Eat, drink, and be outdoors this weekend in Santa Cruz. There’s plenty in store for families, romantic dates, holiday shoppers, and anyone looking for something free to do.
See our picks for the top events each day this weekend:
Friday
Warriors vs Bakersfield
When: 11/13 at 7:00 PM
Where: Kaiser Permanente Arena
Cost: $17 – $34
Watch Santa Cruz’s finest basketball players take on the Bakersfield Jam in this Central California matchup, which will also serve as the season opener for the Warriors.
Get more info here.
Wine and Watercolor Club
When: 11/13 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Where: New Leaf on the Westside (1101 Fair Ave)
Cost: $15 supplies fee
If you appreciate a beautiful watercolor painting as much as you appreciate a glass of complex wine, then this is the event for you. Book illustrator Madia Jamgochian will be on hand to host and offer feedback.
This is event is sold out.
Telluride Mountainfilm Tour
When: 11/13 at 7:00 PM
Where: Rio Theatre
Cost: $18 in advance
Telluride Mounainfilm is an annual film festival that aims to educate people about wildlife and the environment through their films. While the main event is always in Colorado, lucky ticket holders will get to experience it at the Rio this Friday night.
Get more info here.
Community Free Day
When: 11/13 from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Where: Seymour Marine Discovery Center
Cost: Free
The entire Santa Cruz community is invited to check out the awesome marine life and immersive exhibits at the Seymour Center for free this Friday. If you can’t make it that day, check out Science Sunday and Sunday Seaside Crafts instead.
Get more info here.
Food Truck Fundraiser
When: 11/13 from 4:30 to 7:30 PM
Where: Skypark
Support the Scotts Valley Educational Foundation and sample bites from Carmona’s BBQ, Aunt LaLi’s Treats, The Choke Coach, and other delicious local food trucks while taking in the beautiful surroundings in Skypark. Don’t miss the beer and wine garden debut featuring Steel Bonnet Brewing Company.
Get more info here.
Artisan Food Market at Food Lounge
When: 11/13 from 4:00 to 8:00 PM
Where: The Food Lounge
A full bar, fresh local produce, and live music; what better way to kick off a relaxing weekend in Santa Cruz? This month’s featured band is Still Searchin’.
Get more info here.
Also on Friday
- DREAMS INTO MOTION: Monthly Performance Cafe at the 418 Project @ 418 Project
- Pours & Tours @ Annieglass
- STRIKE OUT HUNGER AND BOWL FOR FREE! @ Boardwalk Bowl
- It’s A Wonderful Life @ Cabrillo Crocker Theater
- Isaac’s Eye @ Center Street Theater
- Midnight Movie at the Del Mar: Castle in the Sky @ Del Mar Theater
- Wake The Dead @ Don Quixote’s
- Houston Jones with Susie Glaze & The Hilonesome Band @ Kuumbwa
- Marty O’Reilly & The Old Soul Orchestra, Shook Twins & Tall Heights @ Moe’s Alley
- Student and alumni gathering @ Norris Center
- Mi Casa Es Tu Casa 2015 – A Celebration of Dia de los Muertos @ Pajaro Valley Arts Council
- Munchkin Minyan Shabbat @ Peace United Church of Christ
- Sean Robbins at Pono Hawaiian Grill @ Pono Hawaiian Grill
- Beasts on Broadway – A National Exhibit @ Santa Cruz Art League
- Naturalist Night: Explore the Milky Way @ Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History
- Ageless Art Exhibit @ Scotts Valley Library
- Princess Ivona @ Second Stage
- Bitch n’ Stitch @ Tannery Arts Center
- Escape The Fate @ The Catalyst
- Mac Miller @ The Catalyst
- Guys & Dolls @ The Colligan Theater
- Urban Theory, Laconic, Sap Laughter @ The Crepe Place
- Lenny’s Basement @ The Crow’s Nest
- Bug @ UCSC Experimental Theater
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
Goat Hill Fair – A VINTAGE-ANTIQUE MARKET
When: 11/14 from 10am – 4pm & 11/15 from 10am – 3pm
Where: Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds
Cost: $5
If you like your antique searches to be abundant and yet refined, then you will not want to miss the Goat Hill Fair. Over 80 booths from all over the area will be showing off their best vintage clothes, antique furniture, and so much more.
Get more info here.
