This weekend is packed full of local events, including Earth Week at the Seymour Center, Operation Surf, an art & music fest in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Jazz on the Wharf.
Read on to see the rest of our picks for the best events in Santa Cruz this weekend.
Santa Cruz Dance Week
When: Thursday, 4/23 through 5/2 from 5:30 am – 9:00 pm
Where: Downtown Santa Cruz / Various locations
Enjoy a flash motion mob, free open dance classes, dance performances in unlikely places, and more, all as a part of Santa Cruz Dance Week. It’s time to take Martha and the Vandella’s advice and starting “Dancing in the Street.”
The first event, “Dancing in the Street” takes place today, Thursday, 4/23. See the lineup for this event here.
Operation Surf
When: Wednesday, 4/22 through Sunday, 4/26
Where: Cowell’s & Capitola Beach
Support military veterans and take in some sun and surf this weekend at Operation Surf, an organization that brings the healing power of the ocean’s waves to armed service members who suffer from injuries or PTSD.
Earth Week at the Seymour Center
When: daily through Sunday, 4/26 from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Where: Seymour Marine Discovery Center
How Much: Free
Why limit the celebration and preservation of the planet to just one day? Earth Day will be stretched over the weekend at the Seymour Center, where Earthlings of all ages can enjoy free admission, so long as they use an environmentally friendly mode of transportation to get there.
TEDxSantaCruz: Radical Collaboration
When: Friday, 4/24 from 9:00 am – 4:30 pm
Where: Rio Theatre
How Much: $35-$70
Update: SOLD OUT
Hear from local innovators and public figures about the power of collaboration in this special TEDx presentation. Leading the impressive roster of presenters is David Haussler, who led the UC Santa Cruz team that first mapped the human genome.
Do-It-Ourselves Festival
When: Friday, 4/24 through Sunday, 4/26
Where: Camp Krem, Boulder Creek
How Much:$119 – $229
Head to the Santa Cruz Mountains for the music festival billed as, “3 Days of Music, Art, Camping & Stoke in the Santa Cruz Mountains.”
Tier one and two tickets are sold out. At the time of this writing there are still some tier three tickets available, but you’re going to need to hustle if you want to get your hands on them. Ticket sales end on Thursday, 4/23 at 11:59 pm. No tickets will be sold at the door.
Complications From a Fall, by Kate Hawley
When: Friday, 4/24 through Sunday, 4/26 from
Where: Jewel Theater
How Much: $23-$34
Anyone who’s had to watch their elderly relatives battle the struggles of aging will identify with Kate Hawley’s new play, which the San Francisco Chronicle called “intelligent and bouyant.” Come for the performance, stay for the catharsis.
25th Annual Omega Nu Ducky Derby
When: Saturday, 4/25 from 10:30 am – 3:30 pm
Where: Harvey West Park -Friendship Gardens
How Much: Free
Women’s volunteer group Omega Nu has become synonymous in Santa Cruz for their annual Ducky Derby, possibly the most intense competition ever to center around rubber duckies. This weekend, you can celebrate a quarter century of racing ducks, and contribute to a great cause.
UCSC Alumni Authors: Reyna Grande, Tom Killion, Don Wallace, Laurie Fox, and Laurie King
When: Saturday, 4/25 at 6:30 pm
Where: Bookshop Santa Cruz
How Much: Free
UC Santa Cruz has produced a number of talented authors, from the compelling mysteries of Laurie King and the iconic images of Tom Killion. You can see them all in one place this weekend for free.
Destroy The Night II
When: Saturday, 4/25 from 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Where: Rio Theatre
How Much: $25-$40
Fans of Led Zeppelin and The Doors will get to see their idols come to life this weekend, when American Idol star James Durbin will take to the stage and deliver tribute to the two seminal rock bands.
Bowl for Kids’ Sake
When: Saturday, 4/25 through Sunday, 4/26 at 9:00 am
Where: Boardwalk Bowl
Support Santa Cruz’s Big Brothers Big Sisters chapter and indulge in nachos, soda beer, and rented shoes this weekend at the Boardwalk Bowl. The event is open to all ages, but make sure you sign up for this fundraiser beforehand.
