Santa Cruz is bountiful, full of artists and performers, activists and experts. The land produces food and wine. The ocean provides waves for surfing and sealife abounds.
Enjoy this bounty– with great theater performances, live music, wine tasting, and scintillating conversations about equality, conservation, health and justice.
If you have the ability to pay it forward, several local environmental and community organizations have projects for volunteers on Martin Luther King Day. See below for more details.
See our picks for the top events each day this weekend:
Friday
An Evening with Pablo Helguera
When: 1/17 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Where: Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History (MAH)
It’s hard to imagine life without a book store, but for many Spanish speakers in the US, this has been the case, until Pablo Helguera’s traveling bookstore/art exhibit came to town. A New York based artist, Helguera has been exploring issues of inclusion, equity and access, and will give a talk about his traveling book store, which has been the only Spanish-language bookstore in the cities it has exhibited, including Phoenix, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago and New York to name a few.
8 Tens @ 8 Short Play Festival
When: 1/17 – 1/19Where: Center Stage Theater
This play festival has a reputation to uphold and for 25 years now, it has not disappointed. With 16 plays divided into two nights, the festival is a rich celebration of drama, comedy and local talent. Each 10 minute play was selected from an international playwriting contest and is a stand-alone work directed and performed by Santa Cruzans.
Also on Friday
MUSIC/DANCE
- Fishhook @ Michael’s on Main
- Broken Shades @ Michael’s on Main
- Ski Mask The Slump God @ The Catalyst
- LEIF VOLLEBEKK W/ REBECCA FOON @ The Catalyst
- DJ Soulciter – Northern Soul, Reggae, Oldies, Rocksteady, Mod and Ska Classics @ The Crepe Place
- DREAMING GHOSTS RETURN TO NAGOYA BIGRIG @ Moe’s Alley
- Nigel & Clive @ Crow’s Nest
- HEATHER AND THE HEPCATS @ Lulu Carpenters Cafe
OUTDOORS
MORE
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
LEO’s Haven Chanticleer County Park Grand Opening
When: Saturday, January 18, from 10:00 am to 11:30 am
Where: Chanticleer County Park
Santa Cruz County has never had an inclusive playground where people of all levels of ability can play together. Until now. On January 18, Leo’s Haven, an accessible playground will open for (monkey) business. Come be a part of this joyous occasion– a community-inspired park for all of us!
MLK Youth Day 2020
When: 1/18 from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Where: Resource Center for Nonviolence
This family-friendly event hopes to encourage more young people to get involved in their community. With free food, music, art, activities, expression and education, kids and young adults can learn more about creating the change they want to see in the world.
Scoville Units
When: 1/18 at 7:30 pm and 1/19 at 2:00 pm
Where: Cabrillo Crocker
A Scoville Unit is the measurement of the hotness of a chili pepper. This celebration of the music of Jon Scoville, founding musical director of Tandy Beal and Company will feature so many performers and interpretations that you’ll have to see it to believe it. From Balinese dancing to Hip Hop on the accordion, this show will overflow with a smorgasbord of talent and creativity from cool to hot, all highlighting the length and breadth of Scoville’s work.
Strategies to Boost Your Immune Health
When: 1/18 from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm
Where: Dominican Health and Rehabilitation Services
Are you sick of being sick? Surrounded by coughing, sniffling people and worried about catching every germ and virus? This class will explore holistic, practical ways you can keep yourself healthy during the cold and flu season.
Santiago the Magician
When: 1/18 from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Where: Boulder Creek branch library
In anticipation of the transformation/renovation of the Boulder Creek Library (slated to begin in March), Santiago the Magician will transform matter before your very eyes. With magic tricks in abundance, as well as stories and memories of Boulder Creek’s enchanting forest library, enjoy this performance before it disappears!
PASSPORT CELEBRATION DAYS
When: 1/18 from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Where: Various Wineries Santa Cruz County
Four times a year, over 40 local vineyards offer a special tasting event for holders of the Santa Cruz Mountains Wine Passport. Meet the vintners, growers and families that make the delicious wines of this region. Passports come with a booklet, map and webpage to help navigate the experience. Passports are good for one year and those who complete their passports are invited to a special event held each November.
SANTA CRUZ WARRIORS VS. OKLAHOMA CITY BLUE
When: 1/18 at 7:00 pm
Where: Kaiser Permanente Arena
Thrill to see these superhuman athletes as they dunk, sprint and battle it out against the Oklahoma Blue. The G-League is a super fun way to enjoy a professional-level basketball game played by up-and-coming stars at a small fraction of the price of a regular NBA ticket. The first 1500 fans will receive a Warriors scarf.
HOT Jazz & Swing Night
When: 1/18 from 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm
Where: Santa Cruz Food Lounge
For swing dancers and jazz devotees, this is the gig to get your fix. Attracting many luminaries on the local music scene to play and sing jazz standards, you won’t be able to keep your feet still.
