Because many in-person events across Santa Cruz County have been canceled or postponed during the pandemic, Good Times is compiling a weekly list of virtual events hosted by local nonprofits, artists, fitness instructors and businesses. To submit your virtual event, send an email to ca******@go*******.sc.
ARTS AND MUSIC
ANTHONY ARYA, TAYLOR RAE, AND LINDSAY WALL – LILLE AESKE LIVESTREAM Anthony Arya, Taylor Rae, and Lindsey Wall are back together for another show, this time a livestream from Lille Aeske in Boulder Creek. As before, they’ll be playing original music as well as songs all together as a trio. Tickets suggested $5-10 sliding scale paid during show. Venmo: @lilleaeske or PayPal: ar**@li********.com. Will be broadcast to Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch. Links will be updated on the Facebook event page the day of the show: facebook.com/events/566212840704311. Saturday, June 20, 5-7pm.
SEAN’S MUSIC FACTORY Sean Mendelson, aka “Teacher Sean” is a singer/songwriter, recording artist, and Music Together/Kids Sing Teacher. The band, Sean’s Music Factory is made up of Sean Mendelson, Logan and Jillian, Puppet Sean, The Tickle Monster, and the audience! Sean’s Music Factory performs unique, high energy shows throughout the Bay Area for children of all ages. Join us via Zoom and register below for one of the two interactive shows. Wednesday, June 17, at 11am and 3pm. Register for 11am: santacruzpl.libcal.com/event/6741382. Register for 3pm: santacruzpl.libcal.com/event/6741385.
EBB AND FLOW RIVER ARTS FESTIVAL 2020 Starting Friday, June 5, the community is invited to celebrate the San Lorenzo River through public art installations, virtual performance, and activities as part of the Ebb and Flow River Arts Festival. In its sixth year, Ebb and Flow 2020 will continue to deepen and inform the Santa Cruz community’s relationship with the San Lorenzo River and the Tannery Arts Center through creative educational activities and storytelling. Permanent and temporary public art will be at the center of this year’s celebration. Local artists are designing works that will elevate water literacy, connect us to the land and its history, cultivate our sense of belonging, and inspire curiosity about the impact we have on the river system. Learn more at ebbandflowfest.org.
SPEED SKETCHING Come with paper and pencil and try your hand at speed sketching: all artistic experience is welcome. Prior to beginning the program, please select an object in your home and place it in view of your computer’s camera and let’s have fun together and see who can draw the silliest, stylish, true to life, or abstract interpretation of it. Every Tuesday afternoon at 2pm, take a break out of your day for some fun! Register for Zoom at: santacruzpl.libcal.com/event/6780189.
QUARANZINES: VIRTUAL CRAFT NIGHT Learn how to make a zine (pronounced like a magazine) and the history of this creative outlet. QuaranZines, aka zines made in response to COVID-19, are sweeping the country as people preserve, reflect, and share their experiences during these uncertain times. Stay for the hour or just drop-by. We’ll be here chatting inspiration, sharing best practices, swapping stories, crafting, doodling, and connecting with our creative community virtually. This event is related to the MAH’s upcoming exhibition “In These Uncertain Times.” RSVP for the Zoom link. Friday, June 19, 5-6pm.
MIKE THE MAGICIAN Magician Mike Della Penna creates wonder and laughter with family magic performances that are equal parts playful and astonishing! He is a favorite at preschools, libraries and family venues and is known for captivating the 3-to-7-year-old crowd with his fun-filled, participatory magic shows. Tuesday, June 23, 3:30pm; Wednesday, June 24, 11am; Tuesday, July 7, 1pm. Visit santacruzpl.org for more information.
CLASSES
DIGITAL PRIVACY: PASSWORD MANAGEMENT Your privacy online matters and is critical to your safety and future as a digital citizen. Digital privacy should be something we all protect and manage. Learn how to protect your passwords by creating stronger passwords and security questions. We will also discuss the pros and cons of password management tools. This workshop has been developed and supported by Consumer Reports, an independent, nonprofit member organization that works side by side with consumers for truth, transparency, and fairness in the marketplace. Facilitator: Helen Josephine, Consumer Reports member and local community workshop organizer. Wednesday, June 17, 10:30am-12pm. Visit santacruzpl.org for more information.
SALSA SUELTA IN PLACE: Free weekly online session in Cuban-style Salsa Suelta for experienced beginners and up. Contact to get a Zoom link. Thursdays at 7pm. Salsagente.com.
COMMUNITY
2020 SUMMER LUNCH PROGRAM Children and youth aged 18 and under can get free lunches this summer at 12 sites throughout Santa Cruz County! The annual Summer Lunch program, sponsored by La Manzana Community Resources, a program of Community Bridges, combats food insecurity and supports good nutritional habits. The Summer Lunch program begins June 8 and serves lunch Monday through Friday from 12-1pm. Free meals will be provided to all children, without eligibility documentation, who are 18 years of age and younger. Visit communitybridges.org/lmcr for more information.
