Annual Events

Great Train Robberies
Roaring Camp Railroads
Shootouts, duels and other blazing re-enactments
Date: Every day (Sep 1-Sep 3)

Great Train Robberies
Shootouts, duels and other blazing re-enactments will demonstrate why the West was wild.

September 1-3 (Labor Day Weekend)

Witness shootouts of famed lawmen and notorious outlaws from 1880's aboard the Redwood Forest Train to Bear Mountain. Historical reenactments demonstrate why the West was wild.

 

 

Star Stroll
State Park Henry Cowell
The cosmos, river, trees, bats, hear owls and other nocturnal wildlife
Date: Every Sa (Jul 7-Sep 8) at 9:00pm

Star Stroll

Saturdays at 9pm

Join us for a stroll to the Observation Deck to listen to stories, serenade the glittering stars, and discover the night sky. Meet at the Campfire Center in the Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park Campground, located off Graham Hill Road in Scotts Valley. Event is free; parking is $10. Events made possible by California State Parks Volunteers, Mountain Parks Foundation, and California State Parks.

Save Our Shores Labor Day Weekend
Save Our Shores
Save Our Shores invites residents and visitors to participate in beach cleanup activities
Date: Every day (Sep 3-Sep 4)

Special Instructions: See specific days & times

Help us keep our beloved beaches clean during and after Labor Day Weekend! Join us for Plastic Pollution Prevention Monday, September 3 and beach cleanups on Tuesday, September 4 across town.

For details, please go to saveourshores.org/eventscalendar

MONDAY
Pollution Prevention Outreach at Sunny Cove, 9/3 9:00 am

Pollution Prevention Outreach at Cowell Beach, 9/3 10:00 am

Pollution Prevention Outreach at Del Monte Beach, 9/3 10:00 am

Pollution Prevention Outreach at Hidden Beach, 9/3 12:00 pm

TUESDAY

Pollution Prevention Outreach at Corcoran Lagoon, 9/4 2:00 pm

Holiday Relief Cleanup at Cowell Beach, 9/4 9:00 am

Holiday Relief Cleanup at Del Monte Beach, 9/4 9:00 am

Holiday Relief Cleanup at Hidden Beach, 9/4 9:00 am

Holiday Relief Cleanup at Sunny Cove, 9/4 9:00 am

Holiday Relief at Corcoran Lagoon Beach, 9/4 12:00 pm

Free Comunity Swim
Santa Cruz County Parks
Get here early! First-come, first-served!
Date: 09/03/2018 from 12:00pm to 4:00pm
Admission Fees: Free
Special Instructions: Entry is first-come, first-served

Free Community Swim Day
Simpkins Family Swim Center
September 3, 12-4 PM

The Simpkins Family and the Santa Cruz County Parks Dept. are co-sponsoring two fun FREE swim days, July 4 and Labor Day, which will include the water slide, climbing wall, Wibit inflatable play apparatus, floating on inner tubes, the Warm-water Pool, 50-meter Pool, and spray zone.  Free swim days are very popular, with over 800 attending last year. Get here early! First-come, first-served! 

Craft Sale in the Mountains
Made in the Mountains
Artists line the sidewalks showing of their amazing crafts.
Date: The 3rd Sa of every month (Apr 21-Dec 15) from 1:00pm to 5:00pm
Admission Fees: free

It's back!! The sidewalks will be filled with art and crafts again on the 3rd Saturday of the month. And we're adding music to the event! So, come out, enjoy the incredible spring weather and load up on art and joy!

 

I can't wait to see what creativity the winter months brought out in all of the artists' work!

We're continuing the "Spend $50, get $100" game, too! The Boulder Bucks program works like this - if you spend $50 or more at any local business during the Made in the Mountains event (buying groceries, getting a mani/pedi, buying pizza for the kids' baseball team, .... ) just take your receipt to Emelia at Air & Fire before the event is over. Your name will be added to the drawing that will happen within the week after the event. You could be the one that wins $100 in the form of a gift certificate to spend at a local business of your choice! You can also split the $100 into 2 gift certificates to different businesses.

 

So, getting the kids pizza could turn into a free necklace for yourself! Or the tools bought at the hardware store could get you a free mani/pedi for after the yardwork is done and some Chinese food for dinner! Nice, right!?

