Here comes another epic Santa Cruz weekend:
Friday night brings the first Free Friday Night Concert on the Beach at the Boardwalk, a special Third Friday at the MAH, and a chance to get a head start on Father’s Day.
Saturday has something for everyone, including the 15th Annual Jay Race, Ebb & Flow, a garden tour and a great festival. We’ve also got Dad covered with plenty of great options for Father’s day on Sunday.
See our picks for the top events each day this weekend:
Friday
Father’s Appreciation Celebration @ Zinnia’s!
When: 6/17 from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Where: Zinnia’s Home & Garden in Scotts Valley
Cost: FREE
Start celebrating dad a couple days early with this Father’s Appreciation event at Zinnia’s in Scotts Valley. Feast on BBQ from Chef Bill and enjoy art from Carol Riddle.
Free Friday Night Bands on the Beach – Lou Gramm The Original Voice of Foreigner “Hot Blooded”
When: 6/17 at 6:30 pm & 8:30 pm
Where: Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Cost: FREE
Free Friday Night Bands on the Beach starts this Friday, with Foreigner’s lead singer, Lou Gramm, set to kick off the summer concert series.
Also on Friday
- Waka Flocka Flame @ The Catalyst
- Joe Ferrara @ Shadowbrook Restaurant
- Zeppelin Live @ Don Quixote’s
- The John Michael Band @ Crow’s Nest
- LYRICS BORN + Sweet Plot @ Moe’s Alley
- Beach Fuzz, Peer Pressure @ The Crepe Place
- Breeze Babes (Classic & Modern Rock & Roll) @ Severino’s
- Food Trucks A Go Go @ Skypark in Scotts Valley
- Dancenter Showcase @ Civic Auditorium
- Third Friday @ Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History
- Dangerous Neighbor’s The Dream Killers @ Center Street Theater
- Pure Pleasure Comedy Night @ Pure Pleasure
- Senator Barbara Boxer Book Talk & Signing @ Peace United Church of Christ, Santa Cruz
- Argentine Tango Dancing @ Tannery World Dance & Cultural Center
- Watsonville Farmers Market @ Downtown Watsonville Plaza
- Circle Time @ Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery
- Story Time! @ Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery
- Sensory Play @ Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery
- Rivers and Redwoods @ Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
- Campfire Program: In the Company of Redwoods @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Junior Rangers @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Big Basin Nature Club @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Full Moon Madness @ Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
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7th Annual Monterey Bay Greenhouse Growers Open House
When: 6/18 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Where: Participating farms: California Pajarosa, Four Winds Growers, Kitayama Brothers, Succulent Gardens
Cost: Free
Journey through the greenhouse at the 7th Annual Monterey Bay Greenhouse Growers Open House this Saturday. Tour four local farms, enjoy guided tours and see an array of flowers, herbs and plants.
15th Annual Jay Moriarity Memorial Paddleboard Race
When: 6/18 from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm
Where: Capitola Beach
Celebrate the life of Santa Cruz waterman Jay Moriarty and paddle in his honor at the 15th Annual Jay Race, a paddle board race and benefit for Santa Cruz County Junior Lifeguards, Ocean of Hope, and Ride-A-Wave.
14th Annual Medicine Buddha Festival and Cultural Fair
When: 6/18 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Where: Land of Medicine Buddha
Cost: FREE
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.
Ebb & Flow – A Free Community Celebration of the San Lorenzo River
When: 6/18 from 12:00 pm to 2:30 pm
Where: Santa Cruz Riverwalk at the Water St. bridge
Cost: FREE
Celebrate Ebb & Flow this Saturday. This year’s art project, led by local artist Heidi Cramer, “Will be a collaborative sculpture which aims specifically at the landscape, local flora and fauna, and the history of the river.” Participate in hands-on art making with the artist, and enjoy guided river tours. Kids will enjoy the children’s art booths led by SPECTRA arts instructors.
Tanniversary
When: 6/18 from 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Where: Tannery Arts Center
Cost: FREE
After Ebb & Flow, head over to the Tannery to continue the fun at the annual Tanniversary celebration. Activities will include live performances from Tannery community members, open artist studios, a scavenger hunt, pop-up art vendors, and the grand opening of Tannery World Dance & Cultural Center’s new dance facility.
Summer Beer Garden Weekend at The Food Lounge
When: 6/18 & 6/19 from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm
Where: Santa Cruz Food Lounge
Cost: FREE to attend. Pay only for your food and drink.
Head to the Food Lounge for their first Summer Beer Garden weekend this Saturday and Sunday. Enjoy the inviting outdoor patio while you listen to live music, feast on authentic German-style food, play cornhole and quench your thirst with locally brewed beer.
