This weekend Santa Cruz celebrates an evening of adrenaline-packed films, two days of clam chowder, and three days of ragtime music.
Grab your trivia buddies for a good cause on Friday, break out your tie-dye t-shirts for the Warriors game on Saturday, and soak up some sun along East Cliff Drive at Sunday’s Surfer’s Path 5k/10k.
See our picks for the top events each day this weekend:
Friday
2017 Santa Cruz Ragtime Festival
When: 2/24 – 2/26 at 7:30 pm
Where: Venues throughout Downtown Santa Cruz
Cost: $25/concert or day pass; $90 “all events” pass
If you love the sound of ragtime, Downtown Santa Cruz is the place to be, specifically on the corner of Pacific and Cooper where you can catch sidewalk ragtime acts throughout the weekend. In addition, there will be concerts at the Kuumbwa, Calvary Church and Parish hall, Lúpulo, Emily’s Bakery, and Woodstock’s Pizza.
Date Night: Argentinian Empanadas and Wine
When: 2/24 from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Where: New Leaf Community Market, 1101 Fair Ave, Santa Cruz
Cost: $85 for two
Looking for a fun date night idea? Try a hands-on cooking class at New Leaf on the Westside. Learn how to make delicious empanadas paired with Argentinian wines and take home impressive skills for your next dinner party. Pre-registration is required to reserve your place.
Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour
When: 2/24 – 2/26 from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Where: Rio Theatre
Cost: $20 – $22
Explore your wild side at the Banff Mountain Film Festival, which features flicks about insane slopes, isolated mountain cultures and extreme mountain sports. Proceeds go to benefit the UCSC Wilderness Orientation Scholarship Fund.
8th Annual Trivia Challenge
When: 2/24 from 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm
Where: Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium
Cost: Spectator $10 in advance and $15 at the door
Register your trivia team or come as a spectator and enjoy live music, small bites, desserts, a no host beer and wine bar, and great raffle prizes. Spencer Washburn, News Anchor from KION 5/46 will host this ultimate trivia battle, and the proceeds will benefit senior programs for the Santa Cruz Volunteer Center.
Also on Friday
- Zepparella – All Female Tribute To Led Zeppelin @ The Catalyst
- Green Dogs @ Zizzo’s Coffeehouse & Wine Bar
- Gibbz @ The Catalyst
- Jolly Llamas, Stocksmile (NV) Adult School, Practicing Sincerity @ The Blue Lagoon
- Mustache Harbor @ Don Quixote’s
- Harpin’ Jonny & The Primadons @ Crow’s Nest
- Deadphish Orchestra @ Moe’s Alley
- SoundCheck: Presented By Soul Journey Ent: @ The Crepe Place
- Ten O’Clock Lunch Band (Rock, R&B Soul, Blues) @ Severino’s
- $7.99 and a Wish: The Musical @ Center Street Theater
- Guided Elephant Seal Walks @ Año Nuevo 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
Blasts from the Past – The Explosive Story of the California Powder Works Exhibition Opening Reception
When: 2/25 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Where: San Lorenzo Valley Museum
Cost: Free, Donations Appreciated
Be among the first to check out the latest exhibit at the San Lorenzo Valley Museum showcasing the first company to manufacture explosive powder west of the Rockies. After a little historical reading at the Santa Cruz Public Library, we can’t wait to learn more at the museum.
Santa Cruz Warriors vs. Windy City Bulls
When: 2/25 at 7:00 pm
Where: Kaiser Permanente Arena
Cost: $23 – $77
Cheer on the Warriors as they take on the Windy City Bulls wearing classic Santa Cruz tie dye uniforms. Join the groovy fun and be one of the first 1,500 fans to receive a tie dye rally towel, courtesy of Awe-Sum Organics.
Santa Cruz Clam Chowder Cook-Off
When: 2/25 – 2/26 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Where: Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Cost: Free Admission, Tasting Kits are $10 each
Calling all chowder lovers all weekend long! You now have two days to sample chowder to your heart’s content and vote for you favorites. Amateurs and professionals will be serving up their best Boston and Manhattan-style chowders, with 100% of tasting kit sales benefitting Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation.
Ka-Hon Latin Percussion Ensemble – Tandy Beal’s ArtSmart Family Concert Series
When: 2/25 at 2:00 pm
Where: Santa Cruz County Veterans Memorial Building
Cost: $10 – $15 (Season Passes available)
This is the first of three ArtSmart Family Concerts presented by Tandy Beal and Company and showcasing the beauty and diversity of world cultures. Ka-Hon (from the Spanish word for wooden box, cajón) will deliver an engaging Latin percussion performance played on simple wooden boxes. Rhythms and songs from Peru, Mexico, Spain, Cuba, and Venezuela are sure to get your feet tapping and body dancing!
