School is starting, but the weekend’s events offer the right medicine to cure the back to school blues.
Kick back in the great outdoors for a movie, or dance the night away, you’ve got lots of fun choices on Friday.
Make your mark painting a mural, become an expert dahlia grower, or learn about animal rescues, and still have time to taste tequila or see the Derby double header!
Sunday brings a magic/comedy show and a rockin’ community fundraiser.
See our picks for the top events each day this weekend:
Join us this Saturday to cheer on the Santa Cruz Derby Girls. This doubleheader features the grom team, the Saltwater Sassies, against Sacramento; followed by the Boardwalk Bombshells, Santa Cruz’s own derby queens against their Sac counterparts. With food trucks, full concessions and beer and wine, this is one you won’t want to miss.
Click here for tickets. Use code SCLife19 at checkout for 10% off (discount not valid on game day so grab those tickets today!)
Friday
Food Truck Friday
When: 8/23 from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Where: Skypark
Cost: Free
With several food truck options, you can spread a blanket out on the ground and have an instant picnic that everyone will love. With music from the award-winning Carolyn Sills Combo, and a beer and wine garden raising funds for education, this is great family fun to ease the pain of the first week back at school.
Santa Cruz Contra Dance
When: 8/23 from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Where: Live Oak Grange, 1900 17th Ave, Santa Cruz
Cost: Suggested admission donation is $12 regular, $20 for supporters, $8 for full-time students w ID card. Cash or check only.
All levels of dancers are welcome at this fun recurring event. With a beginner lesson at 6:30, even a novice can quickly learn to follow the prompts and reap the benefits of social dancing. With live music and a caller, the dances get more complex as the evening progresses. A celebration of summer birthdays will include and cake and ice cream and a snowball waltz!
Journey former lead singer Steve Augeri
When: 8/23 at 6:30 pm & 8:30 pm
Where: Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Cost: Free
Continuing the Free Friday Night Bands on the Beach series at the Boardwalk, Steve Augeri performs his signature melodic rock sound for adoring fans to chill out and dance in the sand. Don’t stop believin’!
Signed, Sealed, Delivered: A Celebration of the Music of Stevie Wonder
When: 8/23 at 6:30 pm (dinner and doors) show starts at 7:30 pm
Where: Kuumbwa Jazz Center
Cost: REGULAR GENERAL ADMISSION: $25 – $40, GOLD CIRCLE: $40 – $55
Celebrating the music and magic of the chronically under-appreciated Stevie Wonder, Bay Area singers Lori Rivera and Jennifer Taylor-Daniels along with an all-star band will pay tribute to the great master. Dinner is provided by chef David Jackman of Chocolate.
CAPITOLA MOVIE AT THE BEACH
When: 8/23 Movies generally start at 7:30 pm or dusk
Where: Esplanade Park
Cost: Free
Bring a blanket or low-back chairs, grab some dinner and settle in for the fun of an outdoor movie experience at the beach in Capitola. This week it’s “Coco”, so be prepared to sing along!
Also on Friday
MUSIC/DANCE
- Summer Nights 2 @ Blue Lagoon
- Salsa Night @ Palomar Ballroom
- Grateful Dead Night w/ Rosebud @ Abbott Square
- KavaJah & The Remedy @ Crow’s Nest
- Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore With The Guilty Ones @ Moe’s Alley
- Knee Deep @ Severino’s
- Harbor Patrol plus Cement Ship @ Michael’s on Main
THEATER/ARTS
OUTDOORS
- Little Rangers @ Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
- Junior Rangers @ New Brighton State Beach
- Redwood Grove Loop Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Campfire Program @ New Brighton State Beach
MORE
- Farm to Table Wine Dinner @ Chaminade Resort
- SEAN GREEN AT THE LAB @ DNA’s Comedy Lab
- TÉA OBREHT, INLAND @ Bookshop Santa Cruz
Saturday
Annual Dahlia Show
When: 8/24 from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm and 8/25 from 10:00 to 4:00
Where: MAH, 705 Front St. Santa Cruz
Cost: FREE
The MAH is going to get all dressed up in dahlias for this special exhibit and celebration of the diverse and colorful flower. Enjoy the beauty of over 1000 blooms as you browse, take photos and learn from the experts. Various seminars will be held throughout the day with a raffle following each one.
Felker Street Storm Drain Mural Painting
When: 8/24 from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Where: 182 Felker Street, Santa Cruz CA
Cost: Free
Neighbors come together to adorn and celebrate our urban spaces and you can be a part of the fun. Stop by Felker Street between 12:00 and 6:00 to help artist Dan Velasquez paint the mural which will beautify our city and revere our river.
All About Equine Evac
When: 8/24 at 2:00 pm
Where: Boulder Creek Branch Library
Cost: Free
As we come upon the 30th anniversary of the Loma Prieta Earthquake, it is a good time to learn about disaster preparedness, including the good people at the Equine Evacuation Project. If you are a concerned citizen, rescue worker, or just curious, you will learn about the efforts of this organization and the work they do to help animals in the face of danger.
TEQUILA & TACO MUSIC FESTIVAL
When: 8/24 – 8/25 from 11:30 am to 6:00 pm
Where: San Lorenzo Park
Cost: $10 – $40
Tequila, as it turns out, is a sophisticated liquor with five strictly regulated types. If you want to know more, or taste more, head over to San Lorenzo Park for a Tequila sampling (Saturday only). It will be hard to stop dancing long enough to try the tacos or browse the arts and crafts booths, but you can refuel with some of the amazing tacos and wash them down with a beer or a margarita.
