Halloween is almost here, and whether you’re looking for some spooky thrills for yourself, or family fun for your little ghouls and goblins, we’ve got you covered!
Maybe you’d rather just check out the Santa Cruz scene on another gorgeous fall weekend. Well, if that’s the case, then you’re in for a real treat, too.
See our picks for the top events each day this weekend:
Halloween Events in Santa Cruz
We cover some early Halloween events in this weekend’s roundup, but if you want to see the full list of Halloween events throughout the county then be sure to check out the 2017 Santa Cruz Halloween Event Guide.
Friday
Pacific Rim Music Festival
When: 10/25 – 10/28 at 7:30 pm and 10/29 at 3:00 pm
Where: UC Santa Cruz
Cost: FREE
Come and enjoy 40 new works in a series of concerts written by award-winning composers and performed by master musicians from the United States and Korea. The year’s festival theme is “From the Root to the Living Tradition.”
Michael Hardt: “Where have all the leaders gone?”
When: 10/27 from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Where: UC Santa Cruz Kresge Town Hall
Cost: Free and open to the public
Are social movement and activist leaders a thing of the past? Would finding new leaders for today’s social movements make a difference? Come and hear renowned speaker Professor Hardt and join in on this important discussion.
Dia de los Muertos + Food Lounge 4th anniversary party
When: 10/27 from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Where: Santa Cruz Food Lounge
Cost: Free
My Mom’s Mole celebrates 4 years in business at the 2nd Annual Día de los Muertos party. Costumes are encouraged so you might want to choose something that will hold up to dinner, drinks, and dancing. A portion of the night’s sales will support the Food Justice & Equity Scholarship Fund at the UCSC Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems.
Sanctuary Speaker Series: Inside California’s Underwater Parks
When: 10/27 from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm
Where: Alta Organic Coffee & Tea Co., 2712 Mission St Ext, Santa Cruz
Cost: Free
Preserving the wildlife areas underwater has been a very important onging mission for the Monterey Bay and California. Come and find out more about these special areas right off our coast as Save Our Shores Sanctuary Speaker Series presents Dr. Rikki Eriksen, Director of the California Marine Protected Areas.
Also on Friday
- Rhiannon Giddens @ Rio Theatre
- Cook and Rose at Streetlight Records @ Streetlight Records
- Friday Night Live: Green Dog @ Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History
- Hall Pass Halloween Party @ Crow’s Nest
- Earthless @ Don Quixote’s
- SambaDá @ Moe’s Alley
- The Phenomenauts, Van Goat, Fulminante @ The Crepe Place
- The Underachievers @ The Catalyst
- Phutureprimitive @ The Catalyst
- Moondance @ Severino’s
- The Rocky Horror Picture Show w/ Slugs In Fishnets Live! @ Landmark’s Del Mar Theatre
- 13 Days of Halloween on the Wharf @ Santa Cruz Wharf
- MARINE MASQUERADE @ Seymour Marine Discovery Center
- 2017 Be the Difference Awards @ Cocoanut Grove
- The Gail Project: “An Okinawan-American Dialogue” @ Mary Porter Sesnon Art Gallery
- Watsonville Farmers Market @ Downtown Watsonville
- Literary: Mountain Voices – Poetry Night @ Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center
- Kayak Cleanup in the Elkhorn Slough @ Kayak Connection, Moss Landing
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
Make-A-Difference Day
When: 10/28 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Where: San Lorenzo Riverwalk, 155 River St S, Santa Cruz
Cost: Free
Join Save Our Shores and truly make a difference in just a few hours by helping to pick up trash along the this major waterway before it enters the Monterey Bay. All volunteers will receive a reusable produce bag for participating.
Thrill The World Santa Cruz 2017
When: 10/28 from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Where: Louden Nelson Center, 301 Center St, downtown Santa Cruz
Cost: FREE
Every year, on the Saturday before Halloween, night creatures call and the dead start to walk in their masquerade. So basically, a zombie flash mob Thriller dance. There are plenty of opportunities to learn the dance all month and participate in a world-wide simultaneous Thriller Dance at various venues throughout the county. Family and zombie-friendly!
4th Annual Santa Cruz Comedy Festival
When: 10/28 from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm + pop-up events through Nov. 4
Where: Downtown Santa Cruz
Cost: Free & Ticketed Show ($5 – $30)
Be prepared for a weekend of laughs and good fun as the comedy festival hosts a series of downtown walking comedy tours and ticketed shows. Choose from a variety of venues to tickle your funny bone!
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk 8th Annual Chili Cook-Off
When: 10/28 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Where: Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Cost: Free Admission, Tasting kits: $10
Summer is over, but the heat is on! It’s that time of year again for one of Santa Cruz’s most tasty events. Bring your hungry friends (and maybe a fire extinguisher) and help pick this year’s chili cook-off winner.
Gault Elementary School Halloween Parade & Celebration
When: 10/28 from 9:00 am to 10:00 am
Where: Gault Elementary School
Cost: Free
The Gault Elementary Halloween Parade & Carnival has been a favorite community event since 1948. All of Santa Cruz is invited to this fun family friendly event. The day begins with a costume parade on Soquel Ave. followed by the carnival at Gault Elementary.
