Mother Nature is planning on bringing plenty of sunshine in honor of Earth Day this weekend. We’ve gathered up all the Earth Day events taking place now through this weekend. You can find them all in our guide to Earth Day 2017.
This weekend also brings cultural events, an annual fashion show, wine-tasting in Soquel and a Central Coast premiere of an award winning play. If that all sounds too conventional for your taste then don’t worry…we also get to see thousands of rubber ducks on a slip ‘n slide.
Have a great weekend!
Earth Day Events
You’ll see some Earth Day events below on our roundup, but if you want to check out all the Earth Day events (including some mid-week events) then visit our 2017 Santa Cruz Earth Day Guide.
Friday
Community Drumming with Jim Greiner in Soquel On April 21st
When: 4/21 from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Where: Inner Light Center, 5630 Soquel Dr., Soquel, CA 95073
Cost: $10
Join percussionist and educator, Jim Greiner, at his monthly Playful Empowerment themed community drumming session. Everyone is welcome, from experienced drummers to first-timers. Plus, this is an all-ages event so feel free to bring the kids. Percussion instruments are provided so all you have to do is show up ready to have a good time.
FashionTEENS 2017
When: 4/21 at 7:00 pm
Where: Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium
Cost: $5-$15
Santa Cruz middle school and high school teenagers will not only strut their stuff on the catwalk at this fashion show, they also designed and crafted the fashions they will model. Come support the future of fashion!
3rd Friday: Beyond Borders
When: 4/21 from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Where: Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History
Cost: $5 General, $4 Students, FREE for MAH Members and Children under 5
Join local organizations fighting for political, cultural and artistic justice at the MAH this Friday. A packed schedule of music, dance, film, readings, poetry, demonstrations and workshops await.
The Nether
When: 4/21 – 4/22 at 8:00 pm, 4/23 at 3:00 pm
Where: Center Street Theater
Cost: $20-$22
Part science fiction, part crime drama, The Nether is an award winning play that explores the battle between technology and human desire. Complete sensory immersion awaits in a new virtual world where people are free to indulge upon every impulse. This is the first production of The Nether on the Central Coast.
Get more info here and buy tickets here.
Also on Friday
- Release the Hounds An evening with Julian Lage & Chris Eldridge with Aoife O’Donovan @ Kuumbwa Jazz Center
- Hootenanny! @ The Cats Restaurant & Bar
- Aaron Avila @ Zizzo’s Coffeehouse & Wine Bar
- In the Spirit of Lennon plus Come Together @ Don Quixote’s
- The D’oh Bros @ Crow’s Nest
- MARC FORD (Formerly Of The Black Crowes) @ Moe’s Alley
- Wicked Man, Boostive @ The Crepe Place
- Murs @ The Catalyst
- Mike Love @ The Catalyst
- B-Movie Kings @ Severino’s
- Automatic Animal, Doors To No Where, Fire Sermon, Mountain Tamer @ The Blue Lagoon
- All About Theater’s “Beauty and the Beast” @ Aptos High School Performing Arts Center
- Food Truck Friday @ Skypark in Scotts Valley
- Soul Food Nonch: an evening with the Bay Area’s Nonch Harpin’ @ Pleasure Point
- Pol Roger Champagne Tasting @ Soif Wine Bar & Restaurant
- NEW WORK : Bianco / Hazels / Hiers / Niven @ Radius Gallery
- Date Night: Argentinian Empanadas & Wine @ New Leaf Community Markets
Want to see all the best events in Santa Cruz every weekend? Click here to get these Weekend Roundup posts delivered straight to your inbox.Saturday
Soquel Village Sip & Stroll Wine Walk
When: 4/22 from 12:00 pm to 5:30 pm
Where: Soquel Village
Cost: $30-$34 Early birds $38 Day of
Shopping, wine tasting, raffles and great food? You’ll find it all in Soquel Village this Saturday. Enjoy a dozen wine tasting stations at local businesses between noon and 5:30 pm. There will be special raffles, shopping, and food from Ate3One.
