positions have long used play to engage questions of social systems, lived experience, and how power operates. This exhibition does not attempt to represent that full spectrum. Instead, it brings together a particular set of works that foreground how games can make systems visible, intervene in them, and imagine alternatives. All games embody values, whether intentional or not. โ€“ Mary Flanagan , game designer and scholar Across all of these works, games are not only forms of entertainment, though they may be that as well. They are encountered in multiple ways: as objects, as systems, as artworks, and as experiences that unfold unpredictably through interaction. In each case, rules and constraints shape what participants can do. In these different forms, the works stage systems โ€“ such as housing and land ownership, capitalism, race and identity, civil rights and protest, fascism, and colonialism โ€“ in ways that are simplified and easy to see, opening space to recognize similar structures beyond the game. In this sense, the works suggest that rules are not neutral โ€“ they organize experience, distribute power, and produce meaning. Games are the art of agency. โ€“ C. Thi Nguyen , philosopher The exhibition is intentionally dense. This abundance reflects the breadth of ways games operate across contexts, from activism and education to art and everyday life. While it cel

Education Art & Culture ๐Ÿ“ UCSC Details โ†’
Jul
23

Spring Exhibitions at the Institute of the Arts and Sciences

๐Ÿ“ Institute of the Arts and Sciences
๐Ÿ•’ 12:00 PM โ€“ 5:00 PM ยท See listing

Visit the IAS, UCSCโ€™s premier art galleries, for our spring exhibitions. On view April 10โ€“August 16, 2026 are three diverse and interdisciplinary shows: Libia Posada: Everything is Going Right , the first US solo exhibition by the Colombia-based artist and medical doctor; Gina Athena Ulysse: A Redwoods Rasanblaj , a site-specific and immersive exploration of the Haitian kreyol conception of rasanblaj; and Ronaldo V. Wilson: There Are No Words, But Melodies , a mixed-media exhibition emerging at the intersections of Black poetics, performance, and visual art. The IAS Galleries are open Wednesday-Sunday, 12 pm โ€“ 5 pm. Admission is free to the public. Libia Posada: Everything is Going Right Libia Posadaโ€™s first solo exhibition in the United States features installations, sculptures, and drawings meticulously constructed from surgical instruments, gauze bandages, crutches, used books, and domestic picture frames. The new and existing works in the exhibition powerfully stitch together the personal, social, and political disorders and afflictions that currently trouble the world, from the wars that resonate across the globe to the violences of aging in US prisons. Gina Athena Ulysse: A Redwoods Rasanblaj: Origins & Disentanglements The internationally-lauded work of humanities professor Gina Athena Ulysse is on view as a premier Faculty Spotlight Exhibition. The site-specific installation, produced in community from things collected, found, purchased and donated, centers on the Haitian concept of rasanblaj, a form of assembly and collage that transcends the formal use of materials to draw together people, spirits, and ideas. Ronaldo V. Wilson: There Are No Words, But Melodies Collage is both a material practice and a structural interrogation in the Faculty Spotlight Exhibition artworks by literature professor Ronaldo V. Wilson. In video, painting, and installation, layers and folds conceal and reveal, delving into the experience, both bodily and emotive, of living in time

Education Art & Culture ๐Ÿ“ Westside Details โ†’
Jul
23

Open Archives

๐Ÿ“ Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History
๐Ÿ•’ 1:00 PM โ€“ 3:00 PM ยท See listing

Step into the MAH's Archives Reading Room during our weekly Open Archives hours. Meet the archivist, see a unique item from the collection on display, and discover where Santa Cruz history is preserved. Please note: Open Archives is an informal drop-in experience, not a time for in-depth research appointments. If you'd like to schedule research time, please contact us in advance by email or phone. We usually pop open the archives every week-though every now and then we take a break. For more information, email [email protected]

Jul
23

Far West Fungi: Myco-Mixer

๐Ÿ“ Far West Fungi
๐Ÿ•’ 2:00 PM โ€“ 5:00 PM ยท FREE

Far West Fungiโ€™s Santa Cruz Store & Cafรฉ is launching Myco-Mixers โ€“ Enjoy an afternoon of food, fun, and fungi! Each Myco-Mixer will feature complimentary bites, product samples, and happy hour discounts on cafรฉ favorites. Guests can meet the Far West Fungi team, learn about unique mushroom products, and discover new flavors to take home. Head Far West in Santa Cruz each week to taste house-made tacos, explore featured products, and find your new favorite mushroom treats. Whether youโ€™re a foodie, mushroom enthusiast, or just looking for a fun Thursday outing, Myco-Mixers are the perfect way to experience local one-of-a-kind flavors!

Jul
23

Mah Jongg Club

๐Ÿ“ Santa Cruz Public Libraries
๐Ÿ•’ 3:00 PM ยท See listing

Thursday, July 23 2026 2:00pm - 4:00pm Play Mahjong with fellow enthusiasts! Beginners welcome with weekly Hong Kong Style lessons. Other styles offered too. Tiles provided or bring your own.

Community Details โ†’
Jul
23

Mark Van Haren โ€“ '70s pop-soul

๐Ÿ“ Jack O'Neil Restaurant and Lounge
๐Ÿ•’ 3:00 PM โ€“ 6:00 PM ยท See listing

Step back into the golden era of โ€™70s pop-soul with Mark Van Harenโ€”guitarist, vocalist, and lifelong devotee of the music that made AM radio magic. Raised on Stevie Wonder, Hall & Oates, Al Green, James Taylor, Steely Dan, Bill Withers, Bacharach, and the Beatles, Mark brings that eraโ€™s warmth, melody, and heart to life. His sets blend rich vocals, rhythmic guitar, and harmonically complex arrangements, mixing familiar-but-forgotten favorites like โ€œBaby Come Backโ€ with soulful deep cuts such as โ€œKnocks Me Off My Feet.โ€ Every song is chosen for connectionโ€”music that feels good, hits deep, and brings audiences together.

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