Santa Cruz Weekend Events for May 30th

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Roaring Camp is hosting the Redwood Mountain Faire this weekend, the Derby Girls return home for a Super Heros vs. Super Villians themed bout, and the 40th annual PRIDE Parade and Festival will take over downtown on Sunday. And if those events don’t grab your interest there’s plenty more to choose from this weekend.

Read on to see the rest of our picks for the best events in Santa Cruz this weekend.

The Nexties

When: Friday, 5/30 at 7:00 pm
Where: Rio Theatre
How Much: $40 – $50

The Nexties is an event which honors locals who are making a difference in our community. These are the individuals who are innovating, inspiring, and helping to build a better Santa Cruz. The award ceremony takes place Friday night at the Rio.

Congratulations to all of the 2014 Nexties winners!

Greg Pepping – Executive Director Coastal Watershed Council
Consuelo Alba – Filmmaker, co-founder of the Watsonville Film Festival
Lindsey Chester – Artistic Director, Founder of All About Theatre
Tyler Fox – SantaCruzWaves.com
Kendra Baker & Zach Davis – Assembly, The Penny Ice Creamery, and The Picnic Basket

The event will also feature special musical guests James Durbin and Ian Bell.

Learn more about the event at santacruznext.org.

Neil Young Tribute

When: Friday, 5/30 at 8:00 pm
Where: Kuumbwa Jazz Center
How Much: $20 – $25

Celebrate the career of Neil Young as 12 artists take the stage at Kuumbwa to offer up their renditions of his hits. Want a sneak peek? Check out the Coffis Brothers cover of Southern Man, performed at Kuumbwa back in December:

Get more info here or buy tickets here.

A Stellar Experience: Star Gazing at Quail Hollow

When:Friday, 5/30. 8:00 pm – Midnight
Where: Quail Hollow Ranch
How Much: Free

The Santa Cruz Astronomy Club will be lending their equipment so you can view planets and stars in all their glory. Astronomy Club members will also be on hand to guide your celestial viewing. This is an all ages event so bring the family!

Get more info here.

7 at Blitzer (last weekend)

When: Runs through Saturday, 5/31. Daily from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Where: R. Blitzer Gallery
How Much: Free

The R. Blitzer Gallery in the Wrigley Building has a show featuring 7 award-winning local artists. It’s a great show and it only runs through Saturday. Get more info here.

August: Osage County

When: Opens Friday, 5/30 at 7:30 pm. Runs through 6/15.
Where: Park Hall in Ben Lomand
How Much: General Admission: $20, Student: $17

The Mountain Community Theatre’s production of August: Osage County opens on Friday at Park Hall in Ben Lomand. The play, which won the 2008 Tony Award for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, is regarded as one of the best plays of the last decade.

Learn more about this production, and purchase tickets, here.

Pop-Up Breakfast at the Westside Farmers’ Market

When: Saturday, 5/31, 9:30 am
Where: Westside Farmers’ Market
How Much: $33

The 2014 Pop-Up Breakfast Series kicks off this Saturday at the Westside Farmers’ Market. Join chefs Erin Lampel, Heidi Hochstrasser and Chris Pester from Companion Bakeshop for a delicious multi-course meal. Bring your own silverware and plate…and a healthy appetite.

Learn all about it here.

Santa Cruz Beach Soccer Championships

When: Saturday, 5/31 & Sunday, 6/1. See schedule for game times.
Where: Main Beach, in front of the Boardwalk

Main Beach is known for its beach volleyball courts, but this weekend volleyball takes a back seat to beach soccer. As if regular soccer isn’t tiring enough, these die-hard soccer enthusiasts will be chugging through the sand all weekend as they vie for the championship. The Beach Soccer Championships will take place on the sand in front of the Boardwalk on Saturday and Sunday.

Get more info here.

Woof to Woof Dog & Family Festival

When: Saturday, 5/31, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Where: Skypark Soccer Fields in Scotts Valley
How Much: Free

The Skypark soccer fields in Scotts Valley will play host to the Woof to Woof Dog & Family Festival on Saturday. Bring your four legged friends out and enjoy puppy parades, contests, raffles, shopping and food booths.

Find out more.

San Lorenzo River Paddle

When: Saturday, 5/31, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Where: Launch location announced via email to participants

Spend the afternoon on the river. The City of Santa Cruz and the San Lorenzo River Alliance have teamed up to bring you the summer River Paddle Series. On select dates through September you will get a chance to enjoy an afternoon paddling in non-motorized watercraft (you must bring your own).

RSVP’s are limited to one event per attendee to ensure that a wide variety of people can enjoy this unique opportunity.

Get more info here.

Santa Cruz Derby Girls

When: Saturday, 5/31, 7:00 pm
Where: Kaiser Permanente Arena
How Much: $14 – $34

Our favorite athletes on skates return for a home bout on Saturday night. You won’t want to miss the Boardwalk Bombshells as they take on the Oakland Outlaws in a “Super Heros vs. Super Villians” themed bout.

Buy tickets.

Redwood Maintain Faire

When: Saturday, 5/31 & Sunday, 6/1. 11:00 am – 7:00 pm
Where: Roaring Camp
How Much: $15 – $20

Two days of music and festival fun in the redwoods? Sounds like fun! The Redwood Mountain Faire at Roaring Camp will feature live music on two stages, arts, crafts, children’s activities and great food.

Visit the Redwood Mountain Faire website for all the details.

Santa Cruz Pride Parade and Festival

When: Sunday, 6/1. 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Where: Downtown Santa Cruz
How Much: Free

The 40th annual Santa Cruz Pride Parade and Festival takes place this Sunday in Downtown Santa Cruz. The parade kicks off at 11:00 and the festival runs until 4:00. This year’s theme is, “Pride Marches On: Celebrating 40 Years of Trailbrazers!”

In addition to the parade, the festival will include music, street performers, face painters, an expanded kids area, Santa Cruz balloon artist, Mr. Twister, and vendor booths.

Learn more about the event here.