HOT AUGUST NIGHTS DOUBLE HEADER
When: 8/24 1st game at 4:30 pm & 2nd game at 6:45 pm
Where: Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium
Cost: $11 – $30
Roller Derby is hard core fun and this weekend’s double-header is twice as nice. First the grom team, the Saltwater Sassies, will play against Sacramento; and then the Boardwalk Bombshells, Santa Cruz’s own derby queens play against their Sac counterparts. With food trucks, full concessions and beer and wine, you can make it a date night!
Get more info here or buy tickets here. Use promo code SCLife19 for 10% off (promo code not valid on game day).
Parks & Rex Pool Party
When: 8/24 from 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Where: Simpkins Family Swim Center
Cost: $7 – $17
This event is fun for the whole family, especially the most important members: the dogs! But there’s also lots of great people-food and drinks, fun water activities, raffles and prizes and even massage. For the furry ones, access to the warm water pool, a doggie day-spa and ice cream, because they deserve it!
Also on Saturday
MUSIC/DANCE
- MALIMA KONE LIVE @ Kuumbwa Jazz Center
- Live Music with Tim & Angela Bennett @ Kissed by an Angel Wines
- Live Music by Crooked Branches @ Abbott Square
- Elie and Enah in the Afternoon @ Crow’s Nest
- Rob Ramo & Caligente @ Crow’s Nest
- GONDWANA + Fayuca @ Moe’s Alley
- Los Cafres – 3 Décadas Tour @ The Catalyst
- Patio Acoustics with Bret Fowler @ Severino’s
- Cocktail Monkeys @ Severino’s
- One Grass Two Grass plus Wild Iris @ Michael’s on Main
THEATER/ARTS
MAKE/CRAFT
OUTDOORS
- Old-Growth Redwood Tours @ Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
- Pine Needle Basket Making Workshop @ Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
- Little Rangers @ Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
- Meteor Trail Hike @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Redwood Grove Loop Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Discover Big Basin Redwoods @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Old Cove Landing Trail @ Wilder Ranch State Park
- Ranch Tours @ Wilder Ranch State Park
- Junior Rangers @ New Brighton State Beach
- Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf Experience @ Seymour Marine Discovery Center
MORE
- Homeless Garden Project’s Sustain Supper @ Homeless Garden Project Garden
- Street Smarts Family Bike Ride with Mayor Watkins @ Colligan Theater
Sunday
Magicology: An All Ages Evening of Comedy & Magic ~ Josh Carlon!
When: 8/25 at 7:00 pm
Where: DNA’s Comedy Lab
Cost: $10 – $25
Magic and comedy mix on a monthly basis at the DNA Comedy Lab, but this month features TV star Josh Carlon!
MUSIC AT SKYPARK
When: 8/25 from 2:30 pm to 6:00 pm
Where: Skypark
Cost: Free
This month local favorites The Coffis Brothers are playing for this excellent fundraiser. Bring the whole hungry family to dance, eat and drink to support music programs in our schools.
Annual Dahlia Show
See Description Under Saturday Section
TEQUILA & TACO MUSIC FESTIVAL
See Description Under Saturday Section
Also on Sunday
MUSIC/DANCE
- Matt Andersen @ Kuumbwa Jazz Center
- ERIC LINDELL & THE NATURAL MYSTICS + Anson Funderburgh @ Moe’s Alley
- Patio Acoustics with Mark Creech @ Severino’s
- Grateful Sunday Concert Series @ Michael’s on Main
- Elie and Enah in the Afternoon @ Crow’s Nest
THEATER/ARTS
OUTDOORS
- Birding for Beginners @ Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
- Little Rangers @ Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
- Bird Watching for Beginners @ Wilder Ranch State Park
- The Road Less Traveled: A Dog-Friendly Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Ranch Tours @ Wilder Ranch State Park
- Redwood Grove Loop Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Twilight Adaptation Adventure @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
MORE
- Low-Cost Self-Defense Seminar @ Oakstrong Martial Arts 4652 Scotts Valley Drive Scotts Valley
- Big Basin Vine to Wine Tasting @ Big Basin Vineyards
Upcoming Events You Don’t Want to Miss
2019 Waves & Wildlife Annual First Friday Celebration
What: 2019 Waves & Wildlife Annual First Friday Celebration
Where: Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center
When: Friday, September 6, from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Celebrate the beauty of our ocean environment and the efforts to preserve and protect it. Bring your own mug (or purchase a reusable mug at the event) for some of Discretion Brewery’s finest beer and marvel at the stunning images of the amateur photographer contest.
Doggie Date Night
What: Doggie Date Night
Where: Anna Jean Cummings Park
When: Friday, September 20, from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Bring your best furry friend down to Blue Ball Park at 6:00 pm for some play time followed by a screening of “Best in Show” (rated PG-13) at 8:30. Food trucks and beer will be on hand for the humans, and lots of entertaining playmates running amok for your dog!
*Local businesses and vendors interested in having a booth at this event should contact woofpack831@gmail.com.
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Derby girls code SCLife19 does not work for 10%ofg.
Hi Greg, unfortunately the promo code is not valid on game day. Hope you are able to make the game, it’s always a blast.