27th Annual Ducky Derby
When: 4/22 from 10:30 am to 3:30 pm
Where: Harvey West Park
Cost: Free
What’s more family friendly than racing 12,000 rubber ducks down a slip ‘n’ slide? You kind of have to see it to believe it. Carnival games, prizes, food, and entertainment will round out the day at Omega Nu’s 27th Annual Ducky Derby. All money raised goes to scholarships and charities in Santa Cruz.
Wildflower Weekend
When: 4/22 – 4/23 from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Where: Rancho del Oso Nature and History Center
Cost: Free
Wildflowers are in bloom and there’s no better place to view them than Waddell Valley. This weekend Rancho del Oso is hosting their annual Wildflower Weekend, an event showcasing over fifty native plants along with several non-native species. Botanist-led walks are offered at 10:00 am and 1:00 pm each day.
Earth Day 2017
When: April 22 from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm
Where: San Lorenzo Park
Come and enjoy a fun environmental celebration for the whole family! Event highlights include activities for kids, live music, sustainable food vendors and a beer garden, a recycled fashion show, electric vehicle showcase, and plenty of green business vendor booths.
Spring Concert – For the Beauty of the Earth
When: 4/22 at 8:00 pm & 4/23 at 4:00 pm
Where: Calvary Episcopal Church
Cost: In advance—$12 General/Senior, $5 Student; Door—$15 General, $12 Senior, $5 Student
In the spirit of Earth Day, join Ariose Singers, Santa Cruz’s highly regarded chamber choir, for a concert celebrating the wonder and tribulations of life on our planet. Under the direction of new artistic director, Camille Couture, the concert program features Aaron Copland’s The Lark as well as Frostiana, Randall Thompson’s setting of seven Robert Frost poems.
Earth Day Cleanups
Join Save Our Shores for one of Monterey Bay’s largest cleanup efforts from Panther State Beach to Hidden Beach and in between, including the San Lorenzo River in Downtown Santa Cruz. Get more info here.
There will also be habitat restoration and cleanup efforts with the California State Parks Foundation at Lighthouse Field State Beach—plant butterfly friendly native plants—and Seabright State Beach. Get more info here.
The Nether
See Description Under Friday Section
Also on Saturday
- Zep Live! The Led Zeppelin Concert Experience @ Rio Theatre
- Pianist Paolo Francese performs Brahms, Chopin, Scriabin and Liszt @ Peace United Church of Christ, Santa Cruz
- Cock Sparrer @ The Catalyst
- SPEAKEASY 3 // POST STREET RHYTHM PEDDLERS @ Kuumbwa Jazz Center
- T Sisters plus The Naked Bootleggers @ Don Quixote’s
- The House Rockers @ Crow’s Nest
- Prezident Brown + Pablo Moses @ Moe’s Alley
- The New Up @ The Crepe Place
- Brandon Solano Y Groupo Alianza @ The Catalyst
- Dave Muldawer @ Severino’s
- Joint Chiefs (funk, acid jazz and classic R&B) @ Severino’s
- The Redlight District, Gold Town Burlesque, Tig & Lemon @ The Blue Lagoon
- BR Jazz Band: Captivating Grooves @ Davenport Roadhouse Restaurant & Inn
- Genealogy Workshop – Ancestry.com for Beginners @ Branciforte Branch Library
- 2017 Capitola City Wide Garage Sale
- Volunteer for Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Cruz County Downtown Office Comcast Cares Day @ Downtown Clubhouse, 543 Center St., Santa Cruz
- Eddie Toro Band @ The Cats Restaurant & Bar
- KBCZ Time Machine Dance: 1960s Edition @ Bear Creek Recreation Center
- Al & Richard @ Zizzo’s Coffeehouse & Wine Bar
- City of Watsonville Nature Walks @ City of Watsonville – Nature Center
- Animal Shelter Relief Rescue Adoption Fair! @ Pet Pals Discount Pet Supplies
- Wipe Out T1D Day @ Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
- Magic Carpet World Rhythms! – Tandy Beal’s ArtSmart Family Concert Series @ Santa Cruz County Veterans Memorial Building
- NEW WORK : Bianco / Hazels / Hiers / Niven @ Radius Gallery
- All About Theater’s “Beauty and the Beast” @ Aptos High School Performing Arts Center
- Vaqueros y Bandidos: Castro Adobe Open House @ Castro Adobe State Historic Park
