A weekly guide to what’s happening.
ARTS AND MUSIC
KEEP ON TRUCKIN’ Magician, clown and all-around energetic circus entertainer Calvin Kai Ku headlines this week’s “Keep on Truckin’” show from Tandy Beal and Company on Saturday, May 29. This series presents exceptional artists in free 15-minute mini-shows on a flatbed truck outside. Knowing that everyone is a bit stressed, we are offering this taste of music and circus to uplift our neighborhoods. Keep each other safe, wear your masks and keep your distances social—otherwise, the truck will need to move on. Each stop on our Truckin’ Tour will be a 20-minute performance: 11am at Garfield Park (199 Seaside St.); 11:45am at University Terrace Park (369 Meder St.); 12:30pm at Westlake Park (Bradley Drive and Majors St.); 2:15pm at Ocean View Park (102 Ocean View Ave.); 3pm at Frederick St. Park (168 Frederick St.). More information at tandybeal.com. Saturday, May 29.
COMMUNITY
ASK ME ANYTHING: VIRTUAL CONVERSATIONS FROM THE FRONT LINE OF HOMELESSNESS Join Housing Matters’ Programs Staff in their newest free webinar, “Ask Me Anything: Conversations from the Front Line of Homelessness.” This is your opportunity to hear what is going on every single day to solve homelessness and ask all the questions you have about working to solve homelessness in our community. To register, visit eventbrite.com/e/ask-me-anything-conversations-from-the-front-line-of-homelessness-tickets-132833806491. Friday, May 28, 9am.
CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP VIA ZOOM Support groups create a safe, confidential, supportive environment or community and a chance for family caregivers to develop informal mutual support and social relationships as well as discover more effective ways to cope with and care for your loved one. Who may benefit from participating in the support group? Family caregivers who care for persons with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia, those who would like to talk to others in similar situations, those who need more information, additional support and caregiving strategies. This meeting is held via Zoom and telephone. To register or for more information, call 800-272-3900. Wednesday, May 26, 2pm.
COVID-19 AND CAREGIVING WEBINAR Caring for someone living with dementia during the Covid-19 pandemic adds unique challenges for caregivers. This program provides simple tips caregivers can put in place whether the person living with dementia lives at home, in a residential facility, or care providers are coming into the home. To register or for more information, call 800-272-3900. Wednesday, May 26, 10-11:30am.
FOOD WASTE WEBINAR SERIES Keep your cash out of the trash! Join this webinar series created by the city of Santa Cruz to learn all about wasted food and reducing waste in your life to keep cash out of the trash. Plus, be entered to win awesome prizes like a compost bin and more! Did you know that there is not only a huge environmental impact from wasting food but that the average family of four will toss out $1,600 or more a year in wasted food? To help us dive deeper into the journey of wasted food topics, there will be a wonderful lineup of guest speakers including chef Kendra Baker of The Glass Jar demoing “Freestyle Cooking;” farmer Javier Zamora of JSM Organic Farms; Chief Operations Officer Kristi Locatelli of Wild Roots Market; and Donation Center Executive Director Tim Brattan of Grey Bears. Visit eventbrite.com/e/food-waste-webinar-series-tickets-144305368241 to register. Tuesday, June 1, 5-6pm.
GREY BEARS BROWN BAG LINE If you are able-bodied and love to work fast, this is for you! Grey Bears could use more help with their brown bag production line on Thursday and Friday mornings. As a token of our thanks, we make you breakfast and give you a bag of food if wanted. Be at the warehouse with a mask and gloves at 7am, and we will put you to work until at least 9am! Call ahead if you would like to know more: 831-479-1055, greybears.org. Thursday, May 27, 7am. California Grey Bears, 2710 Chanticleer Ave., Santa Cruz.
MEMORIAL DAY GATHERING Curtis Reliford, Follow Your Heart Action Network, and Peace United Church of Christ invites the community to join them in honoring the men and women who died for our freedom. We invite you all to join us on Pacific Avenue and Cooper Street. There will be an open mic if you have something to say; we welcome your thoughts. We want to discuss what Memorial Day means along with music and dance. We were thinking with all that’s going on in the world these last couple of years, we have been facing a moral crisis that is separating us from each other. There will be a sign contest: Bring a three-foot foam-core sign with a one-word saying promoting peace, love, compassion, kindness, empathy. There is a prize for best sign. Sunday, May 30, 1-5pm. 113 Cooper St., Santa Cruz.
