Growing Up in Santa Cruz

Museum of Natural History: Birthday Celebration

Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History 1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

Celebrate Santa Cruz’s first museum on its 119th birthday! Join the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History for a festive day of fun activities, games, and treats connecting you with nature and science in honor of the Museum’s long history serving Santa Cruz and its exciting future.  Live music  Birthday treats  Nature Crafts  Science activities  …and more!  Free admission to the Museum and outdoor festivities! 

Free

Nicholson Vineyards: Summer Series

Nicholson Vineyards 2800 Pleasant Valley Road, Aptos, CA, United States

Enjoy summer weekend afternoons at the beautiful Nicholson Vineyards! They will be featuring local food vendors.  Saturdays from noon to 5pm – Enjoy perusing art from local artists  Sundays from noon to 5pm – Enjoy listening to local musicians July 6 & 7: Epoch Eats & True Blue Studio Music by R&B July 13 & 14: Mattia Pizza & Scout + Sea Music by Sam Kellerman July 20 & 21: Chubby Tacos & Luna Dorada Music by Dave Tate July 27 & 28: My Mom’s Mole & Natalia Aandewiel Music by Tom Jacobs August 3 & 4: Areperia 831 & Nathan Goldsmith Music by Will Breman August 10 & 11: The Pesce Veggie & Papelline Music by Kip Allert August 17 & 18: SC Eatery & Sierra Evans Music by Michelle Lambert August 24 & 25: Taquizas Gabriel & Desert Moon Designs Music by Wild + Blue August 31 & September 1: Real Taco & The Clay Chalet Bottle Bash Event

$20 – $45

Wilder Ranch: Historic Grounds Tours

Wilder Ranch State Park 1401 Coast Rd, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

Discover what life was like a century ago on this innovative dairy ranch. This hour-long tour includes the 1896 water-powered machine shop, horse barn, uniquely constructed 1860’s cow barn, 1858 farmhouse, and 1897 Queen Anne Victorian home. Vehicle day-use fee is $10. For more information, call (831) 426-0505. Please reserve your spot online.

Wilder Ranch State Park: Historic Ground Tours

Wilder Ranch State Park 1401 Coast Rd, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

Discover what life was like a century ago on this innovative dairy ranch. This hour-long tour includes the 1896 water-powered machine shop, horse barn, uniquely constructed 1860’s cow barn, 1858 farmhouse, and 1897 Queen Anne Victorian home.   *This is a 1 hour tour that starts at 1PM on both Saturday and Sunday *Vehicle day-use fee is $10. For more information, call (831) 426-0505

Wilder Ranch State Park – Ranch History Tour

Wilder Ranch State Park, 1401 Coast Rd, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA

Want to learn about the rich dairy history of Wilder Ranch State Park? Dreamt of peeking inside our beautiful Victorian homes and barns? Join us weekly on Saturdays and Sundays for a 1.5 hour long tour of the historic buildings of Wilder Ranch! Meet at the visitor's center at 1 pm. Pre-register here or join us on the day-of. This tour is free. Parking in Day-use lot is $10. Questions? Call (831)426-0505 or email [email protected]

Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park – Native Plant Garden Workday

Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, Felton, CA 95018, USA

This is a Native Plant Garden Workday, in which we maintain and nurture native plant specimens and give the garden an overall sprucing-up! Participants should be prepared to get their hands dirty and spend time with some neat, native plants.This workday will meet in front of the Nature Store at the head of the main parking lot. If possible, please bring work gloves. Parks offers a limited supply. Click here to RSVP and be sure to cross reference the above details with the date of choice.

Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park: Native Garden Workday

Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park 101 N Big Trees Park Rd, Felton, CA, United States

Take your heritage tourism to the biological level!  Maintain and nurture native plant specimens and give the state park garden an overall sprucing-up! Participants should be prepared to get their hands dirty and spend time with some neat, native plants. This workday you will meet volunteers in front of the Nature Store at the head of the main parking lot. If possible, please bring work gloves. Parks offer a limited supply.   Click here to RSVP and be sure to cross reference the above details with the date of choice. 

Free

Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium: Whose Live Anyway?

Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium 307 Church Street, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

Get ready for 90 minutes of hilarious improvised comedy and songs all based on audience suggestions. Go see the current cast members of the Emmy-nominated TV show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?,” Ryan Stiles, Greg Proops, Jeff B. Davis, and Joel Murray will leave you gasping with the very witty scenes they invent before your eyes.

$57.95 – $74.75

Cabrillo College: Traditions of Veracruz

Cabrillo College Crocker Theater 6500 Perimeter Dr., Aptos, CA, United States

The “Raíces del Pueblo” (Roots of the Town) program was the vision of the late Maestro Miguel Vélez Arceo with the purpose of capturing, through songs and dances, the customs, celebrations and traditions of the varied geography of the state of Veracruz. The variety of choreography include the recreation of an indigenous wedding in Chicontepec, the Huasteca Fair with dances and huapangos, the Corpus Christi Festival in Papantla, with traditional dances such as that of Moors and Spaniards, Negritos and Guaguas (dance of the four cardinal points), along with the ceremonial Nimbe, a wedding. The program ends with the traditional “sones jarochos” from Sotavento Veracruzano such as The Bruja, El Jarabe Loco, El Palomo, El Zapateado and La Bamba.  August 24th 8PM & August 25th 3PM 

$25

Skypark: Free Motorcycle Show and Concert

Skypark 361 Kings Village Road, Scotts Valley, CA, United States

Head to Skypark in Scotts Valley for a free classic motorcycle show and dance the afternoon away to a free music concert.  There will be food, wine, beer and other concessions for sale while you are there.  8am – 3pm: Classic Motorcycle Show  1:30 – 3pm: Santa Cruz band, American Underdog, will perform original material, classic rock, Blues, folk rock and Americana.  3:30 – 5pm: Headliner, Jive Machine, will take listeners on a sonic roller coaster that fuses old-school funk, progressive rock, blues and soul. 

Free

Half Moon Bay – Guided Walk at Burleigh Murray Ranch

Join State Park Docents on a leisurely two-hour walk. Take a journey back in time along Mills Creek at Burleigh H. Murray Ranch State Park. This walk will be a 2.5 miles round trip hike with only a small gain in elevation. Along the way you will learn about the lives of early pioneers and farming families who first settled here in the 19th century.  Enjoy one of our area’s hidden treasures. Meet in the parking lot. For more information, call (650) 726-8814.Click here to make your reservation today!

Elkhorn Slough: Free Tour of the Preserve

Elkhorn Slough Reserve 1700 Elkhorn Road, Watsonville, CA, United States

Docent-led tours of the Elkhorn Slough Reserve are every Saturday AND Sunday, at 10 am and 11 am. Tours are on a first-come, first-serve basis – visitors may sign up at the Visitor Center front desk, or call ahead the morning of using the phone number (831) 728-2822. The Docent will craft a walk that meets the groups needs and abilities.

Free

Santa Cruz Beach Train

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

From Trees to Shining Seas – 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. Today’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. Please note that the 4 p.m. train leaving Santa Cruz is one-way only. There is no return train to the beach.

Live Earth Farm: U-Pick Strawberries

Live Earth Farm 1275 Green Valley Road, Watsonville, CA, United States

Spots are limited for 2 hours at 10am, and 12:30 on Saturdays & Sundays. Dates are subject to change without notice.  Discounts apply to produce the more you pick! Bring buckets, boxes, or other containers to harvest into, or purchase containers from them for a small fee. Make sure to dress accordingly – layers, hats, sunblock. Load up the kids, pack a picnic lunch and make a day of it!

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.