Sommeliers and cinephiles will have a lot of fun this weekend, with two wine events and a film festival taking center stage.
Read on to see the rest of our picks for the best events in Santa Cruz this weekend.
Santa Cruz Film Festival
When: Friday, 11/14 through Sunday, 11/16, Times Vary By Showing
Where: Multiple Venues – Santa Cruz County
How Much: $10-$60
Head to some of Santa Cruz’s best viewing venues and check out the varied selections for this year’s Santa Cruz Film Festival, which celebrates the city’s creative spirit as well as the encompassing nature of film. Documentaries, experimental shorts, and a comedy feature called Let’s Ruin It With Babies will feature heavily this year.
Disney’s Cinderella Kids
When: Friday, 11/14 through Sunday, 11/16
Where: Soquel Foursquare Theater
How Much: $10-$16
All About Theatre is a highly respected children’s theater company, and this weekend brings their highly anticipated interpretation of the classic Cinderella tale.
If your kids play the Cinderella DVD over and over, this is a great chance to show them how thrilling live theater can be.
The Annual Community Recognition Gala
When: Friday, 11/14 at 5:30 pm- 9:30 pm
Where: Cocoanut Grove
How Much: $125
Every year, the Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce gathers to celebrate remarkable contributions to the community. This year’s Woman of the Year is Martina O’Sullivan of Dignity Health Dominican Hospital, and the Man of the Year is Erik Johnson of Erik’s DeliCafe. Former mayor and Bookshop Santa Cruz owner Neal Coonerty will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Update – This event is now sold out.
Santa Cruz Warriors
When: Friday, 11/14 at 7:00 pm and Saturday, 11/15 at 7:00 pm
Where: Kaiser Permanente Arena
How Much: $17 – $40
Come cheer on Santa Cruz’s home NBA D League team on Friday & Saturday as they take on the LA D-Fenders and the Iowa Energy.
Passport Days
When: Saturday, 11/15 at12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Where:Various Wineries, Santa Cruz County
How Much: $45
Take advantage of these all access pass days, where $45 will get you tastings at over 50 Santa Cruz Mountain wineries. Once you buy a passport, it’s good for two whole years!
Fall Book Sale
When: Friday, 11/14 from 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm (Members Only). Open to the general public on Saturday, 11/15 from 10:00 am – 12:30 pm & 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Where: Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium
How Much: Free
Support the Friends of the Santa Cruz Library and score some great deals on used books at the Fall Book Sale. There will be a large selection of antique and vintage books for as low as one or two dollars, and free gift wrapping is available.
Davenport Paddle Surf Classic
When: Saturday, 11/15 through Sunday, 11/16
Where:1 Davenport Landing Road
How Much: $75-$155
The competition is almost completely full, so register while you still can, or just head up to Davenport to watch surfers from all over take on the Santa Cruz swell. You won’t want to miss the legendary King of the Wave competition, in which surfers from all different categories try to impress in a freestyle surf contest.
Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery Grand Opening
When: Saturday, 11/15 at 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Where: Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery
How Much: Free
The latest addition to the Capitola Mall is the Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery, which has its grand opening this weekend.
Bring your kids of all ages to take part in some Exploratorium style hands on learning.
Downtown Santa Cruz Wine Walk
When: Sunday, 11/16 at 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Where: Check in at Abbott Square at Cooper Street
How Much: $30
Drinking and shopping can be a dangerous combination, but the chance to stroll Pacific Avenue while sipping the region’s best wine is too tempting to resist. Since the event ends at six, this is a great opportunity to get out for the afternoon and then enjoy a downtown dinner or evening movie.
Inside Out: 5th Annual UCSC Student Film Showcase
When: Sunday, 11/16 at 2:30 pm
Where: Rio Theatre
How Much: $10-$11
See what young aetuers have to offer this Sunday night, when UCSC film students will show their best work on he Rio’s big screen. This is taking place in tangent with the Santa Cruz Film Festival.
Additional events this weekend
Friday:
- Enter the Guardsman, a musical fantasy
- Poor Man’s Whiskey: Bluegrass & Beyond
- Deltron 3030
- Spirit of ‘76 plus Shady Cats
- Scary Little Friends // The Coffis Brothers – Club Kuumbwa
- Sparrow’s Gate, Natural Bridges, Bamboo Bungalow
Friday & Saturday
Friday through Sunday
Saturday:
- Candelaria + Chicano Batman: Latin Cumbia/Funk Double Bill Dance Party
- A Spoonful of Kindness: A benefit for: St. Francis Catholic Soup Kitchen, Jesus Mary Joseph Home & Rising International
- ASL Festival: Eye Music – Performance – American Sign Language Poetry and Performance Festival
- Ultra Street Fighter IV Touranment
- Metropolitan Opera: Carmen Encore
- Ellis Paul, Alisa Fineman & Kimball Hurd
- Nina Gerber & Chris Webster with Mollie O’Brien & Rich Moore
- Field Report, Wicked Man
- History, Nature, and Scenic Views: A Tour of the backcountry
- Raptors at the Ranch
- Fall Birding Walk Highlighting Shorebirds
Sunday:
- “The 3rd Annual California Banjo Extravaganza: Starring Tony Furtado, Mark Johnson and Bill Evans With John Reischman, Sharon Gilchrist, Jim Nunally and Chad Manning”
- Alehouse Narratives – Season 3
- Weekly Cowell Beach Cleanup
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)
- Santa Cruz Farmers Markets (weekly events)
- Live Comedy at the Crow’s Nest (weekly event – every Sunday night)
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