Enjoy a month-long celebration of new vegan dishes all over Santa Cruz! Businesses across the area will showcase exciting special vegan menu items for an entire month, giving everyone the opportunity to explore creative plant-based dishes crafted by talented local chefs. How It Works: 1- Visit participating restaurants across Santa Cruz listed in the link in the orange button above.…

Enjoy 11 days of powerful performances, art, poetry, fashion, music, and cultural celebrations throughout Santa Cruz County. The Ripple Effect Arts Festival is brings you creativity and culture to reflect the unique artistic pulse of Santa Cruz County. Opening with Santa Cruz Dancing in the Streets from 5-9pm in Downtown Santa Cruz. 11 Days of exhibits, performances, and workshops in…

Head to Skypark in Scotts Valley for the area’s largest food truck festival! Lots of excitement, more food vendors, the fabulous SVEF Beer & Wine Garden, amazing Live Music and face painting! Music Lineup: • April 24* (Starts 4:30 PM) — Music by Shady Rest Band • May 29 — Music by The Swag Tones • June 26 — Music…

Come celebrate the launch of the Seeds of Tomorrow youth poetry anthology with readings from local published high school student poets!Join us in person for the Rising Voices Youth Poetry Celebration, a community event honoring Seeds of Tomorrow, a youth-created anthology showcasing powerful work from local high school writers.The evening will feature a dynamic mix of live poetry readings and…

Santa Cruz Shakespeare (SCS) is organizing a special spring engagement of Vincent, the acclaimed one-person play by Leonard Nimoy, starring SCS Artistic Director Charles Pasternak. Vincent is a compelling theatrical portrait of Vincent van Gogh, drawn from a series of imagined letters between the artist and his brother Theo that illuminate the artist’s creative drive, personal struggles, and enduring legacy.…

During this program, you will be introduced to a craft used by indigenous peoples around the world: coiled basketry. CA basketry is some of the most ornate in the world, and this opportunity will pique your interest in learning more about, and supporting traditional arts. This 2-hour workshop will teach you how to weave your very own basket out of…

It’s the kind of festival an introvert can truly enjoy without an extrovert complaint! If you purchase an Independent Bookstore Day exclusive item while they last, you will get to spin their prize wheel for a chance to win books, coupons, gift cards and more. Follow the link in the orange button above to follow more activities as they get…

Open at 10am for both Saturday and Sunday, and staying open until 5pm on Saturday. Visitors will experience an impressive display of expertly grown cacti, succulents, and bonsai — from sculptural desert giants to delicate, living miniatures. Members will present their finest specimens in a judged show competition, featuring many rare and stunning plants seldom seen outside specialty collections. Rare…

Experience the raw energy and intricate beauty of flamenco as local virtuosos take the stage. With their powerful footwork, captivating choreography, and evocative music, these performers will transport you to the heart of Spain. From the soulful melodies of traditional guitar to the rhythmic claps and passionate vocals, each act promises a unique and authentic expression of this celebrated art…

Enjoy this annual celebration of early music as it sounded in its own time! Learn a bit about the joy of Baroque music with a festival that is an expedition through musical time. 2026 Season: January 31 @4pm: Musical Stories of Brass and Organ (532 Center St) February 8 @4pm: Organ Virtuoso Performance (126 High St, Santa Cruz) February 15…

Participate in street chalk drawing, or just admire the art!  Enjoy live music, great food, local shops, vendors and artists of the Santa Cruz Mountains in Downtown Boulder Creek.

Step into a world of charm, laughter, and magic with Santa Cruz Dance Theater’s production of Coppélia, a delightful ballet comedy perfect for audiences of all ages. Behind the scenes, these talented dancers and dedicated choreographers have been hard at work to bring this enchanting tale to life. With whimsical story telling and intricate choreography, this show is sure to…

The Fitz Wetlands Educational Resource Center (FitzWERC) is an indoor-outdoor wetlands learning center that includes a visitor center, classroom and wet lab, a greenhouse, and a demonstration native plant garden. The FitzWERC borders over 1000 acres of protected wetlands and their watershed. Head to this family friendly place for nature interaction on the day they will be selling native plants…

First Saturday Tours are a wonderful way to introduce yourself to the Arboretum or to deepen your understanding 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. You might learn more about the birds and mammals that make this land…

A Faemily-Friendly Enchanted Festival & Night Market! As twilight settles beneath the redwoods, lanterns glow, music drifts through the trees, and the hidden folk gather for an evening of magic and revelry. The Fae & Folk Faire blends the wonder of fairy lore with the lively spirit of a Renaissance-style festival. Families can: wander artisan stalls, listen to musicians and…

Enjoy a conversation with co-editors Liz Carlisle and Aubrey Streit Krug and contributor Tim Crews about their new book Living Roots: The Promise of Perennial Foods. Following the conversation, we’ll enjoy a tasting of perennial treats, and copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing.

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…

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.

Appalachian Spring Meets Santa Cruz Spring Music by Copland, Mendelssohn, Sibelius, and MilhaudWhy 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 after his career as a conductor…

Appalachian Spring Meets Santa Cruz Spring Music by Copland, Mendelssohn, Sibelius, and MilhaudWhy 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 after his career as a conductor…

InterAct Open Mic at Satori Arts. FREE community poetry jam featuring singer Kay MartinAre you ready to get your poetry on? Join us on June 16, 2026 at Satori Arts for InterAct, a FREE open mic night, from 7-9 pm, featuring Kay Martin.Kay’s longtime day job was teaching (Writing+ at UCSC) for fifteen years, which morphed into writing/ editing/ consulting…