See our picks for the top events each day this weekend, and get a start with your plans for the 4th in this edition of the Weekend Roundup:
Friday
Great White
When: 6/30 at 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm
Where: Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Cost: Free
There’s going to be a Great White and a big crowd on Main Beach this Friday. ’70s rock band Great White will perform a free concert at the Boardwalk, where you can catch hits like “Once Bitten, Twice Shy.”
Summer Food Truck Event
When: 6/30 from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Where: San Lorenzo Park
Cost: Free
Change up your Friday night dinner plans by heading to San Lorenzo Park to enjoy food trucks, and a beer & wine garden featuring Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing & BargettoWinery.
Also on Friday
- AZA @ Don Quixote’s
- WredHorse @ Crow’s Nest
- Willie K @ Moe’s Alley
- An Evening with Keith Greeninger and Dayan Kai @ Kuumbwa Jazz Center
- Quintron and Miss Pussycat, Dan P (of MU330) @ The Crepe Place
- Zander Schloss @ The Catalyst
- D’ oh Bros (Classic Rock) @ Severino’s
- Dick Dagger, Bananarchy, Swaybone, Crown Chakra @ The Blue Lagoon
- Otilia Donaire & the Back Alley Boys @ The Cats Restaurant & Bar
- Race to Re-Fashion @ Abbott Square
- The Addams Family: A New Musical Comedy @ Cabrillo Crocker Theater
- Literary: Mountain Voices – Poetry Night @ Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center
- Junior Rangers @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Big Basin Nature Club @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Old Fashioned Family Campfire @ Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park
- Evening Campfire Programs @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Star Gazing @ Quail Hollow
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15th Annual Medicine Buddha Festival & Cultural Fair
When: 7/1 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Where: Land of Medicine Buddha
Cost: Free ($20 for on-site parking)
If you’ve been curious about Land of Medicine Buddha, this annual festival is a great opportunity to check it out. Take in music and dance performances, food and drink, information and healing booths, and shopping for unique gifts, along with plenty of activities for the kids.
First Saturday Arboretum Tours
When: 7/1 at 11:00 am
Where: UCSC Arboretum
Cost: paid admission of $5 for adults, $2 for those between 6 and 17 years
Enjoy a docent-led tour of the arboretum this Saturday (and the first Saturday of every month). This is one recurring event that is worthy of a repeat visit as the tour varies depending on the time of year and what’s in bloom.
Moonlight Train Dinner Party
When: 7/1 from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Where: Roaring Camp Railroads
Cost: $41 for Child, $56 for Adults
Experience Roaring Camp at night with this Saturday’s Moonlight Train Dinner Party. The evening kicks off with a barbecue dinner, followed by a train ride to Bear Mountain where you’ll enjoy a campfire and live music. Round out the evening with more live music, and some good ol’ fashioned apple pie upon returning to Roaring Camp.
Also on Saturday
- Dirt Nasty @ The Catalyst
- Floyd’s Ordeal @ The Cats Restaurant & Bar
- NRBQ @ Don Quixote’s
- Isaac & The Haze @ Crow’s Nest
- Grupo Fantasma @ Moe’s Alley
- Foxtails Brigade @ The Crepe Place
- Patio Acoustic’s with Toby Gray @ Severino’s
- The Nagging Doubts @ Severino’s
- Transcend The Realm, Stormbat, Bile Disciple, Aseptic @ The Blue Lagoon
- Writing Your Best Business Plan @ Cabrillo College
- The Addams Family: A New Musical Comedy @ Cabrillo Crocker Theater
- City of Watsonville Nature Walks @ City of Watsonville – Nature Center
- Beach Reads Book Sale @ Garfield Park Library
- Animal Shelter Relief Rescue Adoption Fair! @ Pet Pals Discount Pet Supplies
- Community Rental: Fantasmia! A Celebration of Imagination! @ MAH
- Fourth of July Weekend Celebration and Talent Show @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Campfire Program @ New Brighton State Beach
Keep up with us all weekend long, and see which events we’re attending, by following Santa Cruz Life on Instagram.Sunday
Art and Music At The Beach
When: 7/2 from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm
Where: Esplanade Park
Cost: Free
Sunshine, music, art and Capitola make quite the winning combination. Come out for the second of six free Sunday Art & Music at the Beach events this summer. Dance to the reggae tunes of Simple Creation, shop for one-of-a-kind local art and take in all that Capitola has to offer.
Also on Sunday
- Open Bluegrass Jam @ The Crepe Place
- Joe Ferrara @ The Cats Restaurant & Bar
- The Catalyst Film plus The Owens Brothers @ Don Quixote’s
- Live Comedy @ Crow’s Nest
- ATASH featuirng Fareed Haque, Elias Lammam & Doyra Abbos Kosimov @ Moe’s Alley
- The Box @ The Blue Lagoon
- Sunday Seaside Crafts @ Seymour Marine Discovery Center
- Weekly Davenport Main Beach @ Davenport beach
4th of July
What: 4th of July Events
Where: Throughout Santa Cruz County
When: 4th of July!
This weekend has some fun events, but let’s face it…the main event on everyone’s minds is 4th of July. We’ve gathered all the top events throughout Santa Cruz County in our annual 4th of July Guide. From pancake breakfasts and afternoon parades to fireworks (including a new firework show this year in South County), you’ll find it all here.
Featured Upcoming Event
What: Photos for Futures: 7 Cameras, 25 Kids, 2 Continents
Where: Santa Cruz Food Lounge
When: Friday, July 7 from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm
What happens when you hand out digital cameras to a group of school children in rural Cambodia? Find out at the Food Lounge on First Friday. This fundraiser features the photography of Gina Orlando and the children of Wat Leu Village. Enjoy live music, a food pop-up, craft cocktails, and a drawing for some awesome local prizes.
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