KIDS CREATE STEAM PROJECT SERIES Series of STEAM programs through the summer for kids of all ages, presented via Facebook and our YouTube channel. Look for new videos on Tuesdays at 3:30pm and Fridays at 10am through July. Check out our Facebook (facebook.com/santacruzpl/) and Youtube channel (youtube.com/user/SantaCruzPL).
LEGO BUILDING CHALLENGE Join our eight-week summer Lego Building Challenge. You will only need common Lego pieces to complete these challenges. To join the fun, register each week via our online calendar, June 10 through July 29. On Wednesday, you will receive an email with the weekly challenge. If you would like to share your creation, post a photo on our Facebook SCPL Lego Building Challenge webpage. Bonus building challenges will be posted there for intermediate-level Lego fans. Learn more at santacruzpl.org.
TALES TO TAILS GOES VIRTUAL Tales to Tails goes virtual to create a comfortable, neutral, and fun reading experience. Bring some books, a stuffed animal or your own pet, and come read with us! This is a YouTube livestream event so you might be reading to up to six animals at once. Woo hoo! Caregivers, you can post your child’s first name and city in the comments section, along with the book they are reading, and we’ll read off as many of those names as we can, live, during the break we need to give the dogs. Each week you register we’ll send you your dog bone “punch cards.” These will be dated dog bones your child can color and email to us. The following week, we’ll display them live on the feed. This will also be recorded so if you can’t make it live, the dogs will still be there for you. Every Wednesday, 10-11am. Learn more at santacruzpl.libcal.com/event/6764929.
PEOPLE AND STORIES: READING DEEPLY IN COMMUNITY People and Stories is dedicated to opening doors to literature for new audiences. Through oral readings and rigorous discussions of enduring short stories, we invite participants to find fresh understandings of themselves, of others, and of the world. Please note that some stories contain themes and language of an adult nature. Santa Cruz Public Libraries offers People and Stories regularly in our county jails. We invite you to our special eight-week session on Zoom! Drop in for one or attend all 8 People and Stories sessions! Wednesdays, June 10-July 29, 1:30pm. Learn more at santacruzpl.libcal.com/event/6760931.
THE BIG NIGHT IN REPLACES BOWL FOR KIDS’ SAKE 2020 For the first time in our history, we’ve had to cancel all live events including our signature Bowl for Kids’ Sake, which represents a significant portion of our annual budget. This change has the potential to disrupt services to the youth we serve. We find ourselves in an urgent situation that we hope can be remedied by a temporary campaign asking many to give a little. Since we are not able to join together to bowl this year as planned, we want to offer a way for the community to support our work as well as provide fun ways for people to have community during this unique period of sheltering in place and social distancing. Instead of having a Big Night Out like we used to and will again, we are inviting you to have a Big Night In. This campaign will run May 15-June 30. It is a virtual fundraiser that is all about having fun and supporting a great cause, 1:1 youth mentoring. To encourage and promote your participation, fun and fundraising, we will be holding Weekly Drawings throughout the campaign window. A variety of gift certificates will be awarded each week. One week we will even be raffling off exclusive California wines for those that are over 21. We will also be offering Grand Prizes to the top individual(s) and team fundraiser(s). The organization is also seeking larger donations that can be used to match campaign donations and that info can also be found on our campaign website. Learn more at amplify.netdonor.net/13981/bfks2020.
CASA ONLINE INFORMATION MEETING: CASA of Santa Cruz County needs caring adult volunteers to speak up for the best interests of children who are involved in the Juvenile Dependency Care System (foster care) because they have been abused or neglected. A volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) spends time with one child each week, getting to know them and gathering information from everyone involved in the child’s case. In-person information meetings have been postponed in order to uphold the safety and well-being of you and your loved ones. In the meantime we’re hosting virtual information meetings! Please go to casaofsantacruz.org/signup to sign up, and you’ll receive a confirmation email with details and the link to the online meeting. If you have any questions you can email yo***@ca*************.org. Wednesday, June 17, 5:30-7pm; Thursday, June 18, 10am.
GROUPS
MONTHLY HAPPY HOUR AT GATHER Join us each month to spend time for ourselves—healthy snacks, an expert sharing their wisdom, and a community of people who care about each other and our own health and well-being! Learn more at gatherinsantacruz.com/whats-happening-at-gather/monthly-healthy-happy-hour-online-axzeh. Wednesday, June 17, 7-8pm.
SUNSET BEACH BOWLS Experience the tranquility, peace and calmness as the ocean waves harmonize with the sound of Crystal Bowls. Every Tuesday at 7:45pm. Moran Lake Park.
