This is a great weekend to celebrate local businesses, thanks to Cruzio’s annual open house and Bookshop Santa Cruz’s 49th birthday bash.
Plus, get a jumpstart on holiday shopping at local craft fairs and the annual Sea Glass Festival.
See our picks for the top events each day this weekend:
Friday
Bookshop’s 49th Birthday Party & Sale
When: 11/6 & 11/7 from 9:00 am to 11:00 pm
Where: Bookshop Santa Cruz
Cost: Free
Bookshop Santa Cruz has accomplished a lot over the last 49 years, including enduring a major earthquake, existing as a book tent for a couple years, and outlasting many large chain competitors in the area. Show your appreciation for this local institution and stop by for live music and cake Friday evening, and enjoy a 20 percent discount off everything in the store on Saturday.
Cruzio Annual Open House Extravaganza 5.0
When: 11/6 from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Where: Cruzio
Cost: Free
Explore the best of our local tech and entrepreneurial community and enjoy another great party at Cruzio’s annual open house. Santa Cruz Mountain Brewery will be pouring complimentary brews to accompany local food truck vendors Ate3One, G’s Tacos, and Aunt Lali’s Ice Cream and Espresso.
The Magic of Capitola En Plein Air
When: 11/7 & 11/8
Where: Esplanade Park
Cost: Free
If you are already counting down the weeks until next year’s Open Studios tour, you can satiate your thirst for great local art at this inaugural celebration of professional and amateur artists. Saturday will be the day to watch artists paint all over Capitola, and Sunday activities include a pop-up public art tent and live music.
A Stellar Experience — Star Gazing at Quail Hollow Ranch
When: 11/6 from 6:00 pm to midnight
Where: Quail Hollow Ranch
Cost: Free
The Santa Cruz Astronomy Club is opening up their high quality telescopes to everyone this Friday night. With a little help from the expert members, you might be able to get a glimpse of Mars, Mercury, and Jupiter.
Sockshop and Shoe Company’s 4th Annual Benefit for Hospice
When: 11/6 from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm
Where: Sockshop & Shoe Company
If you need to stock up on fun footwear, be sure to do it this weekend at the Sockshop, where Discretion Brewery will be serving up fresh brews, the Joint Chiefs will be playing live music, and 8 percent of all proceeds will go to Hospice of Santa Cruz County.
Also on Friday
- First Friday Movie Screening “Comes with Baggage” @Bicycle Trip
- Studio Tour and Wine Tasting @ Annieglass in Watsonville
- Friday Food (Truck) and Music @ New Bohemia Brewing
- Isaac’s Eye @ Center Street Theater
- Midnight Movie at the Del Mar: Kiki’s Delivery Service @ Del Mar Theater
- Strike Out Hunger and Bowl for FREE! @ Boardwalk Bowl
- Ribbon Cutting & Holiday Open House at Charley & Co @ Charley & Co
- Mi Casa Es Tu Casa 2015 – A Celebration of Dia de los Muertos @ Pajaro Valley Arts Council
- Ageless Art Exhibit @ Scotts Valley Library
- Sparrow’s Gate, Assanteague @ Crepe Place
- Locomotive Breath @ Crow’s Nest
- Cosmic Hosts: Designing The Ride @ Design By Cosmic
- The Sam Chase plus West Coast WildFire @ Don Quixote’s
- First Friday November @ Downtown Santa Cruz
- First Friday Artist PopUp Potluck @ Idea Fab Labs
- “MODS: Karen Stebbins in Concert” @ Kuumbwa
- The Addams Family, presented by CYT at the @ Louden Nelson Center
- PURE ROOTS + SANTA CRUZ REGGAE ALL-STARS, Echo Street & Dee Jay Spleece @ Moe’s Alley
- Healthier Holiday Baking: Guilt–Free Treats @ New Leaf Community Markets
- Santa Cruz Water Color Society @ r.blitzer gallery
- Warren Miller’s Chasing Shadows @ Rio Theatre
- Beasts on Broadway – A National Exhibit @ Santa Cruz Art League
- Pajaro Valley Community Health Trust Presents: 32nd Annual Evening of Wine and Roses @ Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds
- Pop-up cooking demo with Real Good Fish @ Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing
- Free First Friday @ Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History
- Made of Oak (Nick Sanborn of Sylvan Esso) @ The Catalyst
- Entrepreneurship Experiences for Graduate Students and Mixer @ UCSC – Graduate Student Commons
- Princess Ivona @ UCSC Second Stage
- First Friday Art Tour @ Various locations
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
1st Annual Holiday Arts and Craft Fair
When: 11/7 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Where: 846 Front Street Santa Cruz, CA
Cost: $1.00 Admission
If you are fully in the holiday spirit, take this opportunity to buy unique handmade stocking stuffers for all your loved ones at this holiday craft fair. Proceeds will be used to fund scholarships for military veterans attending UCSC.
