Looking for an updated list of holiday events? You’re in luck. Here is our current Santa Cruz Holiday Event Guide.
The holiday season is here, and that means there are a bunch of great local holiday events to partake in.
Santa Cruz is home to some great annual holiday events, such as the Holiday Lights Train, the Lighted Boat Parade, and the Downtown Holiday Parade.
New to the holiday event lineup this year is Winterfest, a festival in Downtown Santa Cruz which, at least for this year, takes the place of the popular Snow Night.
There are also tree lighting festivals around the county, and great live performances.
Here is a day-by-day list of all the holiday events coming your way:
My Three Angels
Get into the holiday spirit with the lighthearted My Three Angels, at the Mountain Community Theater in Ben Lomond. The Mountain Community Theater is the longest running community theater in Santa Cruz County. Performances are on Friday and Saturday nights at 8:00 pm, and on Sundays at 2:00 pm.
When: November 21 – December 14
Where: Park Hall, 9400 Mill St., Ben Lomond
Holiday Tree Walk
Start your adventure at Roaring Camp, where you’ll board the daytime steam train to Bear Mountain. Once you make it to the summit you’ll be treated to hot cider as you walk through the beautifully decorated trees.
Guests are encouraged to bring new toys to benefit Santa Cruz County’s Toys for Tots program. For each toy donated, guests will receive $2.00 off the price of their train ticket.
Click here for more information.
When: November 28 – 30, December 6- 7, 13-14
Where: Roaring Camp Railroads, 5401 Graham Hill Road, Felton
The Train to Christmas Town
Enjoy a train ride to the magical ‘Christmas Town.’ This adventure is based on the book, The Train to Christmas Town, and characters from the story accompany you on the train. Expect plenty of holiday festivities, including caroling, cookies and hot cocoa, and naturally, a visit with Santa Claus.
Click here for more information
When: runs through Dec. 28th
Where: 765 Ohlone Pkwy, Watsonville
Santa Cruz Holiday Lights Train
The Santa Cruz Holiday Lights Train is your chance to enjoy some old fashioned holiday cheer aboard vintage train cars.
The train is fully decked out in holiday lights, and guests are oozing with holiday cheer. Sip hot spiced cider as you listen to holiday music, partake in carols, and visit with Santa Claus.
Once aboard, your experience will go a little something like this:
Click here for more information.
When: November 28 – 29, December 6- 7, 13 – 14, 19 – 23
Where: Train Departs from the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Holiday Lights Train Photo Credit: Native Santa Cruz
Santa’s Reindeer Round-Up
Play along in this holiday scavenger hunt to help Santa find his reindeer. Scavenger Hunt maps are available at the Downtown Information Kiosk.
Find Santa’s reindeer and you’ll be entered into a drawing for some great prizes.
When: November 28 – December 21
Where: Downtown Santa Cruz
Holiday Shopping Fairs
There are so many great holiday shopping fairs this year that we create a separate post to cover all of them: Santa Cruz Holiday Shopping Fairs.
These shopping events include craft fairs, art sales at the Tannery and 17th Ave. Studios, and much more.
The majority of these shopping events take place Dec. 5th – 7th.
First Friday Frosty Fun Fest
First Friday and holiday festivities collide in this Frosty Fun Fest at Louden Nelson. Enjoy crafts and cookie decorating, and help transform the Community Art Gallery into a winter wonderland by creating your own unique snowflakes.
There will also be a holiday card and wrapping paper making station, and a gingerbread house contest.
Get more info here.
When: December 5, from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Where: Louden Nelson Community Center
Capitola Village Holiday Tree Lighting and Open House
Ring in the holiday season in the Capitola Village with this Holiday Tree Lighting event. Spend the afternoon shopping in the village, and top it off with the tree lighting at 5:30.
The tree lighting ceremony takes place in front of Quality Market, at the intersection of Capitola and Stockton Avenues.
