top of page
Untitled design - 2026-02-04T195048_edited.png
PIVOT_Shmuel Thaler.jpg
PIVOT_Shmuel Thaler final.png

APRIL 16-26 | 2026

Join us for 11 days of powerful performances, art, poetry, fashion, music, and cultural celebrations throughout Santa Cruz County. The Ripple Effect Arts Festival brings together community, creativity, and culture to reflect the unique artistic pulse of our coastal community.

  • Experience 11 Days of Community & Creativity in venues throughout Santa Cruz County

  • Closing with the Grand Finale from 5:30 PM - 9:00 PM at The Grove @ Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

Over 100 events, pop-ups, and artist lineups!

Image Credit: Shmuel Thaler and Pivot the Art of Fashion

What’s Happening During the Festival: April 16–26, 2026

Join us for 11 days of powerful performances, art, poetry, fashion, music, and cultural celebrations throughout Santa Cruz County. The Ripple Effect Arts Festival brings together community, creativity, and culture to reflect the unique artistic pulse of our coastal community.

  • Experience 11 Days of Community & Creativity in venues throughout Santa Cruz County

  • Closing with the Grand Finale , 5:30-9:00 PM at The Grove @ Santa Cruz Boardwalk

Over 100 events, pop-ups, and artist lineups!

Image Credit: Shmuel Thaler and Pivot the Art of Fashion

What's Happening During the Festival: April 16–26, 2026

Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce

Ripple Effect Arts Festival Ribbon Cutting Event & Reception

April 08, 2026

Details

Big Basin Tasting Room & Tapas Bar

Art Trivia Night

April 16, 2026

Details

Tumbleweed Found

Visit the shop!

April 16 - Multiple Dates

Details

Santa Cruz Dance Week - Dancing in the Streets

Dancing in the Streets

April 16, 2026

Details

Abbot Square Market

Live Music in Abbott Square

April 16 - Multiple Dates

Details

Gayle's Bakery and Roticceria & Joe Ortiz

Gayle’s Espresso Bar Cafe Gallery, Paintings by Joe Ortiz

April 16 through 26, 2026

Details

Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

The Art of Nature – Annual Exhibit of Scientific Illustration

April 16 - Multiple Dates

Details

Ripple Watsonville: The Cultural District Unfolds - Pajaro Valley Arts

Hot Off The Walls | Art to Go!

April 16 - Multiple Dates

Details

The 418 Project

Sing, Dance, Perform!

April 16 - Multiple Dates

Details

M.K. Contemporary Art Gallery

The Anatomy of Wonder: Michael Garlington Photo Sculptures

April 16 - Multiple Dates

Details

UCSC Institute of the Arts and Sciences (IAS)

Libia Posada: Everything is Going Right @ UCSC IAS

April 16 - Multiple Dates

Details

Santa Cruz Dance Week

Santa Cruz Dance Week 2026

April 16 - 24, 2026

Details

Santa Cruz Youth Poet Laureates @ Kuumbwa Jazz Center

Santa Cruz County Youth Poetry Celebration @ Kuumbwa

April 16, 2026

Details

Nicely Gallery, Decor and Design

Exhibition of Photographs by Jay Blakesberg

April 16 - Multiple Dates

Details

Santa Cruz Actors' Theatre

Please Stand By | A Staged Reading of a Radio Play

April 16, 2026

Details

Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History (MAH)

Honoring Our Relatives: Amah Mutsun Botanical Illustrations

April 16 - Multiple Dates

Details

Radius Gallery

Art and Change

April 16 - Multiple Dates

Details

And Friends Space

Visit the Shop!

April 16 - Multiple Dates

Details

First Friday Santa Cruz

Heart & Mind

April 16 - Multiple Dates

Details

Claraty Arts

Wild Thing!

April 16 - Multiple Dates

Details

UCSC Mary Porter Sesnon Art Gallery

Picking up Shells Amid a Tsunami

April 16 - Multiple Dates

Details

UCSC Institute of the Arts and Sciences (IAS) Faculty Fellow and Rasanblaj Lab

Redwoods Rasanblaj: Origins and Disentanglements by Gina Athena Ulysse @ UCSC IAS

April 16 - Multiple Dates

Details

Santa Cruz County Parks & the Poet Laureate of Santa Cruz County

Poetry Scavenger Hunt in the Parks

April 16 - 26, 2026

Details

Artisans and Agency

Visit the Shop!

