Festivals

All Summer

Capitola Beach Twilight Concerts
Capitola Beach will transform into a venue for free live music. June 20-Aug. 29; 6-8pm every Wednesday evening of the summer.

Thursday Nights Out Downtown
During the school year, the Thursday nightlife is always in full swing. This year, the Downtown Association of Santa Cruz is ensuring that tradition will carry into the summer, with the expansion of its Thursday night series, including outdoor movies, concerts, theater and art festivals, as well as culinary and fashion expos. June-August, 5:30-8:30pm each Thursday. For details visit www.downtownsantacruz.com.

June

Japanese Cultural Fair
Come celebrate Japanese culture with an array of events, including martial arts demonstrations, traditional dance performances and tea ceremonies. Saturday, June 23, 11am-6pm, at Mission Park Plaza; free shuttle service will be provided between the Country Building parking lot, the Civic Auditorium and Mission Park Plaza in Santa Cruz. www.jofsc.org.

Woodies on the Wharf
Come take a step back in time and enjoy an impressive display of over 200 classic "woodies" on the Santa Cruz municipal wharf. Saturday, June 23. www.santacruz woodies.com.

Antiques and Collectibles Bazaar
To the chagrin of many an escapist H.G. Wells fan, they still haven't invented a working time machine. Those eggheads can send a man to the moon but they can't. ... Well, anyway, come see the next best thing at the Antique and Collectibles Bazaar. The event is sponsored by the Department of Parks and is free. Since we still can't go back and check the original price tag (lazy no-good scientists!), the American Guild of Certified Appraisers will be on hand to tell you how much your old loot is worth. Sunday, June 24; 9am-3pm. Simpkins Family Swim Center, 979 17th Ave., Santa Cruz; 831.454.7900.

July

Monterey Scottish Games and Celtic Festival
Hike up your kilt, pour a dram and celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Monterey Scottish Games and Celtic Festival. The festival features a variety of activities, including Scottish and Irish music, Scottish, Highland and Irish step dancing and bagpiping. July 1-July 8. Toro Country Park, six miles from Salinas and 13 miles from Monterey peninsula. www.montereyscotgames.com.

Plein Air Affair
The Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History will showcase impressionist-inspired outdoor painting of local landscapes. Some of the featured sites include the Evergreen Cemetery, Wilder Ranch and the Pacific Garden Mall. July 14-15 in the museum's Abbott Square courtyard. 705 Front St., Santa Cruz. 831.429.1964; www.santacruzmah.org.

Gilroy Garlic Festival
If there's one thing Gilroy is famous for, it's garlic. Don't miss the 29th annual Garlic Festival, just over the hill from Santa Cruz, featuring the garlic cook-off, live music and the "Garlic Idol" singing contest. July 27-29, 10am-7pm. General admission is $12. Located at the Christmas Hill Park. www.gilroygarlicfestival.com.

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Archives
Beach party: The Main Beach should be filled throughout the summer as Centennial celebrations at the Boardwalk draw in even larger numbers of tourists this year.

August

Monterey Bay Strawberry Festival
Come celebrate the staple summer fruit at Watsonville's Ramsay Park, featuring strawberry dishes, entertainment, contests and a special children's area. Aug. 3-5. www.watsonvillestrawberryfestival.com.

Musical Saw Festival
Roaring Camp in Felton will again host the Musical Saw Festival for the 29th year in a row, attracting saw-yers from across the United States, Canada, China, Japan, the former Soviet bloc, England, France, New Zealand and Australia, The festival organizers also invite attendees to participate in the "Saw Off" contest, in which they are expected to perform "Auld Lang Syne" and a piece of their choice. Aug. 11-12. www.sawplayers.org/fest info.html.

Scotts Valley Art and Wine Festival
The eight annual Scotts Valley Art and Wine Festival features over 90 artists, and drinks from local wineries and breweries in an outdoor setting. Aug. 11-12, 10am- 6pm. Admission is free. Sky Park. www.svchamber.org/artunderaoks.htm.

Begonia Festival
The Pacific Begonias should be in full bloom by Labor Day weekend, when the Capitola Begonia Festival descends on the village by the sea. The four-day event features film, wine, parade floats, and of course, flowers. A sand castle contest is scheduled for Saturday on Capitola Beach. But don't wait too long, because "castles made of sand fall in the sea, eventually." Aug. 31-Sept. 3. www.begoniafestival.com.

September

Capitola Art and Wine Festival
Celebrate the waning days of summer at the Capitola Art and Wine Festival. The festival feature lives music and booths from a dozen local wineries. Sept. 8-9, 10am-6pm. www.capitolachamber.comm/artwine.html.

Santa Cruz County Fair
With its origins in the late 19th century, the Santa Cruz County Fair has become a staple of the beachside community. Behind the Historic Rodgers House--originally built in the 1870s and now serving as the front entrance to the fairgrounds--fair-goers will find everything from auto racing to horse and livestock events to the Santa Cruz County Fair Idol Contest to showcase our own local talent. Sept. 11-16. On Highway 152 in Watsonville. www.santacruzcountyfair.com.

50th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival
From Friday to Sunday, enjoy nonstop jazz on the beautiful 20 acres of forested grounds. This year's festival features live performances from Dave Brubeck, Diana Krall, Los Lobos, Sonny Rollins, Ornette Coleman, Issac Delgado and Gerald Wilson, just to name a few. Sept 21-23. www.montereyjazzfestival.org.

