A weekly guide to what’s happening.
Green Fix
National Drive Electric Week
For seven years, National Drive Electric Week has inspired people to ditch the gas pumps and go electric. It includes more than 250 events across the nation; in Santa Cruz, there will be opportunities to gain first-hand experience in electric-vehicle test drive areas, along with the chance to talk with local electric vehicle owners and experts. There will also be electric bike displays, just in case you haven’t tried out the Jump bikes yet.
INFO: 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8. Cooper St., Santa Cruz. mbeva.org. Free.
Art Seen
‘The Beauty Queen Of Leenane’
Fortysomething spinster Maureen Folan lives with her manipulative aging mother Mag in the provincial Irish town of Leenane. When a romantic encounter finally sparks Maureen’s hopes for an escape from her dreary existence, Mag’s interference sets in motion a chain of events that is as tragically funny as it is terrifying. Written in 1996, Beauty Queen is one part of a trilogy and was the first play from screenwriter Martin McDonagh, who’s best known for In Bruges and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.
INFO: 2 and 7:30 p.m. Runs Wednesday, Sept. 5 through Sunday, Sept. 30. The Colligan Theater at the Tannery Arts Center. 1010 River St., Santa Cruz. 425-7506. jeweltheatre.net. $27-$50.
Saturday 9/8
Apple a Day Festival
Don’t be fooled by the date—according to the gloomy, cold and dry weather we’ve begun to see here, it’s pretty much fall. Of course that means pumpkin spice everything, while the apple gets overlooked this time of year. But at the Scotts Valley Farmers Market, apples will be the star of the show, with an apple scavenger hunt. The best apples of the year are ripe from September through October, and to preserve their tart, juicy taste, now is the time to make applesauce. Nothing quite says or smells like fall more than homemade applesauce, so join in the Scotts Valley Farmers Market demonstration on how to make it at home. Can’t make this one? Felton Farmers market will host the festival on Sept. 18.
INFO: 10 a.m. Applesauce Workshop. Scotts Valley Farmers Market. King’s Village Drive, Scotts Valley Community Center, Scotts Valley. santacruzfarmersmarket.org. Free.
Thursday 9/6
‘To Brahms with Love from the Cello of Pablo Casals’
To mark the 100th anniversary of renowned cellist Pablo Casals’ U.S. debut,  Grammy-nominated cellist and conductor Amit Peled will use Casals’ own cello to perform To Brahms with Love. Peled maintains a growing conducting schedule while continuing a thriving solo career performing on the historic 1733 Gofriller Pablo Casals cello. Along with performing in some of the world’s best concert halls, Peled is passionate about making classical music more accessible for people of all ages, and has recently published a children’s book A Cello Named Pablo. This is the biggest event in the history of the Distinguished Artists Concert series, and is sure to see a large turnout, so get tickets early.
INFO: 7:30 p.m. Peace United Church, 900 High St., Santa Cruz. General admission, $35, senior $30, student: $12.50
Saturday 9/8 and Sunday 9/9
San Francisco Mime Troupe ‘Seeing Red’
The San Francisco Mime Troupe is premiering its 59th season with Seeing Red: A Time Traveling Musical. Bob, a former Obama voter, takes a chance on Donald J. Trump, the new guy promising change—an attractive candidate for her since she’s had nothing but misfortunes in the Obama era. But two years into Trump’s presidency, Bob’s still waiting to start winning. Then she travels back to a time when the Socialist Party was winning millions of American votes, and discovers that perhaps her views and those of the pesky progressive aren’t all that different.
INFO: 3 p.m. San Lorenzo Park. 137 Dakota Ave., Santa Cruz. (415) 285-1717. sfmt.org. Free, donations gladly accepted.
