This weekend Santa Cruz celebrates art with events around town for First Friday!
Then get ready for an eventful Saturday! Get your yoga on at Venus Spirits Distillery. Then head to the Hummingbird Festival or Salamander Celebration to connect with nature. End the day with a Warriors game or join the party with Samba Do Rio Project for Brazilian Carnaval.
Sunday brings British humor at the Del Mar Theater and Victorian era activities at Wilder Ranch.
See our picks for the top events each day this weekend:
Friday
First Friday
There’s just something special about the first Friday of the month. It’s practically a holiday in Santa Cruz, where we celebrate art and artists, live music, and free admission to some pretty cool places.
Enjoy free admission to the follow venues:
- The MAH (Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History) – Check out the Screaming Hand Exhibit which ends 3/26/2017.
- Seymour Marine Discovery Center – Touch a friendly shark!
- Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History – Educational, hands-on exhibits for children
Take a First Friday Art Tour and connect with local artists. Here are a few ideas to get started:
- Downtown Santa Cruz
- Boulder Creek
- Felton
- Hive & Hum
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Cruz County First Friday: Regional Arts Celebration
- Sounds in the Sanctuary @ Sanctuary Exploration Center
Santa Cruz Derby Girls Pub Crawl
When: 3/3 starting at 6:00 pm
Where: Downtown Santa Cruz
Cost: Free
The 2017 Derby season is almost here, and as a way to kick the season off the Derby Girls are inviting you to join them for their second annual Derby Girls Pub Crawl. Your favorite Derby Girls, refs and officials will be barhopping downtown, beginning at 6:00 PM.
Get more info here & RSVP on Facebook
Santa Cruz Tattoo and Music Festival
When: 3/3 from 2:00 pm to 11:00 pm and 3/4 – 3/5 from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm / 11:00 pm
Where: Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium
Cost: $18.50 – $39.50
100 hand selected and fully licensed tattoo artists from all over Santa Cruz County will come together for this unique festival. Browse artist’s portfolios and make an appointment on site or book for later. There will also be live entertainment from local talent and some national acts that have yet to be announced. If you’re thinking about getting some new body art, this is a great event to get more information and explore your options.
Also on Friday
- After The Burial @ The Catalyst
- Dubloadz @ The Catalyst
- Steve Poltz plus Willy Porter / Carmen Nickerson Duo @ Don Quixote’s
- Isaac and the Haze @ Crow’s Nest
- LYRICS BORN + Jelly Bread @ Moe’s Alley
- Club Kuumbwa: Pieces // Scary Little Friends @ Kuumbwa Jazz Center
- Great American Canyon Band, Sun Maiden @ The Crepe Place
- Wally’s Cocktail Combo (Jazz, Swing & More!) @ Severino’s
- UCSC Orchestra Concert Winter 2017 @ Music Center Recital Hall
- Purple Bong River – Altar De Fey – Noctooa – Atriarch @ The Blue Lagoon
- Guided Elephant Seal Walks @ Año Nuevo State Park
- UC Santa Cruz Satellite Reef Crochet @ Seymour Marine Discovery Center
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
Hummingbird Day
When: 3/4 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Where: UC Santa Cruz Arboretum
Cost: Adults $10, Members$5, Children Under 12 Free
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.
Santa Cruz Warriors vs. Reno Bighorns
When: 3/4 at 7:00 pm
Where: Kaiser Permanente Arena
Cost: $23 – $77
It’s Pajama Night! Come cheer on the Warriors in your pajamas and, in support of Project Pajama, fans are encouraged to donate a new pair to help a child in need. Win-win and we do hope the Warriors win!
Salamander Saturday
When: 3/4 from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Where: Rancho del Oso Nature & History Center
Cost: Free
Join in on the annual celebration of these amazing but often overlooked amphibians, native to the Santa Cruz Mountains. There will be live amphibians of course, as well as crafts and activities throughout the day. This all leads up to a ranger-led salamander hike in the afternoon where you will learn about and search for salamanders and their ecosystems on the short hike along the Marsh Trail.
Brazilian Carnaval 2017
When: 3/4 at 8:30 pm
Where: Moe’s Alley
Cost: $22 Advance, $25 Day Of Show
Costumes, amazing samba music, and of course a lot of dancing, don’t miss out on the best Carnaval party in town! It’s a tradition during Brazilian Carnaval to have huge organized parades down the streets led by samba schools. Join in on the fun of this local parade of sorts, and sing and dance with Sambo Do Rio Project and more. This will be the fourth annual Brazilian Carnaval Party held at Moe’s and the past three shows have been sold out, so get you tickets now before it’s too late!
