Many summer event series are winding down, so if you’ve been meaning to attend Sunday Art & Music on the Beach, Free Friday Night Bands on the Beach, or a good ole fashioned family campfire, this is the weekend to make it happen.
You’ll also want to make room to enjoy a couple of local festivals. Scotts Valley brings another fantastic 2-day celebration of Art, Wine & Beer and the Santa Cruz Wharf shows its aloha spirit at Sunday’s Polynesian Festival.
As always, you’ll find a host of additional events listed under our features, including nature outings at our state parks and beaches, live music, and more.
See our picks for the top events each day this weekend:
Is There a Writer In You Dying to Come Out? Begin your writer’s journey by taking advantage of a half-price new student discount (just for Santa Cruz Life readers) for classes starting Sep. 7th.Friday
Free Friday Night Bands on the Beach: Smash Mouth
When: 8/19 at 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm
Where: Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Cost: Free
Fun Fact: Smash Mouth shot part of their video for ‘Then the Morning Comes’ at the Lighthouse on West Cliff Drive. With only three Free Bands on the Beach concerts left this summer, you might as well be walkin’ on the sand and claiming your spot for one or both of the evening’s shows.
Old Fashioned Family Campfire
When: 8/19 from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm
Where: Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park
Cost: Free
Another sign that summer is coming to an end: this Friday is the last old-fashioned family campfire. Don’t miss this unique family-friendly get together filled with live music, sing-alongs, skits, and stories. Bring a picnic of your favorite taco toppings and make some fresh tortillas there.
Also on Friday
- Joomanji @ Kuumbwa Jazz Center
- The English Beat @ Moe’s Alley
- John David @ Zizzo’s Coffeehouse & Wine Bar
- Joe Ferrara @ Shadowbrook Restaurant
- A Tribute to Van Morrison featuring Kevin Brennan & Wavelength @ Don Quixote’s
- Groove Hounds @ Crow’s Nest
- Hot Flash Heat Wave, Spooky Mansion, Dead Recipe @ The Crepe Place
- LUZBEL Yautlan, Propheta @ The Catalyst
- Bad Dog (Classic Rock) @ Severino’s
- Santa Cruz Shakespeare presents: A Midsummer Night’s Dream @ The Grove at DeLaveaga Park
- SING ME HOME, Jewish Stories with Music @ Felix Kulpa Gallery
- 3rd Friday: Bodies @ Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History
- Plastic Bag Ban Art Exhibit @ Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History
- Argentine Tango Dancing @ Tannery World Dance & Cultural Center
- Movie Night Dance Party at the 418 Project, August! @ 418 Project
- Watsonville Farmers Market @ Downtown Watsonville Plaza
- Watsonville Queer Youth Meet-up @ First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
- Winemaker’s Dinner with MJA Vineyards @ Food Lounge
- Recycling Center Tour @ Resource Recovery Facility
- Junior Rangers @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Big Basin Nature Club @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Evening Campfire Programs @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Campfire Program @ New Brighton State Beach
- Full Moon Madness @ Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
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.Saturday
Summer Gathering of Mountain Men
When: 8/20 – 8/21
Where: Roaring Camp Railroads
Cost: Free; Parking $8
What was life in the Santa Cruz Mountains like in the early 1800s? Judging from the wooly beards and lumberjack flannels, not too much different from today. To really get an idea of what it took to survive in the wilderness, check out Roaring Camp’s annual gathering of mountain men complete with living history demonstrations, survival skills tests, and an old-fashioned Chuck Wagon BBQ.
Scotts Valley Art, Wine & Beer Festival Combining Forces with Cops ‘N Rodders Car Show
When: 8/20 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, 8/21 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Where: Skypark in Scotts Valley
Cost: Free Admission
This 2-day festival features great entertainment, delicious food, a variety of artists, local wineries and micro-breweries serving their best, plus, an impressive Kids Fun Zone. Adding to the fun is the Cops ’N Rodders Antique Car Show on Saturday and events for your 4-legged family members on Dog Day Sunday.
Santa Cruz Derby Girls Steamer Janes vs. Organic Panic
When: 8/20 from 5:45 pm to 9:00 pm
Where: Civic Auditorium
Cost: $10 – $32
Home teams, home game…check out Organic Panic and the Steamer Janes facing off to determine who will qualify for October’s Championship game. This charity bout benefits community nonprofit organization Haven of Hope.
