Halloween events dominate the weekend, but we also get a family friendly event in Scotts Valley, the annual chili cook-off at the Boardwalk, and plenty of opportunities to step up and make a difference.
See our picks for the top events each day this weekend:
Friday
Haunted House Sneak Peek at the Louden Nelson Community Center
When: 10/23 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Where: Louden Nelson Center
Cost: FREE
The annual Louden Nelson Halloween Festival is always a crowd pleaser for all ages, and this weekend you and your family can get a sneak peak of the Haunted House. This year’s theme is “Ever Glow” Cemetery.
Dinner (food trucks!) and Movie in the Park!
When: 10/23, food truck service from 4:30 PM to 7:30 PM. Movie begins at 6:30 PM.
Where: Scotts Valley Skypark
Cost: Free
How often do you get to choose among tacos, Mediterranean cuisine, and BBQ while watching an animated kids’ film? Come out to Skypark this Friday night for a food truck feast and a screening of the Pixar favorite, Monsters University.
Also on Friday
- Grand Opening: The Jerk House
- The Mountain Affair
- Public Tours of the City of Santa Cruz’s Recycling Center
- Tech Innovators: Ravi Jain – Transitioning from Academia to Entrepreneurship: Hurdles and Opportunities
- Midnight Movie at the Del Mar: the Rocky Horror Picture Show
- Moonalice @ Don Quixote’s
- Downtown Sidewalk Sales
- Poorman’s Whiskey + Diego’s Ubrella @ Moe’s Alley
- Intersection, a weekend of art by local and regional queer artists, at Motion Pacific
- Live Music: Wild Iris @ NuBo
- Happier Hour: Immune Boosting Probiotic Mocktails
- Mountain Community Theater Presents: “The Secret Affairs of Mildred Wild”
- Michael Keale at Pono
- Teton Gravity Research: Paradise Waits
- Cabrillo Youth Strings/Suzuki Music Program Concert
- Energy & Stillness: A National Abstract Exhibit (Juried)
- Printmaking: Here/Now
- Argentine Dance
- A BAND OF ORCS @ The Catalyst
- The Ghost Inside @ The Catalyst
- CATACOMB CREEPS, EYE OF PROVIDENCE @ The Crepe Place
- Back to Nowhere @ The Crow’s Nest
- Movie Premiere: Paradise Waits
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Friends of Library Fall Book SALE!
When: Members only: 10/23 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM, General public: 10/24 from 10:00 AM to 1:30 PM
Where: Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium
Cost: FREE
Snag some steeply discounted used books and support your local library at this seasonal book sale. In addition to great deals on great reads, lunchtime will also see food trucks from Ate3One and The Penny, as well as live music from the Scotts Valley High School student band.
The Missing Arm of William Waddell
When: 10/24 at 6:30 PM
Where: Big Basin Redwoods State Park
Cost: $10 for parking
Local legend has it that the last owner of the old lumber mill at Big Basin met his final fate during an ugly encounter with a grizzly bear. Hear the full story and enjoy a short evening hike through the redwoods at this fun and spooky event.
New Music Works “Night of the Living Composers”
When: 10/24 from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Where: Cabrillo College Samper Recital Hall, 6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos CA
Cost: General Adv/Door $20/23, Student/Senior Adv/Door $17/20
Classical music lovers won’t want to miss this chance to hear the latest innovative work from living composers in the Middle East, Europe, and Africa without even leaving Santa Cruz County.
Annual Halloween Monster Bash at the El Palomar Ballroom
When: 10/24 from 8:00 PM to 11:00 PM
Where: El Palomar Ballroom
Cost: $15 in advance, $20 at the door
You can expect plenty of bumps in the night at Palomar’s Annual Monster Bash, including Cha Cha lessons, dance performances, social dancing, and a monster mash. Get your costumes ready for the contest!