2nd Saturday on the Farm – FREE Family Activities
When: 11/14 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm
Where: Agricultural History Museum
Cost: Free
Take the opportunity to teach your kids more about their unique surroundings by bringing them to the Agricultural History Museum, where you can enjoy educational activities, a kid-driven tractor, and more — all for free!
Get more info here.
Maira Kalman, Beloved Dog, at Bookshop Santa Cruz
When: 11/14 at 7:00 PM
Where: Bookshop Santa Cruz
Whether or not you are a “dog person,” you will likely find a lot to love in Maira Kalman’s charming, funny and relatable new book Beloved Dog. You can hear her talk more about it at Bookshop, and you can even bring your own beloved dog!
Get more info here.
Snake Park Saturday
When: 11/14 at 2:00 PM
Where: Rancho del Oso
They say that knowledge is the enemy of fear — so whether you are fascinated by snakes or repelled by them, you will likely gain a lot by attending this informational and interactive event. If snakes just really aren’t your thing, try birding in Waddell Valley, or attending the Fall Wildflower Hike at Rancho Del Oso.
Get more info here.
8th Annual SCPENS Rummage & Bake Sale
When: 11/14 from 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM
Where: Santa Cruz Parent Education Nursery School
Cost: Free
Furniture, useful household items, and gently used clothing will all be for sale at this annual sale, as will a wide range of tasty treats. All proceeds will benefit Santa Cruz Parent Education Nursery School, a parent participation preschool that has been educating children ages 1-5 and their parents for 40 years.
Get more info here.
Life on the Ranch: Family Living History Day
When: 11/14 from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Where: Wilder Ranch
Cost: Day-use parking fee is $10
Wilder Ranch is a beautiful state park now, but it used to be a ranch and dairy farm, and there is still plenty of cowboy rodeo spirit to explore there. Living history demonstrations and hands-on activities for all ages. Also happening this weekend at Wilder: History, Nature and Scenic Views: A Tour of the Backcountry and a mountain bike Ride at Wilder.
Get more info here.
Also on Saturday
- A Walk in the Past @ Big Basin
- Felling the Giants @ Big Basin
- Redwood Grove Loop Walk @ Big Basin
- Volunteer with the Trail Crew @ Big Basin
- Castro Adobe Open House @ Castro Adobe State Historic Park
- Santa Cruz Symphony: Existential Worlds at the Civic Auditorium @ Civic Auditorium
- Blitzen Trapper @ Don Quixote’s
- Fall Birding Walk: Wetland and Upland Migrants @ Elkhorn Slough
- Girls Rock Ride with White Lightning @ Geo. Wilson
- Basket Making Workshop @ Henry Cowell
- Guided Redwood Grove Walks @ Henry Cowell
- Live Harp Music by Weaving Songs, at Hidden Peak Teahouse @ Hidden Peak Teahouse
- Anniversary of the Banana Slug String Band (2 shows) at the Kuumbwa Jazz @ Kuumbwa
- Sprout Up RAD Fall Carnival! @ Laurel Park
- Researchers Anonymous: Searching for Santa Cruz’s First Municipal Water System @ MAH Auditorium
- Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe @ Moe’s Alley
- UCSC Orchestra @ Music Recital Hall UCSC
- Tours of the Monarch Butterfly Grove @ Natural Bridges
- Kids Crafts: Holiday Gobblers @ New Leaf (1210 41st Ave)
- Animal Shelter Relief Rescue Adoption Fair! @ PetSmart
- Rising Appalachia @ Rio Theatre
- SoVoSó – A Cappella World Music part of Tandy Beal’s ArtSmart Family Concert Series @ Santa Cruz County Veterans Memorial Building
- Hides and Tallow at the Santa Cruz Mission @ Santa Cruz Mission
- Ceramics Glazing Class: Glaze Software @ Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center
- Princess Ivona @ Second Stage
- Santa Cruz County STEM and Environmental Science EXPO @ Seymour Marine Discover Center
- Holiday Champagne Tasting with Hiram Simon at Soif @ Soif Restaurant
- KIDS DOJO 1ST ANNUAL TRIVIA NIGHT FUNDRAISER! @ Stockwell Cellars
- Santa Cruz Improv Playground @ The Broadway Playhouse
- Ride @ The Catalyst
- Sin Sisters Burlesque @ The Catalyst
- The Hotel Adams, Desmadre, Vesper Sails @ The Crepe Place
- Pawn Shop Soul @ The Crow’s Nest
- Bug @ UCSC Experimental Theater
- History, Nature and Scenic Views: A Tour of the Backcountry @ Wilder Ranch
- Isaac’s Eye @ Center Street Theater
- Pours & Tours @ Annieglass
- STRIKE OUT HUNGER AND BOWL FOR FREE! @ Boardwalk Bowl
- It’s A Wonderful Life @ Cabrillo Crocker Theater
- Mi Casa Es Tu Casa 2015 – A Celebration of Dia de los Muertos @ Pajaro Valley Arts Council
- Beasts on Broadway – A National Exhibit @ Santa Cruz Art League
- Ageless Art Exhibit @ Scotts Valley Library
- Guys & Dolls @ The Colligan Theater
Keep up with us all weekend long, and see which events we’re attending, by following Santa Cruz Life on Instagram.Sunday
Downtown Santa Cruz Wine Walk
When: 11/15 from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Where: Downtown Santa Cruz
Cost: $30
You don’t need to drive up to the mountains to enjoy some of the region’s best wines; just head downtown this weekend, when dozens of local wineries will be offering generous pours in different independent businesses.
