This weekend will be a delight for art enthusiasts.
The fun starts with First Friday, and continues Saturday and Sunday with the first of three weekends of the Open Studios Art Tour.
See our picks for the top events each day this weekend:
Friday
First Friday
You don’t have to wait until the first day of Open Studios to get your art fix this weekend. Check out the First Friday happenings around town:
- First Friday October
- A Specific Weakness: Sculptural Works of Glenn Carter
- FREE First Friday: History Gallery Reopening
- First Friday: New Exhibition – r.r. jones
- Slo-gun Poster Show @ the Tannery
- Free First Friday @ MAH
Kevin Henkes, Waiting at Bookshop Santa Cruz
When: 10/2 at 4:00 pm
Where: Bookshop Santa Cruz
Kevin Henkes has written beloved children’s classics like Chrysanthemum and Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, and now you can welcome his latest book, Waiting, with a live reading at Bookshop. If you want a priority signing voucher, be sure to purchase the book from Bookshop before the event.
McCoy Tyler Band, Frankie Boots
& The County Line, and The Painted Horses
When: 10/2 at 8:00 pm
Where: Don Quixote’s International Music Hall
Cost: $10
Local Santa Cruz trio The McCoy Tyler Band cites influences in the folk, bluegrass, gospel and country genres. Whatever their music sounds like to you, you’re sure to have a good time listening to them and their musical companions.
The Price, by Arthur Miller, by Jewel Theatre Company
When: 10/2 at 8:00 pm, 10/3 at 2:00 pm & 8:00 pm, and 10/4 at 2:00 pm
Where: Jewel Theatre
Cost: $32-$38
Anyone who enjoyed reading Death of a Salesman in high school English class will likely want to catch The Price, also written by Arthur Miller. This is the last weekend to catch Jewel Theatre Company’s rendition of this Tony winning play, so be sure to snag some tickets quickly.
Also on Friday
- Sky Country with DJ Wax-By-The-Sea
- THE UNDERACHIEVERS, Pouya and The Buffet Boys, Kirk Knight
, Bodega Bamz - ELIOT LIPP, Elaquent, Flamingosis, Dailon
- Oversight Board of the Successor Agency
- The D’oh Bros
- DAVE ALVIN & PHIL ALVIN with The Guilty Ones
- Midnight Movie at the Del Mar: The Host
Want to see all the best events in Santa Cruz every weekend? Click here to get these Weekend Roundup posts delivered straight to your inbox.Friday through Sunday
Santa Cruz Surf Film Festival
When: 10/2 – 10/4
Where: Rio Theatre
Cost: $16 general / $10 groms / $40 3-night pass
Santa Cruz’s heavy populations of culture buffs and surfers will collide this weekend at the Santa Cruz Surf Film Festival, which includes both shorts and feature length films about surf culture all over the world.
Mountain Community Theater Presents: The Secret Affairs of Mildred Wile
When: 10/2 – 10/25
Where: Park Hall 9400 Mill Street, Ben Lomond
Cost: $17 Students & Seniors, $20 General
Enter into the secret fantasy world of a movie fanatic in The Secret Affairs of Mildred Wile, which opens this weekend and runs through October 25.
Saturday
Pajaro Valley Habitat Festival and Native Plant Sale
When: 10/3. Plant sale begins at 9:00 am, Festival begins at 10:00 am. Both run until 4:00 pm
Where: Fitz Wetlands Educational Resource Center building behind Pajaro Valley High School in Watsonville
The third annual Habitat Festival and Native Plant Sale will be a fun-filled day for the entire family. The day begins with a plant sale, starting at 9:00 am, which includes over 1,000 plants of 45 different native plant species. The Festival begins at 10:00 am and features expert talks, a kids zone, and much more.
Big Trees Scottish and Highland Games
When: 10/3
Where: Roaring Camp Railroad
Cost: $12 – $16. Children 10 & under Free.
Learn about, explore, and celebrate Celtic culture this weekend in the Santa Cruz Mountains, where you and the whole family can take in games, live music, and yes, plenty of plaid.
Busker Fest October, Downtown Santa Cruz
When: 10/3 from 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Where: Downtown Santa Cruz
Cost: Free
Help “Keep Santa Cruz Weird” by supporting local street performers and artists at this outdoor event, which will span all of Downtown Santa Cruz. Check out the schedule in advance to find an artist you and your friends will enjoy.
Also on Saturday
- Aptos History Home Tour
- A Journaling Workshop with Patrice Vecchione
- Ride at Wilder Ranch State Park
- Historical Talk: Holidays Hippie Commune
- The Monets, Sirens of Soul, GUDADA
- Farm-to-Table 2015, hosted by Pacific Elementary
- BETH HART
- The Room Shakers
- House of Floyd
- Mermaid Triathalon and Duathalon
- B-Side Players
- A Walk in the Past
- Felling the Giants
- Geology Rocks!
- Redwood Grove Loop Walk
- Wilder Ranch Coast Nature Walks
- Wilder Ranch Living History Demonstrations and Ranch Tours
- Thriller Dance Classes
- Midnight Movie at the Del Mar: Evil Dead 2
Keep up with us all weekend long, and see which events we’re attending, by following Santa Cruz Life on Instagram.Saturday & Sunday
Open Studios Art Tour: North County
When: 10/3 – 10/4 from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Where: North County artist studios
Cost: Free
Open Studios is partnering with Good Times and some local investors to make the process easier than ever this year, but the bounty of local artistic talent remains the same. This weekend, you can travel up north to check out all the paintings, sculptures, and mixed media pieces you could possibly want. The September 30th edition of the Good Times will contain a free Open Studios Guide, so go pick one up today to plan your tour.
Halloween Harvest Faire and Steam Festival at Roaring Camp
When: 10/3 – 10/4
Where: Roaring Camp Railroad
It’s officially October, which means it’s time to start the preliminary celebrations of Halloween! This weekend you can make a scarecrow, pick some pumpkins, and make some candles at the Harvest Faire.
Tierra Pura Corazón del Bosque (dance/music/poetry collaborative show)
When: 10/3 at 8:00 pm & 10/4 at 4:00 pm
Where: Tannery World Dance and Cultural Center
Cost: $15
According to the Tannery’s dance website, Tierra Pura Corazón del Bosque roughly translates into “natural medicine that resides in the leaves of any given forest.” This collaborative show will explore themes of nature, as well as African Diaspora and human potential.
Also on Sunday
- Monthly XStream Beach Cleanup at Davenport Main Beach
- Seascape Village Farmer’s Market
- Sunday Seaside Crafts
- Hod and the Helpers, Split Screens
- THE ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY PRESENTS OTHELLO, at the Del Mar
- DERON MILLER OF CKY + FOREIGN OBJECTS
- RIFF RAFF
- Champagne Sunday Brunch
- Live Comedy at the Crow’s Nest
- Mailani plus Kaui Dalire
- GEOFF TATE + Emma Arnold & Chad Opitz
- Historic Davenport Jail open today from 11am to 4pm
- Native Plant Gardening
- Blind Tasting Sundays at Soif Wine Merchants
- Meteor Trail Hike
- Outlook from Mt. McAbee
- Redwood Grove Loop Walk
- Wilder Ranch Living History Demonstrations and Ranch Tours
Featured Upcoming Event
Mobile Ranger does a phenomenal job delivering great content about Santa Cruz.
If you love learning about Santa Cruz, then you definitely will want to check out their upcoming event. 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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