Carport Pop-Up
When: 11/7, from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm
Where: 907 41st Ave, Santa Cruz, CA
Cost: Free!
Enjoy coffee, leather work, art, succulents and more from local craftspeople and entrepreneurs at the Carport Pop-Up. This is another great opportunity to get some early holiday shopping done this weekend.
It’s A Wonderful Life, World Premiere
When: 11/7 – 11/21
Where: Cabrillo Crocker Theater
Cost: $17 – $19
If you love the classic Frank Capra holiday film It’s a Wonderful Life, then you will want to see this modern day theatrical interpretation of it, complete with gospel, reggae and rock numbers.
Santa Cruz Sea Glass & Ocean Art Festival
When: 11/7 & 11/8 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Where: Cocoanut Grove
Cost: $5/day, kids under 6 free
Living on the coast, we have access to an oft-overlooked source of natural beauty: sea glass. Take a look at what local craftspeople can do with this rich material, as well as other ocean-inspired pieces of art, at this weekend’s festival.
Tours of the Monarch Butterfly Grove
When: 11/7 & 11/8 at 11:00 am & 2:00 pm
Where: Natural Bridges State Beach
Cost: Free
November is often the best time to observe the over-wintering monarchs at Natural Bridges. Docent-led tours are wheelchair and stroller-accessible.
Bookshop’s 49th Birthday Party & Sale
See Friday
The Magic of Capitola En Plein Air
See Friday
Also on Saturday
- Ride at Wilder Ranch State Park
- The Girly Ride @ Epicenter Cycling on Mission St.
- Looking Left: A Low-Tech Festival of Dance and Performance @ Motion Pacific
- The Super Bowl 50 Tour @ Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
- Wilder Ranch Living History Demonstrations and Ranch Tours @ Wilder Ranch
- Coffee Talk and Crafts @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- A Tribute to the Muses, Music, Dance, Drama, and Poetry @ Christ Lutheran Church
- Widowspeak, Quilt, Sea Knight @ Crepe Place
- Billy Martini Show @ Crow’s Nest
- The Mermen plus The Shitones @ Don Quixote’s
- Downtown Santa Cruz 1st Saturday Busker Fest @ Downtown Santa Cruz
- Felton Library Celebration @ Felton Firehouse
- 1st Annual Cultural Food Faire @ Garfield Park Community Church
- Basket Making Workshop @ Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
- Broadway Creations @ Kuumbwa
- The Addams Family, presented by CYT at the Louden Nelson Community Theater @ Louden Nelson Center
- Gold Standard Chorus 2016 Fall Show: ‘It’s Showtime, Folks!’ @ Mid County Senior Center
- The Kiefer Sutherland Band, Edge Of The West @ Moe’s Alley
- Animal Shelter Relief Rescue Adoption Fair! @ PetSmart
- Ralphie May @ Rio Theatre
- LEARN HOW TO CREATE A PLANT FROM A CUTTING @ San Lorenzo Garden Center
- Beasts on Broadway – A National Exhibit @ Santa Cruz Art League
- Hot Rods at the Beach @ Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
- Educator Workshop: Underwater Robotics @ Seymour Center
- Free Flat Fixing Class at Spokesman Bicycles @ Spokesman Bicycles
- Point Break Live @ The Catalyst
- Tommy Guerrero @ The Catalyst
- Widowspeak, Quilt, Sea Knight @ The Crepe Place
- First Saturday Arboretum Tours @ UCSC Arboretum
- Princess Ivona @ UCSC Second Stage
- Redwood Grove Loop Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Guided Redwood Grove Walks @ Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
