This weekend you can celebrate bears, begonias, and the beginning of locals summer!
Say bye to Friday Night Bands on the Beach and hello to First Friday events kicking off a new month.
There’s plenty to do in all parts of Santa Cruz County. We hope you have a wonderful and safe Labor Day Holiday Weekend.
See our picks for the top events each day this weekend:
Friday
Papa Doo Run Run
When: 9/2 at 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm
Where: Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Cost: Free
Get ready to sing at the top of your lungs and dance with sand between your toes at the Boardwalk’s final Friday Night Bands on the Beach featuring crowd favorite Papa Doo Run Run. Come for the first concert, stay for the second, and get your Labor Day Weekend off to a memorable start.
Capitola Begonia Festival
When: 9/2 – 9/4 from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm
Where: Capitola Village
Cost: Free
Plan your Labor Day weekend around numerous free, fun, and family-friendly events held throughout Capitola Village. Highlights include a sand sculpture contest, movie night at the beach, and the famous begonia blossom parade floating down Soquel Creek.
Fiddle Extravaganza
When: 9/2 from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Where: Civic Auditorium
Cost: $20.50 – $26.50; Children 8 and under are free
More than 150 musicians will fill the Civic with the festive energy, music, and dance traditions of Scotland. Don’t miss the 33rd annual concert led by Indie-award-winning Scots fiddler Alasadair Fraser and the Valley of the Moon Scottish Fiddling School.
Exhibit Opening: California- At the Water’s Edge
When: 9/2 from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Where: Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History
Cost: Free
It’s First Friday! Enjoy free admission, a new photography exhibit, and a chance to meet nature, wildlife, and underwater photographer, Jason Bradley. Light refreshments will be served.
Also on Friday
- Zen Music with Shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute) @ The Pacific Cultural Arts Center
- The Mehmet Polat Trio @ Kuumbwa Jazz Center
- Black Tiger Sex Machine @ The Catalyst
- Joe Ferrara @ Shadowbrook Restaurant
- Miss Lonely Hearts, Jesse Daniel & The Slow Learners, Jaime Wyatt @ Don Quixote’s
- Stormin’ Norman & The Cyclones @ Crow’s Nest
- LUCIANO + Reggae Angels & DJ Spleece @ Moe’s Alley
- Terry Malts, Ice Cream @ The Crepe Place
- Metalachi WARCORPSE @ The Catalyst
- Wally’s Cocktail Combo (Jazz, Swing & More!) @ Severino’s
- First Friday Food Truck Event @ San Lorenzo Park
- Free First Friday at the MAH @ Museum of Art and History
- First Friday Santa Cruz @ Downtown Santa Cruz
- Art Twistory: The Temples at Burning Man @ Louden Nelson Community Center
- First Friday: A Tribute to RockCards @ Santa Cruz Rehearsal Studios
- Argentine Tango Dancing @ Tannery World Dance & Cultural Center
- Watsonville Farmers Market @ Downtown Watsonville Plaza
- Watsonville Queer Youth Meet-up @ First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
- Downtown Sidewalk Sales @ Downtown Santa Cruz
- City of Santa Cruz 150th Anniversary Event: Downtown Public Art Walking Tour @ Downtown Santa Cruz
- Campfire Program @ New Brighton State Beach
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
MusicalMe 20th Anniversary with Music Together’s Uncle Gerry
When: 9/3 from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Where: Scotts Valley Senior Center
Cost: $20/person; Infants under 9 months of age may attend for FREE
Calling all babies, toddlers and preschoolers for an afternoon of singing, dancing, and fun! Music Together is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a benefit concert featuring the familiar voice of recording artist “Uncle” Gerry Dignan. Proceeds will benefit Building for Generations, a local non-profit that helps support group music classes in Special Education classrooms.
Grizzly Bear Festival
When: 9/3 from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Where: Rancho del Oso Nature and History Center
Cost: Free
Rancho del Oso is celebrating its namesake with an afternoon of family-friendly crafts and activities in honor of the once-abundant grizzly population that roamed this area. Why not make it a family road trip? Rancho del Oso is one of our recommended stops when traveling north along Highway 1.
Wings Over Watsonville 2016
When: 9/3 from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
Where: Watsonville Municipal Airport
Cost: Free; Parking $5 (Cash only)
Watsonville Municipal Airport will be teeming with aviation enthusiasts young and old at this family-friendly fair showcasing antique and historic aircraft, food trucks, a kids zone, Young Eagles flights, and more.
