Growing Up in Santa Cruz

Reindeer Round-Up

Downtown Santa Cruz Pacific Avenue Between Water and Locust Streets, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

Santa has lost his reindeer, but you can help find them! Pick up a map at the Downtown Santa Cruz Information Kiosk or Pacific Cookie Company to find participating businesses, and then visit them all to search for the beautiful hidden reindeer. Find just 12 of the reindeer and return your map to the Info Kiosk for a small prize! Find all 28 and you'll be entered to win of our many grand prizes. FUN for the whole family.

Free

Roaring Camp Railroads: Redwood Forest Steam Train

Roaring Camp Railroads 5401 Graham Hill Road, Felton, CA, United States

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.

Schwan Lake: Finding the Fungus Among Us

Simpkins Family Swim Center 979 17th Ave, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

Learn about fascinating fungi and the basics of mushroom identification (just observing, not picking or eating!)  Ages 8 and up. An adult must accompany children aged 15 and younger.  Space is limited to 20 per outing.  There are 4 outings for 4 Mondays from November 18 to December 9. 

Free

Gateway School Tour

Gateway School Santa Cruz 255 Swift Street, Santa Cruz

Visit us on one of our monthly Tuesday tours and see why Gateway was voted Best Elementary and Best Middle School in Santa Cruz. Hang with our kindergarteners on Kindy Island, see what’s growing in our Life Lab outdoor classroom, join our middle schoolers for a science experiment, and see first hand the unique benefits of a K - 8 education. Private tours also available. For more information contact [email protected]

Roaring Camp Railroads: Redwood Forest Steam Train

Roaring Camp Railroads 5401 Graham Hill Road, Felton, CA, United States

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.

Felton: Farmers Market

Felton Farmers’ Market 120 Russell Ave, Felton, CA, United States

The Felton Farmers’ Market is a treasured weekly gathering May through October, now running for over 30 years. We appreciate the dedicated customers who call this market a second home. Your support of regional agriculture and small, local businesses makes a difference. The Felton Farmers’ Market was started in 1987 and is the second oldest market in Santa Cruz County. SCCFM took over operations in 2009 and our team has developed deep ties to the community. Every Tuesday a quality collection of regional farms and food businesses throw up their tents to sell a colorful array of fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, eggs, artisanal bread, seafood and other staple foods. Connecting residents directly with local farms, the Felton Market is an essential part of the regional food system as well as a resource for nutritious organic foods and basic agricultural education.

Wilder Ranch State Park – Birding Walk

On this 2.5 mile hike, be prepared to walk on uneven surfaces, with many stops to view the many birds, plants, and scenery along the way. You will help each other spot and identify birds! Bring your binoculars if you have them, clothes for variable weather, and good walking shoes.Sign up here!Meet next to park map in Wilder Ranch main parking lot. Rain cancels. Vehicle day-use fee is $10. For more information, call (831) 426-0505.

Fuel Reduction Workday at Henry Cowell

Fuel Reduction Workday - This is a Fuel Reduction Workday, in which we manually clear fallen debris in select areas of the Redwood Grove, and by doing so, reduce the fuel load and restore old-growth habitat. Park staff will facilitate organizing this debris into brush piles. Participants should be prepared to help with a fair deal of manual labor. This workday will meet in front of the Visitor Center. If possible, please bring work gloves. Park offers a limited supply.Click here to RSVP and be sure to cross reference the above details with the date of your choice!

Event Series Potter the Otter Exhibit

Potter the Otter Exhibit

Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery 1855 41st Avenue, Suite C10, Capitola, CA, United States

The Santa Cruz Children's Museum of Discovery is thrilled to announce a season of celebration in honor of its 10th anniversary and a decade of discovery in our community. Join us for the exciting kick-off event as we unveil the "Potter the Otter: A Healthy Adventure" traveling exhibit. Dive into adventure with Potter the Otter™ on his quest to be healthy and strong! This hands-on interactive exhibit, spanning over 1,500 sq ft, brings the beloved First 5 children's books to life through the power of play. Built by The San Jose Children's Discovery Museum for preschool and kindergarten-age children this exhibit is enjoyable for all interested in living a healthy life. August 24th-November 11th Open to the public Fridays & Saturdays 10:00 AM-2:00 PM Public Admission: $3 Museum Members: Free Sponsored by First 5 Santa Clara, First 5 Santa Cruz, Omega Nu, New Leaf Community Markets, & Capitola Kids Dentistry

$3
Event Series Alice in Wonderland Jr.

Alice in Wonderland Jr.