8 Tens @ 8 Short Play Festival
See Description Under Friday Section
Also on Saturday
MUSIC/DANCE
- BOOSTIVE @ Moe’s Alley
- Cruz Patrol plus Hall Pass @ Michael’s on Main
- THE LOUISIANA PICNIC & DANCE @ Michael’s on Main
- Mating Ritual with Sego & Luke Sweeney @ The Catalyst
- Electric Feels – Indie Rock + Indie Dance Party @ The Catalyst
- Supernaut w/ Time Panther @ The Crepe Place
- Pawn Shop Soul CD Release CelebrationBUY @ Kuumbwa Jazz Center
- MAH Music: Bill Walker @ Abbott Square
- THE ONCE IN A WHILES @ Lulu Carpenters Cafe
- Blue Ocean Rockers @ Crow’s Nest
THEATER/ARTS
- Art Reception: Photographer Michael Singer @ Scotts Valley branch library
- ART EXHIBITION & RECEPTION – ‘ABSTRACTED’ @ Curated Art Gallery
OUTDOORS
- Hidden Gems: Flowers of Big Basin! @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Hike to Mount McAbee Outlook @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Coast Nature Walk @ Wilder Ranch State Park
- Old-Growth Redwood Tour @ Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
- Discover Big Basin Redwoods Hike! @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Ranch Tours @ Wilder Ranch State Park
- What They Wore @ Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park
- Redwood Grove Loop Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA) Surf Event @ Steamer Lane
MORE
Keep up with us all weekend long, and see which events we’re attending, by following Santa Cruz Life on Instagram.Sunday
Science Sunday – Fishing For Conservation Solutions: Protecting Manta Rays from Our Seafood System
When: 1/19 from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm
Where: Seymour Marine Discovery Center
If you have a passion for marine life, or just want to learn how you can help protect ocean animals like the fascinating but threatened manta rays and devil rays, this Science Series lecture will inform and enlighten.
THE DOWNTOWN SANTA CRUZ MAKERS MARKET
When: 1/19 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Where: Pacific Ave. between Water & Locust Streets!
For the ultimate shop-local experience, stroll the booths of over 30 Santa Cruz area artists and crafters right downtown. Pacific Avenue is closed to cars so you can enjoy the Pacific Garden Mall as it once was– a pedestrian zone. Enjoy live music and all the shops and restaurants that surround this quaint fair.
8 Tens @ 8 Short Play Festival
See Description Under Friday Section
Scoville Units
See Description Under Saturday Section
Also on Sunday
MUSIC/DANCE
- Grateful Sunday Concert Series @ Michael’s on Main
- Ohgeesy @ The Catalyst
- LYDIA PENSE & COLD BLOOD @ Moe’s Alley
MAKE/CRAFT
OUTDOORS
- Guided Elephant Seal Walks @ Año Nuevo State Park
- The Road Less Traveled: A Dog-Friendly Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- When Species Collide @ Rancho del Oso Unit
- Redwood Grove Loop Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Ranch Tours @ Wilder Ranch State Park
MORE
Monday
MLK 2020 March For The Dream
When: 1/20 at 10:00 am
Where: Pacific Ave. & Cathcart St. to Louden Nelson Community Center
The NAACP Santa Cruz County Branch and the Santa Cruz Police Department invite everyone to join in their third annual partnered march in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. Come out and walk to share and celebrate Dr. King’s message. After the march there will be guest speakers and family activities starting at 11:00 am.
MLK Day of Service – Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz
When: 1/20 Various times
Where: Various locations/opportunities
Make this coming Monday a day on, not a day off. Honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by registering for a community volunteer project with the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County. Many opportunities are available to make a difference including Evergreen Cemetery restoration and a family-volunteer activity to make Valentines Day cards for seniors in the Meals on Wheels program.
Upcoming Events You Don’t Want to Miss
Free Family Opera – Massenet’s “Cinderella”
What: Free Family Opera
Where: UCSC – Recital Hall, Music Center
When: Saturday, February 15 at 11:00 am and 1:00 pm
Do children like opera? Only if they go to one! The Music Department at UCSC in partnership with El Sistema Music Education, brings this family-friendly adaptation of Massenet’s Cinderella to life in a 45 minute English language version. With a talented cast that includes a chorus of mice from Watsonville’s Radcliffe Elementary, this free show ($5 suggested donation for adults) is sure to earn some new opera fans.
Santa Cruz Derby Girls Winter Bootcamp
What: Derby Girl Winter Bootcamp
Where: TBA after registration
When: Starts Sunday, February 2, at 1:00 pm
Whether you are a hard core Derby demon or just Derby-curious, this bootcamp series will give you the chance you’ve been waiting for to test your mettle. The series starts on February 2 and takes place Sundays and Thursdays for six weeks, up until tryouts in March. Learn the basics and hone your badass skills!
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