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Greetings!
Ripple Effect in Watsonville
The Ripple Effect Santa Cruz County Arts Festival is an 11-day countywide celebration of visual and performing arts, taking place April 16–26, 2026.
The Ripple Effect Arts Festival celebrates Santa Cruz County’s vibrant creative community during California’s Arts, Culture & Creativity Month. It brings together local artists, cultural organizations, and venues to showcase a broad range of artistic disciplines, including visual arts, music, dance, theater, poetry, fashion, and interactive workshops. The festival emphasizes collaboration, community engagement, and the transformative power of art to inspire connection and creativity.
Schedule and Events
The festival spans 11 days, opening with Santa Cruz Dancing in the Streets from 5–9 PM in Downtown Santa Cruz and concluding with a Grand Finale at The Grove near the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk from 4–9 PM. Events include exhibitions, performances, pop-ups, and hands-on workshops across multiple venues throughout the county. Some activities are free, while others, such as the finale, require tickets.
Participation and Access
Artists of all disciplines are invited to participate, fostering cross-disciplinary collaborations and innovative experiences. Each venue manages its own events and ticketing, and parking options vary by location. Visitors can explore the festival to experience the local arts scene while supporting Santa Cruz’s creative economy.
Community Impact
The festival is grassroots and volunteer-driven, aiming to strengthen the local arts community and economy. By attending or participating, visitors contribute to sustaining local artists, small businesses, and cultural organizations, while enjoying the county’s unique coastal and redwood landscapes.
For more information, including event updates, artist lineups, and ticketing, visit the official festival website at Ripple Effect Santa Cruz Arts Festival. LINK
Ripple Effect in Watsonville is superseding Second Saturday this month. Many cultural organizations in Watsonville are teaming up to make April 18th a bid day in Watsonville. Please see the posters below for the Watsonville events.
Tours of Watsonville Brillante will shift to the 3rd Saturday in April to be part of Ripple Effect on April 18th.
We will do 4 tours. They last for 45 minutes and will take place on the hour every hour starting at noon on the 18th.
Bethany Curve Mosaics
The Bethany Curve Mosaic fabrication stage is complete. Thank you to all of our volunteers. We love the new community that we have brought together for that endeavor. There will be a delay in installation as the City needs to get a Coastal Commission review of the project. We don’t expect this meeting to take place until September. We will be sending you an invitation to attend the Coastal Commission meeting, and we believe that your presence will be helpful for attaining the approval needed to proceed.
Update on the Watsonville Plaza Stage Skirt Design Process
A committee of 6 folks (two community members, two City staff, and two members of the Community Arts & Empowerment team) will be using the community feedback to choose the finalist artist(s) for the new skirt for the new performance stage, which will be built in the Plaza on Friday.
One design will be translated into community-created mosaics under the guidance of Community Arts & Empowerment.
The next step in the process, after the committee chooses the finalist artwork, is to bring it forward to the Parks Commission for approval. That meeting will take place on April 16th. We expect to begin working on those mosaics on Saturday, April 19th, at the Ripple Effect Festival. The mobile mosaic making trailer will be located on the rooftop of the Civic Parking Garage. Join us after watching the White Hawk Dancers, or before viewing a film or visiting with the low riders.
Community mosaic building will take place at the Muzzio Mosaic Arts Center during the summer of 2026. The project is funded by the City of Watsonville and scheduled for completion in summer 2027.
Spring Break!
The Muzzio will be closed April 5th through April 12th.
I hope to see you on the 18!
Kathleen
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