Family Friendly
Downtown Santa Cruz: Makers Market
Downtown Santa Cruz Makers Market Pacific Ave and Lincoln St, Santa CruzVisit the Downtown Santa Cruz Makers Market featuring 40+ local makers & artists in beautiful Downtown Santa Cruz! Located on the 1100 block of Pacific Ave. between Cathcart and Lincoln Streets, this monthly market hosts a wide range of locally handmade goods! *In the event of rain, the market will be held on the following Sunday
Seymour Marine Discovery Center: Younger Lagoon Reserve Tour
Younger Lagoon Reserve 130 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA, United StatesThis 90-minute, behind-the-scenes hiking tour takes visitors into Younger Lagoon Reserve adjacent to the Seymour Marine Discovery Center. Part of the University of California Natural Reserve System, Younger Lagoon Reserve contains diverse coastal habitats and is home to birds of prey, migrating sea birds, bobcats, and other wildlife. Come and see what scientists are doing to track local mammals, restore native habitat, and learn about the workings of one of California’s rare coastal lagoons. A tour is offered on selected Thursdays and Saturdays of each month beginning at 10:30 AM. Younger Lagoon Reserve tours are free and open to the public. Space is limited to 18 participants. Advance reservations are highly recommended. Tours are best suited for children 10 years of age and older. Participants must be physically able to walk up and down steep inclines. Water and weather protection is strongly suggested.
La Selva Beach Winter Craft Fair & Book Sale
La Selva Beach Clubhouse 314 Estrella Avenue, La Selva Beach, CA, United StatesGetaway to the beach for the La Selva Beach Winter Craft Fair and Book Sale on Saturday, February 10. This free event is open from 10 am to 4 pm at the La Selva Beach Clubhouse and Lawn, 314 Estrella Avenue, La Selva Beach. Shop from over 35 unique arts and crafts vendors and a huge used book sale. Enjoy baked treats and hot drinks from the Bake Sale. Savor delicious Mexican street foods from Tacos el Jesse food truck. Buy tickets to win prizes of vendor goods. Contact: [email protected]
La Selva Beach Winter Craft Fair & Book Sale
La Selva Beach Clubhouse 314 Estrella Avenue, La Selva Beach, CA, United StatesGetaway to the beach for the La Selva Beach Winter Craft Fair and Book Sale on Saturday, February 10. This free event is open from 10 am to 4 pm at the La Selva Beach Clubhouse and Lawn, 314 Estrella Avenue, La Selva Beach. Shop from over 35 unique arts and crafts vendors and a huge used book sale. Enjoy baked treats and hot drinks from the Bake Sale. Savor delicious Mexican street foods from Tacos el Jesse food truck. Buy tickets to win prizes of vendor goods. Contact: [email protected]
Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park: Hides & Tallow Living History Demonstration
Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park 144 School St., Santa CruzLearn how Mission Santa Cruz participated in a world economy back in the early 1800’s, and the roles the native people played in the hide & tallow industry. Watch a demonstration of how a branding iron works on leather, and get involved by dipping your own candle to take home. This is a FREE event, no reservation required. Rain Cancels. The Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park is located on School St. off Mission and Emmet Street in Santa Cruz. Please call (831) 425-5849 for more information.
First Friday Boulder Creek
lille æske 13160 Central Ave, Boulder CreekA free monthly mountain street fair in the name of creation & community. Local art, music and food lining the sidewalks of historic downtown Boulder Creek, California A Family friendly event - please visit our website for more details.
