A resource for families in Santa Cruz County | | |
Farmers and Artists Offer
A Feast of Farming and Artistic Endeavors
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Do visit local farmers on this weekends' Open Farm Tours. There is something so basic, grounding, busy, yet peaceful about working with vegetables, fruit, flowers, bees, birds and animals.
As you plan your farm visits, take advantage of Open Studios to visit artists.
Watch how the children respond to their experiences. Do they want to grow their own veggies, create a sculpture or paint a scene? Scroll down and read a little more about our neighboring farmers and artists plans for you.
Enjoy this wonderful season, Parmalee
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If this is your first time on Open Farm Tours, it’s a real treat! It’s the perfect way to connect with local growers, explore our beautiful county, and celebrate what makes Santa Cruz agriculture so special.
BUY TICKETS
Click on each farm to meet the farmers and learn about their produce and special events planned for you. Use this farm map to plan a route.
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Get to know the farmers before you go, here.
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Yellow House Behavioral Health - Anne Rossell
Support for children, teens, and young adults ages 10–25 who are struggling with anxiety, depression, ADHD, OCD, mood changes, school stress, or just not feeling like themselves. I provide psychiatric evaluations & medication management and work closely with families to understand what’s going on and create a thoughtful treatment plan.
Anne Rossell, PMHNP-BC, Board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner has specialized in adolescent and young adult psychiatry since 2012.
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Seabright Scholars
Craig Miller
Personalized 1:1 tutoring for middle school, high school and college students seeking to improve their reading and writing for admissions essays, classes and AP or IB exams.
Together, we will strengthen your organization and planning, both central to excellent writing!
With a M.Ed. from Stanford and a California Teaching Credential, Craig Miller has taught high school Humanities for 30 years and is particularly experienced in teaching writing, history, literature, and social studies.
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Ballots and Books
Get Voting Information and Help
at Your Local Library
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Ballots & Books offers voter services and family activities at eight libraries in October, helping residents prepare for the November 3, 2026, General Election.
Residents can register to vote, drop off completed ballots, obtain replacement ballots and vote using an accessible ballot. Elections staff will be available to answer questions and provide information about voting. Activities for children will give families an opportunity to learn about elections together.
Residents are encouraged to visit a participating library during the following events:
• Thursday, October 15, 1:30–5:30pm, Boulder Creek
• Friday, October 16, 12:30–4:30pm, Capitola
• Saturday, October 17, noon–4pm, Watsonville
• Saturday, October 17, noon–4 p.m. Freedom
• Wednesday, October 21, 1:30–5:30pm, S C Downtown,
• Friday, October 23, 12:30–4:30pm, Branciforte Library
• Saturday, October 24, 12:30–4:30pm, Aptos
• Monday, October 26, 1:30–5:30pm, Live Oak
For more information, visit Votes Count or contact your local library.
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Friends of the Scotts Valley Library Book Sale, Saturday, October 10, 10am – 3pm, Gently used books, dvds, cds, audiobooks, puzzles and games will be sold. Find books on gardening, crafts, cooking, travel, history, nature, humor, and poetry. Fiction and nonfiction in all genres! Loads of children’s books. Teachers! Come see our huge selection of children’s books including those for middle schoolers and young adults. Details
| Family Storytime, Saturdays, 10:30 – 11:30am, Step into a world of imagination with stories, rhymes, and songs for children ages 0-8, shared with families and caregivers in a warm, welcoming space. Details | |
Open Studios, North County is October 10-11; All County: October 17-18, is a FREE, self-guided, countywide art tour presented by Arts Council Santa Cruz County. The first three weekends of October, more than 340 artists will open their studio doors to the public. Meet local creatives, experience their artistic process, and buy directly. Everything You Need to Know about OPEN STUDIOS 2026 is in the app, a mobile version of the Artist Guide. Download it! Details
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Make Spooky Art, Monday, October 12, 10am-2pm, School's out, so let's make spooky art! Ages 5+, Art Factory Studios,
Details
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EVs for Everyone, Saturday, October 10, 12 – 4pm, Join Ecology Action’s EVs for Everyone team at Pajaro Valley Arts’ Second Saturday event: Electric Vehicle test drives, Static EVs on display, Live mariachi band, Community Resource Fair, Delicious food, E-bike demo, Free bike raffle. This free, family-friendly event will be a great opportunity for anyone who’s interested in electric vehicles to learn about the incentives/rebates that are available. Details
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5th Annual Beach Hill Bash, Saturday, October 10, 1–4pm,
Join the Party! Come celebrate 34 incredible years of hospitality, community, and global connection with the Santa Cruz Hostel! We are bringing together locals, travelers, neighbors, and friends for an unforgettable afternoon filled with live music, dancing, local vendors, tasty food and drinks, family-friendly fun, and plenty of Beach Hill spirit. Details
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Swing Dancing by the Sea, Saturday, October 10, 2-5pm,
Swingout Santa Cruz invites you to dance! Whether you dance East Coast, West Coast, Lindy Hop, Charleston, Jitterbug, Balboa, Collegiate Shag or Blues you will find music, friends, and food while you improve your dancing digs! Details
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Banned Books Week, October 4-10, Would you believe that the moving and beautiful books, Charlotte's Web and To Kill A Mockingbird were banned? The top 10 most challenged books of 2025.
