SANTA CRUZ

Walk to End Alzheimer’s holds kickoff event

The community is invited to attend the Santa Cruz kick off for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Kianti’s Pizza & Pasta Bar, 1100 Pacific Ave.

Get inspired, meet other participants and have fun as the run-up to the 2025 Santa Cruz Walk to End Alzheimer’s begins. To complete your registration for the kick off event at Kianti’s Pizza & Pasta Bar, go to TinyURL.com/WalkSCKickoff. For information, email chferry@alz.org.

The official Walk to End Alzheimer’s event is on Sept. 28 at Seascape Beach Resort. Go to alz.org/santacruzwalk for registration.

CAPITOLA

Mid County Senior Center to host benefit dance

The Mid County Senior Center will be hosting a benefit dance and concert featuring Linda Baker with The Country Feeling Band from 7-9 p.m. Friday at 829 Bay Ave.

Cost of admission is $10. Shanta Shenoy will teach a country line dance class at 6 p.m., free with paid admission to the dance. Mid County Senior Center provides a variety of programs and activities for the local community. Ages 18 and over are welcome to participate in the dances.

SANTA CRUZ

Vista Center ribbon-cutting, networking event

The Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired is proud to announce the grand opening of its new office in Santa Cruz, marking a major milestone in its ongoing commitment to serve individuals with vision loss across the Central Coast. To commemorate this expansion, Vista Center will host a ribbon-cutting and networking event July 31, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 1509 Seabright Ave., Unit 1B, with the official ceremony beginning at 6:15.

The event welcomes funders, donors, elected officials and community members to tour the new facility, enjoy light refreshments and connect with local professionals and community leaders. The new office represents an expansion of services and support, reflecting Vista Center’s continued investment in empowering individuals who are blind or visually impaired to embrace life to the fullest. For information or to RSVP, please visit tinyurl.com/VistaCenterRibbonCutting.

BEN LOMOND

MCT presents New Works Weekend

The Mountain Community Theater, 9400 Mill St., is proud to announce its annual New Works Weekend Aug. 15-17 — a celebration of new theatrical works, presenting staged readings of new plays, playwrights, directors and debuts of all forms from around the region. This year, there will be three new plays: “Neighbors,” about a crime gone wrong, diving into the moral complexity and emotional ripples of such a moment; “Rain Walk,” a short play that delves into a beautiful and challenging relationship study between a young man and his grandmother; and “Where Imagined Things Belong,” which explores a relationship that comes into question many years down the line, forcing us to examine and reexamine the choices and people that made us who we are.

There will be a post-show talkback with the playwright of one of the plays after each performance, where the audience gets the rare opportunity to help the authors continue to shape their work.

Subscribers’ guest ticket purchases open July 18, and tickets go on sale to the public Aug. 1. Evening shows are at 8 p.m. and Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m. Audiences can enjoy all of this for only $10. For information or to order tickets, visit mctshows.org.

SANTA CRUZ

‘Princes of Surf’ exhibit at the MAH

The Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, 705 Front St., is excited to announce an exhibition which pays tribute to the founding members of local surf culture and the deep connection between Hawaii and Santa Cruz County. “Princes of Surf 2025: He?e Nalu Santa Cruz” will be on display July 18 to Jan. 4, 2026, and tells the story of how three Hawaiian princes — David Kawananakoa, Jonah Kuhio Kalaniana’ole and Edward Keliiahonui — introduced surfing to the U.S. mainland in 1885 and rode the wave of legacy and relevance to this area. It will illuminate the often overlooked history of Antoinette Swan, the daughter of Hawaiian royalty and explorer Don Francisco de Paula Marín, who hosted the brothers in Santa Cruz.

The opening scheduled to coincide with the 140th anniversary of the three princes’ historic ride in Santa Cruz, the exhibit will feature over 50 vintage surfboards honoring surf legends such as Duke Kahanamoku, Sam Reid and Rosemari Rice, as well as o’los created by renowned surfboard shaper Bob Pearson. Visit santacruzmah.org/exhibitions/hee-nalu-ma-2025 for more.

SANTA CRUZ

Business After Hours networking mixer

Join the Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce for a special summer evening of networking and celebration in honor of Parks and Recreation Month and the Summer Reading Program, July 16 from 5-7 p.m. at the Live Oak Community Center, 979 17th Ave. Mingle with local professionals, community leaders and park and library supporters while enjoying light refreshments and exploring one of Santa Cruz’s newest community spaces.

The Live Oak Community Center offers a comfortable, centrally located space now available for club meetings, trainings, community classes and more. Come see how this versatile venue can support your next gathering! Don’t miss this opportunity to connect, learn and celebrate the vital role our parks and libraries play in enriching our community. Admission is $10 for chamber members and $20 for non-members. For details, go to tinyurl.com/ChamberBusinessAfterHours.

WATSONVILLE

Buddhist Temple holds Obon Festival dance practice

The Obon Festival is coming, and the Watsonville Buddhist Temple is holding Japanese folk dancing practice for anyone who would like to participate in the festival, which takes place July 20. A final practice to learn the dances will be held Wednesday from 7-8 p.m. at the Watsonville Buddhist Temple, 423 Bridge St. Call the temple office at 831-724-7860, email at buddhist@wbtemple.org or visit the website at wbtemple.org for information.

The Obon Festival will be held July 20 and will feature food, games, arts and craft vendors, Taiko and Japanese tradition and contemporary folk dancing.