 

See ya out there!

 

The Great Big Boo!
Gilroy Gardens
Spooky-but-not-too-scary Halloween event
Date: Every day (Sep 21-Oct 28) from 5:00pm to 10:00pm

There are lots of fun things to "BOO" during Gardens@Night Halloween at Gilroy Gardens! As the sun sets, a mysterious glow illuminates the park for this spooky-but-not-too-scary Halloween event. Go trick-or-treating along the Boo Trail, "Do the Boo" at The Great Big Boo! live musical show, venture into the Spider's Lair (if you dare!), and enjoy your favorite rides in the dark. You'll also find fun food and Halloween treats plus craft beers and local wines at the Marketplace.

 

Buy Tickets Now: www.gilroygardens.org

 

The Great Big Boo!
Come "Do the Boo" with a charming cast of spooky characters in our all-new LIVE musical show playing nightly at Lakeside Amphitheater. Meet Vinnie the Vampire, Cranium the Mad Scientist, and Wendella the Witch on a wacky adventure to save Halloween.

 

Get your 2019 Premium Card now to enjoy Halloween@Night and all of the 2019 season: www.gilroygardens.org

Ride the Boo Train

Climb aboard for a 20-minute ride through the BOO-tiful park at night...with stops along the way to make this a very special BOO-tastic experience! Tickets available for an extra charge.

 

Open 5-10 pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings, September 21 - October 28.

Pumpkin Patch, You Pick Pumpkins
Rodoni Farms
Great local place to pick your pumpkin right from the field and have fun in the corn maze!
Date: Every day (Sep 22-Oct 31)

Special Instructions: 4 miles North of Santa Cruz, California on Hwy. 1

Pumpkins are HERE!!

Pumpkins and fun are what it's all about! Come roam through the fields of pumpkins. There are so many varieties to choose from! We have hay bales, scary cutouts, and a 5 acre corn maze! We also have fresh Brussels sprouts on the stalk, artichokes, corn stalks, and gourds.
**Pumpkins are priced by size, not weight.

 

Choosing your pumpkin:
There are two methods of choosing your pumpkin to carve. The first way is my favorite. As you stroll through the pumpkin patch a certain individual pumpkin will jump out at you! That's the ONE! The other method is to have a pattern or face in mind and look for a pumpkin that will work with your design. Usually a large stem makes a nice addition to the pumpkin.
Remember!. The more unusual the better!

 

• Bring your camera! There are many fun photo spots!
• Come spend the day by the California coastline and hand pick your Halloween pumpkin!
• We are open every daily, 9 AM - 6 PM from October 1st through Halloween. After Halloween we will remain open on the honor system until Christmas.
• We are dog friendly. We kindly ask that you keep them on a leash at all times and pick-up after them, if need be.
• CASH OR CHECK ONLY PLEASE.

To schedule Pumpkin Patch field trips click here

Directions:
Our Pumpkin Patch, U Pick Em Pumpkins, is located at 4444 Coast Rd. (Hwy 1)

4 miles North of Santa Cruz, California on Hwy. 1. Take Mission Street through the center of town and continue on to Hwy. 1 towards San Francisco/ Halfmoon Bay. We are on the right side just after Dimeo Lane.

Usegi Farm for Fall Fun
Uesugi Farms
Pumpkinville Railroad, Corn Maze, Pumpkin Blasters and Pumpkins for Sale
Date: Every day (Sep 25-Oct 31)
Admission Fees: free to enter, fees for ticketed rides

Ride the Pumpkinville Railroad!  Take a nostalgic ride aboard our Allan Herschell Iron Horse or our blue and yellow Arrow Streamliner trains. Visit Morgania, where our scarecrows live.

Operates 9am-closing daily.

Get Lost in Kayla's Korn Maze.  Try to find your way out of this 2 acre corn maze with interactive trivia cards.  Fun for the whole family.

 

Hay Jump  Have the kids jump on this gianormous jumper made of giant haybales. What a great way for the kids to burn some energy!

Operates 9am-closing daily.

 

Pumpkin Pete's Enchanted Hayride  Meet Pumpkin Pete and travel through some of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring lands of Uesugi Farms. Visit Pumpkinland, our gorgeous Sunflower Gallery, and the spectacular Marigoldland, filled with over 100,000 hand-sown flowers. This one of a kind hayride is completely narrated and complimented with charming music. It's a must see!

