SOQUEL

Taste of Soquel event to raise money

The 15th annual Taste of Soquel, a benefit for Second Harvest Food Bank, runs noon to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Congregational Church of Soquel, 4951 Soquel Drive.

The event will feature live music by The Earth Rangers, Coffee Zombie Collective, and Extra Medium.

Participating restaurants and food vendors include El Chipotle Taqueria, Tortilla Flats, Jeff Walls’ Family Honey, HOME, Sawasdee Thai Cuisine, Cafe Cruz and VinoCruz, Dorothy’s Desserts, Home Grown and Emozioni Pasticceria. Bargetto Winery, Discretion Brewing, Everett Family Farm (Soquel Cider), Poetic Cellars, Soquel Vineyards, Vino-Cruz, and Wargin Wines will be on hand pouring tastes.

Tickets are $30 for adults and cover all food and beverage tasting. Tickets for people ages 12-20 are $10. The Kidzone will offer music, crafts and games. There is also a raffle with overs 60 raffle items donated by local vendors. Advance tickets are available at the church and eventbrite.com. Visit tasteofsoquel.org or call 831-325-9615 for details including music schedule.

SANTA CRUZ

Find out about the sister cities of Santa Cruz

An exhibition of memorabilia, art, and the history of the Five Sister Cities of Santa Cruz is now showing at London Nelson Center, 301 Center St., Santa Cruz. The exhibit illustrates and tells the stories of current and past exchanges with Santa Cruz’s five sister cities of Shingu, Japan; Sestri Levante, Italy; Biarritz, France; Jinotepe, Nicaragua; and Alushta, Crimea.

The exhibition will be up until Oct. 4 and available for viewing every day except Sundays. Members of the public are also invited to a free reception from 5-7 p.m. Oct. 3rd at London Nelson Center. Sister Cities Committee members will be there to answer questions and let community members of all ages learn how they can become involved with this exciting program. Refreshments will be served, and there will be an opportunity to meet a delegation from Shingu, Japan, celebrating a delightful relationship of 50 years.

APTOS

Chamber Marketplace on the Green

Where can you find great food, artisans, entrepreneurs, networking opportunities and explore exciting local businesses? Aptos Chamber Marketplace on the Green is the place to meet and advertise your crafts and businesses. The Aptos Chamber of Commerce invites you out to explore its Marketplace on the Green 4-7 p.m. Wednesday at Seascape Golf Club, 610 Clubhouse Drive, Aptos.

Admission is free to the public and includes hands-on networking, appetizers from half a dozen local restaurants, extraordinary raffle prizes, safety demos, and more. Sponsorships and vendor spaces are available.

CAPITOLA

Neighbors for Neighbors meetup coming

Neighbors for Neighbors will host a meeting 6-8 p.m. Tuesday to discuss permanent supportive housing at the Capitola Library, 2005 Wharf Road, Capitola.

This month’s meeting will feature expert panelists Tom Stagg, chief initiatives officer for Housing Matters, and Andrea Eaton, Recuperative Care Center and Casa Azul Program manager for Housing Matters. The meetings aim to help attendees learn from local experts about real solutions to homelessness, have meaningful discussions and foster compassion and equity in Santa Cruz County.

Go to housingmatterssc.org/event/neighbors-for-neighbors/ to register and email mdecastro@housingmatterssc.org for information.

SANTA CRUZ

Elks Lodge to host annual Oktoberfest event

The Santa Cruz Elks Lodge will host its annual Oktoberfest 3-7 p.m. Sept. 28 at the lodge, 150 Jewell St., Santa Cruz.

Guests are invited to enjoy a festive atmosphere featuring German food and live music by Alpinesound. Beer provided by Discretion Brewing will be available for purchase and the lodge bar will be open. All ages are welcome.

Advanced tickets are $25 for ages 19 and up, $15 for 18 and under. The event is free for kids 10 and under. Ticket price includes dinner. Larger groups can call the lodge for table reservations at 831-423-8240. All event pricing includes sales tax.

Proceeds from the event will support the California-Hawaii Elks Major Project Inc., which provides free therapy for children with disabilities. For information on this event and to purchase tickets, visit 2024santacruzelksoktoberfest.eventbrite.com.

SANTA CRUZ

Free guided tour coming to UCSC Farm

The UC Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology is hosting a free guided tour of the UCSC Farm from 2-3:30 p.m. Oct. 6. Meet at the Cowell Ranch Hay Barn first and then enjoy touring the organically managed greenhouses, hand-worked garden beds, orchards, row crop fields, and children’s garden, while learning about the history of the site and the basic concepts of organic farming and gardening. Go to ucsantacruz.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_e5Jpm9V52i7k37o to RSVP.

SANTA CRUZ

First Downtown Harvest Festival coming soon

The Santa Cruz Community Farmers’ Markets is launching the inaugural Downtown Santa Cruz Harvest Festival from noon to 5 p.m. Oct. 5 on Lincoln Street between Cedar Street and Pacific Avenue. Think of a sweet nook version of county fair meets a school fair but, filled with local farms and businesses. Event officials will be throwing up tents, flipping pupusas, popping popcorn, stacking hay bales and setting up a slew of silly, throw-back games and fun activities.

Carnival games like striker, glitter tattoos, face painting, dime toss, Plinko, froggy fly, corn hole and foosball will be on hand as well as a dunk tank raising money for the Second Harvest Food Bank. There will also be wreath making, a pumpkin sale supporting the Santa Cruz High girls basketball team, bouquet making with Sea to Sky Farm, live music from local musicians including the Rhythm Rangellers, and a farm animal meet and greet.

Food options will be plentiful including popcorn, elote, churros, Izzy’s Ices and Dos Hermanos Pupusas.

Visit downtownsantacruz.com/do/harvest-festival for information.