A weekly guide to what’s happening
Green Fix
‘Doggo Dreamland’
We may be living in a dog’s dream, but we this ‘Doggo Dreamland’ is no delusion. The Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History and Santa Cruz SPCA are teaming up for a celebration to help local dogs. There will be adoptable pups, plus plenty of room to bring your own furry friends. There will also be a DIY dog toy station, face painting (for humans only) and a selection of animal portraits by local artist Janice Serilla.
INFO: 6-8 p.m. Friday, July 26. Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, 705 Front St., Santa Cruz. santacruzmah.org. $10 admission includes museum access.
Art Seen
‘Pinocchio: A Bot-Treemian Rhapsody’
Pinocchio meets futuristic techno-rock plus magic fairies? Sure, why not. In retro-futuristic Italy, the poor woodcarver Gepetto carves a puppet from an enchanted log that was the very last tree in the forest, because the greedy Stromboli family makes robot toys and games as their factory pollutes the water and destroys the environment. The puppet Pinocchio must resist temptation to join the lazy children in their endless gaming, and help the Green Fairy and her magical forest friend the Loraxini save the forest. In other words, you have to see it to believe it.
INFO: 7:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 24, through Sunday, Aug. 4. Park Hall, 9400 Mill St., Ben Lomond. lprt.org. $20.
Saturday 7/27
‘Books and Brews’ La Selva Beach Summer Fair
Over 50 arts and crafts vendors will sell their handmade jewelry, pottery, photography, jams, soaps, succulents, garden art, woodcraft, books, cards, bags, clothing, and more. The one-day Books and Brews festival also includes the Friends of the La Selva Beach Library Book Sale, with a giant selection of all genres of books and media at great prices. Food trucks, local craft beers, live music, and kids’ activities like facepainting are all on tap as well.
INFO: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. La Selva Beach Clubhouse, 314 Estrella Ave., La Selva Beach. bo**************@gm***.com. Free.
Saturday 7/27
Puppeteers for Fears
This isn’t your stereotypical lo-fi puppet show. This is a puppet show on drugs, plus a full rock band. The play tells the story of a sasquatch hunter and a sasquatch, both of whom are abducted by extraterrestrials and subjected to kooky medical experiments on a UFO. Imagine the sci-fi camp of Plan 9 From Outer Space paired with the bawdy comedy of Avenue Q. Despite its off-the-wall nature and somewhat cutesy puppets, be aware that this is not a show for children. It’s R-rated, for mature audiences only.
INFO: 8 p.m. The Blue Lagoon, 923 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. puppeteersforfears.com. $5.
Sunday 7/28-Saturday 8/3
Shark Science Week
Back in the age of when people actually watched cable TV, the Discovery Channel’s “Shark Week” was a national summer event. In the age of the internet, we can now watch shark attack videos whenever we want; unfortunately, they don’t always give much educational context (gasp). Luckily, the Seymour Center is coming to the rescue. For a full week, they are hosting a Shark Science Week full of facts about the cartilaginous fish with big teethies. They will be exploring shark adaptations like sharks’ extraordinary senses and the unique ways in which they reproduce (hint: there are sometimes teeth involved). The shark touching pool will also be open every day.
INFO: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Seymour Marine Discovery Center, 100 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz. $9 general admission.