Colligan Theater 1010 River Street, Santa Cruz

All About Theatre proudly presents Alice in Wonderland Jr. at the Colligan Theater at the Tannery Arts Center located at 1010 River Street in Santa Cruz. Come join us for 90-minutes of pure joy as we all travel down the rabbit hole into the magical world of Wonderland. Come join us for this family friendly fantastical experience, filled with singing and dancing, that will invigorate your imagination. There's nothing like witnessing a child experiencing magic! On a perfect summer day in the park, Alice sees a White Rabbit hurrying by. Curious to know where he is going, Alice follows him into the dark tunnel, thus beginning her adventure. After the Doorknob counsels Alice to drink from a bottle then eat a cookie, Alice shrinks, thus allowing her to fit through a keyhole, beginning her adventures with the Wonderland creatures. The White Rabbit leads Alice into twin jabbering clowns, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, who teach her some manners. Then, she plays a wild game of musical chairs at the Mad Hatter's tea party. Following the advice of the Cheshire Cat, she ends up at the Mad Hatter's tea part along with the evil Queen of Hearts. Waking up, Alice realizes the entire story has been a dream!

$18 – $28
Event Series Alice in Wonderland

Alice in Wonderland

Colligan Theater 1010 River Street, Santa Cruz

Join us for an adventure into your imagination! On a perfect summer day in the park, Alice sees a White Rabbit hurrying by. Curious to know where he is going, Alice follows him into the dark tunnel, thus beginning her adventure. After the Doorknob counsels Alice to drink from a bottle then eat a cookie, Alice shrinks, thus allowing her to fit through a keyhole, beginning her adventures with the Wonderland creatures. The White Rabbit leads Alice into twin jabbering clowns, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, who teach her some manners. Then, she plays a wild game of musical chairs at the Mad Hatter's tea party. Following the advice of the Cheshire Cat, she ends up at the Mad Hatter's tea part along with the evil Queen of Hearts. Waking up, Alice realizes the entire story has been a dream!

$18 – $28

Night of Christmas

Santa Cruz Bible Church 440 Frederick Street, Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz Bible Church will be holding its community-wide event-a candlelight service with activities for kids a family treasure hunt, hot cocoa and treats, Christmas carols, and more!

Free

Miracle on 34th Street

Park Hall Ben Lomond 9339 Mill Street, Ben Lomond

Mountain Community Theater welcomes in the holiday season with their very own, “Miracle on 34th Street, the Play”, adapted by Mountain Community Theater from the novel by Valentine Davies, based upon the Twentieth Century Fox motion picture Miracle on 34th Street. Directed by Daria E. Troxell, this family friendly, heartwarming production will remind you of the magic of Christmas and the spirit of the season. The production takes place at Ben Lomond's historic Park Hall, 9400 Mill Street. Subscriber and tickets go are available now by visiting mctshows.org Please join us for an “Opening Night Reception” immediately following the performance on Friday, November 22. There will be a “Community Night” on Saturday, November 23, where all tickets are 2 for $25. Evening shows are at 7:30 p.m., not 8:00 p.m. Sunday matinees are at 2:00 p.m.

$20 – $25

Tomáseen Foley’s A Celtic Christmas

UCSC Recital Hall 402 McHenry Rd, Santa Cruz, United States

Now in its 29th season, Tomáseen Foley’s A Celtic Christmas returns to Santa Cruz with its Irish musicians, dancers, and native Irish storyteller, Tomáseen Foley. A Celtic Christmas springs from the infinitely rich treasury of Ireland’s cultural heritage: a re-creation of a night before Christmas in the West of Ireland in the 1940s, before the advent of motorcar, the television, and the telephone. This year the tour welcomes acclaimed, world-travelled dancers Joseph Harrison and Lauren Beadle, both veterans of many touring performances including Riverdance, Lord of the Dance, and Feet of Flames. In this family-friendly recreation of age-old tradition, neighbors bring their fiddles, tin whistles, flutes, bodhráns, uilleann pipes, and most importantly their unshakeable sense of community for a night of traditional music, song, dance, and of course storytelling. The show’s Music Director is Grammy Award-winning guitarist and Santa Cruz resident William Coulter, an internationally recognized master of the steel-string guitar.

Half Moon Bay – Guided Walk at Gray Whale Cove

Join State Park Docents for a two-hour hike along the scenic Gray Whale Cove Trail at State Parks’ McNee Ranch at Montara.  Enjoy a moderate 2 mile hike overlooking the California coast.  From the trail you will be able to view evidence in the landscape of the Ocean Shore Railroad and bunkers left over from the World War II era. Enjoy the ocean views, the coastal plants, and the birds on this exciting hike. Meet on the north side of the Gray Whale Cove State Beach parking lot on Highway 1. If you have any questions or concerns please contact [email protected] or call (650) 726-8814.Click here to make your reservation today!