HEALING CRYSTAL BOWL SOUND BATH Relax, empty out and soothe our nervous systems in these uncertain times of great change. While humanity is laying low, nourish your spiritual immune system with high resonance alchemical crystal vibrations! Support all aspects of your being. Ride the wave for one hour with Sonic Vibration Specialist Michele for a deep journey with harmonic, alchemical crystal bowls and chimes. Feel free to sit up or lay down in a restorative pose to receive this uniquely relaxing expression of compassion. Immerse yourself in healing crystal bowl sound resonance and Michele’s angelic voice. Singyoursoulsong.com. Every Monday at 7pm. Online by donation: eventbrite.com/e/harmonize-w-alchemical-crystalline-sound-immersion-tickets-102214323794.
VIRTUAL GUIDED MEDITATION Reduce stress with meditation and maintain a healthy lifestyle during social distancing. Join us for a free virtual session. It’s been a tough week. In our lifetimes we have never faced a public health crisis like this one. As a locally owned small business, this situation is particularly overwhelming and stressful. Yet, we are also grateful. Grateful for our amazing cohort of practitioners that want to help as many people as they can. Grateful for our dependable back office and administrative support team. And, most of all, grateful to you, our community who has helped my dream of co-creating a community of wellness become a reality. Without you, there is no Santa Cruz CORE! Please RSVP, then use this link to join our sessions: zoom.us/j/344330220. Contributions are via: Paypal: ja***@sa***********.com. Venmo: @santacruzcore. Every day at noon. 425-9500.
VIRTUAL YOUNG ADULT (18-30) TRANSGENDER SUPPORT GROUP A weekly peer support group for young adults aged 18-25 who identify as transgender, non-binary, genderqueer, agender, or any other non-cisgender identity. This is a social group where we meet and chat among ourselves, sharing our experiences and thoughts in a warm, welcoming setting. Our meetings will be held on Discord during the Shelter in Place Order. For more info, contact Ezra Bowen at tr***@di*************.org.
LGBTQNBI+ SUPPORT GROUP FOR CORONAVIRUS STRESS This weekly LGBTQNBI+ support group is being offered to help us all deal with stress during the shelter-in-place situation that we are experiencing from the coronavirus. Feel free to bring your lunch and chat together to get support. This group is offered at no cost and will be facilitated by licensed therapists Shane Hill, Ph.D., and Melissa Bernstein, LMFT #52524. Learn how to join the Zoom support group at diversitycenter.org/community-calendar.
OUTDOOR
FREE VIRTUAL TOUR OF LOVE’S GARDENS DEMONSTRATION GARDEN Love’s Gardens is offering a free virtual tour of our demonstration garden on the Westside of Santa Cruz. View permaculture food forest features, subtropical fruits, culinary herbs and vegetables, espaliered fruit trees, perennial greens, edible flowers, and so much more! This will be an interactive tour in which you will be able to ask questions and get them answered. The tour is free, but you must register to get the link and password to join. We look forward to connecting with you virtually in the garden! Saturday, June 20, 10-11am. Register at eventbrite.com/e/free-virtual-tour-of-loves-gardens-demonstration-garden-tickets-104179078428.
FROM THE SANDHILLS TO THE STARS (VIRTUAL) Discover the hidden treasures of Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, from the endemic animals and plants of the unique Sandhills habitat to the sparkling stars that are often not viewable in urban areas, with an evening of fun, games, songs, and stories. This interactive program will be simultaneously broadcast as a Zoom webinar and a Facebook Live. Registration is required for the Zoom webinar. To register, visit tinyurl.com/SantaCruzCampfire. Like our Facebook page to receive a notification when we go live! Learn more at facebook.com/HenryCowellRSP. If you are unable to join us live, this program will be recorded for later viewing. Free event. Saturday, June 20, 7pm.
SEYMOUR CENTER’S OCEAN EXPLORERS VIRTUAL SUMMER CAMP Ocean Explorers experience the thrill of scientific discovery at a working marine lab. Join the Seymour Marine Discovery Center for behind-the-scenes virtual visits, live streaming interactions with scientists and animal trainers, and much more! Children actively learn in a distance learning format. Enjoy a week of fun this summer learning about ocean science. Investigate the incredible creatures that inhabit Monterey Bay. Discover how ocean scientists work with marine animals at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center and Long Marine Lab to help conserve animals in the wild. Space is limited–APPLY NOW! Masterful Marine Mammals, ages 9-11, June 22-26, July 13-17, and August 3-7. Masterful Marine Mammals, ages 12-14, June 15-19, June 29-July 3, and July 20-24. Something’s Fishy, ages 7-9 (waitlist only), July 6-10. Marine Science for Girls, ages 9-11, (waitlist only), July 27-31. Programs run 10:30am to 2:30pm (1-hour lunch break from 12-1pm): varied activities and mini-breaks. Fees: Members $250 (was $610); General Public $300 (was $650). Learn more at seymourcenter.ucsc.edu/learn/youth-teen-programs/ocean-explorers-summer-camp.
