Hello, December!
Enjoy local holiday traditions this weekend and maybe start some new ones.
On the non-holiday front, we’ve got beautiful dancing and music from different regions in Mexico, a comedy show about psychedelics, and a Steam Punk aerial murder mystery costume dance party. Yup, you read that right.
Be sure to scroll down to the end for our Featured Upcoming Event and mark your calendar.
See our picks for the top events each day this weekend:
Holiday Events in Santa Cruz
Want to jump straight to the best holiday events? We’ve got you covered. The guides below will keep you full of holiday cheer this weekend and throughout the month of December.
Holiday Event Guide
Catch every holiday event in Santa Cruz County with our Santa Cruz Holiday Event Guide.
Holiday Craft Fairs & Shopping Events
There are dozens of local craft fairs and shopping events in Santa Cruz County, many of which take place this weekend. You’ll find them all here.
Friday
México de Antaño / Mexico of the Past
When: 12/2 – 12/3 at 7:00 pm
Where: Harbor High Theater
Cost: $10 general; $5 students/seniors
Take in dinner and a show at Harbor High. Senderos presents its winter dance performance featuring Centeotl Danza y Baile dance troupe and Ensamble Musical youth band. Arrive early to enjoy delicious Mexican food. This fundraiser helps support Senderos, an all-volunteer nonprofit that provides free after school dance and music classes, tutoring, and scholarships for Latino youth.
A Good Trip: Shane Maus at the Center Stage
When: 12/2. Shows at 7:00 pm & 9:30 pm
Where: Center Stage Theater
Cost: $15 – $25
Don’t worry, this isn’t just going to be a bunch of pot jokes. It’s about mushrooms, LSD, and DMT, too. This is a comedy show about psychedelics, that is part stand-up, part memoir, and part Ted Talk. Enjoy the trip!
Open House and Holiday Sale
When: 12/2 from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm & 12/3 – 12/4 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Where: Santa Cruz Museum Of Natural History
Cost: Free Admission
Free admission and a storewide sale are happening all weekend long. On Saturday, enjoy special holiday crafts, activities, and yummy snacks.
Frosty Fun Fest
When: 12/2 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Where: Louden Nelson Community Center
Cost: Free
Get festive, get creative, and maybe even get your team together for the Graham Cracker House Contest. Enjoy family-friendly fun including a Snowflake Creation Station and hot cocoa. Festive sweaters encouraged!
Also on Friday
- Tommy Castro & the Painkillers @ Moe’s Alley
- Beats Antique @ The Catalyst
- Virtual Riot @ The Catalyst
- Random Rab • KR3TURE • Timonkey • Kat Factor + YOGA! @ Don Quixote’s
- Joe Ferrara @ Shadowbrook Restaurant
- Locomotive Breath @ Crow’s Nest
- Irish Christmas In America @ Kuumbwa Jazz Center
- Drivin South- Final Show!!! with The Fighting @ The Crepe Place
- Peter Murphy @ Rio Theatre
- U Turn @ Severino’s
- Castle, Mos Generator, The Bad Light, Doors To Nowhere @ The Blue Lagoon
- Local Marine Artists Boutique Pop-Up Fair @ Sanctuary Exploration Center
- Gala Holiday Open House @ Homeless Garden Project Downtown Store
- ParkStore Holiday Sale: Preview Day @ Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park
- Winter Art Market at the Tannery @ Tannery Arts Center
- Holiday SHOP at Flora and Fauna @ at the Tannery Arts Center
- Vegan Holiday Feast @ New Leaf Community Markets
- Holiday Train Rides @ Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
- Strike Out Hunger and Bowl for FREE! @ Boardwalk Bowl
- First Friday/Birthday Party @ Home/Work
- First Friday Holiday Art Showcase @ Chaminade Resort & Spa
- First Friday Santa Cruz @ Downtown Santa Cruz
- Mountain Community Theater Presents “Other Desert Cities” @ Mountain Community Theater
- Jewel Theatre presents: Next to Normal @ The Colligan Theater
- Argentine Tango Dancing @ Tannery World Dance & Cultural Center
- SMALL WORKS @ Radius Gallery
- A Stellar Experience – Star Gazing @ Quail Hollow Ranch
- Watsonville Farmers Market @ Downtown Watsonville Plaza
- Watsonville Queer Youth Meet-up @ First Christian Church
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
Winter Book Sale
When: 12/3 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Where: Scotts Valley Branch Library
Cost: Free Admission
Shop from hundreds of gently used books at the Friends of the Library – Scotts Valley Holiday Book Sale! You’ll find a selection of audio books, DVDs, coffee table books, cookbooks, collectible classics, history, fiction, and kids books—most under $5.