64th Annual Santa Cruz Mineral and Gem Show
When: Saturday, 4/25 through Sunday, 4/26 from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Where: Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium
How Much: $5
Santa Cruz is home to a lot of passionate craftspeople, many of whom take advantage of the beautiful minerals and gems that can be found in the area. You can check it all out this weekend.
Logjam! Surfing Contest – REGISTRATION IS FULL
When: Saturday, 4/25 through Sunday, 4/26 from 7:00 am – 5:00 pm
Where: Pleasure Point Park
How Much: Free
Registration may be full, but there’s still plenty of opportunity to be a spectator at this surfing competition, which seeks to foster community in Pleasure Point and the wider Santa Cruz area.
Jazz on the Wharf
When: Sunday, 4/26 from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Where: Municipal Wharf
How Much: Free
Great music, sunny weather, a beautiful views — what more could you want from your weekend? This weekend you can have it all, thanks to performances from Wally’s Swing World, Kuumbwa Jazz Honor Band, and others at Jazz on the Wharf.
Bloom Bouquet Show & Brunch for Teen Kitchen Project
When: Sunday, 4/26 from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Where: Santa Cruz Food Lounge
How Much: $40
Teen Kitchen Project teaches local high schoolers the value of cooking and nutrition in a fun, interactive environment. You can support this great organization and dine on a fabulous brunch by attending the Bloom Bouquet Show this weekend.
Cleanups
- Cleanup Cowells Project
- Weekly XStream Beach Cleanup at Davenport Main Beach
- San Lorenzo River Cleanup
Hikes
- Discover Big Basin Redwoods
- Hike to Ocean View Summit
- Family Discovery Walk
- Redwood Loop Walk
- The Road Less Traveled—A Dog-Friendly Walk
- Old-Growth Redwood Walks
- Trek to The Forbidden Sandhills
- Wilder Ranch Coast Nature Walks
Mission Santa Cruz Summer Event Series
The Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park will be hosting a series of summer events, beginning next Friday, 5/1. Click here to see the lineup of summer events at the Mission Santa Cruz.
Additional events this weekend
Friday:
- New Monsoon
- Jordan, Jesse, Go!
- The Mermen + The Shitones featuring Prairie Prince of The Tubes
- FAITH AKO – Our Favorite Songstress
- Movie Night – Sing-A-Long to Frozen
- YOUnite: care for yourself. care for your community.
- Whirr
Friday & Saturday
Friday through Sunday
Saturday:
- World’s Biggest Garage Sale
- Teach In: Bettina Aptheker
- It’s Pan-DANM-onium!
- Monterey Bay Iris: Iris Show
- Locomotive Breath: The songs of Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd, The Who, Cream, The Rolling Stones, The Doors
- Santa Cruz Chorale: Viva Vivaldi!
- Little Basin 4th Annual Camping Festival
- Community Rental: Legendary Collective Slam Poetry
- Guided Adobe Tour
- Bear Lincoln, Desmadre, Getaway Dogs
- UCSC Farm Tour
- Wipe Out T1D Day at the Boardwalk
- Star Creek Adventure
- Prezident Brown + UPFUL PURPOSE & DJ SPLEECE
- Phenomenauts
Saturday & Sunday
- The Real Inspector Hound
- SC Chamber Players present “The Clarinet Ascending”
- Wilder Ranch Living History Demonstrations and Ranch Tours
- Wildflower Weekend
Sunday:
- Santa Cruz Retro Triathlon
- SuperKid Splash & Dash
- Community Rental: 7 Line Guru Rinpoche Supplication Dance
Recurring Events You Can Find Every Weekend
- Tours of the Reserve at Elkhorn Slough (weekly event – every Saturday & Sunday)
- Santa Cruz Farmers Markets (weekly events)
- Live Comedy at the Crow’s Nest (weekly event – every Sunday night)
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