Kids Day Downtown Santa Cruz

Kids Day is an opportunity for children of all ages to enjoy safe and friendly Downtown Santa Cruz experiences! You are invited to meet the many community organizations showcasing what Santa Cruz has to offer families! In 2022, you and your kids can enjoy a wide variety of free, fun activities at dozens of booths. Teen bands will be playing at the Abbott Square stage throughout the day and other family-friendly performances will pop up on Pacific Avenue. In addition to all the fun at the Kids Day event, over a dozen businesses throughout Downtown are offering in-store specials and discounts just for families.

The Downtown Association of Santa Cruz hosts Kids Day every year to remind families that, while our coastal community has its urban realities, Downtown Santa Cruz is also safe, welcoming and full of great experiences for families!

Local Santa Cruz County parents share what brings their families Downtown year round!

Come Celebrate Kids Day on Saturday April 23 from 12PM – 4PM and enjoy tons of family-friendly Santa Cruz fun Downtown!

“We enjoy bringing our kids to Abbott Square for live music, as well as walking Pacific Ave. to people and window gaze. At Abbott square, it’s lovely to have a variety of food options (and drinks for the adults!) It’s easy to meet friends there, all ages are welcome and no need for reservations or quiet. We also love bringing our kids to Dance Week and the Pride Parade Downtown. We enjoy the artistic expression that honors our community and includes everyone.”
Sierra Hill Leahy

“We’ve raised our kids going to Dandha Da Hora’s dance class at 418 Project. Maceo drums and all the regular dancers have known our boys since they were born. We would walk by the river and throw rocks together. Then if they were good they would get ice cream! In general I really love Dance Week, Cabrillo Music Festival and any occasion where streets are closed and people are dancing in the streets.”
Will Kahn

“Our favorite thing to do Downtown is grab some dinner together, grab some dessert and walk around and shop. We love bringing our kids to all the wonderful art markets and food markets that frequent Downtown!”
Melanie Meyer
“My boys are now 12 and 14 so it’s changed over the years. Currently we love to walk around Downtown, shop at the local shops, and eat at one of our favorite restaurants: Betty’s, I Love Sushi, and so many more. We also love going Downtown before or after a Santa Cruz Warriors game and are looking forward to a permanent stadium in the near future!”
Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson

“Our favorite thing to do Downtown as a family was First Fridays. We would visit the museum and participate in all the art activities.”
Daniel Le

“Our very favorite Downtown Santa Cruz activity is eating at all of the wonderful restaurants, especially when there is outdoor seating. We also love heading to Bookshop Santa Cruz to pick out a new story, heading to Artisans Gallery to check out the new kids items, seeing the newest exhibit at the Museum, watching a live show at Abbot Square, and looking at the [outdoor] art installations and reading the placards (the “dinosaur robot” one is our favorite!)”
– Meredith Poteran

“My kids have been raised Downtown, just as I was growing up. For me, Downtown has always been the place I go to eat, drink, shop and explore, so ever since my kids were babies we have been Downtown. When they were young, their favorite places were Paper Vision for toys, Petroglyph to paint ceramics and of course Bookshop to spend hours on end riding the wooden horse reading books. Playing drums on the statue out in front of O’Neills and attempting to climb the big red ball – there was endless entertainment. Now as teenagers they travel in packs with their friends thrift shopping at Crossroads & Indigo Vintage, watching movies at Santa Cruz Cinema, selecting new posters for their room at Paper Vision while eating Pizza My Heart, Flash Bird & Mission Hill Creamery. They will even be seen with their mom Downtown.”
Cara Pearson