Also on Saturday
- Charmas: Celtic Sextet @ Davenport Roadhouse Restaurant & Inn
- Claudio Melega in the Rockroom Lounge @ Shadowbrook Restaurant
- New Brighton Summer Concert Series @ New Brighton State Beach
- Dirty Cello plus The Nora Cruz Band @ Don Quixote’s
- Post Street Rhythm Peddlers @ Crow’s Nest
- Coco Montoya @ Moe’s Alley
- Kathleen Murray Album Release @ Kuumbwa Jazz Center
- Ten O’Clock Lunch Band (Rock, R&B Soul, Blues) @ Severino’s
- The Dirty Gypsy Takeover with D.on Darox & The Melody Joy Bakers @ The Pocket
- Donavon Frankenreiter @ The Catalyst
- Mole, Waffles and Nopales @ POPUP
- Wine & Chocolate Pairing @ Annieglass Incorporated
- The Garden Faire @ Skypark in Scotts Valley
- Spin For Second Harvest @ Gold’s Gym Watsonville
- Over the Rainbow, Benefit Recital for the Diversity Center @ Peace United Church of Christ
- Aptos Farmers Markets @ Aptos Farmers’ Market
- Scotts Valley Farmers Market @ Scotts Valley Farmers’ Market
- Animal Shelter Relief Rescue Adoption Fair! @ PetSmart
- Community Poetry Circle @ Scotts Valley Branch Library
- Westside Farmers Market @ Westside Farmers’ Market
- BirchBark Foundation @ Surf City Coffee @ Surf City Coffee Company
- Arts & Tinker Time @ Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery
- Historic Photo Processes Forum @ MAH Boardroom
- America Scores Beach Soccer Blast
12th Annual Santa Cruz Open @ Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk - Mario Kart Wii U Tournament, at Level Up Video Games @ Level Up Video Games
- Dangerous Neighbor’s The Dream Killers @ Center Street Theater
- Dancenter Showcase @ Civic Auditorium
- Redwood Grove Loop Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Campfire Programs @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Living History Demonstrations and Ranch Tours @ Wilder Ranch State Park
- Wilder Ranch Coast Nature Walks @ Wilder Ranch State Park
- Junior Rangers @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Big Basin Nature Club @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Coffee Talk and Crafts @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- In the Company of Redwoods @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Wildflower Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Meteor Trail Hike @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Clean the Streets at Corcoran Lagoon @ Corcoran Lagoon
Keep up with us all weekend long, and see which events we’re attending, by following Santa Cruz Life on Instagram.Sunday
Father’s Day Brunch
When: 6/19 from 10:00 am to 1:30 pm
Where: Chaminade
Cost: $52.95 Adults, $18.95 Children 6-12, Under 6 dine for free (tax and gratuity additional)
Nobody does brunch like Chaminade…and that view!
Treat Dad to a decadent meal where he can choose from the outdoor grill steak station, bourbon glazed ham, made-to-order omelets, and much more. See the full menu, here.
Father’s Day at Roaring Camp
When: 6/19. Trains run at 11:00 am, 12:30 pm and 2:00 pm
Where: Roaring Camp Railroads
Cost: $20 and $27
Roaring Camp hosts a Father’s Day celebration this Sunday with an old-fashioned Chuck Wagon BBQ and the Father’s Day steam train. Every steam train ride will feature a “train robbery.”
The Men of Big Basin – A Father’s Day Special Event
When: 6/19 at 1:00 pm
Where: Big Basin Redwoods State Park
Cost: Parking is $10 to support the park
Travel back in time and enjoy living history re-enactments with pioneer settlers, Big Basin founders and early park rangers. This 1.5 hour walking play is wheelchair and stroller accessible.
Summer Beer Garden Weekend at The Food Lounge (with a special gift for dads)
When: 6/18 & 6/19 from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm
Where: Santa Cruz Food Lounge
Cost: FREE to attend. Pay only for your food and drink.
The fun continues at Santa Cruz Food Lounge on Sunday. All fathers who come between 11:00 am -2:00 pm will receive a free gift.
Annual Father’s Day Pancake Breakfast
When: 6/19 from 7:00 am to 12:00 pm
Where: Zayante Station One
Join the Zayante Firefighters Association at their 35th Annual Father’s Day pancake breakfast. This fundraising event includes raffles, a silent auction, a bounce house for the kids, and of course, pancakes.
Also on Sunday
- James Lee Stanley Father’s Day CD Release Concert for “Alive At Last” @ Don Quixote’s
- Live Comedy @ Crow’s Nest
- Radney Foster @ Moe’s Alley
- Morgan Heritage @ The Catalyst
- Seymour Center’s Father’s Day
- Paws in the Park @ San Lorenzo Park
- Art & Music at the Beach 2016 @ Esplanade Park
- Sunday Seaside Crafts @ Seymour Marine Discovery Center
- Great Train Robberies @ Roaring Camp Railroads
- America Scores Beach Soccer Blast
12th Annual Santa Cruz Open @ Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk - Arts & Tinker Time @ Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery
- Redwood Grove Loop Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Living History Demonstrations and Ranch Tours @ Wilder Ranch State Park
- Campfire Programs @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Junior Rangers @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Big Basin Nature Club @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Discover Big Basin Redwoods @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Wildflower Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Weekly Davenport Beach Cleanup @ Davenport Main Beach
Featured Upcoming Event
Photo Credit: Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Grab your beach chairs & blankets, and head over to the Boardwalk next Wednesday for the first Free Wednesday night Movie on the beach. As usual, things kick off with The Lost Boys for the first showing.
What: Movies on the Beach
Where: Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
When: Wednesdays from June 22nd – August 17th
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