This edition of the Weekend Roundup has us feeling grateful with so many ways to get the most out of life in Santa Cruz this holiday season.
If you’re looking for some non-holiday events, live music, and outdoor activities or hikes, check out the additional events listed under each day.
Have a wonderful holiday!
See our picks for the top events each day this weekend:
Holiday Events in Santa Cruz
Want to jump straight to the best holiday events? We’ve got you covered. The guides below will keep you full of holiday cheer this weekend and throughout the month of December.
Holiday Event Guide
Catch every holiday event in Santa Cruz County with our Santa Cruz Holiday Event Guide.
Holiday Craft Fairs & Shopping Events
There are dozens of local craft fairs and shopping events in Santa Cruz County, many of which take place this weekend. You’ll find them all here.
Friday
Santa Cruz Warriors vs. Sioux Falls Skyforce
When: 11/25 at 7:00 pm
Where: Kaiser Permanente Arena
Cost: $30 – $85
Stephen Curry bobbleheads in the house! The first 1,500 fans in attendance will receive one so arrive early to watch our Warriors take on the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Bonus: Golden State Warriors’ Assignment Player Damian Jones makes his Santa Cruz debut.
Santa Cruz Holiday Lights Train
When: 11/25 – 11/26 at 5:00 pm & 6:30 pm (additional dates: Dec. 3 – 4, 10 – 11, 17 – 23)
Where: Departs from the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Cost: $31 adult; $25 for children ages 2-12 years
The Santa Cruz Holiday Lights Train is your chance to enjoy some old fashioned holiday cheer aboard vintage train cars. 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:
Also on Friday
- Rising Appalachia @ The Catalyst
- Jetlag @ The Catalyst
- Joe Ferrara @ Shadowbrook Restaurant
- Locomotive Breath @ Don Quixote’s
- The Island Hoppers @ Crow’s Nest
- Harrison Stafford (of Groundation) & The Professor Crew @ Moe’s Alley
- Bonedrivers (Roadhouse Style Rock ‘n’ Blues) @ Severino’s
- Mountain Community Theater Presents “Other Desert Cities” @ Mountain Community Theater
- Jewel Theatre presents: Next to Normal @ The Colligan Theater
- SMALL WORKS @ Radius Gallery
- Argentine Tango Dancing @ Tannery World Dance & Cultural Center
- New Leaf’s 10th Annual Smart Giving Program for Food Bank @ New Leaf Community Markets
- Watsonville Farmers Market @ Downtown Watsonville Plaza
- Watsonville Queer Youth Meet-up @ First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
- Strike Out Hunger and Bowl for FREE! @ Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
- Black Friday Downtown @ Downtown
- Self-Guided Seal Walks @ Año Nuevo State Park
- The Untold Stories of Castle Rock @ Castle Rock State Park
- Highlights Hike @ Castle Rock State Park
- Redwood Grove Loop Walk – Morning @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Old Cove Landing Coast Nature Walk @ Wilder Ranch State Park
- Signs of the Winter Forest @ Portola Redwoods State Park
- Old Tree Amble @ Portola Redwoods State Park
- Redwood Grove Loop Walk – Afternoon @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Drop-in Family Craft @ Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park
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SCM Holiday Makers Market
When: 11/26 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Where: Felton Community Hall – 6191 Highway 9, Felton, CA
Cost: FREE Admission
Shop the art, music, and tastes of the Santa Cruz mountains community. This free public event is held indoors and features live local music while you discover treasures and gifts. Best of all, your shopping dollars help benefit a local non-profit, Mountain Community Resources.
Surfin’ Santa
When: 11/26 from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Where: Capitola Beach
Cost: Free
Surfin’ Santa and his reindeer will arrive at Capitola Beach via outrigger canoe and surfboard. Once on the beach Santa will visit with all the kids, so be sure to bring your wish list and a camera. Don’t miss the annual Palm Tree Lighting at 5pm.
Surfin’ Santa Photo Credit: Capitola-Soquel Chamber of Commerce
Tree Lighting Party
When: 11/26 at 6:00 pm
Where: Crow’s Nest Beach Market
Cost: Free
Extra Large provides the tunes, Santa and Mrs. Claus the photo opps, and Crow’s Nest Beach Market the festive tree lighting. The store, transformed into a candy house, will be open for food, bevs, and holiday shopping.