Yoga + Cocktails by Downward Drinking Dog at Venus Spirits
When: 3/4 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Where: Venus Spirits
Cost: $35 online/$40 door
A perfect combo for a Saturday: yoga in a distillery followed by cocktails, all while listening to cool music. It almost sounds too good to be true. Yoga for every level will be offered at this amazing event held by Downward Drinking Dog at Venus Spirits, where you can enjoy a hand crafted cocktail in the tasting room after your yoga session. This event has it all, meditation, organic batch gin and a live DJ too!
Santa Cruz Tattoo and Music Festival
See Description Under Friday Section
Also on Saturday
- Suicide Silence @ The Catalyst
- Trevor Hall @ The Catalyst
- Birds of Chicago plus Matt The Electrician @ Don Quixote’s
- The House Rockers @ Crow’s Nest
- Wild Iris, Dan Too, Cristina Vane @ The Crepe Place
- Bobby Love & Sugar Sweet @ Severino’s
- Fountain of Bile, Pestilent Death, Chemical Slaughter, Aseptic @ The Blue Lagoon
- John Jorgenson Quintet @ Kuumbwa Jazz Center
- Efi’s Dutch Indo Po Up w/ Special Guest Jesse Daniel @ The Food Lounge
- Animal Shelter Relief Rescue Adoption Fair! @ Pet Pals Discount Pet Supplies
- Aptos Farmers Market at Cabrillo College @ Cabrillo College
- Homo Happy Hour @ MOTIV
- City of Watsonville Nature Walks @ City of Watsonville – Nature Center
- Guided Elephant Seal Walks @ Año Nuevo State Park
- Basket Making Workshop @ Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
- A Walk in the Past @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Guided Redwood Grove Walk @ Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
- History, Nature and Scenic Views: A Tour of the Grey Whale Ranch Area @ Wilder Ranch State Park
- Redwood Grove Loop Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Felling the Giants @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Discover Big Basin Redwoods Hike! @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Living History Demonstrations and Ranch Tour @ Wilder Ranch State Park
- Outlook from Mt. McAbee @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Mission Cooking Demonstration @ Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park
- Choose Your Own Adventure Tour @ Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
- Redwood Grove Loop Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
Keep up with us all weekend long, and see which events we’re attending, by following Santa Cruz Life on Instagram.Sunday
National Theatre Live: No Man’s Land
When: 3/5 at 11:00 am
Where: Del Mar Theatre
Cost: $16
Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart return to the West End stage after their hit run on Broadway, and you can watch the 2016 live recording from Wyndham’s Theatre in London right from the seats of the Del Mar Theatre! The production, No Man’s Land, is classic comedy that follows two aging writers who meet at a pub and continue drinking together into the night. Their inebriated stories become more unbelievable and the drunk conversation soon turns into a hilarious power game. The broadcast will be followed by an exclusive Q&A with the cast and director Sean Mathias.
Living History Demonstrations and Ranch Tour
When: 3/5 from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Where: Wilder Ranch State Park
Cost: Free admission, Parking is $10 and supports the park
Docent led tours of the Wilder Ranch Victorian home and grounds will take you back to a more simple time, life on a nineteenth century dairy ranch. You will be transported to Victorian-era Santa Cruz where you will learn how to hand quilt, experience blacksmithing, and hone your wood stove baking skills. There will also be Victorian games, activities and a chance to meet some farm animals. Bring a picnic to enjoy on the lawn and pretend like it’s 1865.
Santa Cruz Tattoo and Music Festival
See Description Under Friday Section
Also on Sunday
- The Wood Brothers @ Rio Theatre
- Steven Graves Band @ Don Quixote’s
- Live Comedy @ Crow’s Nest
- Red Fang @ The Catalyst
- The Box @ The Blue Lagoon
- Joe Ferrara @ The Cats Restaurant & Bar
- Younger Lagoon Reserve Tour @ Seymour Marine Discovery Center
- Guided Elephant Seal Walks @ Año Nuevo State Park
- Redwood Grove Loop Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Guided Redwood Grove Walk @ Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
- Redwood Grove Loop Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
Featured Upcoming Event
What: Paula Poundstone at The Rio
Where: Rio Theatre
When:Saturday, March 18 from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Comic Paula Poundstone returns to Santa Cruz about every two years, playing to sell out crowds every time. We could all use a good laugh these days, so get your tickets early!
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