Events in Santa Cruz County, CA

Local players gather each week for a tournament where competitors vie for the title of King of the Pirates. The entry fee is $10.

Texas-based singer, composer and actor Lyle Lovett brings a career that spans 14 albums to the stage, pairing vivid storytelling with a blend of country, swing, jazz, folk, gospel and blues. Since his self-titled 1986 debut, he has expanded the boundaries of American music, and his concerts highlight both the range of his influences and the depth of his talents. His honors include four Grammy Awards, the Americana Music Association's inaugural Trailblazer Award and recognition as Texas State Musician. Expect a rich, eclectic performance that reflects the artistry behind his enduring catalog.

This twice-weekly freeform dance gathering at the Palomar Ballroom, the new home for these dances in downtown Santa Cruz, features host and DJ Daniel Mollner. Participants are welcome to move in any way that feels right, choosing to dance solo or connect with others at their own comfort level. Attendees are responsible for their own health and safety. Doors close partway through the session. Admission is $20, cash only, with free entry for kids and during your birthday week. The space centers embodiment, creativity, and community, remains alcohol and drug free, and keeps conversation off the dance floor. All bodies and identities are celebrated, including People of Color, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Same Gender Loving people, seniors, and neurodiverse participants, as well as people of every shape, size, age, and ability.

Celebrate the final Yappy Hour of the year at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History in the Kincentricity Garden. Dress up your dog for a lighthearted costume contest with a prize at stake, and meet dogs looking for new homes through the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter. Admission is free and the event is open to the public.

Tech Café is a weekly, all-ages program for anyone interested in technology. Participants can get answers to basic tech questions and try out a featured device or tool. Sessions typically take place at the Main Library unless another location is noted. The spotlight changes each month, with hands-on demos that may include Doodle Pens, Makey Makeys, a 3D printer, Sphero robots, a Cricut, a Glowforge laser cutter, and iPad stop motion movie making.

Suitable for all ages, this activity has no cost to participate and includes opportunities to win prizes.

Felton Music Hall hosts a live concert by The Wildwoods.

A Halloween themed scooter meetup takes place at Evergreen Cemetery in Santa Cruz. Attendees bring scooters and wear Oliver Tree inspired outfits, gather to pay respects, pose for a large group photo with hopes of being the biggest OT scooter gathering, then ride together to the boardwalk. All ages are welcome. Participants are asked to be respectful of everyone and everything while celebrating Oliver Tree. Plans may change.

Scrumptious brings its award-winning take on classic British fish and chips to Humble Sea Brewing Co., honored by Good Times as Santa Cruz’s Best Takeout/Seafood for five consecutive years. Order the signature fish and chips or choose other options like shrimp and bangers. There are also three loaded chip dishes, including a vegan-friendly choice. Ordering through DoorDash and Uber Eats is available while at the venue.

Stanley Simmons performs at Felton Music Hall. Tickets are available.

Spend time cuddling with adoptable cats, dogs, and bunnies and learn more about the shelter and the many pets seeking loving homes. To request a reservation, email nga@scanimalshelterfoundation.org. As the county’s largest pet adoption agency, the shelter also shares adoption listings on its website.

A long-running fixture in downtown Santa Cruz, this traditional Irish music session gathers at Rosie McCann's Irish Pub & Restaurant. It is open to all ages and features a full bar along with a complete dinner menu. Experienced players of Celtic styles are welcome, and it is equally enjoyable for those who simply want to listen to acoustic folk inspired by Irish tradition. The session is hosted by Julie Horner and David Chadwick, with support from Irish Culture Bay Area and the Celtic Society of the Monterey Bay.

Now in its 79th year, the Cavalcade of Pigeons features an all-breed, all-age pigeon showcase organized by the Central California Pigeon Club. A sales area, a raffle, and food will be available for purchase. The event takes place at the Fresno Fairgrounds in Central California.

Felton Music Hall presents Elijah Scott. Tickets are available.

An outdoor silent disco at Oceanview Park in Santa Cruz welcomes all ages on second Sundays. Headsets are $10, with cash preferred and Venmo accepted if needed. The atmosphere is relaxed and substance free, centered on creativity, embodiment, and community connection. A DJ set from Daniel Mollner begins gently for warmup, builds toward an energetic peak, then softens into a calm finish. Conversation is kept out of the dance area so everyone can focus on movement. Attendees are welcome to bring a blanket, a picnic, kids, dogs, hoops, a slackline, or other items that encourage expression and care. The community is committed to being safe and welcoming for all, with particular attention to LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, people of all body types, neurodiverse participants, and seniors. Participants are encouraged to be authentic, honor others, care for the space, and choose whether to dance solo or with others at any time.