Pacific Rim Music Festival
See Description Under Friday Section
Also on Saturday
- Saint Motel @ The Catalyst
- Matt Masih & the Messengers @ Abbott Square
- Geoff Allan and Blue @ Davenport Roadhouse Restaurant & Inn
- Stella by Barlight @ Hoffman’s Bistro & Patisserie
- Billy Martini Halloween Show @ Crow’s Nest
- HALLOWEEN EXTRAVAGANZA @ Don Quixote’s
- ANTIBALAS + Here Lies Mann @ Moe’s Alley
- Halloween Party! featuring Redlight District and Dreaming Ghosts @ The Crepe Place
- David Liebe Hart @ The Catalyst
- The Monster Mash @ The Catalyst
- Patio Acoustics with Bret Fowler @ Severino’s
- Tsunami (Classic Rock, R&B) @ Severino’s
- M Ward @ Boardwalk’s Cocoanut Grove
- Lydia Joy – Acoustic Blues and Originals @ The Blue Lounge
- Museum of the Macabre: An Evening of Bones, Beasts and Brews @ Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History
- Halloween and Mask Making Festival @ Louden Nelson Community Center
- Zombie Night at Kiantis! @ Kianti’s Pizza and Pasta Bar
- 13 Days of Halloween on the Wharf @ Santa Cruz Wharf
- Scotts Valley Farmers Market @ Scotts Valley Farmers’ Market
- Westside Farmers Market @ Westside Farmers’ Market
- Aptos Farmers Market @ Aptos Farmers’ Market
- Paint Your Pet! @ 1129 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz
- 21st Annual Strike Out Against Cancer @ Boardwalk Bowl
- Regional Artisans Association Silent Auction Fundraiser @ Art of Santa Cruz
- Pure Pleasure Comedy Night @ Pure Pleasure
- City of Watsonville Nature Walks @ City of Watsonville – Nature Center
- Center Street Antiques Fall Open House @ Center Street Antiques & Interiors
- Living History Demonstrations and Ranch Tour @ Wilder Ranch State Park
- Guided Redwood Grove Walk @ Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
- Wilder Ranch Coast Nature Walk @ Wilder Ranch State Park
- Redwood Grove Loop Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Spooky or Not Spooky? @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Snakes Alive! @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Building Methods at the Mission @ Santa Cruz Mission State Historic 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
Kennolyn Camps Halloween Trick-or-Treat Event
When: 10/29 from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Where: Kennolyn Camp’s Stone Creek Village
Cost: Free
Fun tricks and treats are in store at Kennolyn Camp’s Halloween celebration, including entertainment by the Surfing Magician, cookie and pumpkin decorating, free family photos, and of course, trick-or-treating. Costumes encouraged!
Capitola Village Halloween Parade
When: 10/29 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Where: Line up in the Beach & Village Parking Lot
Cost: Free
The Capitola Village Children’s Halloween Parade begins near the Capitola Police Department, and works its way down Capitola Avenue to the Esplanade stage where refreshments will be served. Enjoy trick or treating at the Capitola Village shops after the parade.
Kuhai Halau O Mehana Pa ‘Olapa Kahiko Concert Fundraiser featuring Waipuna
When: 10/29 at 6:00 pm
Where: Kuumbwa Jazz Center
Cost: $30/Advance $35/Door
The Kuhai Halau O Mehana dance school holds it’s annual fundraiser, this year featuring the well-known Hawaiian band Waipuna. Spend an afternoon with the cultural music and dance of the islands while supporting this school.
Barktober Fest 2017
What: Barktober Fest 2017
Where: Sante Adairius Rustic Ales
When: Sunday, October 29 at 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Get your woof on and bring your best 4-legged buddy to this fun social event. Enjoy some locally crafted beer, share some light snacks with your pup, and even enter a costume contest. No dog? No problem. A brewery dog would be happy to hang out with you. All proceeds benefit the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter.
Pacific Rim Music Festival
See Description Under Friday Section
Also on Sunday
- Open Bluegrass Jam @ The Crepe Place
- Paul Damon and the Healers @ Abbott Square
- Joe Ferrara @ The Cats Restaurant & Bar
- California Kind @ Don Quixote’s
- PartyWave, Pacific Patterns & The Pirate @ Moe’s Alley
- (((folkYEAH))) Presents: Mattson 2, Ray Barbee @ The Crepe Place
- Sage The Gemini @ The Catalyst
- Brother Ali @ The Catalyst
- The Box @ The Blue Lagoon
- Live Comedy @ Crow’s Nest
- Sunday Seaside Crafts @ Seymour Marine Discovery Center
- 13 Days of Halloween on the Wharf @ Santa Cruz Wharf
- The Road Less Traveled – A Dog-Friendly Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Living History Demonstrations and Ranch Tour @ Wilder Ranch State Park
- Redwood Grove Loop Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Redwood Grove Loop Walk @ Big Basin Redwoods State Park
Featured Upcoming Event
What: Santa Cruz Warriors Home Opener
Where: Kaiser Permanente Arena
When: Nov. 4
Our local team is back in action and getting ready to step out onto their newly transformed court at the arena. All fans will receive an opening night shirt, and the first 1000 fans will also receive a rally towel!
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