UCSC History Fair
When: 10/24 at 12:00 PM
Where: Hay Barn
Cost: Donations requested
UC Santa Cruz turned 50 earlier this year, and this year is also the 150th anniversary of Henry Cowell’s purchase of the land that would become UCSC. That means there is a lot to celebrate, and you can do so by attending this educational festival.
Harvest Festival: Pumpkin Patch and Apple Bash
When: 10/24 at 2:00 PM
Where: Live Earth Farm
Cost: $15 – $20
Autumnal flavor enthusiasts can usually be separated into two camps: the pumpkin spice lovers and the traditional apple cider fans. This weekend’s Harvest Festival will offer a rare chance for the two factions to come together and enjoy all that fall has to offer.
Halloween and Mask Making Festival
When: 10/24 from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Where: Louden Nelson Community Center, 301 Center St., Santa cruz, CA, 95060
Cost: Free
Allow your kids’ imaginations to run wild this Halloween by bringing them to Louden Nelson’s mask making festival. In addition to mask making, there will also be a Haunted House, a phantom photo booth, and other spooky attractions. The whole family is encouraged to attend in costumes.
New Leaf’s 30th Birthday Block Party
When: 10/24 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Where: New Leaf Westside Santa Cruz
Cost: Free
New Leaf has been providing the community with fresh, natural, and delicious groceries for three decades, and now they’re throwing a party for us all. Bring a can of food for the Second Harvest Food Bank for a free raffle ticket, and enjoy yummy treats and drinks from local food trucks, restaurants, wineries and breweries.
Thomas and Percy’s Halloween Party!
When: 10/24 – 10/25
Where: Roaring Camp Railroads
Cost: $24
If you want to give your kids a fun Halloween experience they will never forget, bring them by Roaring Camp Railroads this weekend. For the first time ever, the trusty Thomas and Percy trains will be able to talk, adding a new layer of fun for the whole family.
Make a Difference Day: The Great Santa Cruz County Clean-up
When: 10/24 at various times
Where: Throughout Santa Cruz County
Cost: Free
Whether you choose to clean up Gault Elementary, do some work at the Homeless Garden Project, refurbish the Walnut Avenue Women’s Center, or participate in any of the dozen or so other projects, you can be one of hundreds who will make a difference in Santa Cruz County this Saturday.
Public River Cleanup for Make a Difference Day
When: 10/24 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Where: San Lorenzo River at Leinbrandt
Cost: Free
As part of Make a Difference Day, you can team up with Save Our Shores to participate in a massive San Lorenzo River cleanup. With El Niño approaching, having clean rivers running into our oceans is more important than ever, and locals of all ages are invited to join in.
Santa Cruz Chili Cook-Off at the Boardwalk!
When: 10/24 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Where: Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Cost: $9
Meat eaters and veg heads alike will find plenty to love at this annual chili competition, which features both amateur and professional categories. A nine dollar tasting kit includes five tasting tickets and a voting ballot.