Celebrate the launch of the One Piece TCG set EB-05 with a tournament that offers special promo items, packs with stamps, and prizes for top finishers. Players can bring sleeves and a Don!! deck to take part. Entry is $40. Select product may be available to purchase after the event while supplies last.

A no-cost health screening takes place at Watsonville Public Library’s Main Library with no appointment required. Community Health Trust of Pajaro Valley provides checks that help library patrons review their health and learn about risks for conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. This session focuses on diabetes. All ages are welcome. This project is supported by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian, and is also supported by Rural Health Connections.

They Are Gutting A Body Of Water performs live at Felton Music Hall in Felton, California.

Jake Xerxes Fussell appears at Felton Music Hall in Felton, CA. Tickets are available.

Amid the quiet of the redwoods, this three-day plant medicine retreat centers on the New Moon, offering a held space for reflection, release, and renewal as late autumn invites turning inward. Through sacred medicines, participants are guided to shed what no longer serves, plant intentions for a new chapter, and reconnect with the creative stillness at the root of new beginnings, aligning life with inner truth. The timing aligns with the moonless sky to emphasize renewal. Without moonlight, attention naturally turns within, supporting shadow exploration and thoughtful self-inquiry. Intentions set at this moment are tended as the light returns, creating harmony with the cycle of endings and beginnings. Guided ceremonies include traditional Andean despacho offerings that honor Pachamama, along with sacred medicine work with Mother Divine and San Pedro Father Divine. Care is holistic, with plant-focused meals, cozy lodging, and experienced guidance throughout. One-on-one shamanic consultations are available, and despacho ceremonies for alignment and gratitude are part of the experience. Held in Santa Cruz, California, the retreat brings Andean shamanic energy traditions into a contemporary, comfortable setting.

High-country yodeling, bright whistling, and quick-witted lyrics converge as Nick Shoulders brings a sound that fuses time-honored Southern styles with a punk-spirited edge. Expect a lively set packed with carefree energy, vintage flavor, and storytelling rooted in tradition. Outlaw country, alt country, Americana, honky-tonk, and old-time influences shape the performance from a singular singer-songwriter voice.

Felton Music Hall hosts a concert featuring Cactus Blossoms with Margo Cilker, bringing both acts together on one stage.

John Carroll Kirby takes the stage at Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz for a performance presented by (((folkYEAH!))). The show welcomes attendees of all ages. All sales are final.

A writing workshop at Garfield Park invites adults 55 and older to explore awareness of the natural environment and climate change through reflective writing. The workshop encourages community, socialization, and creativity among older individuals who may be at higher risk for isolation and mental health. Stephany Buswell has spent about ten years in writers’ groups, which led to a memoir published in 2022. She is working on a second book that blends memoir and comedy, sharing stories of cake disasters and unusual situations. A retired pastry chef and former pastry chef instructor, she has made cakes for fifty years and now focuses on writing. Elbina Batala Rafizadeh is a published writer, poet, and Cal Poet teacher. Her first book of poetry was published in 2024, and she co-edited an anthology of peace poetry the same year. She has facilitated short story and poetry writing groups since 1997, is a member of the Writers of Color, is now semi-retired, and teaches one health class at West Valley Mission College. Her cultural heritage and experiences in the natural world inform her writing. This program occurs on third Thursdays from January through May and July through November, with no in-branch sessions in June or December.

Felton Music Hall hosts Rosebud and Shaky Feelin' for a performance. Tickets are available.

Andrew McMahon takes the stage at Felton Music Hall for a live performance. Tickets are available.

Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band appears at Kuumbwa Jazz, led by drummer Brian Blade with pianist Jon Cowherd, a partnership that began when Blade moved to New Orleans in 1988 to study at Loyola University. In those formative years they studied and performed with New Orleans masters including John Vidacovich, Ellis Marsalis, Steve Masakowski, Bill Huntington, Mike Pellera, John Mahoney, and Harold Battiste. The group began recording in 1998 and has since built a seven-album catalog across twenty-seven years, while taking the stage at the Village Vanguard and at the Ottawa, Newport, and New Orleans jazz festivals. This performance features Blade on drums, Melvin Butler on soprano and tenor saxophones, Myron Walden on alto saxophone and bass clarinet, Jon Cowherd on piano, and Chris Thomas on bass.