April 16 - Multiple Dates

Details

Community of Digital Artists @ R. Blitzer Gallery

Color Stories: 2026 CODA Members' Exhibition

April 16 - Multiple Dates

Details

UCSC Eloise Pickard Smith Gallery

Playing Around: Games and the Larger Systems at Play

April 16 - Multiple Dates

Details

Felix Kulpa Gallery

Under A Different Sky | Paintings & Works on Paper by Jennifer Cordery

April 16 - Multiple Dates

Details

M.K. Contemporary Art Gallery

Rochambeau Art Exhibition

April 16 - Multiple Dates

Details

Santa Cruz Mountain Art Center

Supporting Youth Art in the San Lorenzo Valley

April 16 - 25, 2026

Details

Tannery World Dance & Cultural Center

African Diasporic Dance Classes

April 17 - Multiple Dates

Details

UCSC Center for Public Philosophy (with Villa Albertine, Marc Sanders Foundation, UCSC Institute of the Arts and Sciences)

Santa Cruz Night of Ideas 2026: Enlightenment Now!

April 17, 2026

Details

The 418 Project

Dual Demons Present - Under the Big Top

April 17, 2026

Details

City of Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation – Teen Theater

Teen Theatre’s, Peter and the Starcatcher

April 17 & 18, 2026

Details

Esperanza del Valle, Ballet Folklorico Dance Company

Homenaje a Veracruz

April 17, 18, 19, 2026

Details

Vision Sanctuary

Spring Print Sale

April 17, 2026

Details

Santa Cruz Actors' Theatre

In Some Dark Valley | The Testimony of Reverend Brand

April 17, 18, 19, 2026

Details

Art Factory Studios

Color Run for Reading

April 18, 2026

Details

Minnow Arts

Second Skin

April 18 - 26, 2026

Details

Ripple Watsonville: The Cultural District Unfolds

Watsonville Low Riders

April 18, 2026

Details

Scotts Valley Library

Reception for: Art as Sanctuary, Nature Photography by Sylvia Valentine

April 18, 2026

Details

Tannery Arts Center Earth Day - River Studio 116 & LILJAX

The 2nd Annual Tannery Arts Earth Day

April 18, 2026

Details

Pacific Voices

The Living Prayer

Apr 18, 2026

Details

Ripple Watsonville: The Cultural District Unfolds - Watsonville Center for the Arts

Many Truths, One World: Mariposa Arts Showcase & Artwork by Claraty Arts

April 18, 2026

Details

Emmy Lou Harris @ the Civic Auditorium

Emmy Lou Harris @ the Civic Auditorium

April 18, 2026

Details

Motion Pacific Dance

Majesty: A Queer Dance Party and Variety Show

April 18, 2026

Details

Frans Lanting Studio @ Lighthouse Point/Steamer Lane

Photo Walk with Frans Lanting and Motion Pacific Dancers at Dawn

April 18, 2026

Details

Ripple Watsonville: The Cultural District Unfolds

Civic Plaza Rooftop Community Celebration

April 18, 2026

Details

Musical Soulmates

Musical Soulmates and the Garden Company Celebrate Earth Day

April 18, 2026

Details

Monterey Bay Metal Arts Guild

Messages in Metal

April 18, 2026

Details

Ripple Watsonville: The Cultural District Unfolds - Watsonville Film Festival

Art As Resistance Continues

April 18, 2026

Details

M.K. Contemporary Art Gallery

Michael Garlington, Artist Talk and Portrait Shoot

Sat, April 18, 2026

Details

Santa Cruz County Parks & Recreation

Dive into Art & Ocean Life with Artist Justin Francavilla

April 18, 2026

Details

Santa Cruz Chamber Players

Sound in Conversation: Clarke to Brahms, with a World Premiere by Matthew Schumaker

April 18 & April 19, 2026

Details

Ripple Watsonville: The Cultural District Unfolds - Watsonville Brillante

Tour Watsonville Brillante

April 18, 2026

Details

Ripple Watsonville: The Cultural District Unfolds

Watsonville: The Cultural District Unfolds

April 18, 2026

Details

San Lorenzo Valley Museum

The Road I Call Home

April 18 - Multiple Dates

Details

Annieglass

Recent paintings by Annie Morhauser aka Annieglass

April 18, 2026

Details

Santa Cruz Mountain Makers Market

Downtown Santa Cruz Makers Market

April 19, 2026

Details

DNA Presents

Open Mic Night at Shanty Shack

April 19 & 26, 2026

Details

Bubbles @ Lighthouse Field

Sunset Bubbles

April 19, 2026

Details

Cabrillo College ART•SEE Exhibitions

Cabrillo College ART•SEE Student Exhibition

April 19 - Multiple Dates

Details

The 418 Project

River to the Sea

April 19, 2026

Details

Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History (MAH) presents the Marea Ensemble

The Tipping Point: Marea Ensemble Pop-Up Show

April 19, 2026

Details

Minnow Arts

Minnow Arts, Almost Romantic

April 19, 2026

Details

Big Basin Tasting Room & Tapas Bar

Wine Tasting 101

April 19, 2026

Details

Cabrillo Gallery

Student Exhibition, 2026

April 19 - Multiple Dates

Details

Santa Cruz Clay

Santa Cruz Clay Throwdown & Exhibition

April 20, 2026

Details

DNA Presents

Comedy in Abbott Square

April 20, 2026

Details

Bookshop Santa Cruz, & UCSC, The Humanities Institute (THI) @ Temple Beth El

The Future is Peace | Aziz Abu Sarah & Maoz Inon | Moderated by Douglas Abrams

April 20, 2026

Details

DNA Presents

Rosie McCanns it's Bucket List!