Santa Cruz Holiday Lights Train
See Description Under Friday Section
Also on Saturday
- Minnesota @ The Catalyst
- Los Pasteles Verdes @ The Catalyst
- Ugly Beauty plays beautiful Jazz @ Davenport Roadhouse Restaurant & Inn
- Claudio Melega in the Rockroom Lounge @ Shadowbrook Restaurant
- Zeppelin Live Powerhouse Led Zeppelin Concert Experience @ Don Quixote’s
- UTURN @ Crow’s Nest
- Kyle Gass Band + Coffee Zombie Collective @ Moe’s Alley
- Judo No, Band Of Lovers @ The Crepe Place
- Nomalakadoja @ Severino’s
- Aptos Farmers Markets @ Cabrillo College
- Westside Farmers Market @ Delaware and Natural Bridges Drive
- Mountain Community Theater Presents “Other Desert Cities” @ Mountain Community Theater
- Jewel Theatre presents: Next to Normal @ The Colligan Theater
- SMALL WORKS @ Radius Gallery
- 4th Annual Santa Cruz Stache Dash @ Swift Street Courtyard
- Holiday Centerpiece Making Workshop @ Homeless Garden Project Store
- Animal Shelter Relief Rescue Adoption Fair @ Pet Pals Discount Pet Supplies
- Santa Cruz LGBTQ Youth Meet-up @ Diversity Center
- Trans Girls Group (12-18) @ Diversity Center
- Strike Out Hunger and Bowl for FREE! @ Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
- Monarch Butterfly Tours @ Natural Bridges State Beach
- Hike to Buzzard’s Roost @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Meteor Trail Hike @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Coffee Talk and Crafts @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Guided Redwood Grove Walk @ Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
- Living History Demonstrations and Ranch Tour @ Wilder Ranch State Park
- Nature’s Reading Room @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Monarch Butterfly Tours @ Natural Bridges State Beach
- Living History Demonstration – What They Wore @ Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park
- Redwood Grove Loop Walk – Afternoon @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Redwood Grove Loop Walk – Morning @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Self-Guided Seal Walks @ Año Nuevo State Park
- Slow(er) Ride at Pogonip @ Pogonip
Keep up with us all weekend long, and see which events we’re attending, by following Santa Cruz Life on Instagram.Sunday
Hive & Hum Holiday Open House
When: November 27 from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Where: Hive & Hum on River St.
Celebrate the season at Hive & Hum’s Holiday Open House. Enjoy sips, nibbles, samples, and giveaways while shopping and supporting local. The best part: Hive & Hum is donating 5% of their profits to Center for Farmworker Families.
Also on Sunday
- YG @ The Catalyst
- Toby Gray Highway Buddha @ The Reef Bar & Restaurant
- Freebo, Damdave and the Hot Damn Band @ Don Quixote’s
- One Family Benefit Concert w/ Joseph Israel, Michael Annotti & More TBA @ Moe’s Alley
- The Box @ The Blue Lagoon
- Rich & The Rhythm Roustabouts at Swing Set Lounge @ Pacific Arts Complex
- Live Comedy @ Crow’s Nest
- Trans Men Peer Support Group @ Diversity Center
- Corralitos Farm and Garden Market @ Corralitos Cultural Center
- Mountain Community Theater Presents “Other Desert Cities” @ Mountain Community Theater
- Jewel Theatre presents: Next to Normal @ The Colligan Theater
- SMALL WORKS @ Radius Gallery
- Strike Out Hunger and Bowl for FREE! @ Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
- Guided Hike in Burleigh Murray State Park @ Burleigh Murray State Park
- Mission Strategy Games @ Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park
- Discover Big Basin Redwoods Hike! @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Outlook from Mt. McAbee @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Geology Walk @ Año Nuevo State Park
- Guided Adobe Tours (afternoon) @ Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park
- Redwood Grove Loop Walk – Afternoon @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Living History Demonstrations and Ranch Tour @ Wilder Ranch State Park
- Guided Redwood Grove Walk @ Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
- Redwood Grove Loop Walk – Morning @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Self-Guided Seal Walks @ Año Nuevo State Park
- Monarch Butterfly Tours @ Natural Bridges State Beach
- Sunday Seaside Crafts @ Seymour Marine Discovery Center
- Bi-Monthly Cleanup Cowells Project @ Cowell Beach
Featured Upcoming Event
Celebrate holiday magic in Capitola Village! Enjoy an afternoon of kid-friendly activities, complimentary snacks, caroling, gift certificate giveaways, and a window display contest leading up to a tree lighting and grand prize drawings at 5:30pm.
What: Capitola Village Winter Festival
Where: Throughout the Village and Mercantile
When: Saturday, December 3 from 2:00 pm to 5:30 pm
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