Are you looking to earn community service hours while making a real difference for animals? Join our Teen Volunteer Saturdays and get hands-on experience behind the scenes at the Santa Cruz SPCA! During this three-hour program, teens will learn about shelter life, help with important projects like gardening, cleaning, organizing, and creating animal enrichment, then spend time socializing and connecting…

We are coming together as a community to steward Tyrrell Park through the City’s Adopt-A-Park program. At the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, you gain new wisdom about local ecology, native plants, and sustainable gardening while connecting with nature outdoors. It’s time to get your hands dirty! Join us and volunteer in the Museum’s Garden Learning Center and Pilkington…

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.

Go try out skateboarding and/or use the paved pump track with your wheelchair. All the gear will be provided as well as instructors to help you out. Food and fun too!

Head to Woodhouse Brews for a day full of cultura, sabor, and joy! There will be local arts vendors, live music and dance, and flavors from across Latin America for a vibrant celebration of roots and rhythms. Whether you are going with family, friends, or flying solo, there will be something for everyone with activities for all ages. Free, family…

Enjoy an afternoon of live music, Scottish dancing, falconry, sword fighting, food, family activities and Highland-inspired fun. Visitors can also purchase a tasting passport to sample entries in the community shortbread contest and vote for their favorites. Event Lineup 1:00–2:00 PM | Live Music with Jay Salter & the Celtic Circle 2:00–2:30 PM | Falconry Demonstration with the 3 Falconeers…

PAWS Afterschool Club (Ages 7–10) Looking for something fun to do after school? Love animals? Join PAWS and discover what it takes to care for shelter animals while making new friends and learning through hands-on activities! Each week, children enjoy one hour of fun animal-themed education and activities, followed by one hour socializing with our shelter animals. They'll learn about…

Hosted Mic’d Board Games 6 – 8 Trivia 8 – 10 The Game Night Collective is a Santa Cruz-based board game community that creates welcoming, hosted tabletop events where people can discover new games, meet new friends, and enjoy structured game nights without needing prior experience. Unlike a typical board game meetup where players are expected to know games or…

Junior Animal Care Team (Ages 11+) Ready to level up your animal skills? If you love animals and want real, hands-on experience, the Junior Animal Care Team gives you the chance to go behind the scenes at the Santa Cruz SPCA! Start with a three-week training program where you'll learn how to safely support shelter animals and prepare for your…

Rescue Readers is a special opportunity to read bedtime stories to our shelter animals while helping them feel calm, comfortable, and cared for as they settle in for the night. Kids can choose to read to dogs or cats and enjoy a cozy 30-minute session filled with stories, quiet companionship, and plenty of animal love. It’s also a wonderful way…

6:30 AM – 9:00 PM See website for details.

Oktoberfest Santa Cruz is the longest running independent-neighborhood Oktoberfest event in Santa Cruz County. We will be celebrating of 27th Anniversary! Our event is a celebration of German-Bavarian culture. Messiah Lutheran Church on Santa Cruz's west side has been hosting the event since it's inception. We are a family friendly event with lots of children's and family friendly activities. Come…

The Duck Island Festival is a family-friendly celebration in the heart of downtown Santa Cruz at San Lorenzo Park. There will be food trucks, a bar, vendors and more! The lineup: Mitchum Yacoub & The Brass Empire (Afrobeat, funk, and soul) Sonny & His Rhinestone Sunsets (Classic country-rock and honky-tonk shuffles) Trestles (Local rock and reggae rhythms) Dan P. &…

This year, you will be able to walk from the first location, Junction Park, up Middleton Ave to the downtown Rec Center! Junction Park holds 4 live bands, beverage & food booths, local artisan vendors and kids activities. The Downtown Rec Center will consist of a variety of family oriented fun. Local vendors, bounce house, petting zoo, axe throwing for…

Del Mar Elementary Fall Festival! Sept. 26, 2–5pm. FREE entry! Games, bounce house, giant slide, entertainment, treats & more. Wristbands or unlimited activities are $15 presale or $20 day of event. Join us!

A concert! An auction! A party! Help put the fun back in fundraising at Espressivo's third annual benefit concert.Why we became musicians...Espressivo is the small, intense orchestra that is making big news in Santa Cruz County. Comprised of regional professional musicians, Espressivo presents select masterpieces of classical music composed for 12-26 players. Espressivo was founded in 2015 by Michel Singher…

Join us for Week Without Driving 2026 from Oct. 1-8 as Cruzin’ Together Santa Cruz County brings our community together to explore transportation accessibility, mobility, and connection. This regional initiative encourages community members to experience how transportation barriers impact many residents every day, including older adults, youth, people with disabilities, and transit-dependent community members. 📍 Community Event: Capitola Mall (in…

Head to Downtown Boulder Creek to enjoy the 4th Annual Treat Walk where both artists and merchants will be handing out candy and treats to the kiddos.  Although you are welcome to break out your Halloween costume early, it is not required.  Perhaps you will find some art or craft to enhance your entrance to Downtown Boulder Creek at the end…

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…

Known for his dynamic acting and storytelling style, Christopher Michael Palermo shares his poignant and hilarious tales of growing up in Northern California in the 60s ,70s, and 80s, peppered with essays which ask important questions about the world as it is today. 7:00pm – 8:00pm on both Friday and Saturday

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…

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…

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…

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.

