It’s Hummingbird Month at the UCSC Arboretum & Botanic Garden, where two species of hummingbirds are flourishing among the carefully curated flora. Visitors to the arboretum can watch them feeding, courting and flying about in that charming, buzzy way of theirs. – Lily Belli
Thursday, March 5
- Holiday Food & Fund Drive Award Dinner | 5 p.m. @ Hotel Paradox | $75
- How Do I Love Thee….? | 7 p.m. @ Actors’ Theatre | $25
- Ordinary Elephant | 7 p.m. @ The Ugly Mug | $30
- Free Open Mic/Jam Thursdays | 8 p.m. @ Healing Arts Community | Free
Friday, March 6
- Scotts Valley Hitchcock Festival | 10 a.m. @ The Landing | $30-$125
- First Friday Reception – Back and Forth: The Unintended Beauty of Textiles | 5 p.m. @ Santa Cruz Art League | Free
- HERstory Celebration | 5:30 p.m. @ Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History | Free
- Lila Downs | 7 p.m. @ Quarry Amphitheater | $67.50
- The Rocket Man – A Tribute To Elton John | 7:30 p.m. @ Rio Theatre | $69
- An Evening with the Stinkfoot Orchestra featuring Napoleon Murphy Brock | 8 p.m. @ Santa Cruz Veterans Memorial Hall | $25-$30
- “The Spitfire Grill”: Mountain Community Theater Opening Night | 8 p.m. @ Park Hall | $30-$40
Saturday, March 7
- Mushroom Walk | 10 a.m. @ Farm Discovery at Live Earth Farm | $92.55
- Wine, Beer & Chocolate Grad Night Fundraiser | Noon @ Scopazzi’s Restaurant | $25-$30
- Winter Warmer Festival 2026 | 2 p.m. @ Roaring Camp Railroads | $60
- The 2026 Foundation Crab Feed | 5 p.m. @ Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds | SOLD OUT
- Random with a Purpose | 7:30 p.m. @ UC Santa Cruz Second Stage Theater | $5
- PEOPLE’S DISCO featuring Abby Imperial | 8 p.m. @ Moe’s Alley | Free
- Last Dinosaurs | 8 p.m. @ Felton Music | $41.15
Sunday, March 8
- Downtown Santa Cruz Antiques Faire | 9 a.m. @ Lincoln Street
- Jewels in the Garden – A Presentation about Hummingbirds by Dr. Bruce Lyon | 1 p.m. @ UCSC Arboretum & Botanic Garden | $5-$10
- Speed Dating: Paws and Prospects | 2 p.m. @ Laughing Monk Brewing and Gastropub | $28.52
- Shannon McNally | 3 p.m. @ Moe’s Alley | $15-$20
- Santa Cruz Warriors vs. South Bay Lakers | 5 p.m. @ Kaiser Permanente Arena | $24-$106
- Author Jessica Tomich Sorci, “When Good Moms Feel Bad” | 5 p.m. @ Bookshop Santa Cruz | Free
- Cooking with Brad from Home | 5:30 p.m. @ Teen Kitchen Project | SOLD OUT
- The White Buffalo | 8 p.m. @ Felton Music Hall | $24