Kite Festival
Come help the Boardwalk make the next 100 years as fun as the last by lending your support to a new Santa Cruz tradition--kite flying. Sure, flying kites at the beach isn't a new concept, but this first annual festival has drawn professional kite flyers from around the country. Who knew there were professional kite flyers?! What a job! These lucky bastards will be demonstrating sport flying, Japanese Rokkaku fighter battles (you try to knock down the opponent's kite), kite construction and kite land board riding. Sept. 22; 9am-7pm. Free. Main Beach, Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Archives
Drive-by shooting: The Kite Festival and Sand Soccer tournament will have to stand in for some of the stranger sporting events of yesteryear.

Fourth Of July

Aptos Fourth of July Parade
The Fourth of July parade is a lost art. To really resuscitate these things you have to start small. For this very reason you should take the family out to Aptos to witness the "World's Shortest Parade." You might even catch a glimpse of that elusive celebrity we've all been reading so much about, District 27 Assemblymember John Laird. This year's theme is "The home of the red, white and blue celebrates Green too." Remember, budding poets, the Aptos fourth of July parade has taught you to be concise and rhyme. The parade starts at 10am and ends with a party at 11:30am in Aptos Village. www.aptoschamber.com.

Roaring Good Time
Pack up the family and head to Roaring Camp for a day of family fun. Sack races, balloon toss, hula hoop contests, music and more. 5355 Graham Road, Felton. www.roaringcamp.com.

Santa Cruz Firecracker 10K
Start Independence Day right with a morning running through Pogonip Park. The race begins at 8am on July 4 at Harvey West Park, after the obligatory pancake breakfast, of course. Kids are invited to participate in the 1k version of the race. www.santacruzfirecracker10k.org.

Star Spangled Beach Cleanup
This event is for all "conscious" folks who spend more time on the Fourth thinking of the terrible ruin our country has brought to the land it colonized than about whether Budweiser or Miller Genuine Draft goes better with kosher hot dogs. We know you're out there. Come: ascend out of your environmentalist gloom and join other like-minded activists at Save Our Shores to make the beach a better place for us all. Get ready for a workout, last year they picked up over 1,000 pounds of trash and 350 pounds of recycling. Volunteers will gather at various beaches. On July 4 volunteers will be handing out trash and recycling bags to beachgoers, and on July 5 at 11am volunteers will clean up the remaining trash. Call 831.345.6388 for more info.

Sports & Recreation

Parks and Recreation
Summer is coming soon but there is still time to register for City of Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation summer programs. Everything from Junior Lifeguards to kayaking to theater is available along with fun new classes in acting, karaoke, and kids' cooking. Activity Guides are available at city-county libraries and the Parks and Recreation Office, 323 Church St., Santa Cruz. Participants may register online at www.santacruzparksandrec.com, by mail or by phone, 831.420.5270, or in person at 323 Church St,, 8am-5pm Monday-Friday.

Pro-Am Beach Soccer Tournament
Come watch local soccer players from a range of talents and ages compete in the Santa Cruz leg of the ProAmBeachSoccerUSA summer games. June 23-24. Free. Main Beach. www.proambeachsoccerusa.com.

35th Annual Wharf-to-Wharf Race
Since 1973, runners from across the country have flocked to Santa Cruz to participate in the six-mile race from the Santa Cruz wharf to the Capitola wharf. The run is famed for its scenic route and live music along the way, with 40 live bands performing this year. Sunday, July 22; 8:30am. Entry fee $30, limited to 15,000 runners. www.wharftowharf.com.

Aloha Outrigger Race and Polynesian Festival
For the 15th year in a row, come celebrate the unique history and culture of Polynesian peoples and cheer on the outrigger racers. Aug. 19, Races begin at 9am at the Santa Cruz Wharf; festival runs 11am-5pm.

Family Events at Roaring Camp in Felton

Great Train Robberies
Witness shootouts of famed lawmen and notorious outlaws from the 1880s at Bear Mountain. Blazing re-enactments demonstrate why the West was wild. For tickets call 831.335.4484. June 30, July 1, Sept. 1, 2 (Labor Day Weekend).

Moonlight Dinner Trains
Moonlight dinner, dancing and train ride through a redwood forest lit by flashlight. Reservations recommended. For tickets call 831.335.4484. June 30; Aug. 25; Sept. 22; Oct. 20.

Starlight Evenings
Wonder at the beauty of a redwood forest lit up at night during a two-hour, round-trip railway excursion from the Boardwalk in Santa Cruz. Reservations recommended. For tickets call 831.335.4484. June 30; July 7, 14, 21; Aug. 11, 18.

Fourth of July Celebration
Pack up the family and head to Roaring Camp for a day of family fun. Sack races, balloon toss, hula hoop contests, music and more. July 4.

Day Out With Thomas
Join Thomas the Tank Engine on a train ride through the Big Trees. Meet Sir Topham Hatt and enjoy a day of Thomas activities. Reservations required. For tickets call TicketWeb at 866.468.3399. July 27, 28, 29; Aug. 3, 4, 5.

Summer Gathering of Mountain Men
Wander through wilderness encampments of trappers and traders as a 1830s summer rendezvous of wild and wooly mountain men is re-created. Aug. 11, 12. For more information, call 831. 335.4484 or visit www.roaringcamp.com.

Send a letter to the editor about this story.