Watsonville Taiko’s Holiday Boutique
When: 11/15 from noon to 5:00 PM
Where: Kizuka Hall (150 Blackburn St., Watsonville)
Cost: Free
Support Watsonville Taiko and try your luck at a raffle at the annual Holiday Boutique, where a broad range of original and creative holiday gifts will be available for purchase.
Get more info here.
Tres Leches Surf Film Night
When: 11/15 at 6:30 PM
Where: Monterey Bay Sanctuary Exploration Center
Cost: $5-$10. Children under 12 free.
Surf lovers and Mexican culture enthusiasts alike will enjoy this small film festival, which will feature three different films about surf culture South of the boarder.
Get more info here.
Goat Hill Fair – A VINTAGE-ANTIQUE MARKET
See description under Saturday.
Also on Sunday
- City of Watsonville Nature Walks @ 30 Harkins Slough Road
- Berry Creek Falls Hike @ Big Basin
- Redwood Grove Loop Walk @ Big Basin
- Champagne Sunday Brunch @ Chaminade Resort & Spa
- Tidepool Flora Field Trip @ Davenport Landing Beach
- Catie Curtis plus Maia Sharp 2pm Matinee @ Don Quixote’s
- Ten Strings and A Goat Skin 7pm Concert @ Don Quixote’s
- Existential Worlds @ Henry J Mello Center
- Yarn, Grampa’s Chili @ Moe’s Alley
- Acorn Preparation the Ohlone Way @ Quail Hollow Ranch
- An Acoustic Evening with Yo La Tengo @ Rio Theatre
- Princess Ivona @ Second Stage
- Science Sundays @ Seymour Marine Discovery Center
- Sunday Seaside Crafts @ Seymour Marine Discovery Center
- Blind Tasting Sundays at Soif Wine Merchants @ Soif Restaurant
- Ryan Zimmerman Free In-store performance @ Streetlight Records
- Cherub @ The Catalyst
- David Ryan Harris @ The Catalyst
- Ensemble Mik Nawooj @ The Crepe Place
- Live Comedy at the Crow’s Nest @ The Crow’s Nest
- Bug @ UCSC Experimental Theater
- Wilder Ranch Living History Demonstrations and Ranch Tours @ Wilder Ranch
- Pours & Tours @ Annieglass
- STRIKE OUT HUNGER AND BOWL FOR FREE! @ Boardwalk Bowl
- It’s A Wonderful Life @ Cabrillo Crocker Theater
- Mi Casa Es Tu Casa 2015 – A Celebration of Dia de los Muertos @ Pajaro Valley Arts Council
- Beasts on Broadway – A National Exhibit @ Santa Cruz Art League
- Ageless Art Exhibit @ Scotts Valley Library
- Guys & Dolls @ The Colligan Theater
- Tours of the Monarch Butterfly Grove @ Natural Bridges
A Call for Volunteers!
The Teen Kitchen project teaches teenagers between the ages of 14 and 19 to cook nourishing meals for families in our community who are dealing with serious illness.
Monday, Tuesday, OR Wednesday from 5-7pm, the Teen Kitchen Project could use adult volunteer help with dishes and clean up. You can serve once a week, every other week, or monthly. Inspire your office to get together and send two people every week!
There is also space available for new teen volunteers.
Email angela@teenkitchenproject for more info on how to get involved.
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