Operates 9am-6:30pm daily.

 

The Cow Train  This may be the silliest fun you have all year! A favorite with the kids!

Operates 9am-closing daily.

Pumpkin Blasters
Come and shoot targets with mini pumpkins out of this gun... at 90mph. What a blast!!  Safe for all ages.

Pumpkins for Sale

We have tons of pumpkins to choose from.  All sorts of sizes, shapes and varieties.  We also sell haybales, corstalks, indian corn, different squashes, gourds and flowers.

 

Butterfly Valley  Take a stroll along this path and learn about the fascinating lives of butterflies through interactive storyboards.

Operates 9am-6:30pm daily.

 

Bootsie The Bee  Follow the corn path to discover all of Bootsie’s colorful, textured friends, and learn fascinating ‘bee-facts’ too. Be sure to visit Bootsie at night. All the storyboards are lit up with blacklights.

Operates 9am-closing daily.

 

Carousel  Everyone can remember riding a carousel as a youngster, and this one rivals the best.

Operates 9am-closing daily.

 

Pumpkin Blasters  Come and shoot targets with mini pumpkins out of this gun… at 90mph.
What a blast!! Safe for all ages.

Operates 9am-closing daily.

 

Pumpkin Pyramid  It takes over 4000 pumpkins to cover our pyramid. A splendiferice site of epic proportions. Have your picture taken while sitting in our king or queen thrones.

Operates 9am-closing daily.

 

Fees

Arata Farm Hay Maze
Arata Pumpkin Farm
Hey everyone, it's that time of year again! Come on out to the farm and enjoy the world famous Minotaur's Labyrinth Hay Maze, or
Date: Every day (Sep 25-Oct 31) from 9:00am to 7:00pm

Welcome

You can lose yourself in our 6 acre corn field and pumpkin river. Try to challenge yourself intellectually and physically in our 2 acre world famous Minotaur's Labyrinth Hay Maze. Take a walk on the wild side and adventure into our Haunted Barn. Relax and enjoy yourself on our Hay Ride.

 

Or you can let the kid's play in our Play Land playground with Miniature Hay Maze, on the Children's Train Ride or have fun with our animals in the Petting Zoo. We also have many picnic areas throughout the farm, at Arata Pumpkin Farm we have something for everybody.

 

We also have dozens of varieties of pumpkins and sizes. We have a special pumpkin for everyone in your family! Feel free to give us a call, send us an email or just come to the farm. We would love to see you.

 

Our Hours
Monday - Friday 9am - 7pm
Saturday - Sunday 9am - 8pm

 

Family Package $15 per Adult ~ $20 per Child Attraction
A minimum of one paid adult and one paid child, age 10 and under are required to qualify for this package

Pumpkin Farms
Pumpkin Farmers
Pumpkin Farms and more!
Date: Every day (Sep 27-Oct 31) from 8:00am to 9:00am

Borchard Farms
142 Rodgers Road, Salinas
Find thousands of pumpkins, gourds, and squash a Ghost Town, Haunted Barn, 5 acre corn maze, and lots of farm animals.

Crystal Bay Farm
40 Zils Road, Watsonville
Great variety at this small organic farm!

The Farm
Spreckles Blvd Exit off Hwy 68, Salinas
Family friendly pumpkin patch, animals, hay rides, puppet shows and a cow train.

Rodoni Farms
4444 Coast Road, Santa Cruz
North of Santa Cruz on HWY 1.
Beautiful views, pumpkins, specialty squash, a fun corn maze and hay forts.

Arata Pumpkin Farm
185 Verde Rd
Half Moon Bay
Hay maze, haunted barn, hay rides, petting zoo and a pumpkin for everyone!

Cardinale and Wright Pumpkin Patch
Monterey Fairgrounds
2004 Fairground Road, Monterey
Great service and lots of pumpkins to choose from.

Earthbound Farms
725 Carmel Valley Road,Carmel Valley
Farm stand with organic veggies, frozen yogurt, pumpkins and a children's garden.