April 20, 2026

Details

Santa Cruz Poetry Project @ Satori

Inside Out Loud with Santa Cruz Poetry Project

April 20, 2026

Details

Mir & A Company @ Santa Cruz Actor's Theater

Stranger with the Truth – A Preview During Technical Rehearsal*

April 21, April 22, April 23, 2026

Details

Chocolate Restaurant and Gayle's Bakery @ M.K. Contemporary Art Gallery

SMOKE Cabaret

April 21, 2026

Details

Hive Poetry Collective

In Celebration of the Muse

April 21, 2026

Details

DNA Presents

The 20 Year Anniversary of The Blue Lagoon Comedy Night aka Blue Lagoonies

April 21, 2026

Details

DNA Presents

Comedy Night at Santa Cruz Mountain Brewery

April 22, 2026

Details

Santa Cruz Art League

68th Annual High School Exhibition

April 22 - Multiple Dates

Details

UCSC Department of Art & The University of California Climate Action Arts Network (UC CAAN)

Art + Ecology Festival

April 22, 2026

Details

Bookshop Santa Cruz

Author Event: Jane Smiley | LIDIE: The Further Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton

April 22, 2026

Details

Santa Cruz Actors' Theatre

Standing Down Straight

April 22, 2026

Details

Watsonville Public Library

Watsonville Reads: Indigenous Voices

Wednesday, April 22, 2026 / 6:00 - 8:00pm

Details

Climate Wayfinding

Poetry on the Wharf: Climate Wayfinding with Dr. Katharine Wilkinson & Poet Ellen Bass

April 22, 2026

Details

Santa Cruz Actors' Theatre

Swing Dance Workshop

April 22, 2026

Details

Radius Gallery

Genoa Brown, Everyone's Music School

April 23, 2026

Details

Big Basin Tasting Room & Tapas Bar

Art Salon | Printmaker Stacy Frank

April 23, 2026

Details

Tannery Arts Center

Tannery Night

April 23, 2026

Details

Tannery Night - Printmakers at the Tannery (PATT)

Make a Print! Monotype Printmaking for Everyone

April 23, 2026

Details

Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music with UCSC Music Dept at Kuumbwa Jazz Center

A Change is Gonna Come – "Protest Songs" by Palaver Strings & Tenor Nicholas Phan

April 24, 2026

Details

Coastal Watershed Council

San Lorenzo River Art Tour

April 24, 2026

Details

FashionTeens

FashionTeens Showcase Event

April 24, 2026

Details

Indexical @ Radius Gallery

Indexical presents MOONS

April 24, 2026

Details

Santa Cruz Actors' Theatre

Fortitude & Gentleness - Featuring Billy Siengenfild & Jordan Batta

April 24, 25, 26, 2026

Details

M.K. Contemporary Art Gallery

Portrait Class with Susie Wilson

April 24, 2026

Details

Santa Cruz Shakespeare

Santa Cruz Shakespeare | Vincent

April 24, 2026

Details

Santa Cruz County Poet Laureate and Rising Voices: Youth Poetry Collective

The Rising Voices Youth Poetry Celebration, Seeds of Tomorrow

April 24, 2026

Details

Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks

Art in Bloom

April 25, 2026

Details

Printmakers at the Tannery (PATT) & Monterey Bay Iris Society @ London Nelson Community Center

Exhibition "Images of Iris" and Monotype Workshop, "Iris and Ink" by the Printmakers at the Tannery (PATT)

April 25 & 26, 2026

Details

Art Factory

Arts and Crafts at the Art Factory

April 25, 2026

Details

Santa Cruz Bonsai Kai

Bonsai, Cactus & Succulents Show & Sale

April 25 & 26

Details

Watsonville Public Library

Poets' Circle

Saturday, April 25, 2026

Details

Spring Lakes Park Clubhouse

Spring Lakes Park Spring Art & Craft Fair

April 25, 2026

Details

Bookshop Santa Cruz

Independent Bookstore Day at Bookshop Santa Cruz

April 25, 2026

Details

The Ripple Effect Santa Cruz Arts Festival

Ripple Effect Santa Cruz Arts Festival - Finale
@The Grove: Santa Cruz Event Center, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

April 26, 2026

Details

UCSC Department of Music

Santa Cruz Festival of Creative Music: Pianist Keisuke Nakagoshi

April 26, 2026

Details

Senderos

Guelaguetza Festival

April 26, 2026

Details
bottom of page