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The Outsiders, October 9, 10, 7pm, October 10, 2pm, The SLV Theatre Department is proud to present The Outsiders, a dramatic coming-of-age novel originally written by S.E. Hilton and adapted to stageplay by Christopher Sergel. This production is directed by high school seniors Ryan Jones and Benjamin Rotte. Details
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2026 Open Farm Tours, Oct. 10 & 11, Do you love local food and farms? Want to get to know your farmer better and explore our region’s vibrant working farms? During the tours, you can meet the farmers and learn how farming methods work with nature to provide our communities with outstanding food and products. Touring farms is a fantastic outdoor family activity and October is a great time to get out and explore! All farms are organic & implement sustainable agriculture practices. Details
| Contra Dancing, Sunday, October 11, Newcomers’ intro 2:30pm, dance 3 – 5:30pm, Family-friendly, Details | |
Muddy Club for Kids! Join us for nature-based activities for outdoor learning and hands-on fun!
Muddy Boots, Ages 1-4: 2nd & 4th Mondays 10-11am
Muddy Trailblazers, Ages 5-12: Wednesdays 2-5pmDetails
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Santa Cruz Math Circle FALL Session, Saturdays, 10am – 12pm, October 10 – November 14, Financial assistance is available.
The Santa Cruz Math Circle is a weekly math meeting for students in grades 5th through 8th who love math. Details
| Let’s get moving, Super Tots! Mondays, October 12, 19 & 26, 4pm, Give your little athletes a fun, active way to learn the fundamentals of sports! 45-minute sessions of organized practices, games, skills, drills, and activities will build confidence, develop teamwork, and engage social skills in a positive and supportive environment. Enroll now at scparks.com/register or call 831- 454-7941! | |
2026 WHERE THE PUMPKINS ARE, September and October, Get your 2026 copy of the most comprehensive list of pumpkin patches! All of Santa Cruz County and more! The original and most comprehensive downloadable pdf - It’s free! Details
| Special Connections SC, Friday 2-3pm, October 16, Join us for a supportive conversation on early developmental milestones from birth to age three. Learn ways to build your child’s communication, motor skills, social-emotional development, and more — all in a welcoming, judgment-free space for families and caregivers. We’ll discuss what to look for, when to ask questions, and how Early Intervention services can support your child’s growth and development. Details | |
“Navigating the Adolescent Years” Free Parent Workshop, Harbor High: Monday, October 12, 5-6:30pm, "Building or Strengthening Family Communication," Santa Cruz City Schools is offering a FREE parenting series “Navigating the Adolescent Years.” Open to anyone in the area (not just SCCS families) and also in Spanish! Same time and place! Learn more and register.
| Reading Circle with the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Friday, October 9, 2 - 2:30pm, Details | A World of Animals at the library with the SPCA, Friday, October 9, 3 - 4pm, Children will discover animals from around the world, their habitats, adaptations and the challenges they face. This global adventure builds curiosity and awareness of how we can protect wildlife. Details | Girls Who Code, Thursdays 4-5pm, October 15; November 5 & 19, December 3, 17, Details | Lego Friday Fun, Friday, October 9, 3:30 - 4:30pm, Use your imagination and build anything you can dream! Lego and Duplo blocks will be available for children and youth to tinker with, build, explore, and creatively play! No registration necessary. Details | Come learn the THRILLER dance for FREE at London Nelson Center!! Every Saturday October 10, 10am - 12:30pm, All are welcome, no dance experience necessary! Details | SPCA Rescue Readers, Friday, October 23, 5:30-7pm, Rescue Readers is a special opportunity to read bedtime stories to our shelter animals while helping them feel calm, comfortable, and cared for as they settle in for the night. Sign up | | | |
More Cottagecore weekend – Calling all woodland creatures, fairies and toadstools at the Northern California Renaissance Faire, Saturday & Sunday 10am-6pm, October 10 & 11, Details | Dyslexia Awareness Storytime & Activity, Saturday, October 10, 10:30am - 11:30am, Celebrate different ways of learning and experiencing the world with a special storytime focused on dyslexia awareness. Following the stories, children will participate in a fun, hands-on activity exploring the movement and visual qualities of letters and words. We’ll finish with a creative craft that encourages children to express themselves and celebrate their own unique way of seeing the world. Details | SPCA Teen Service Saturday, Saturday 9am-12pm, October 24, November 21, December 12, Join our Teen Volunteer Saturdays and get hands-on experience behind the scenes at the Santa Cruz SPCA! Details | SPCA Junior Animal Care Team Afterschool Program, Tuesdays 4-6pm, Details | |
Thomas and Percy’s Halloween Party, October 10-11, 17-18, 24-25, Dress up for Halloween with favorites Thomas and Percy, for a 25 minute train ride, entertainment, and fun filled activities for the entire family. Details
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Succulent & Botanical Pumpkin Workshop, Thursday, October 8 or Friday, October 16, Join us for our Succulent & Botanical Pumpkin Workshop! Come sip, succulent & create with us! Create your very own succulent & botanical pumpkin centerpiece or door piece designed to last all season long. Details
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