SOQUEL

Community drumming sessions set for July 18

Percussionist and educator Jim Greiner is continuing his Third Friday Community Drumming series through 2025 — a fun, uplifting and family-friendly event open to all experience levels, at the Congregational Church of Soquel, located at 4951 Soquel Drive, July 18 from 7-8:30 p.m. Doors open at 6:30. The cost is $10.

Greiner provides hand drums and other percussion instruments, but feel free to bring your own favorites. All levels of experience are welcome. There will be a few fun and easy tips on playing the instruments for beginners, as well as how to use rhythm as a playful life practice to reinforce positive powerful “life rhythms,” and patterns of attitude and action to carry into everyday life.

Come play and reinforce the three principles common to all thriving communities: communicate, collaborate and celebrate! Contact Greiner through SantaCruzDrumLessons.com.

CAPITOLA

Mid County Senior Center to host benefit dance party

The Mid County Senior Center will be hosting a Western Swing Benefit Dance Party on Sunday, featuring the Karin Phoenix Band from 3-5 p.m. at 829 Bay Ave.

Cost of admission is $10. Dave Herzog will teach a country two-step dance class at 2 p.m., free with paid admission to the dance. Attendees are encouraged to bring snacks to share. 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

Lenz Arts’ 57th anniversary celebration

Lenz Arts is celebrating its 57th anniversary with a free parking lot art creation event Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 142 River St. The first 57 people will receive a free goodie bag with an assortment of art materials and samples! The event will feature art material demonstrations by factory representatives, hands-on “make and take” projects, free samples, raffle prizes and special “crazy sales” and discounts on art supplies from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. This family-friendly celebration will also offer children’s activities, face painting and snow cones.

Lenz Arts, a family-owned business since 1968, is recognized as a staple in the Santa Cruz arts community, known for its wide selection of art supplies and award-winning picture framing services. This free, drop-in anniversary event is open to the public. For information, follow @lenzarts on Facebook and Instagram, or visit LenzArts.com/anniversary.

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

Monterey Bay Dog Training Club obedience class

The 59-year-old nonprofit Monterey Bay Dog Training Club Inc. is now offering Dog Obedience training classes at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, 2601 E. Lake Ave. in Watsonville, and in Capitola at the Mid-County Senior Center, 829 Bay Ave.

The training club offers all stages of obedience training from puppy to advanced. Check out the newest class offered in Watsonville, Trick Dog. Register for classes online. Classes fill up fast so register soon. For detailed descriptions of classes, location details and costs, visit montereybaydog.org.

APTOS

Hot Rods on the Green car show returns

Come have fun checking out classic and custom cars from around Santa Cruz County and beyond at the 18th annual Hot Rods on the Green classic car show happening Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Twin Lakes Church, 2701 Cabrillo College Drive. There will be vintage, customs, classics, muscle cars, Camaros, hot rods, street rods, modern muscle cars, trucks, VWs, dragsters, motorcycles and more. Registration is $35, open now until the day of the car show.

A fun event for the whole family, featuring a live DJ, kids activities, food vendors, a hula hoop contest, a Red Cross blood drive, awards and a raffle. Awards are scheduled for 2:45 p.m. and the raffle at 3:15 p.m. Proceeds support the Kingsmen Car Club’s Industrial Arts Scholarship Program. For registration information, visit tlc.org/kingsmen.

SANTA CRUZ

Tickets on sale for Santa Cruz Shakespeare

Tickets are now on sale for Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s 2025 Summer Festival which includes four plays: “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by William Shakespeare, the musical “Into the Woods” by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, “Pericles” by Shakespeare and George Wilkins, and “’Master Harold’ …and the Boys” by Athol Fugard. The 2025 season theme is “No One is Alone.” Performances will take place July 13 through Sept. 20 at the Audrey Stanley Grove in DeLaveaga Park, 501 Upper Park Road. Tickets are available at santacruzshakespeare.org/season-2025.

SANTA CRUZ

36 North collective’s summer season in full swing

The Santa Cruz Playwrights’ Collective, 36 North, presents its third summer show, “Solo Voices” July 14, part of “New Works Mondays” each month at 7 p.m. at the Actors’ Theatre, 1001 Center St. There will be readings of new plays followed by a Q&A. Come early and enjoy refreshments and lively conversation.

The remaining Mondays are July 14, Aug. 11 and Sept. 8. These are free events, with donations gratefully accepted. Everyone is welcome to attend.

SANTA CRUZ

Bookshop to host Hive Live! poetry event

Join The Hive Poetry Collective as they host another Hive Live! July 15, at 7 p.m. at Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Pacific Ave. Featured readers for the evening are local poets Jessica Cohn and Kirk Glaser. For information and to register, go to the events page at hivepoetry.org or the events page at bookshopsantacruz.com. Hive Live! is free but donations are kindly encouraged.

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.

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.