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.
The annual Chili Cook-Off at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk returns Saturday. Amateur and professional cooks vie for public votes and judges’ approval as they seek the titles of Best Red Chili and Best Vegetarian Chili. Visitors can sample chilis and cast their vote by purchasing a tasting kit for $15. Tasting begins at 1 p.m. and the winners will be announced at 4 p.m.
Award-winning chef and food activist Alice Waters is coming to the Rio Theatre in Santa Cruz on Thursday at 7 p.m. to share her newest book, “A School Lunch Revolution,” a multigenerational cookbook that empowers a relationship between children and organic food. This event is hosted by Bookshop Santa Cruz with The Humanities Institute at UC Santa Cruz. Each $45 ticket includes a book and a donation to Waters’ Edible Schoolyard Project and Santa Cruz-based Life Lab, a nonprofit that offers garden-based education.
Best of Santa Cruz County food and drink events, Oct. 24-30
Here are some upcoming local food and drink events you might be interested in:
Friday, Oct. 24
- Watsonville Farmers Market | 2 p.m. @ Downtown Plaza
- Food Truck Fridays | 4:30 p.m. @ Skypark
- Trunk or Treat | 5 p.m. @ Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office HQ
- Fridays at Five – free food distribution for anyone in need | 5 p.m. @ Gateway Bible Church
- Kianti’s “Jack Is Back” Holiday Performance | 6 p.m. @ Kianti’s Pizza & Pasta Bar
- Vampire Ball | 8 p.m. @ Chaminade Resort & Spa | 21 and over
Saturday, Oct. 25
- Aptos Farmers Market | 8 a.m. @ Cabrillo College
- Cars and Coffee | 9 a.m. @ East Lake Village Shopping Center
- Hestan Day at Toque Blanche | 9 a.m. @ Toque Blanche
- Boardwalk Chili Cook-Off | 9 a.m. @ Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
- Medicine Buddha Festival | 10 a.m. @ Land of Medicine Buddha
- 2025 Fall Fest | 4 p.m. @ Santa Cruz Bible Church
Sunday, Oct. 26
- Live Oak Farmers Market | 9 a.m. @ East Cliff Village Shopping Center
- Soquel Cemetery Spooky Community Social | 2 p.m. @ Soquel Cemetery
- Pie for the People – Community Potluck! | 1 p.m. @ Homeless Garden Project Farm
Thursday, Oct. 30
- An Evening with Alice Waters | 7 p.m. @ Rio Theatre