Growing Up in Santa Cruz

Butano State Park Guided Walk

Butano State Park Visitor Center, 1500 Cloverdale Rd, Pescadero, CA 94060, USA

Join a State Park Interpreter and enjoy the flora and fauna of Butano State Park on this moderate 2.5 mile loop. This hike features creekside riparian habitat, redwood forest, and oak woodlands. Hike includes a short section of steep terrain; trekking poles are encouraged.Meet at the Butano State Park Visitor Center. Vehicle day-use fee is $10.Remember to bring water as none is available in this park!Walk-ins welcome, pre-registration encouraged! Use this link to register.

Pigeon Point Lighthouse History Walk

Lighthouse History Walk with Pigeon Point LighthouseJoin us for a 45 minute walking tour of the historic grounds of Pigeon Point Light Station. Meet by the fence in front of the first cottage. Hear tales of whalers, bootleggers, shipwrecks, the building of the lighthouse, the “Wickies” and their families, and the restoration of the tower (currently closed to the public). Visit the Fog Signal Building to view the magnificent First Order Fresnel lens and explore the exhibits. ADA accessible.https://SantaCruzStateParks.as.me/PigeonPointHistoryWalk

Natural Bridges State Beach

Join us during the summer for a free 1-hour program for the whole family focused on nature topics. Kids age 7-12 can use this program to earn Junior Ranger logbook stamps and prizes. Weekly topics and themes vary. Previous themes have included: frogs, sand, marine mammals, birds, and many others!

UCSC: Farm Nature Walk

(UCSC Farm) Farm Road, Santa Cruz, California 95064 Farm Road, Santa Cruz, United States

Take a free, guided tour of the 30-acre organic UCSC Farm. Visitors can enjoy touring the organically managed greenhouses, hand-worked garden beds, orchards, row crop fields, and 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 Monterey Bay. Heavy rain cancels. Email [email protected] with questions or accommodation requests.

Free

Cabrillo College: In The Heights

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

The musical, In the Heights, tells the universal story of a vibrant community in New York’s Washington Heights neighborhood – a place where the coffee from the corner bodega is light and sweet, the windows are always open and the breeze carries the rhythm of three generations of music. It’s a community on the brink of change, full of hopes, dreams and pressures. Where the biggest struggles can be deciding which traditions you take with you, and which ones you leave behind.

$25 – $60

Gizdich Ranch: Olallieberry U-Pick

Gizdich Ranch 55 Peckham Rd, Watsonville, CA, United States

Plants are notoriously unreliable for sharing their arrival and departure itinerary, so please call the ranch in advance before you go!  Experience the most fun part of growing fruits at the Ranch! Combined with fresh air, sunshine and a little sweat, it’s a whole lot of fun for the kids and the entire family. Don’t forget your camera.  When everyone’s ready for lunch, picnic behind their sales barn and let the kids play.

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.

Abbott Square: Comedy Night

Abbott Square 725 Front St, Santa Cruz, CA

Head to Abbott Square to have some laughs, every Monday night. Featuring comedians from all over the Bay Area and beyond. 

Gizdich Ranch: Olallieberry U-Pick

Gizdich Ranch 55 Peckham Rd, Watsonville, CA, United States

Plants are notoriously unreliable for sharing their arrival and departure itinerary, so please call the ranch in advance before you go!  Experience the most fun part of growing fruits at the Ranch! Combined with fresh air, sunshine and a little sweat, it’s a whole lot of fun for the kids and the entire family. Don’t forget your camera.  When everyone’s ready for lunch, picnic behind their sales barn and let the kids play.

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.

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.

Kaiser Permanente Arena: National Night Out

Kaiser Permanente Arena 140 Front Street, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

Free family fun activities including:  Games and Activities: Jumbo Yard Games, Dunk Tank, Bounce House, Fire Drill Relays, Face Painting, Hoops, Corn Hole, and more!  Entertainment: DJ music, crafts, and interactive demonstrations.  Delicious Treats: Popcorn, tasty snacks, and giveaways.  Exciting Surprises: Explore police, fire, and public works vehicles up close and discover unexpected fun around every corner. 

Free

Gizdich Ranch: Olallieberry U-Pick

Gizdich Ranch 55 Peckham Rd, Watsonville, CA, United States

Plants are notoriously unreliable for sharing their arrival and departure itinerary, so please call the ranch in advance before you go!  Experience the most fun part of growing fruits at the Ranch! Combined with fresh air, sunshine and a little sweat, it’s a whole lot of fun for the kids and the entire family. Don’t forget your camera.  When everyone’s ready for lunch, picnic behind their sales barn and let the kids play.