When: December 6 @ 5:30 pm
Where: Capitola Village
Downtown Santa Cruz Holiday Parade
Head to Downtown Santa Cruz on Saturday, December 7 for the annual holiday parade.
The downtown holiday parade has everything you would hope for. There will be floats, marching bands, classic cars, horses, and naturally, Santa Claus.
For more information, visit the official downtown Santa Cruz website.
When: December 6, from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Where: Downtown Santa Cruz
Downtown Santa Cruz Holiday Parade Photo Credit: Native Santa Cruz
Lighted Boat Parade
The harbor is one of the most picturesque locations in Santa Cruz on a regular day. But this isn’t just a regular day. The Lighted Boat Parade is your chance to see 50 boats decked out in holiday lights as they parade through the yacht harbor.
The Lighted Boat Parade is a Santa Cruz tradition and is always one of the most anticipated events of the season.
When: December 6, from 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Where: Santa Cruz Yacht Harbor
Scotts Valley Christmas Tree Lighting Festival
Gather at the Scotts Valley Community Center on December 6th for the Scotts Valley Christmas Tree Lighting Festival. In addition to the tree lighting there will be an ornament making station, face painting by Elsa from Frozen, carolers, the Train to Christmas Town characters, live performances, and a giant life sized snow globe.
Click here for more information.
When: December 6, from 2:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Where: Scotts Valley Community Center, 360 Kings Village Road, Scotts Valley
Aptos Village Holiday Craft Fair & Tree Lighting
Enjoy some holiday cheer in Aptos with the Holiday Craft Fair and Tree Lighting. Local vendors will be selling their goods while you listen to holiday music, sip hot chocolate, and visit with Santa Claus.
Click here for more information.
When: December 6, from 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Where: Aptos Village Tree (corner of Soquel Drive and Aptos Creek Road)
Watsonville Holiday Tree Lighting
Enjoy a festive tree lighting ceremony in Downtown Watsonville on Dec. 7th.
Click her for more information.
When: December 7, 5:00 pm
Where: Downtown Watsonville
Jingle Bell Rock 5K
This is your chance to work off some of those holiday pounds while supporting a great cause. The Jingle Bell Rock 5K run benefits Toys for Tots.
There will be prizes awarded for best dressed runner (holiday themed), best dressed team, best dressed canine, and best decorated stroller. Get more info here.
When: December 7, start time: 9:00 am
Where: San Lorenzo Park
Holiday Open House at Kaiser Permanente Arena
The Santa Cruz Warriors and the Tannery Art Center are teaming up to host this open house in celebration of breaking ground on construction of the new Colligan Theater at the Tannery Arts Center.
Enjoy free cider and cookies, catch a sneek peak of the film, Tales from the Tannery, and enjoy performances from the Tannery World Dance and Cultural Center and the Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre.
Get more info here.
When: December 7 from 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Where: Kaiser Permanente Arena
Music for the Feast of Christmas
Join the Cabrillo Symphonic Chorus, as they bring you Music for the Feast of Christmas. This year’s event will feature music from American composer, Morten Lauridsen.
Click here for more information.
When: December 5 – 7
Where: Holy Cross Church, 126 High St., Santa Cruz
Cost: $23 general, $21 seniors/students/under age 12
Santa at Marini’s Candies
You can take home prints and grab a digital copy of your youngster’s photo with Santa at the Capitola Mall for $25. Alternatively, you can visit with Santa and snap some photos for free at Marini’s…often without the line you’d have to wait through at the mall.
When: Dec. 6-7, 13-14, 19-22
Where: Marini’s Candies in Downtown Santa Cruz
Aptos Chamber of Commerce Holiday Mixer
The Aptos Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a holiday mixer at Seascape Beach Resort. The mixer will have food and drink, a raffle, and plenty of networking opportunities.
When: December 8, from 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Where: Seascape Beach Resort, Aptos
Cost: $5 members, $10 non-members
Winterfest
UPDATE: Winterfest has been cancelled/postponed due to the storm. Stay tuned for updates.