Also on Saturday
- NuBo Comedy Night
- Shadowbrook Stroll
- Make Acorns into Food Hike
- Redwood Grove Loop Walk
- Here Kitty Kitty
- The Deathless Roadside Bombs
- 19th Annual Strike Out Against Cancer
- Sarah Vowell, Lafayette in the Somewhat United States, at Bookshop Santa Cruz
- 13th Annual Practical Activism Conference
- UNITED NATIONS DAY FESTIVAL 2015
- Fleetwood Mask @ Don Quixote’s
- Be Natural Music Youth Rock
Concert Fundraiser @ Don Quixote’s - Animal Tracking in the Elkhorn Slough Watershed
- Refuge Recovery Daylong
- US Open XX Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Tournament
- Thrill the World, at Laurel Park
- Annual Cosplay Contest at Level Up
- Thriller Dance Classes
- Historic Photo Processes Forum
- Jesus Diaz Y Su QBA @ Moe’s Alley
- Classical Indian Music
- Pumpkin Carving at Mythic Games
- Tours of the Monarch Butterfly Grove
- Jesse Autumn & Shelley Phillips – Harps & Woodwinds
- Beasts on Broadway
- Wool, Spinning and Weaving
- New Kingston @ The Catalyst
- Failure @ The Catalyst
- SOUR MASH HUG BAND, KAT FACTOR @ The Crepe Place
- Lyin’ I’s Eagles tribute @ The Crow’s Nest
- Intermediate TriYoga Class with Jamie Andres-Larsen
- TriYoga Natural Alignment Class
- Wilder Ranch Coast Nature Walks
- Wilder Ranch Living History Demonstrations and Ranch Tours
- Downtown Sidewalk Sales
- Intersection, a weekend of art by local and regional queer artists, at Motion Pacific
- Mountain Community Theater Presents: “The Secret Affairs of Mildred Wild”
- Energy & Stillness: A National Abstract Exhibit (Juried)
Keep up with us all weekend long, and see which events we’re attending, by following Santa Cruz Life on Instagram.Sunday
Capitola Village Children’s Halloween Parade
When: 10/25 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Where: Capitola Village Esplanade
Cost: FREE
This annual celebration is the perfect blend of cute and scary. Bring your little monsters, witches and vampires to take part in the parade, and then enjoy some complimentary trick-or-treat bags and live entertainment.
Banana Slug Parade & Expo
When: 10/25 at 11:00 AM
Where: Downtown Santa Cruz, CA
Cost: FREE
Celebrate UCSC’s 50th anniversary at the first ever Banana Slug Parade, which will include a homemade float contest, music, general festivities, and a whole lot of Slug pride.
Fall Halloween Carnival
When: 10/25 from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Where: Harvey West Park Clubhouse
Cost: $5 for anyone over 2.
Support a local nonprofit preschool and give your little ones a chance to celebrate Halloween in a safe, fun environment at this upcoming carnival. Costumes are of course encouraged, and there will be BBQ, live music, and games for all ages.
Thomas and Percy’s Halloween Party!
See Saturday description
Also on Sunday
- NuBo Oktoberfest
- Discover Big Basin Redwoods
- The Road Less Traveled—A Dog-Friendly Walk
- Redwood Grove Loop Walk
- Cleanup Cowells Project
- Chris O’Connell & The Smart Alecks
plus Ginny Mitchell Trio @ Don Quixote’s - Sketching Workshop with Artist in Residence, Debby Kaspari
- Dining for Bernie
- World’s Finest @ Moe’s Alley
- Opening Reception of “War Comes Home”
- Drive for Schools
- Seascape Village Farmer’s Market
- Sunday Seaside Crafts
- Open Mic Night, upstairs at the Catalyst
- Jaytekz @ The Catalyst
- Jeff Turner @ The Catalyst
- AMY OBENSKI, DAN FRECHETTE & LAUREL THOMPSON @ The Crepe Place
- Live Comedy @ The Crow’s Nest
- Downtown Sidewalk Sales
- Mountain Community Theater Presents: “The Secret Affairs of Mildred Wild”
- Energy & Stillness: A National Abstract Exhibit (Juried)
- US Open XX Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Tournament
- Tours of the Monarch Butterfly Grove
- Wilder Ranch Living History Demonstrations and Ranch Tours
Santa Cruz History Quiz (Plus an Upcoming Santa Cruz Themed Event)
Mobile Ranger created a Santa Cruz history quiz earlier this week. It’s a fun way to test your knowledge of local history. You can take the quiz here.
If you’re interested in Santa Cruz history then the quiz is just the tip of the iceberg. On Tuesday, October 27th Mobile Ranger will be celebrating the launch of their new iphone and android app, “Mobile Ranger Guides” with a launch party at the MAH.
The event will feature natural and human history trivia games, plus an opportunity to listen to fun and crazy stories by local experts. Will you be able to tell the real history from the not so real? Win a cool “Place Puzzle” if you can.
What: Mobile Ranger App Launch Party
Where: Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History | 705 Front Street (Atrium)
When: Tuesday, October 27th, 2015
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