Also on Saturday
- Santa Cruz Shakespeare presents: A Midsummer Night’s Dream @ The Grove at DeLaveaga Park
- SING ME HOME, Jewish Stories with Music @ Felix Kulpa Gallery
- Santa Cruz Shakespeare presents: Hamlet @ The Grove at DeLaveaga Park
- The Pase, Thorson & Trigg Trio @ Zizzo’s Coffeehouse & Wine Bar
- 16th Annual Redwood Dulcimer Day @ St. Philips Episcopal Church
- Claudio Melega in the Rockroom Lounge @ Shadowbrook Restaurant
- Esoteric Collective Plays Jazz @ Davenport Roadhouse Restaurant & Inn
- The Authentic ELVIS Experience Starring Jim Anderson & the Rebels @ Don Quixote’s
- UTURN @ Crow’s Nest
- B-SIDE PLAYERS @ Moe’s Alley
- O’Craven, The Wild Hairs @ The Crepe Place
- Good Neighbor Policy @ The Catalyst
- Tsunami (Classic Rock, R&B) @ Severino’s
- Patio Acoustic’s with Dave D’Oh @ Severino’s
- Aptos Farmers Markets @ Cabrillo College
- Scotts Valley Farmers Market @ Scotts Valley Community Center
- Westside Farmers Market @ Delaware and Natural Bridges Dr.
- Summer Beer Garden with Authentic German-style Dining @ Food Lounge
- Animal Shelter Relief Rescue Adoption Fair @ PetSmart
- Santa Cruz LGBTQ Youth Meet-up @ Diversity Center
- Wilder Ranch Coast Nature Walks @ Wilder Ranch State Park
- Coffee Talk and Crafts @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Junior Rangers @ New Brighton State Beach
- Redwood Loop Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Outlook from Mt. McAbee @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Living History Demonstrations and Ranch Tour @ Wilder Ranch State Park
- Guided Redwood Grove Walk @ Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
- Wilder Ranch Coast Nature Walk @ Wilder Ranch State Park
- Measuring Tall Trees! @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Building Methods at the Mission @ Santa Cruz Mission SHP
- Sand Hill Farm Volunteers Clean-up @ Sand Hill Farm
Keep up with us all weekend long, and see which events we’re attending, by following Santa Cruz Life on Instagram.Sunday
Sunday Art & Music at the Beach
When: 8/21 from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm
Where: Capitola Village, Esplanade Park
Cost: Free
Enjoy art, music, and a relaxing atmosphere by the water. Don’t miss the last Sunday Art & Music at the Beach this summer, featuring the reggae vibes of Simple Creation.
24th Annual Aloha Races and Polynesian Festival
When: 8/21 from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm
Where: Municipal Wharf
Cost: Free
Experience the aloha spirit at one of Santa Cruz’s most beloved events. Get your team together for exciting outrigger canoe races (new and novice paddlers welcome), or come cheer on your friends. Then stroll down the wharf for Hawaiian and Polynesian crafts, dance, and more.
Summer Gathering of Mountain Men
See Description Under Saturday Section
Scotts Valley Art, Wine & Beer Festival
See Description Under Saturday Section
Also on Sunday
- De Temps Antan @ Don Quixote’s
- Live Comedy @ Crow’s Nest
- Alastair Greene Band @ Moe’s Alley
- Open Bluegrass Jam @ The Crepe Place
- Jamestown Revival @ The Catalyst
- Toby Gray Highway Buddha @ Reef @ The Reef Bar & Restaurant
- Rich & The Rhythm Roustabouts at Swing Set Lounge @ Pacific Arts Complex
- Corralitos Farm and Garden Market @ Corralitos Cultural Center
- Live Oak Farmers Market @ 15th and Eastcliff Dr.
- Santa Cruz Shakespeare presents: A Midsummer Night’s Dream @ The Grove at DeLaveaga Park
- Santa Cruz Shakespeare presents: Hamlet @ The Grove at DeLaveaga Park
- Big Basin Nature Club @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Wildflower Walk! @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Junior Rangers @ New Brighton State Beach
- Redwood Loop Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Living History Demonstrations and Ranch Tour @ Wilder Ranch State Park
- Redwood Loop Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Evening Campfire Programs @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Sunday Seaside Crafts @ Seymour Marine Discovery Center
- Science Sunday @ Seymour Marine Discovery Center
- Cleanup Cowells with Barefoot Wine! @ Cowell Beach
- Snakes Alive @ Quail Hollow Ranch
- Fun with Succulents @ Quail Hollow Ranch
- Paws in the Park @ San Lorenzo River Walk
Featured Upcoming Event
What: O’Neill Sea Odyssey’s 20th Anniversary Celebration
Where: Seymour Center at Long Marine Lab
When: 9/17 from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Riding a 65-foot catamaran into the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is probably the most memorable field trip ever for 4th to 6th grade classes. Help O’neill Sea Odyssey celebrate 20 years of hands-on science and environmental education at this elegant evening of hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, music, and auction.
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