Get in the holiday spirit – celebrate the season at the beach! Enjoy a festive stroll through dazzling holiday lights and decorations at no cost. If you’d like to hop on a ride, you can purchase individual ride tickets or a Ride Wristband for unlimited rides all day. Games, attractions, and photos with Santa are also available for individual purchase.…

Santa is coming back to Santa Cruz and he can't wait to visit with you and hear all about the adventures you've had this year. And of course, he wants to hear your Christmas wishlist. Stop by to say hello to him at Childish on Pacific. 1122 Pacific Avenue from 12-4PM. Saturday Dec 6 (after the parade) Sunday Dec 7…

Following a sold out run in 2024, A Christmas Carol returns as a holiday tradition for the whole family! Audiences can expect a theatrical and music-filled adaptation of this classic play in the heart of Santa Cruz. Directed by Charles Pasternak and Alicia Gibson, A Christmas Carol stars Mike Ryan as Ebeneezer Scrooge, with returning favorites Julie James, Charlotte Munson…

Inter|Act Spoken Word Open Mic at Satori Arts. FREE community poetry jam with featured poet Jasmine Schlafke.Are you ready to get your poetry on? Join us on December 16, 2025 at Satori Arts for Inter|Act, a FREE shared words open mic night, from 7-9 pm, featuring spoken work artist Jasmine Schflake.Jasmine Schlafke, better known by her stage name Queen Jasmeen,…

Get whisked away into the whimsical world of Toy Trains and enjoy this beloved annual pop-up exhibit at the MAH. Members of the Golden State Toy Train Operators will be on hand to once again share their amazing collection of toy trains at the MAH. The public is invited to view Toy Trains in the MAH’s Atrium for free. To…

The Bridge is an authentic, original, child pleasing tale. Inspired by a wolf, Nordic Legend and the architecture of connection, The Bridge is a freshly conjured visual feast sprinkled with cloaked commentary and gorgeous imagery. It wouldn’t be Flynn Creek Circus without irreverent comedy and thrilling surprises. A troll, a goat, a shadow, a wolf… the 2025 season show features…

Come for great food and good vibes! Treat yourself to our mouthwatering specialty pub-style dishes, available for a limited time. They’re even better when paired with one of the Bay Area’s best craft brews. Specialty Food Available: Specialty burger slider of the week Chicken wings with buffalo, Korean BBQ, or cilantro-lime sauces to choose from Brussel sprouts with balsamic honey…

For decades, Tomáseen Foley’s A Celtic Christmas has criss-crossed the country bringing holiday joy to audiences. This December, the acclaimed show — new each year — returns to Northern California with its Irish musicians, dancers, and native Irish storyteller, Tomáseen Foley. This year the tour welcomes award-winning dancers tour welcomes two acclaimed, award-winning dancers: Elise Miklos and Dan McCormick. In…

A seasonal tradition returns to Santa Cruz with the Santa Cruz Holiday Lights Train. Vintage excursion cars, adorned with thousands of colorful lights, roll through city streets past homes of Santa Cruz. Itinerary: Santa Cruz Holiday Lights Trains depart and return in front of Neptune’s Kingdom on the Boardwalk of Santa Cruz for a 60-minute round-trip excursion. Check out the…

The Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds Foundation and the Agricultural History Project will again present HOLIDAY LIGHTS 2025 at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds. Starting November 28, 2025 – Holiday Lights will be open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays until Christmas Eve. HOLIDAY LIGHTS is over a 1/2 mile drive-through experience at the Fairgrounds of spectacular lighted Holiday displays all around you.…

We are coming together as a community to steward Tyrrell Park through the City’s Adopt-A-Park program. At the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, you gain new wisdom about local ecology, native plants, and sustainable gardening while connecting with nature outdoors. It’s time to get your hands dirty! Join us and volunteer in the Museum’s Garden Learning Center and Pilkington…

Get in the holiday spirit by bringing the family to ride the Redwood Forest Steam Train through the wintry redwoods to Bear Mountain. Sip hot cider while greeting Santa Claus. In town, enjoy winter-themed activities. ACTIVITIES Visit from Santa Hot Cider Winter Themed Activities DATES November 28 – 30 December 6 – 7 December 13 – 14 December 20 –…

Celebrate the holidays with the glorious sound of dozens of tubas playing Christmas and Hanukah music at this festive FREE concert! Santa will pay a visit, and the audience is encouraged to sing along. It’s jolly holiday fun for the whole family! Visit the link in the orange button above for all the details.

Teen Poetry Reading featuring Santa Cruz County Youth Poet Laureate Finn Maxwell, with fellow Youth Laureates; hosted by Farnaz Fatemi, Poet Laureate Emerita of Santa Cruz County​ ​

Calling all families with LITTLES!  Babies, Toddlers, Preschoolers! Ages 0-5! ✨Ring in the New Year ✨ in style with the toddler-mom dream team, Robin and Brooke! Enjoy a Fancy Dance Party, with a photo booth, crafts, cupcakes, light snacks, and a countdown to Noon complete with a balloon drop! Robin and Brooke will take the work out of celebrating New…

California King Tides are coming to the shores of Santa Cruz County this winter! These naturally occurring and predictable events are when the highest and lowest tides hit our shores and create an even more dramatic coastline. At high tide, the powerful waves often crash against seawalls and extend beyond their usual natural borders. The extreme low tides, expose tide…

Inter|Act Open Mic at Satori Arts. FREE community poetry jam.Are you ready to start the new year with some shared words? Join us on January 6, 2026 at Satori Arts for Inter|Act, a FREE shared words open mic night, from 7-9 pm.Come share your spoken word work or poetry with the community, or come out to support our local readers!…

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.

Join us on a Tuesday morning for a visit and experience firsthand why Gateway was voted Best Elementary and Best Middle School in Santa Cruz. Explore Kindy Island--a special place where our youngest learners enjoy safe, imaginative play. Wander through the Life Lab outdoor classroom and observe what's growing and thriving, or dive into a middle school science experiment and…

Music by Enescu, Francaix, and Wolf-FerrariWhy 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 of major international orchestras and opera companies.…

Music by Enescu, Francaix, and Wolf-FerrariWhy 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 of major international orchestras and opera companies.…

Come discover Santa Catalina Lower and Middle School! Located in Monterey, Santa Catalina welcomes boys and girls in PreK-Grade 8. See for yourself how Catalina prepares students to lead lives of meaning and purpose. Take a campus tour, see classes in action, meet students and teachers, and enjoy a special Martin Luther King Jr. Day Assembly.

Omega Nu welcomes you back to Harvey West Park for our 36th Annual Ducky Derby and Carnival. A fun-filled day for the entire family! Come to the duck races and enjoy food, games, and music. Listen as the bugle blares signaling the start of each race and children run to watch as thousands of rubber ducks course down the water…