Here, find a curated list of the best food and drink events in Santa Cruz County for the coming week. At the top, I share my picks of unmissable local happenings.
This Saturday and Sunday, visitors can dig up sweet potatoes, pick dahlias, press apples and see the inner workings of farms at Open Farm Tours, an annual kid-friendly event that offers a peek behind the curtain at small, family-run farms. This year, 13 local farms – two in the mountains above Santa Cruz and the rest scattered throughout the Pajaro Valley – will offer tours of their land, facilities and gardens, educational workshops, tastings, U-picks and demonstrations on everything from olive oil pressing to tomato canning. Prices range from $10 to $70 depending on the day of the visit and the farm.
Second Harvest Food Bank’s annual Chefs’ Dinner is coming up on Tuesday. This is one of the food bank’s largest fundraisers, where eight local chefs come together to create a six-course feast, and to combat childhood hunger and ensure every child’s access to nutritious meals. The event takes place at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Santa Cruz. Tickets are $275 per person.
Best of Santa Cruz County food and drink events, Oct. 11-17
Here are some upcoming local food and drink events you might be interested in:
Friday, Oct. 11
- Beauregard Vineyards – Vine to View Wine Dinner | 6 p.m. @ Chaminade Resort & Spa | $147.50
Saturday, Oct. 12
- Open Farm Tours | 10 a.m. @ various locations | $25
- Filipino American History Month festival | Noon @ Watsonville City Plaza
- Food Talk Pairing at Aptos Vineyard | 1 p.m. @ Aptos Vineyard | $35-45
- 28th Annual Lobster Feed Fundraiser | 4 p.m. @ Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park | $125
- Wine, Dine and Shine Gala | 5 p.m. @ Bargetto Winery | $100
- Santa Cruz Permaculture Harvest Dinner | 5 p.m. @ Santa Cruz Permaculture | $125
- Cooper-Garrod Winery Annual Harvest Party | 6 p.m. @ Cooper-Garrod Vineyards at Garrod Farms | $65
Sunday, Oct. 13
- Sunday Morning Breakfast – Market Street Senior Center | 8 a.m. @ Market Street Senior Center
- Fall Volunteer Workday at the UCSC Farm | 9 a.m. @ UC Santa Cruz Farm
- Brunch on the Farm at Pajaro Pastures | 10 a.m. @ Corralitos | $70
- Open Farm Tours | 10 a.m. @ various locations | $25
Tuesday, Oct. 15
- Pumpkin Decorating Bonanza at Felton Farmers Market | 1:30 p.m. @ Felton Farmers Market
- Second Harvest Chefs’ Dinner | 6 p.m. @ Holy Cross Catholic Church | $275
Thursday, Oct. 17
- Boardwalk Bites & Brews | 4 p.m. @ Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk