Between the long-awaited groundbreaking of the downtown Santa Cruz library mixed-use project set for this spring and National Library Week coming up on April 6-12, Santa Cruz County bibliophiles have plenty to celebrate this month. Enjoy free activities, food trucks, exclusive film screenings and more.
Film screenings
During National Library Week, enjoy a free premiere screening of the 2025 PBS documentary “Free for All: The Public Library” ahead of its online release. The documentary follows the rise of public libraries in the United States and the quiet revolutionaries responsible for them. Santa Cruz Public Libraries (SCPL) invites anyone interested to one of three screenings:
- Branciforte branch, Saturday, April 5, 2-4 p.m.
- Capitola branch, Thursday, April 10, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
- Scotts Valley branch, Saturday, April 12, 1-3 p.m.
Light refreshments will be served and drop-ins are welcome.
Meet Me at the New Downtown Library Festival
Later in the month, get a preview of the future downtown library during the Meet Me at the New Downtown Library Festival. The festival is on Saturday, April 26, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the site of the future library on the corner of Cedar Street and Lincoln Street.
Construction on the new library, part of a mixed-use development that will also feature affordable housing and a parking garage, is set to begin this spring.
The festival will feature large-scale renderings of new library’s rooms. Guests can also enjoy live music, food trucks, free library programs and hands-on activities for all ages.
The festival also kicks off the official Downtown Library Capital Campaign fundraiser. On this special day only, a donation of any size will get your name in a library book.
For more information on all this month’s events, see the SCPL calendar or the Friends of Santa Cruz Libraries website.
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