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Fall 2023 Registration and Activity Guide
Parks and Recreation is excited to announce that the 2023 Fall Activity Guide is now online in English and Spanish! Registration opens August 14, 2023.
We are thrilled to offer fun, educational, and active classes for all ages. Want to learn a new skill? Change up your fitness routine? Add art to your life? We have got a class for you! Our 2023 Fall Activity Guide is available for viewing on our website.
As stated in the Director’s Letter in the 2023 Fall Activity Guide, “Beyond the school classroom, the benefits of parks, recreation, and leisure are vast. Parks & Rec classes and programs provide unique opportunities for ongoing personal development and growth, self-esteem, stress relief, creativity, community, friendships, and FUN. Our classes and programs bring people together and are at the heart of community connectedness in Santa Cruz. Classes are also a core part of our mission to build a healthy community, foster equity, and better the environment.”
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Summer Season has Ended!
The Parks and Recreation summer season ended on August 4, 2023 and was a smashing success! We saw a 3.6% increase in total revenue for the summer season—our best year to date. That increase was spread across 216 sections of classes, camps, and Junior Guards, with 3,229 enrolled participants, totaling $758,869.39 in revenue. 2023 was another summer making memories with Parks and Recreation!
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Where There’s a Will,
There’s a Wave!
On August 1, 2023 we kicked off registration for the
31st Annual Aloha Outrigger Races happening on Saturday, September 16, 2023. The Parks and Recreation Department would love to see participation from City teams. Shoutout to Police, Fire, Water, and fellow Parks and Recreation staff, who frequently enter a team to compete. It is sure to be a great day with a lot of fun in the sun!
Thank you to our amazing partners, the Pu Pu 'O Hawaii Outrigger Canoe Club. This event would not be possible without them. Register now. You have until August 25, 2023 for early bird registration. Click here to register your team today!
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Library Updates
The Library Summer Reading Program has officially wrapped up. We had over 3,500 community members sign up, and they logged almost 44,840 hours of reading during June and July!
The Library Summer Reading Program is focused on maintaining and improving reading skills, exploring inside and out, and building up our community. The library hosted over 100 free events, from Python Ron’s Reptile Kingdom and Tom Noddy the Bubble Guy to Bystander Intervention Trainings and SoundSwell Summer Concert Series.
August 13, 2023 is the last day to log reading and claim prizes. Participating kids and teens earned gift certificates to Atlantis Fantasyworld and Boardwalk Bowl, scoops of ice cream from The Penny Ice Creamery, and raffle tickets for the grand prize of a new bike! Adults earned raffle tickets for prizes from local businesses, the Museum of Art and History, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
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Large Woody Debris Project
We're excited to share the conclusion of the Large Woody Debris Project by the Water Department. This initiative, conducted downstream of Newell Creek Dam, has revitalized a 750-foot segment of the creek.
Using locally-sourced materials, including full-sized and small trees, we strategically placed wood structures to foster a complex habitat network. This approach enhances instream habitat, benefiting native species like resident rainbow trout and steelhead, while restoring natural stream processes, including sediment trapping and pool formation.
As a testament to our commitment to environmental stewardship, this project exemplifies our dedication to sustainable solutions that amplify habitat diversity and bolster local ecosystems. With the Large Woody Debris Project's success, we look forward to a thriving future for Newell Creek and its vibrant aquatic inhabitants.
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Sound Wall Vegetation Management
Each year, before the start of the new school year, Parks crews work with contract crews to provide vegetation maintenance along 2.5 miles of sound walls that separate HWY 1 from the residential communities along this corridor. Providing a safe path of travel for school kids, clear sightlines for cyclists and vehicles, and fire hazard mitigation are the key goals for this project each year. Big thanks to the crews for working on this project.
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City of Santa Cruz
City Manager's Office
809 Center Street
Santa Cruz CA 95060
santacruzca.gov
831-420-5030
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