Downtown Holiday Parade
When: 12/3 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Where: Pacific Ave., Downtown Santa Cruz
Cost: Free
The Annual Downtown Holiday Parade has everything you would hope for. There will be floats, marching bands, classic cars, horses, crowd favorites like the Santa Cruz Public Library Precision Book Truck Drill Team, and naturally, Santa Claus.
31st Annual Lighted Boat Parade
When: 12/3 at 5:30 pm
Where: South Harbor
Cost: Free
The harbor is one of the most picturesque locations in Santa Cruz on a regular day. But this isn’t just a regular day. The Lighted Boat Parade is your chance to see 50 boats decked out in holiday lights as they parade through the yacht harbor.
The Lighted Boat Parade is a Santa Cruz tradition and is always one of the most anticipated events of the season.
Capitola Village Winter Festival
When: 12/3 from 2:00 pm to 5:30 pm
Where: Capitola Village
Cost: Free
Celebrate holiday magic in Capitola Village! Enjoy an afternoon of kid-friendly activities, complimentary snacks, caroling, gift certificate giveaways, and a window display contest leading up to the tree lighting and grand prize drawings at 5:30pm.
México de Antaño / Mexico of the Past
See Description Under Friday Section
Open House and Holiday Sale
See Description Under Friday Section
Also on Saturday
- Flypaper Blues @ The Crepe Place
- The Emphatics (Rock, Classic Rock, Pop) @ Severino’s
- Head Soar, Gregg James, Jungle Bandit, That Guy, Zephyr, N3IGHBOR MIK3 @ The Blue Lagoon
- Seshollowaterboyz @ The Catalyst
- Sin Sisters Burlesque @ The Catalyst
- Claudio Melega in the Rockroom Lounge @ Shadowbrook Restaurant
- Live Music @ Little Owl Italian Kitchen
- Spirit of ’76 plus Edge Of The West @ Don Quixote’s
- Flobots + Bang Data @ Moe’s Alley
- Adult Craft Night: How to Make Holiday Surprise Balls @ Home/Work
- Winter Craft Faire and Festival @ Monarch School
- Free Holiday Crafting Event @ Homeless Garden Project, Santa Cruz Art Center
- Holiday Cookie Baking Extravaganza @ New Leaf Community Markets
- Holiday Art & Craft Faire @ Simpkins Family Swim Center
- 9th Annual Artisan Gift Show @ Santa Cruz County Veterans Memorial Building
- Annual Children’s Holiday Craft & Food Fair @ Boys & Girls Club of Santa Cruz
- Breakfast with Santa @ Chaminade Resort & Spa
- Norrie’s Gift and Garden Shop Holiday Open House @ UCSC Arboretum
- Winter Art Market at the Tannery @ Tannery Arts Center
- Strike Out Hunger and Bowl for FREE! @ Boardwalk Bowl
- Holiday Train Rides @ Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
- Mountain Community Theater Presents “Other Desert Cities” @ Mountain Community Theater
- Jewel Theatre presents: Next to Normal @ The Colligan Theater
- SMALL WORKS @ Radius Gallery
- Silent Auction Fundraiser @ Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History
- Tech Teach-Ins @ Your Library: eReaders @ Scotts Valley Library
- Aptos Farmers Markets @ Cabrillo College
- Westside Farmers Market @ Delaware and Natural Bridges Drive
- College of Ayurveda Open House @ Mount Madonna Institute
- Animal Shelter Relief Rescue Adoption Fair @ Pet Pals Discount Pet Supplies
- Santa Cruz LGBTQ Youth Meet-up @ Diversity Center
- First Saturday Arboretum Tours @ UCSC Campus
- NSSA Northwest Youth Surf Event @ Steamer Lane
- Monarch Butterfly Tours @ Natural Bridges State Beach
- A Walk in the Past @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Living History Demonstrations and Ranch Tour @ Wilder Ranch State Park
- ParkStore Holiday Sale, Parade & Tacos @ Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park
- Guided Redwood Grove Walk @ Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
- Old Cove Landing Coast Nature Walk @ Wilder Ranch State Park
- Felling the Giants @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Discover Big Basin Redwoods Hike! @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Redwood Grove Loop Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Old-Time Redwood Grove Loop Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Drop-in Family Craft @ Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park
Keep up with us all weekend long, and see which events we’re attending, by following Santa Cruz Life on Instagram.Sunday
Steampunk Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre & Ball
When: 12/4 from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Where: Bret Harte Hall at Roaring Camp Railroads
Cost: $30 – $325
Whoa! A Steam Punk, aerial murder mystery, costume dance party, Edwardian magical ball extravaganza AND bottomless s’mores…sounds like an amazing evening to us.