Hacienda Hay and Feed
7180 Carmel Valley Rd, Carmel Valley
Haunted hay maze, pumpkins,donkey, goats, turtles, an Emu, and more

Swank Farms
4751 Pacheco Pass Highway, Hollister
Huge pumpkin patch! Giant corn maze, little kids' play areas, jumping pillows, cow train, corn cannons, hours of fun for the kids!

Lemos Farm
12320 San Mateo Rd. (Hwy 92)
Half Moon Bay
One zone for the little ones who don't want to be really scared and another scare zone with live actors who will do their best to "scare the yell out of you," train rides, hay rides, pony rides and pumpkins

Uesugi Farms
14485 Monterey Highway, San Martin
Pumpkinville Railroad, Corn Maze, Pumpkin Blasters and Pumpkins

The Great Glass Pumpkin Patch
Great Glass Pumpkin Patch
Glass pumpkins and autumnal fruits and vegetables, glass-blowing demonstrations...
Date: Every day (Sep 29-Sep 30)
Ages: Children are welcome! Admission Fees: Free

​The Annual Great Glass Pumpkin Patch® 

Sale: September 29 & 30

 

Live Glassblowing Saturday and Sunday! Our participating artists will be wowing the crowds with live glassblowing demonstrations all weekend. You'll have a chance to see your favorite artists blow pumpkins right before your eyes. So come enjoy some hot molten glass every half hour between 11am and 4pm Saturday and Sunday. 

Largest Glass Pumpkin Patch in Northern California; Sale to Benefit Arts Nonprofits

 

The Great Glass Pumpkin Patch at the Palo Alto Art Center will celebrate its 22nd consecutive year as the largest glass pumpkin patch of its kind in Northern California  with a huge selection of colorful pumpkins and gourds, glass-blowing demonstrations, and more.

During the free family-friendly autumn celebration, visitors are invited to wander through an outdoor installation of more than 10,000 unique glass pumpkins. The glass  will be available for purchase at the Palo Alto Art Center.

"This year's Great Glass Pumpkin Patch promises to be a great experience for longtime collectors and families," said Damon Gustafson, Executive Director of the Bay Area Glass Institute (BAGI). "Our participating artists will be wowing the crowds with live glassblowing demonstrations all weekend. Members of the public will have a chance to see their favorite artists blow pumpkins right before their eyes.

This is the only sale of glass pumpkins that supports the presenting local arts and nonprofit organizations: the Bay Area Glass Institute; Palo Alto Art Center; and Palo Alto Art Center Foundation, as well as participating artists.

Thrill the World Santa Cruz
Louden Nelson Center
Thriller Dancing Class!
Date: Every Sa (Sep 29-Oct 27) at 10:00am
Ages: All ages welcome Admission Fees: free

Thrill the World Santa Cruz

 

Every year, on the Saturday before Halloween, night creatures call and the dead start to walk in their masquerade. So basically, a zombie flash mob Thriller dance. There are plenty of opportunities to learn the dance all month and participate in a world-wide simultaneous Thriller Dance at various venues throughout the county. Family and zombie-friendly!

 

Ask about Performance at Louden Nelson Center

This is your chance to participate in the world-wide simultaneous Thriller Dance, which happens every year on the Saturday before Halloween!!! Zombie flash mobs gather in cities across the globe to "Thrill The World" in celebration of community, fun, friends.  Learn the dance and join the mob!!

Oktoberfest at the Tyrolean Inn
The Tyrolean Inn Restaurant
Celebrate Oktoberfest at The Tyrolean Inn Restaurant with Dancing, Children's Activities, Bavarian Cuisine, and of course, beer!
Date: Every day (Sep 29-Sep 30)
Admission Fees: $6 over age 12 covers the bands

Oktoberfest at The Tyrolean Inn, September 29-30

Sat: 2-10pm, Sunday: 2-9pm

 

Tyrolean Man's "Rules"

 

* Come to Oktoberfest!
* Have fun!
* Do the Chicken Dance!
* Polka with your Sweetie!
* Dance with the Children!
* Hoist a stein of beer!
* Enjoy Bavarian cooking!
* Wear lederhosen, dirndls, jeans or swirly skirts!

 

Come and join us for a special Oktoberfest Menu and, of course, beer and Bavarian Pretzels. Contests include beer stein holding and a pretzel count. Admission is only six dollars with children under twelve free. Three bands will be providing traditional and contemporary Oktoberfest music. We also provide entertainment for the kids.