2017 Santa Cruz Ragtime Festival
See Description Under Friday Section
Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour
See Description Under Friday Section
Also on Saturday
- die Reihe + Jon Myers & Madalyn Merkey + DunkelpeK @ Radius Gallery
- Linda Tillery & Freedom Band @ Inner Light Center
- Esoteric Collective: Profound Jazz @ Davenport Roadhouse Restaurant & Inn
- Bonnie Raitt @ Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium
- The Four Seasons @ UCSC Music Center Recital Hall
- Al & Richard @ Zizzo’s Coffeehouse & Wine Bar
- Joint Chiefs (funk, acid jazz and classic R&B) @ Severino’s
- Camino, The Leftovers, Isaac & The Haze @ The Blue Lagoon
- Eric Johnson Acoustic Guitar & Piano @ Don Quixote’s
- Spirit of ’76 @ Don Quixote’s
- Johnny Mahalo & the Wild Coconuts @ Crow’s Nest
- La Misa Negra @ Moe’s Alley
- The Molochs, The Tomb Weavers @ The Crepe Place
- Sin Sisters Burlesque @ The Catalyst
- Pajaro Valley Quilt Association 39th Annual Quilt Show & Auction @ Watsonville Fairgrounds
- Build Your Business: Basic Recordkeeping @ Cabrillo College
- Monthly Talk: UC Master Gardener of Monterey Bay “Basics of Rose Care” @ UC Master Garden Demo Garden
- Animal Shelter Relief Rescue Adoption Fair @ Pet Pals Discount Pet Supplies
- Aptos Farmers Market at Cabrillo College @ Cabrillo College
- SCSSL Surf Event @ Steamer Lane
- $7.99 and a Wish: The Musical @ Center Street Theater
- Guided Elephant Seal Walks @ Año Nuevo State Park
- Coffee Talk and Crafts @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Observing Big Basin: An Interpretive Hike @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Living History Demonstrations and Ranch Tour @ Wilder Ranch State Park
- Guided Redwood Grove Walk @ Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
- Living History Demonstration – What They Wore @ Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park
- Snakes Alive! @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Old Cove Landing Coast Nature Walk @ Wilder Ranch State Park
- Redwood Grove Loop Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- City of Watsonville Nature Walks @ City of Watsonville – Nature Center
Keep up with us all weekend long, and see which events we’re attending, by following Santa Cruz Life on Instagram.Sunday
Surfer’s Path 10k/5k
When: 2/26 at 8:00 am
Where: Verve Coffee Roasters 41st Ave.
Cost: $45 – $60
Both the 5k and 10k run/walk will take you along scenic East Cliff Drive, past famous surf breaks and legendary landmarks like Jack O’neill’s house. Cross the finish line in Capitola Village and celebrate to surf music and more postcard-worthy views.
2nd Annual Sip for Second Harvest
When: 2/26 from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm
Where: Seascape Beach Resort
Cost: 1-Guest Pass: $40.00 / 2-Guest Pass: $70.00
This event is a wonderful opportunity for you and a friend to sample local wines, enjoy appetizers and a raffle, and support Second Harvest, a local food bank that provides food for nearly a quarter million people each month.
2017 Santa Cruz Ragtime Festival
See Description Under Friday Section
Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour
See Description Under Friday Section
Santa Cruz Clam Chowder Cook-Off
See Description Under Saturday Section
Also on Sunday
- Ralph Towner: Solo @ Kuumbwa Jazz Center
- Joe Ferrara @ The Cats Restaurant & Bar
- Lionel Hampton Big Band featuring Jason Marsalis @ Don Quixote’s
- Roy Zimmerman @ Don Quixote’s
- Live Comedy @ Crow’s Nest
- Darrell Nulisch with the Big Jon Atkinson Band @ Moe’s Alley
- Willy Tea Taylor, Jeremie Aubertin @ The Crepe Place
- Jeff Turner @ The Catalyst
- The Box @ The Blue Lagoon
- The Four Seasons @ UCSC Music Center Recital Hall
- Pajaro Valley Quilt Association 39th Annual Quilt Show & Auction @ Watsonville Fairgrounds
- Young Makers: ArtBots @ Downtown Santa Cruz Public Library
- $7.99 and a Wish: The Musical @ Center Street Theater
- SCSSL Surf Event @ Steamer Lane
- Meteor Trail Hike @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Guided Elephant Seal Walks @ Año Nuevo State Park
- Living History Demonstrations and Ranch Tour @ Wilder Ranch State Park
- Guided Redwood Grove Walk @ Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
- Mushroom Hunt @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Photography and Ecology @ Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
- Redwood Grove Loop Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Gardens of Time Tour @ Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park
- LIfe at the Seashore Educator Workshop @ Seymour Marine Discovery Center
- Sunday Seaside Crafts @ Seymour Marine Discovery Center
Featured Upcoming Event
What: Hummingbird Day
Where: Arboretum
When: March 4, 2017 from 10 am to 4 pm
Celebrate all things hummingbird in the nectar-filled gardens of the UCSC Arboretum. This family-friendly event features crafts and activities for the kids, as well as lectures, tours, and workshops. See if you can spot the famous rare white Anna’s Hummingbird darting around, and learn how to attract hummingbirds at home.
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