Little Craft Pop-Up
When: 12/4 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Where: Childish
Cost: Free Admission
If you’ve got some kiddos in your life that you want to shop for this holiday season, then this is an event you don’t want to miss. We’ve attended these Little Craft Pop-Ups in the past and love them! It’s like an in-person Etsy extravaganza. Kids will love spending time at the Kaiwa Art & Play Space table, and we highly recommend the mini photo session with Renee Fox.
Open House and Holiday Sale
See Description Under Friday Section
Also on Sunday
- 10TH Annual How The Grouch Stole Christmas ft Living Legends (All Original Members @ The Catalyst
- AC Slater @ The Catalyst
- Henry Kaiser with Walkers plus Evil Genius @ Don Quixote’s
- Toby Gray Highway Buddha @ The Reef Bar & Restaurant
- Rich & The Rhythm Roustabouts at Swing Set Lounge @ Pacific Arts Complex
- The Beatles White Album Youth Orchestra @ Don Quixote’s
- UC Santa Cruz Wind Ensemble—Experiments on a march @ Music Center Recital Hall
- The Box @ The Blue Lagoon
- Live Comedy @ Crow’s Nest
- Mountain Community Theater Presents “Other Desert Cities” @ Mountain Community Theater
- Jewel Theatre presents: Next to Normal @ The Colligan Theater
- RSC LIVE: KING LEAR @ Del Mar Theatre
- Corralitos Farm and Garden Market @ Corralitos Cultural Center
- Annual Dinner & Fundraiser @ Santa Cruz Food Lounge
- NSSA Northwest Youth Surf Event @ Steamer Lane
- Grey Bears Holiday Lunch @ Civic Auditorium
- 9th Annual Artisan Gift Show @ Santa Cruz County Veterans Memorial Building
- Winter Art Market at the Tannery @ Tannery Arts Center
- Midtown Craft Crawl @ Midtown Santa Cruz
- Strike Out Hunger and Bowl for FREE! @ Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
- Holiday Train Rides @ Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
- Mushroom Hunt @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- ParkStore Holiday Sale: Last Chance! @ Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park
- Guided Adobe Tours (afternoon) @ Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park
- Redwood Grove Loop Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Sunday Seaside Crafts @ Seymour Marine Discovery Center
- Satellite Reef Crochet Circles @ Seymour Marine Discovery Center
- Younger Lagoon Reserve Tour @ Seymour Marine Discovery Center
- Monthly Davenport Main Beach Cleanup @ Davenport Main Beach
- Monarch Butterfly Tours @ Natural Bridges State Beach
Featured Upcoming Event
What: Community Day – Free Admission
Where: UC Santa Cruz Arboretum
When: 12/6 and first Tuesday of every month
The arboretum is a wonderful place to visit and take in a diverse collection of plants as well as native plants from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and California. During November’s Community Day, we spotted the rare white Anna’s Hummingbird that has been frequenting the arbortum’s hummingbird garden since May! This is also a great chance to see the Art in the Arboretum sculpture exhibit that ends on January 10.
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