- Wilder Ranch Coast Nature Walks @ Wilder Ranch State Park
- Isaac’s Eye @ Center Street Theater
- Midnight Movie at the Del Mar: Kiki’s Delivery Service @ Del Mar Theater
- Strike Out Hunger and Bowl for FREE! @ Boardwalk Bowl
- Ribbon Cutting & Holiday Open House at @ Charley & Co
- Mi Casa Es Tu Casa 2015 – A Celebration of Dia de los Muertos @ Pajaro Valley Arts Council
- Ageless Art Exhibit @ Scotts Valley Library
Keep up with us all weekend long, and see which events we’re attending, by following Santa Cruz Life on Instagram.Sunday
Willie K
When: 11/8 at 8:00 pm
Where: Moe’s Alley
Cost: $20 – $25
Hawaiian phenomenon Willie K is like a living, breathing jukebox: he can play nearly any song from any genre. But beyond that, he infuses every track he plays with an intimate acoustic warmth that is all his own.
The Magic of Capitola En Plein Air
See Friday
Tours of the Monarch Butterfly Grove
See Saturday
Santa Cruz Sea Glass & Ocean Art Festival
See Saturday
It’s A Wonderful Life, World Premiere
See Saturday
Also on Sunday
- Wander the Wetlands of Watsonville
- Open Studio Spa Days @ Balance Studio Spa
- David Zelster – Ninja Baby @ Bookshop Santa Cruz
- Champagne Sunday Brunch @ Chaminade Resort & Spa
- Live Comedy @ Crow’s Nest
- Celebration of Joni Mitchell featuring Kimberly Ford @ Don Quixote’s
- Downtown Santa Cruz Antique Street Faire @ Lincoln Street (between Pacific & Cedar)
- The Addams Family, presented by CYT at @ Louden Nelson Center
- Meet the Doulas @ Luma Yoga
- Mbira Master Series Concert with Patience Munjeri @ Pacific Cultural Center / Ashtangà Yoga Institute
- Jorma Kaukonen @ Kuumbwa
- Beasts on Broadway – A National Exhibit @ Santa Cruz Art League
- Building Methods at the Mission @ Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park
- Sunday Seaside Crafts @ Seymour Center
- Younger Lagoon Reserve Tour @ Seymour Center
- Blind Tasting Sundays at @ Soif Restaurant, Wine Bar and Merchants
- Houndmouth @ The Catalyst
- Arrows + Yaquina Bay (PDX) + Night Dive @ The Crepe Place
- Fall Concert – SC County Youth Symphony @ UCSC Recital Hall
- Princess Ivona @ UCSC Second Stage
- Cleanup Cowells Project @ Cowell’s Beach
- Discover Big Basin Redwoods @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Redwood Grove Loop Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Nature Wander @ Rancho Del Oso State Park
- Strike Out Hunger and Bowl for FREE! @ Boardwalk Bowl
- Ribbon Cutting & Holiday Open House @ Charley & Co
- Mi Casa Es Tu Casa 2015 – A Celebration of Dia de los Muertos @ Pajaro Valley Arts Council
- Ageless Art Exhibit @ Scotts Valley Library
- Looking Left: A Low-Tech Festival of Dance and Performance @ Motion Pacific
- Wilder Ranch Living History Demonstrations and Ranch Tours @ Wilder Ranch
Featured Upcoming Event
The newest weekly event in town is the Thursday Art Market, held at the Tannery Arts Center. This year-round event takes place each Thursday, from 3-6PM in the Tannery Courtyard. It features live music, artist demonstrations, loft artists, and guest chefs with rotating menus.
What: Thursday Art Market
Where: The Tannery Arts Center
When: Every Thursday, from 3:00-6:00 PM
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