Santa Cruz Festival Guide
Santa Cruz residents love a good party, and every year the whole county celebrates with a busy calendar of festivals and gatherings
. Bookmark this event list so you won't miss any of the fun.January:
Fungus Faire: For 2 days every January, The Fungus Federation celebrates the joy of fungi. Participate in cooking demonstrations, mushroom walks, and even bring in your samples for identification.
May
Santa Cruz Film Festival: Over a one week period in May, over 100 films (many homegrown), are featured in local theaters, along with a whirlwind of parties, panel discussions and awards.
June
Woodies on the Wharf: For three days in late June people flock from all over North America to see over 200 wooden bodied antique cars on display at the Santa Cruz Wharf. Combined with social events, and good food, this is probably one of the most popular woody gatherings in the world.
July & August - August is a crazy month for celebrations in Santa Cruz County:
Shakespeare Santa Cruz: For July and August the Mainstage at the UCSC Theatre Arts Center becomes a showcase of Shakespearean productions. Enjoy a variety of plays followed by panel discussions, including a number of community events.
Scotts Valley Art & Wine Festival: Some of the area's finest wineries and microbreweries gather in Skypark, offering tastings of featured wine and beer. Spend the day browsing dozens of juried art boothes, eat great food, and enjoy live entertainment.
Aloha Outrigger Races & Polynesian Festival: Hawaii meets California with this incredible display of Polynesian culture. Experience the thrill of outrigger canoe racing, buy a fresh flower lei, watch hula dancing while eating Hawaiian shaved ice, and experience Maori face painting. Admission is free and there is lots for kids to do.
Begonia Festival: Paying heed to begonias is only an excuse for a party in this 58-year running community celebration. Events include movie nights at the beach, sand sculpture carving, artist displays, horseshoes, rowboat races and the nautical parade of begonia covered barges.
September - Some of the best weather of the year occurs in September, and residents have saved some of their favorite gatherings for this warm month.
Greek Culture and Food Festival: During the first weekend of September, Downtown Santa Cruz transforms into a celebration of all things Greek. Experience tasty dolmas, kabobs and baklava while watching authentic folk dancers.
Capitola Art and Wine Festival: Every Labor Day weekend you'll find the residents of Capitola sipping wine, and browsing art displays during this 2-day festival.
Santa Cruz County Fair: Held the third week of September, this is your typical county fair with cows, pigs horses, and lots of games and rides for the kids.
Mission Adobe Day: Held at the Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park, this great family celebration features displays of local history such as authentic brick making, tortilla-making, and other crafts.
Monterey Bay Birding Festival: Held at the Elkhorn Slough Estuarine Reserve, late September is the time for both birders and rare birds to descend on this area.
October
O'Neill Cold Water Classic: This four-day surfing competition takes place during the fourth week in October at Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz. The longest running surf contest in Northern California, the Cold Water Classic attracts professional riders from all over the globe. Spectators watch from atop the rail-lined cliff overlooking a crescent shaped bay known for its right point break and huge waves.
Open Studio Art Tour: A wide variety of artists open their studios to the public during the first three weekends in October.
Pacific Rim Film Festival: During the second weekend in October, this popular festival showcases films from countries such as Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, New Zealand, and other locations along the Pacific Ocean.
Seventh Sense Fashion Show: Taking place during two weekends in mid-October, this fashion show is a display of art in motion. This lavish spectacle from multi-media artists features such items as concrete, barbed wire and even projected light in their wearable creations.
December
Holiday Lights Train: What season would be complete without a holiday celebration. During weekends in December, the Roaring Camp Santa Cruz Beach Train, covered in thousands of twinkling lights, travels along the Boardwalk while passengers sing carols and sip hot-spiced cider.
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