Park Events

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.

August

*Early Closure: Saturday, August 24 at 1pm*

Junior Rangers – Mission Foodways: Tortilla Science
Thursday, August 1 at 11am
Prepare and taste some of the new foods the Spanish brought with them to Alta California. We’ll use chemistry and botany skills as we harvest, grind, chop, grill, and eat during this fun STEM activity! Junior Rangers is a statewide program for 7 to 12 year olds. Space is limited. Register by calling (831) 425-5849 or online. Free event. For more information, call (831) 425-5849. Event made possible by Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks and California State Parks.

Mission Cooking Demonstration
Saturday, August 3 at 1pm
Experience different cooking styles used by the people who lived and worked at Santa Cruz Mission over 200 years ago. There will be a presentation of Ohlone and Spanish cuisine including hot rock cooking, tortilla frying on a comal, and baking in our horno. You can even sample the creations and make your own tortilla. Rain cancels. Free event. For more information, call (831) 425-5849. Event made possible by Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks and California State Parks.

Junior Rangers – Mission Art: Walls of Color
Thursday, August 8 at 11am
We’ll study the design elements used in the mission churches and examine their roots in Spanish and Indigenous cultures. Then we’ll paint our own “walls,” incorporating historical motifs. Junior Rangers is a statewide program for 7 to 12 year olds. Space is limited. Register by calling (831) 425-5849 or online. Free event. For more information, call (831) 425-5849. Event made possible by Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks and California State Parks.

Guided Adobe Tour
Saturday, August 10 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. Free event. For more information, call (831) 425-5849. Event made possible by Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks and California State Parks.

Drop-In-Craft: Tule Mats
Sunday, August 11 from 1 to 3:30pm
Enjoy an informal afternoon at this hidden jewel near downtown Santa Cruz. Create a tule mat like the ones that the Ohlones had many uses for. Free event. For more information, call (831) 425-5849. Event made possible by Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks and California State Parks.

Junior Rangers – Archeology: Clues to the Past
Thursday, August 15 at 11am
Artifacts offer clues to daily life in the past. Use the tools and clues that archaeologists use to sort, identify, and sketch these “puzzle pieces” of history. Junior Rangers is a statewide program for 7 to 12 year olds. Space is limited. Register by calling (831) 425-5849 or online. Free event. For more information, call (831) 425-5849. Event made possible by Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks and California State Parks.

Old Fashioned Campfire
Friday, August 16 from 5:30 to 8pm
The entire family is invited to make a fresh tortilla on the comal as we enjoy live music by Mosaic World Music. Then we’ll gather around the campfire for songs, skits, and stories. What a great way to relax into summer—with the best views of Santa Cruz! Bring your picnic dinner and lawn chairs. Free event. For more information, call (831) 425-5849. Event made possible by Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks and California State Parks.

Skill and Luck: Games of the Mission
Saturday, August 17 from 1 to 2pm
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! Free event. For more information, call (831) 425-5849. Event made possible by Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks and California State Parks.

Gardens of Time
Saturday, August 31 at 1pm
Stroll through history as you visit the various gardens within our courtyard and patio. We can learn a good deal about people who lived here in the past by exploring the plants they used and cultivated. Tour our native plant gardens, demonstration vegetable beds, and Victorian “Nearyland.” Take home history in a seed. Rain cancels. Free event. For more information, call (831) 425-5849. Event made possible by Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks and California State Parks.