All events and activities are FREE, and are made possible by Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks and California State Parks.

For more information about events and activities please call the Santa Cruz Mission at (831) 425-5849. All programs meet at the Santa Cruz Mission, located on School Street off of Mission Street and Emmet Street in Santa Cruz.

February

Storytelling Night: Winter is for Everyone
Friday, February 1 from 6:30 to 8:30pm
Come gather around the campfire as storyteller Jim Cockrell and friends spin tales of adventure, mystery, and comedy. Bundle up! We’ll provide the Mexican hot chocolate. For more information, please call (831) 425-5849. Event free. Event made possible by Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks and California State Parks.

Archaeology Demonstration
Saturday, February 2 at 1pm
How do artifacts give us clues to the past? Follow the archaeological process from the dig to the display, and participate in hands-on activities to discover the stories told by the artifacts. Presented in collaboration with the Santa Cruz Archeological Society. Rain cancels. For more information, please call (831) 425-5849. Event free. Event made possible by Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks and California State Parks.

Hides and Tallow
Saturday, February 9 at 1pm
Come and see how Mission Santa Cruz participated in a world economy back in the early 19th century. We will look at some of the major products of the mission, leather and tallow, and demonstrate how they were used. You will see how a branding iron works and get to make your own candle. Rain cancels. For more information, please call (831) 425-5849. Event free. Event made possible by Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks and California State Parks.

Guided Adobe Tour
Sunday, February 17 at 1pm
Join us for a guided tour of the oldest building in Santa Cruz. Come learn about the many families who have called this 180-year-old mission adobe their home. For more information, please call (831) 425-5849. Event free. Event made possible by Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks and California State Parks.

Mission Strategy Game
Monday, February 18 from 11am to 12:30pm
Gather round the table and play a board game set in the 18th century. Spend Spanish real coins and roll the sheep’s knucklebone to determine the fate of your mission. Geared for ages 8 and older. For more information, please call (831) 425-5849. Event free. Event made possible by Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks and California State Parks.

Skill and Luck
Saturday, February 23 at 1pm
What kind of games did the Ohlone play? When the Spanish came did they bring games? Did the Ohlone still play their games during the missions? Come and find the answers to these questions about games at the mission. Make a game to take home! For more information, please call (831) 425-5849. Event free. Event made possible by Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks and California State Parks.

January 

Mission Strategy Game
Thursday, January 3 from 2 to 3:30pm
Monday, January 21 from 11am to 12:30pm
Gather round the table and play a board game set in the 18th century. Spend Spanish real coins and roll the sheep’s knucklebone to determine the fate of your mission. Geared for ages 8 and older. For more information, please call (831) 425-5849. Event free. Event made possible by Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks and California State Parks.

What They Wore
Saturday, January 5 at 1pm
Color, cloth, & cut – the clothing worn by the people in the Mission was not all about style – it was about identity, status, and different roles in the community. We will demonstrate the apparel you may have seen here in the 19th century, and learn what the clothing meant to the people who wore it. For more information, please call (831) 425-5849. Event free. Event made possible by Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks and California State Parks.

Guided Adobe Tour
Sunday, January 6 at 1pm
Join us for a guided tour of the oldest building in Santa Cruz. Come learn about the many families who have called this 180-year-old mission adobe their home. For more information, please call (831) 425-5849. Event free. Event made possible by Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks and California State Parks.

Wool, Spinning, and Weaving
Saturday, January 12 from 1 to 2pm
How did an isolated settlement clothe the hundreds of people who lived there? Take an in-depth look at the cloth industry of Mission Santa Cruz. We will follow the path of wool from the sheep to the shirt. You will have the chance to try your hand at a drop spindle and spin your own wool. For more information, please call (831) 425-5849. Event free. Event made possible by Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks and California State Parks.

Drop-In Family Craft – Yarn Baskets
Sunday, January 13 from 1 to 3:30pm
Enjoy an informal afternoon at this hidden jewel near downtown Santa Cruz. Make a basket made of colorful yarn. For more information, please call (831) 425-5849. Event free. Event made possible by Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks and California State Parks.

Building Methods at the Mission
Saturday, January 19 at 1pm
Come and see how the oldest building in town was made. We will look at the materials used by the Ohlone to build their homes and then at the materials used by the Spanish to build Mission Santa Cruz. You will have the chance to get your hands dirty and make your own mini abode brick. Rain cancels. For more information, please call (831) 425-5849. Event free. Event made possible by Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks and California State Parks.

Hides and Tallow
Saturday, January 26 at 1pm
Come and see how Mission Santa Cruz participated in a world economy back in the early 19th century. We will look at some of the major products of the mission, leather and tallow, and demonstrate how they were used. You will see how a branding iron works and get to make your own candle. Rain cancels. For more information, please call (831) 425-5849. Event free. Event made possible by Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks and California State Parks.

Drop-In Family Craft – Papel Picado
Sunday, January 27 from 1 to 3:30pm
Enjoy an informal afternoon at this hidden jewel near downtown Santa Cruz. Snip your way to your own colorful tissue paper decorations. For more information, please call (831) 425-5849. Event free. Event made possible by Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks and California State Parks.