Alternative Family Education Prospective Family Meeting
Alternative Family Education School 185 Benito Ave., Santa CruzJoin us for a 2024 Perspective Families Meeting to learn about how you can create an individualized learning experience with your child in this inclusive community! We are a vibrant homeschool community that includes teacher-led classes in core subjects, community-led learning/field trips/events/clubs, and an abundant resource center with a staffed resource specialist. We provide enrichment offerings such as arts, theater, sports and more. Our program includes school district support services and allows for concurrent enrollment in other schools and colleges. *Childcare provided When: Tuesday, February 6 or Monday, March 11 , 6:30pm – 7:30pm Where: 185 Benito Ave. Email us at: [email protected] Or visit our website: https://www.bssc.sccs.net/afe
George O’Connor Book Signing
Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA. 95060, OffsiteFREE IN-STORE EVENT: Bookshop welcomes bestselling author George O'Connor to the store for a reading and signing of his new graphic novel Asgardians: Odin, which Kirkus, in a starred review, called, "A rainbow bridge to a fresh set of mythological places and faces." Following the smash-hit Olympians series, George O'Connor embarks on a new saga about the Norse gods. This first volume tells the story of the warrior god Odin! Welcome to the Nine Worlds, home of Gods, Valkyries, Dwarves, Jotnar, and more! Travel the burning rainbow bridge to Asgard, where Odin, chief of the Aesir, surveys his realm. His thirst for knowledge drives him ever onward, but nothing is learned without sacrifice . . . In Asgardians, George O’Connor’s highly kinetic illustrations bring these gritty and astonishing tales of war, betrayal, and the quest for enlightenment at any cost to vivid and startling life and provide the perfect companion to his Olympians series. George O'Connor is the New York Times-bestselling author of Olympians, the series of graphic novels featuring the tragic, dramatic, and epic lives of the Greek Gods. His first graphic novel, Journey into Mohawk Country, pushed the boundaries of the genre, using as its sole text the actual historical journal of the seventeenth-century Dutch trader Harmen Meyndertsz van den Bogaert. He also illustrated acclaimed playwright Adam Rapp's Ball Peen Hammer. He teamed up with writer Daniel G. Newman on Unrig: How to Fix Our Broken Democracy, the first volume in the World Citizen Comics series. George is also the creator of popular picture books such as the New York Times-bestselling Kapow! and If I Had a Triceratops. He lives in Brooklyn, New York. Your registration helps us plan for your arrival and keep in touch with any changes. Thank you for registering!
Family Fun with Fossils
Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History 1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, United StatesDig into the fascinating world of fossils during this month’s Family Fun day at the Museum! We’ll explore ancient whales from millions of years ago and dig for fossil shark teeth, while practicing being paleontologists. All ages welcome, but this is especially relevant for kiddos ages 7-10. Saturday, March 30, 2024 10-11 a.m. Free | Donations Appreciated Please visit our website to register Email [email protected] with any questions, accommodation requests, or if you have trouble registering. Accessibility • We’ll explore ancient whales from millions of years ago and dig for fossil shark teeth, while practicing being paleontologists. Activities will be tailored to the general age of the group. • The majority of the program will take place outdoors. • You are welcome to continue exploring fossils inside the Museum after the program. Kids and Museum Members are free. Admission for adults is $4. • Youth under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult at all times. • All ages welcome. Instructors will adapt the program for the needs of the group. • Bathrooms and drinking fountain will be available inside the Museum. • Wear layers, comfortable shoes, sun protection, and bring any snacks/water you might need.
Live Oak Jack Rabbit 1-Mile Run & Student Art Contest FUNdraiser
The 3rd annual Live Oak Jack Rabbit 1-Mile Run and Student Art Contest FUNdraiser will take place on Sunday, April 14th, at Shoreline Middle School on 17th Avenue in Santa Cruz, CA. Opening ceremonies begin at 8:00 AM. Registration for the 1-mile races on the USATF-certified track are open to the public online at: http://tinyurl.com/LOJR2024 The first wave of runners takes off at 9:00 AM and races continue every 15 minutes through 11:45 AM. Race registration fee is $10 per runner with the funds raised going to support the art program for the Live Oak School District students. All are invited to join this community fun run for the 1-mile challenge as a solo runner or as part of a relay team, view student art on display and cast your vote for your favorites, browse the merchant marketplace, enjoy food, entertainment and community partner booths. For more information about the event sponsor, the Live Oak Education Foundation non-profit group, visit their website at: www.LiveOakEdFoundation.org
Vive Oaxaca Guelaguetza
Branciforte Small Schools 840 N. Branciforte Ave., Santa Cruz, CA, United StatesThe Vive Oaxaca Guelaguetza is an authentic cultural festival with food, music, dance, and crafts presented each spring by Senderos. This local festival is like the traditional fiestas celebrated each summer in Oaxaca, Mexico. Guelaguetza is a Zapotec word that means “a commitment of sharing and cooperation.” Guelaguetza is a celebration that honors the gods for sufficient rainfall and a bountiful harvest.
