This summer, the Seabright and Santa Cruz Harbor neighborhoods are leaning into what they do best: bringing people together outdoors. From vintage markets and movie nights to a family play festival, a new lineup of community-focused events aims to turn the waterfront districts into lively gathering spaces throughout the season. Help buoy the Seabright and Santa Cruz Harbor businesses by exploring the shops and restaurants, enjoying these free events all summer long.
The Saltwater Market Brings Vintage Culture to the Beach
At the center of the summer lineup is The Saltwater Market, a curated outdoor thrift and vintage market designed to attract younger shoppers and creative audiences to the district.
The market will feature local vintage resellers, clothing vendors, artists, and makers, transforming Murray Street and the Santa Cruz Harbor into an open-air shopping experience with a distinctly coastal feel. Come take a stroll through the markets, explore the neighborhood, and spend the day moving between shops, restaurants, and vendor booths.
Two markets are currently scheduled:
- Sunday, July 12 in Seabright
- Saturday, August 15 in Santa Cruz Harbor area
Thursday Nights Become a Weekly Neighborhood Tradition
Another major piece of the summer programming is the launch of Thursday Night Family Movie Nights, a six-week outdoor film series taking place on Murray Street from July 9 through August 13. Grab your spot starting at 8pm for the 8:30pm showtimes.
Each week, families are invited to bring lawn chairs and blankets and gather outdoors for a free community movie night. Families and neighbors are encouraged to dine, grab dessert or a beverage, or shop locally before the screenings.
The events are free to attend and centered around family-friendly programming, creating an accessible option for local residents looking for low-cost summer activities. Check out the lineup:
- July 9: The SpongeBob Movie
- July 16: Legally Blonde
- July 23: Minecraft Movie
- July 30: Shrek
- August 6: Hoppers
- August 13: Goat
Harbor Family Play Day Focuses on Kids and Community
Rounding out the lineup is the Santa Cruz Harbor Family Play Day, a daytime festival planned for July that will focus on hands-on activities and interactive entertainment for kids.
The event will feature simple carnival-style games, family activities, and kid-focused programming designed to create an easygoing daytime experience for local families. While details and the final July date are still being finalized, the goal of the event is to be playful neighborhood gathering centered on accessibility and community participation.
Support the Seabright and Santa Cruz Habor Businesses All Summer Long
The City of Santa Cruz recognizes that summer is an important season for Seabright and the Santa Cruz Harbor area businesses. To help mitigate impacts of the full bridge closure from June to September, the City is working to ensure the neighborhood remains a vibrant destination all summer long through events, expanded business support, and the early launch of the free summer water taxi service.
Whether its families gathering for outdoor movies, shoppers hunting for vintage finds, or kids playing carnival games by the beach, the season’s programming is built around a simple idea: Spend your summer in Seabright and the Santa Cruz Harbor and support our local businesses during the Murray Street Bridge Seismic Retrofit project.
