A weekly guide to what’s happening
Green Fix
Birding For Beginners
On this one-and-a-half hour walk, be prepared to hike 2 miles on uneven surfaces, with many stops to view the birds, plants and scenery along the way. Bring your binoculars if you have them (binoculars are also available to borrow), clothes for variable weather and good walking shoes. Everyone is welcome, but children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by adults. Rain cancels.
INFO: 9 a.m.-noon. Friday, April 12. Wilder Ranch State Park, 1401 Coast Rd., Santa Cruz. Meet at the interpretive center. 426-0505. Free/$10 vehicle day-use fee.
Art Seen
‘Looking For Normal’
Santa Cruz County Actors’ Theatre continues its 2019 season with the full-length staged production of Jane Anderson’s Looking For Normal, directed by the renowned Tandy Beal. The production is a domestic comedy-drama about Roy and Irma, who have been married for 25 years. They have two children and are respected members of their church and their community.  But when they go to their pastor for marriage counseling, Roy confesses that he identifies as a woman and wants to transition genders. The play explores the complexities of marriage and family, and deconstructs the very notion of love. Â
INFO: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday. Show runs Friday, April 12-Sunday, April 28. Center Street Theater, 1001 Center St., Santa Cruz. sccat.org. $32 general/$29 student or senior. Photo: Jana Marcus.
Saturday 4/13
Climb For Good
Spend an evening climbing with your friends while supporting Hospice of Santa Cruz County, the oldest and largest hospice non-profit in Santa Cruz, which serves around 1,000 children and teens annually. This event features climbing opportunities for both experienced and new climbers, music, refreshments, and raffle prizes. All climbing gear is included with each donation. All donations will be given to the Hospice of Santa Cruz County Youth Grief Support program. Parents or guardians must accompany children ages 6 and over.
INFO: 6:30-9 p.m. Pacific Edge Climbing Gym. 104 Bronson St. #12, Santa Cruz. 430-3000, pacificedgeclimbinggym.com/hospice. $20 donation.
Saturday 4/13
Natural Dyeing With Onions
Local artist and maker Kaitlin Bonifacio has been working with natural dyes for years, making beautiful scarves and textiles using avocados, onions skins and indigo. She started her local business Yuzu and Rose out of the Craftsman Collective space in Soquel last year, and has since been teaching workshops using indigo and other natural dyes for attendees to create homemade, one-of-a-kind baby slings, napkins and pillowcases to take home. Onion skins in particular make a beautiful, yellow-hued dye. Hangings will be mounted on driftwood, making the perfect addition to your home decor, or a thoughtful gift.
INFO: Noon-2 p.m. The Craftsmen Collective, 4600 Soquel Drive, Soquel. 325-1553, thecraftsmencollective.com. $55.
Thursday 4/11
‘Councilwoman’
Hosted by the Watsonville Film Festival, the second event of the Reel Work Film Festival tells the story of Carmen Castillo. Castillo is a Dominican woman who maintains her job cleaning hotel rooms as she takes on her new role in politics as a city councilwoman in Providence, Rhode Island. She faces skeptics who say she doesn’t have the education to govern, and the film shows a behind-the-scenes journey of a worker taking on the political system.
INFO: 7 p.m. Watsonville Civic Plaza Community Room, 275 Main St. 4th Floor, Watsonville. reelwork.org.