The inaugural Winterfest in downtown Santa Cruz fills the gap in the holiday schedule left by the departure of Snow Night. Downtown Santa Cruz will come alive with holiday cheer as visitors will be treated to wagon rides, photos with Santa, a free outdoor movie, and live music by Foreverland, the 14 piece Michael Jackson tribute band.
Attendees are encouraged to bring a food or cash donation for Second Harvest Food Bank.
When: December 11, from 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Where: Downtown Santa Cruz
Capitola Community Caroling Contest
Caroling groups will compete in this community caroling contest in the Capitola Village, all in support of charity.
Get more info here.
When: December 11 from 12:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Where: Bandstand Stage at Esplanade Park in Capitola Village
Breakfast with Santa
Enjoy a buffet breakfast at the Chaminade, and top it off with a visit with Santa Claus.
Get more info here.
When: December 13 from 9:00 am – 11:00 am
Where: Chaminade Resort & Spa
Holidays on the Ranch!
Enjoy old fashioned holiday traditions at Wilder Ranch. The Holidays on the Ranch! Festival takes you back to a simpler time with activities such as wreath and candle making, cookie decorating and old fashioned sing along around a player piano.
There will also be hot drinks and baked goods for sale.
Get more information here.
When: December 13, from 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Where: Wilder Ranch State Park
Santa and the Banana Slug String Band
Mountain Feed & Farm Supply in Ben Lomand is hosting a fun family friendly event at their store on Dec. 13th. The Banana Slug String Band will perform a kids concert in the afternoon, followed by a visit from Santa, complete with photo sessions (bring your own camera).
Get more info here.
When: December 13, from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Where: Mountain Feed & Farm Supply, 9550 Hwy 9
Victorian Carriage Rides
Hop aboard a Victorian horse-drawn carriage for a ride through Downtown Santa Cruz. It’s the perfect way to round out date-night, or a family visit to downtown.
You can grab tickets online or at the Downtown information kiosk. For more info, click here.
When: December 13 – 14 & 20 – 21
Where: Downtown Santa Cruz
Carriage Rides photo credit: downtownsantacruz.com
Chanukah Train
Experience Chanukah in a brand new way aboard Roaring Camp Railroad’s Chanukah Train.
The festivities will begin, on the 3rd night of Chanukah, with the lighting of the menorah before boarding the train adorned with lights and Chanukah decorations.
Once aboard the train you will enjoy Chanukah traditions while riding through the streets of Santa Cruz.
Click here for more information.
When: December 18 @ 6:00 pm
Where: Train Departs from the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
3rd Friday: Winterpalooza
Head over to the MAH for 3rd Friday, where you’ll get hands-on with holiday craft projects, snap some photos in the ‘Let it Snow’ photobooth, and take in the wonder of the popular Toy Trains exhibit.
Get more info here.
When: December 19 from 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Where: Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History
The Nutcracker
The Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre presents the Nutcracker at the Civic Auditorium. This classic holiday show features a live orchestra.
Sweet Treat tickets are available for the Saturday and Sunday shows. These special tickets include photo opportunities with the nutcracker characters, and free cookies from Pacific Cookie Company prior to the performance.
When: December 19 – 21
Where: Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, 307 Church St., Santa Cruz
I love your guide, it’s filled a void. Prior to it I was searching for events in many different websites and it was time consuming. Your events are presented in user-friendly format. Keep up the good work!
Thank you, Claudia! Very happy you find this useful.
Hi Ethan, your guide is so timely. I am workng with clients from out og
F the area who asked me what events there were in Santa Cruz during the holidays? Ask and the shall receive! I forwarded them the guide and look forward to sharing with others this holiday season! Happy Holidays to you and your family.
Hi Jeanne,
That’s great. Thank you for sharing this info. Happy Holidays to you too! 🙂
My mom and dad are volunteering abroad right now, and I found out my close friends are all traveling to be with family for the holidays this season, so I’m going to have to be a little creative to make my Christmas merry and bright this year. I was wondering what there might be to do around town on Christmas Day. Any suggestions?