Fans of The Residents can experience Eskimo performed live at Felton Music Hall. Tickets are available.

Settle into a soothing sound journey with Waves of Sound, where the gentle resonance of crystal singing bowls helps the body soften and the mind unwind. Inspired by the calming pulse of the ocean, this immersive experience invites spaciousness and quiet, creating room to simply be. Guided by Ember Paige, the session uses tone, vibration, and rhythm to support presence and to help participants reconnect with their own inner harmony.

Sandra Bernhard, an American actress, singer, comedian, and author, has influenced comedy, film, television, and the live stage for five decades. A groundbreaking force in the modern one-woman show, her performances blend stand-up, cabaret, rock and roll, and sharp social commentary. She is recognized by Comedy Central among the 100 Greatest Stand-Up Comedians and has been featured in Netflix Is a Joke’s Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration. Her stage work includes Without You I’m Nothing, I’m Still Here... Damn It!, Everything Bad and Beautiful, and #blessed. In 2026 she appears in the Oscar-nominated A24 film Marty Supreme opposite Timothée Chalamet and joins Season 4 of HBO’s The White Lotus. Recent screen credits include Season Two of Apple TV+’s Severance, a guest judge appearance on RuPaul’s Drag Race, Netflix’s Survival of the Thickest with Michelle Buteau, and Disney+’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians as one of the Gray Sisters alongside Margaret Cho and Kristen Schaal. December 2026 also marks the 20th anniversary of her annual holiday residency at Joe’s Pub in New York City.

Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox transforms contemporary songs with vintage flair, blending jazz influences and retro styles into fresh arrangements. Presented at the Henry J. Mello Center for the Performing Arts in Watsonville, CA, this performance features lively reimaginings alongside time-honored favorites for a nostalgic yet modern night of live music.

GRAMMY Award winning guitarist, vocalist, composer, and producer Isaiah Sharkey brings a sound at the crossroads of modern soul, jazz, R&B, and the Black American guitar tradition. His playing extends a lineage that includes George Benson, Curtis Mayfield, Wes Montgomery, and Jimi Hendrix while speaking with a voice all his own. Recognized for sophisticated harmonic ideas, a singular tone, and an easy command of multiple styles, he has become a leading figure of his generation. Sharkey’s work on D’Angelo’s Black Messiah earned a GRAMMY and underscored his role in shaping contemporary Black music. As a solo artist he crafts songs that fuse pocketed groove, high level improvisation, and storytelling. His album RED showcased a modern blend of soul, R&B, jazz, and guitar driven narrative, with subsequent releases broadening the palette for devoted instrumental fans as well as wider audiences. Forthcoming projects explore fresh mixes of analog and electronic textures, guitar centered harmony, and songwriting grounded in personal truth. In performance he is defined by precision, warmth, spirituality, and an unshakable groove whether presenting his own material or elevating the work of others.

This is an annual pub crawl with participants dressed in Santa gear. It takes place on First Friday. For more information, contact Rupert at 6508147873.

Settle into a restorative sound bath at The Center For Healing in Felton, offered on the second and final Sundays of each month. A rich blend of gong, singing bowls, chimes, and other meditative instruments creates gentle waves of sound that support stress relief, soften tension, and invite deep relaxation. After the session, tea is shared to close the experience. Please bring a mat and anything else that will help you feel comfortable. For questions, contact Ariella Laver at ariellabresler@gmail.com or 650-9969484.

Felton Music Hall hosts a live performance featuring Pokey LaFarge alongside Cicada Rhythm. This show brings both artists to the venue’s stage together.

Holiday shopping comes together at Hotel Paradox, Autograph Collection in Santa Cruz with an indoor market showcasing local small businesses and creators. Enjoy brunch at Solaire, warm up with a hot toddy, and explore a festive setting that includes visits with Santa, photos, ornaments, and plenty of gift options. The market fills the lobby and the main ballroom, and onsite parking is free. Vendors interested in participating should apply only through official website links; direct messages or comment requests are not used, and posts claiming last minute vendor openings in comments are scams.

Settle into a soothing sound healing session designed to quiet the mind and encourage the body to rest and restore. Held on the last Sunday of each month at the Center For Healing in Felton, this gathering offers a calm space to unwind. Please bring a mat, a blanket, and a pillow for comfort. For questions, contact ariellabresler@gmail.com.