Francisco Jiménez’s La Mariposa and Breaking Through
Mexican Heritage Plaza 1700 Alum Rock Ave., San JoseTeatro Visión presents Francisco Jiménez’s La Mariposa and Breaking Through, adapted for the stage by Leo Cortez. Jiménez’s memoirs have resonated across generations, in their message of love, determination, and the importance of one’s mentors. In La Mariposa, a young Panchito arrives in the U.S. with his family, and finds his way amid a life of constant moving and in a school where he doesn’t understand a word his teacher says. As he watches his classroom caterpillar transform into a butterfly, he too begins to learn to spread his wings. Breaking Through follows him to his teenage years, where Panchito comes to love school and reading. A dream to become a teacher awakens in him. But when his responsibility to his family clashes against his own desires, he must navigate the competing priorities that face him. The novels are presented as two one-act plays performed together—La Mariposa in Spanish and Breaking Through in English. Both plays include projected supertitles in English and in Spanish.
Downtown Santa Cruz: Earth Day Celebrations
Downtown Santa Cruz Pacific Avenue Between Water and Locust Streets, Santa Cruz, CA, United StatesEarth Day 2024 will be held at beautiful Downtown Santa Cruz on Cooper St, Pacific Ave, and Abbott Square. Local businesses and organizations will gather for a day of fun and environmentally focused activities and education. This event will feature: - Live music from Coffee Zombie Collective - Face Painting from Brenda's Facepainting - MotherSong with Joya Winwood (singalong for families with babies) shows at 12 p.m., 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. - Samba Stilt Walkers from Emotiv Dance - Photobooth - Local vendors - Educational booths This free, family-friendly event will have many activities for kids to take part in, like the interactive Passport Program where kids can earn a sweet treat from Mission Hill Creamery or Pacific Cookie Company by participating. There will be an environmentally focused fashion show featuring local kids from the Fashion Teens program. Celebrate Earth Day with us in Downtown Santa Cruz on Pacific Ave, Cooper Street and Abbott Square. ⭐ A big thank you to all of our sponsors for making this event possible ⭐ Joby Aviation GoodTimes KSBW Community Printers Santa Cruz County - Recycling & Solid Waste Allterra Solar GreenWaste Central Coast Community Energy Santa Cruz METRO Pacific Cookie Company Mission Hill Coffee & Creamery The Verve Coffee Roasters
Magic Show
8205 Hacienda Lane, Soquel, CA 95073 8205 Hacienda Lane, SoquelEnter the spring RAFFLE FOR A FREE WEEK OF CAMP & experience a typical day squeezed into two hours – great for 1st timers to get comfortable or returners to share camp with friends new to Kennolyn. The first hour is filled with staff introductions, songs, and a camp tour. The second hour is a MAGIC SHOW & games for kids. Drop-ins are welcome and RSVPs are appreciated.
May Faire at Santa Cruz Waldorf School
Santa Cruz Waldorf School 2190 Empire Grade, Sants Cruz, CA, United StatesCome one come all! Come play, create, eat delicious food, enjoy the May Pole music and dance, and have fun amongst the flowers and soak up father suns warms rays! Our Early Childhood department will be offering a puppet show that is not to miss and there will be lots of magic and activities to discover all about our redwood nestled campus. Bring your family and friends! VERY Limited on campus parking for $15 FREE shuttle at UCSC Barn at Bay and High Streets. May Pole Dance at 12pm 7th Grade is offering delicious food for purchase. All Santa Cruz Waldorf Events are Zero Waste. Please bring your own cups, plates, cutlery and napkins. Our Zero Waste wash station will make sure you go home with clean dishes.