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…

InterAct Open Mic at Satori Arts. FREE community poetry jam featuring readings from Winter In America (Still AnthologyAre you ready to get your poetry on? Join us on October 6, 2026 at Satori Arts for InterAct, a FREE open mic night, from 7-9 pm, featuring Roxi Power, co-editor of the anthology Winter in America (Still:.A reading hosted by co-editor Roxi…

Bring your friends, family and neighbors and come out to enjoy good old-fashioned activities such as spinning wool, cheese making, wooden cow milking and ice cream making! You can even drive a tractor and go on a hayride.  Local Santa Cruz County 4-H clubs will be hosting their Annual Spring Fair.  This action-packed day is admission free, and donations are…

🎉 Join the Party at the 5th Annual Beach Hill Bash! 🎉 Mark your calendars for Saturday, October 10th from 1:00–4:00 PM and come celebrate 35 incredible years of hospitality, community, and global connection with the Santa Cruz Hostel! The Beach Hill Bash is back and bigger than ever, bringing together locals, travelers, neighbors, and friends for an unforgettable afternoon…

Rio Theatre & Sante Adairius Midtown Portal team up to support Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship Join us for the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour Adventure Night October 10th at 7 pm, Rio Theatre Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival is one of the largest and most prestigious mountain festivals in the world! Join us when we…

The Santa Cruz Antique Faire is on the 2nd Sunday of every month from 9am-5pm, weather permitting. Vendors offer an eclectic blend of antiques and unique items, vintage clothing, collectibles and more! Visit the Antique Faire on Lincoln Street between Pacific and Cedar.

Come to Peoples Coffee, the official Santa Cruz location for the Southmost events for the Golden Gate Gamemakers! Come join us as a branch under GGG known as Game Designers of Santa Cruz! It's a relaxed chance to try new board games and card games, get feedback on your own prototypes if you are a game designer, and get advice…

InterAct Open Mic at Satori Arts. FREE community poetry jam and Anthology Launch Reading– How to Get Home in the DarkAre you ready to get your poetry on? Join us on October 20, 2026 at Satori Arts for InterAct, a FREE open mic night, from 7-9 pm, featuring the anthology launch reading of How to Get Home in the Dark:…

InterAct Open Mic at Satori Arts. FREE community poetry jam featuring editor and contributor readings from Magpie On the Gallows anthology.Are you ready to get your poetry on? Join us on Nov 3, 2026 at Satori Arts for InterAct, a FREE open mic night, from 7-9 pm, featuring readings from editor and contributors of Magpie On the Gallows anthology.Magpie on…

Come see how Santa Catalina prepares students to lead lives of meaning and purpose. Our co-ed Lower and Middle School (PreK–Grade 8) and all-girls Upper School (Grades 9-12) are holding Open House events at our 36-acre Monterey campus. Explore our stellar academic programs, take a tour of campus, and talk to students and teachers about clubs, activities, leadership, and campus…

Supporting Second Harvest Food Bank Sustaining Sponsor Seacrest Fund/Peter & Maura Mountainfilm on Tour brings a selection of culturally rich, adventure-packed and inspiring documentary films curated from the Mountainfilm festival in Telluride, Colorado. The tour will visit the Rio Theatre on November 14th with films that explore themes connected to Mountainfilm’s mission of using film, art and ideas to inspire…

InterAct Open Mic at Satori Arts. FREE community poetry jam featuring Lisa Allen OrtizAre you ready to get your poetry on? Join us on November 17, 2026 at Satori Arts for InterAct, a FREE open mic night, from 7-9 pm, featuring poet Lisa Allen Ortiz.Lisa Allen Ortiz is the author of two poetry collections: Stem winner of the 2021 Idaho…

InterAct Open Mic at Satori Arts. FREE community poetry jam featuring Veronica KornbergAre you ready to get your poetry on? Join us on Dec. 15, 2026 at Satori Arts for InterAct, a FREE open mic night, from 7-9 pm, featuring poet Veronica Kornberg.A Bay Area poet, Veronica Kornberg splits her time between Portola Valley and Pescadero. She is the recipient…