It looks like another whirlwind of fun things to do for Santa Cruz this weekend.
You won’t have a problem finding entertainment, but you might have a tough time choosing which events to check out.
There’s a long-awaited concert by Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers, a Brazilian Carnaval party, free Jazz on the Wharf, and a film festival in Watsonville. Read on for details, and more of our picks for this weekend.
Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers
When: Friday, 3/14
In what promises to be a fun show, Steve Martin, together with bluegrass favorites the Steep Canyon Rangers, will be playing the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium for one night only.
Get tickets here.
UCSC Art Department Winter Open Studios
When: Friday, 3/14
See the up-and-coming art talents from UCSC at the 2014 Open Studios event at the Elena Baskin Visual Art Center. The event runs from 12:00 – 4:00 in the afternoon and is free to the public ($4.00 parking fee).
Get more info here.
Screening of “Particle Fever” with Santa Cruz Institute of Particle Physics Q & A
When: Friday, 3/14
If you’ve always been curious about all the hubbub surrounding the Large Hadron Collider and the Higgs boson (or even what they are), this is the evening for you!
UCSC’s Santa Cruz Institute of Particle Physics (SCIPP) is hosting this 7 pm opening night screening of the film Particle Fever at the Nick, about the launch of the Large Hadron Collider, the world’s biggest science experiment to date in terms of cost and complexity.
It may sound like dry material, but the film’s been garnering excellent reviews, with adjectives that include “suspenseful” and “captivating”.
Faculty members from SCIPP, which was involved in the ATLAS experiment that discovered the Higgs boson, will be on hand for a Q & A after the movie. Remember, there’s no such thing as a stupid question.
Buy tickets here.
Watsonville Film Festival
When: Friday, 3/14 – Sunday, 3/16
The Watsonville Film Festival aims to engage the public via films that are locally made or that deal with subject matter relevant to the local community. All screenings include live music, dance performance or Q & A with directors.
Tickets to screenings are $5 for adults and free to students with student ID.
You can find the film schedule and ticket information here.
Santa Cruz Warriors
When: Friday, 3/14 & Saturday, 3/15
The Santa Cruz Warriors take on the Iowa Energy for two games this weekend at Kaiser Permanente Arena. You can get tickets here.
Beach Cleanup with the Santa Cruz Warriors
When: Saturday, 3/15
Join Save Our Shores and the Santa Cruz Warriors on Saturday morning for a beach cleanup at Seabright Beach. The first 150 participants receive a free Warriors/Save Our Shores canteen. Clean up starts at 10:30, and the Warriors plan to show up at 11:15.
Register here.
Benefit Screening of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’
When: Saturday, 3/15
Starting at 7 pm at the Museum of Art & History, Santa Cruz Writes is holding “What Would Atticus Do?”, a benefit for their Young Writers’ Program which encourages student writing through events, writing competitions, and publications.
The $25 ticket gets you hors d’oeuvres and a glass of wine, entry to the movie screening and panel discussion “How Harper Lee’s Book Changed My Life”.
You can get more information and buy tickets here.
Brazilian Carnaval
When: Saturday, 3/15
Get ready to dance all night at the Brazilian Carnaval party starting at 8 pm at Moe’s Alley. There will be 4 Brazilian music bands, DJ’s, live samba dancers and flying capoeira martial artists.
Tickets are $22 in advance, $25 at the door.
Santa Cruz Sings to Grease
When: Saturday, 3/15
Everyone knows at least a few of the words to the songs in Grease. Why not put that knowledge to good use?
At this Rio Theatre movie singalong à la Rocky Horror Picture Show, you’re encouraged to come in costume and will have the opportunity to buy props at the door. There will be prizes for most creative costumes.
Proceeds go to Santa Cruz Performing Arts. Tickets are $10; you can buy them in advance at Tomboy, located next door to the Rio.
Polar Plunge
When: Saturday, 3/15
Plunge into the ocean with or without a costume to raise money for a good cause: the Santa Cruz Polar Plunge takes place at 12 pm at Main Beach as a fundraiser for Special Olympics Northern California and Nevada. Register here.
If you’re too warm-blooded to take a dip in the Pacific’s 53-degree water, you can still donate money to the cause without having to freeze, on the event’s registration page.
Jazz on the Wharf
When: Sunday, 3/16
In celebration of the Wharf’s 100th anniversary, there will be free live jazz by various musicians from 11 am to 5 pm. You can find the lineup and schedule here.
Additional events this weekend
- Jason Mraz (Sold Out)
- Mosaic Quartet
- Papadosio
- Tierney Sutton
- Music in the Cellar – Nora Cruz
- River Paddle
- Last chance to catch Three Days of Rain
- Bookshop Santa Cruz’s Spring Sale
Recurring Events You Can Find Every Weekend
- Free Wildlife Eco-Tours of the Santa Cruz Wharf (weekly event – every Saturday & Sunday)
- Tours of the Reserve at Elkhorn Slough (weekly event – every Saturday & Sunday)
- Sunday Seaside Crafts at the Seymour Center (weekly event – every Sunday)
- Santa Cruz Farmers Markets (weekly events)
- Live Comedy at the Crow’s Nest (weekly event – every Sunday night)
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