- Living History Demonstrations and Ranch Tour @ Wilder Ranch State Park
- Guided Redwood Grove Walk @ Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
- Sandhills Mobile Visitor Center @ Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
- Redwood Grove Loop Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- History, Nature and Scenic Views: A Tour of the Grey Whale Ranch Area @ Wilder Ranch State Park
- Discover Big Basin Redwoods Hike! @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Snakes Alive! @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Living History Demonstration – What They Wore @ Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park
- Choose Your Own Adventure Tour @ Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
- Survivor – Big Basin @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Redwood Grove Loop Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
Keep up with us all weekend long, and see which events we’re attending, by following Santa Cruz Life on Instagram.Sunday
Move for Mar Vista 5k
When: 4/23 at 9:00 am
Where: Aptos Village Park
Cost: $30
Support Mar Vista Elementary this Sunday with an 80s themed run in Nisene Marks. All ages and fitness levels are welcome and costumes are encouraged! Proceeds will go towards building a new track at Mar Vista Elementary School.
Earth Day/Day of the Child
When: 4/23 from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Where: Downtown City Plaza
Cost: Free
Come out and celebrate youth and the environment! There will be 50 organizations and community services joining together at the event, each with booths offering fun activities for kids and info about local resources. There will also be a number of local children and teen musical and dance acts to enjoy on the main stage, affordable food options, raffle prizes, and bounce houses!
Wildflower Weekend
See Description Under Saturday Section
For the Beauty of the Earth
See Description Under Saturday Section
The Nether
See Description Under Friday Section
Also on Sunday
- Mark Twain @ Don Quixote’s
- The Quitters @ Don Quixote’s
- Live Comedy @ Crow’s Nest
- Reverend Horton Heat + Dale Watson @ Moe’s Alley
- Wrekmeister Harmonies @ The Crepe Place
- Denitia & Sene @ The Catalyst
- Joe Ferrara @ The Cats Restaurant & Bar
- Swing Dance Classes @ Pacific Arts Complex
- The Box @ The Blue Lagoon
- Spring Fun Run for Team Coco @ Pinto Lake County Park
- Run.Sweat.Love. 5k Fest! @ Polo Grounds Park
- NEW WORK : Bianco / Hazels / Hiers / Niven @ Radius Gallery
- All About Theater’s “Beauty and the Beast” @ Aptos High School Performing Arts Center
- The Road Less Traveled – A Dog-Friendly Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Hike to Buzzard’s Roost @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Living History Demonstrations and Ranch Tour @ Wilder Ranch State Park
- Redwood Grove Loop Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Guided Redwood Grove Walk @ Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
- Sandhills Mobile Visitor Center @ Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
- Redwood Grove Loop Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Seacliff History Tour @ Seacliff State Beach
- Sunday Seaside Crafts @ Seymour Marine Discovery Center
- Artist as Explorer: Painting in Tandem with Scientific Field Research @ Seymour Marine Discovery Center
- Weekly Davenport Main Beach @ Davenport beach
Featured Upcoming Event
What: Vaqueros on the Rancho
Where: Castro Adobe State Historic Park
When: Sat, May 6, 2017, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM PDT
Celebrate Vaqueros on the Rancho at Castro Adobe State Historic Park. Vaqueros are horse-mounted livestock herders who played a significant role in California’s heritage, beginning with the first Spanish expedition into Alta California in 1769.
Learn Vaquero’s traditions at this unique event that will include traditional vaquero-style horsemen on horseback, demonstrations, andtours of the Castro Adobe. This fundraiser supports Castro Adobe State Historic Park.
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