8th Annual Songfest for Prostate Cancer Awareness
When: 9/3 from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Where: Kuumbwa Jazz Center
Cost: Free
Take in a free concert by local musicians and take away valuable information about Prostate Cancer. The evening’s lineup includes Joe Ferrara, Claudio Melega, Steve Kritzer, Tammi Brown & Yuji Tojo, Rocky Pase, and Rhan Wilson’s All in Good Time Orchestra.
Capitola Begonia Festival
See Description Under Friday Section
Also on Saturday
- All Swing Dance Party @ Market Street Theater
- Claudio Melega in the Rockroom Lounge @ Shadowbrook Restaurant
- Naked Bootleggers, Sugar By The Pound, The Crooked Branches @ Don Quixote’s
- Tsunami @ Crow’s Nest
- The Mermen @ Moe’s Alley
- Thanks Buddy (Album Release), Micah Schnabel @ The Crepe Place
- Phobia, Nomads, Colombian Necktie @ The Catalyst
- Beach Cowboy Band @ Severino’s
- Patio Acoustic’s with Chas @ Severino’s
- Aptos Farmers Markets @ Cabrillo College
- Scotts Valley Farmers Market @ Scotts Valley Community Center
- Westside Farmers Market @ Delaware and Natural Bridges Dr.
- Santa Cruz Mountains Art & Wine Festival @ Garrahan Park (Boulder Creek)
- Record Swap & Block Party @ Verve Coffee Roasters (Seabright location)
- Animal Shelter Relief Rescue Adoption Fair @ PetSmart
- Downtown Sidewalk Sales @ Downtown Santa Cruz
- Santa Cruz LGBTQ Youth Meet-up @ Diversity Center
- First Saturday Arboretum Tours @ Arboretum Gift Shop
- Great Train Robberies @ Roaring Camp Railroads
- Guided Hikes @ Castle Rock State Park
- Story Time Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- A Walk in the Past @ 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
Keep up with us all weekend long, and see which events we’re attending, by following Santa Cruz Life on Instagram.Sunday
Junior Rangers
When: 9/4 from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm
Where: New Brighton State Beach
Cost: Free; Parking is $10 and supports the park
Enjoy a family day at the beach with an educational bonus. Junior Rangers welcomes kids ages 7-12 to participate in a 1-hour long program that includes a short walk or craft related to the natural environment and State Beach.
Living History Demonstrations and Ranch Tour
When: 9/4 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm
Where: Wilder Ranch State Park
Cost: Parking is $10 and supports the park
Go back in time and discover what early ranch living was all about. Play Victorian games, visit farm animals, and check out live demonstrations of ranch activities such as hand quilting, blacksmithing, or wood stove baking. An hour-long tour of the Victorian home and other historic buildings starts at 1 p.m.
Capitola Begonia Festival
See Description Under Friday Section
Also on Sunday
- The White Panda @ The Catalyst
- Toby Gray Highway Buddha @ Reef @ The Reef Bar & Restaurant
- Rich & The Rhythm Roustabouts at Swing Set Lounge @ Pacific Arts Complex
- Live Comedy @ Crow’s Nest
- Kenny Neal @ Moe’s Alley
- The China Cats @ Moe’s Alley
- Problem @ The Catalyst
- The Ruckus Band (Rock, Blues, Jazz, Soul, Gospel and Country) @ Severino’s
- Corralitos Farm and Garden Market @ Corralitos Cultural Center
- Downtown Sidewalk Sales @ Downtown Santa Cruz
- Great Train Robberies @ Roaring Camp Railroads
- Big Basin Nature Club @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Redwood Loop Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Family Discovery Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Redwood Loop Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Sunday Seaside Crafts @ Seymour Marine Discovery Center
- Weekly Davenport Beach Cleanup @ Davenport Main Beach
Monday
Featured Upcoming Event
What: Mole & Mariachi Festival 2016
Where: Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park
When: 9/10 from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm
Cost: Free admission
Bring your appetite to the 4th Annual Mole & Mariachi Festival! Sample authentic mole and vote for your favorite. Enjoy live music, dancing, activities for kids, and craft vendors at this annual family-friendly event.
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