SALSA SUELTA FREE ZOOM SESSION Keep in shape! Weekly online session in Cuban-style Salsa Suelta for experienced beginners and up. May include mambo, chachacha, Afro-Cuban rumba, orisha, son montuno. No partner required, ages 14 and older. Contact to get the link; visit salsagente.com. Thursday, May 27, 7pm.
TEACHERS OF NATURE MEET DELRITA THE ELEPHANT/CONOCE A DELRITA EL ELEFANTE Calling all elephant lovers! In this amazing and interactive class, students will learn all about the endangered Asian elephant, and meet one of the Endangered Ark Foundation’s favorite residents, Delrita! Delrita will show you her trunk and all the incredible things she can do with it. Drink, pick things up, and even paint! She will also show you her teeth, her feet and a close-up of her skin! How many teeth does an elephant have? How many toes? Is the skin soft or tough? Join us to find out, and ask all your questions! This event will be bilingual, presented in English with a Spanish language interpreter. iAtención amantes de elefantes! En esta clase increíble e interactiva, los estudiantes aprenderán sobre el elefante asiático y conocerán a uno de los residentes más populares de Endangered Ark Foundation, Delrita. iDelrita les mostrará su tromba y todas las cosas increíbles que puede hacer con ella, como beber, recoger cosas, e incluso pintar! También nos mostrará sus dientes, pies, y su piel. ¿Cuántos dientes tiene un elefante? ¿Cuántos dedos? ¿La piel es suave o áspera? iAcompáñanos para averiguarlo y haz todas tus preguntas! Wednesday, May 26, 11am-noon. Santa Cruz Public Libraries, 117 Union St., Santa Cruz.
TENANTS’ RIGHTS HELP Tenant Sanctuary is open to renters living in the city of Santa Cruz with questions about their tenants’ rights. Volunteer counselors staff the telephones on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from 10am-2pm. Tenant Sanctuary works to empower tenants by educating them on their rights and providing the tools to pursue those rights. Tenant Sanctuary and their program attorney host free legal clinics for tenants in the city of Santa Cruz. Due to Covid-19 concerns, all services are currently by telephone, email or Zoom. For more information visit tenantsanctuary.org or follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/tenantsanctuary. 831-200-0740. Thursday, May 27, 10am-2pm. Sunday, May 30, 10am-2pm. Tuesday, June 1, 10am-2pm. Tenant Sanctuary, 703 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz.
UNDERSTANDING AND RESPONDING TO DEMENTIA-RELATED BEHAVIORS WEBINAR Behavior is a powerful form of communication and is one of the primary ways for people with dementia to communicate their needs and feelings as the ability to use language is lost. However, some behaviors can present real challenges for caregivers to manage. Join us to learn to decode behavioral messages, identify common behavior triggers, and learn strategies to help intervene with some of the most common behavioral challenges of Alzheimer’s disease. To register or for more information, call 800-272-3900. Tuesday, June 1, 1-2:30pm.
GROUPS
ENTRE NOSOTRAS GRUPO DE APOYO Entre Nosotras support group for Spanish-speaking women with a cancer diagnosis. Meets twice monthly. Registration required: Call Entre Nosotras at 831-761-3973. Friday, May 28, 6pm.
WOMENCARE ARM-IN-ARM WomenCARE ARM-IN-ARM Cancer support group for women with advanced, recurrent, or metastatic cancer. Meets every Monday at WomenCARE’s office. Currently on Zoom. Registration required: Call WomenCARE at 831-457-2273. All services are free. For more information, visit womencaresantacruz.org. Monday, May 31, 12:30pm.
WOMENCARE TUESDAY SUPPORT GROUP WomenCARE Tuesday Cancer support group for women newly diagnosed and through their treatment. Meets every Tuesday currently on Zoom. Registration required: Call WomenCARE 831-457-2273. Tuesday, June 1, 12:30-2pm.
WOMENCARE: LAUGHTER YOGA Laughter yoga for women with a cancer diagnosis. Meets every Wednesday, currently via Zoom. Registration required: Call WomenCARE at 831-457-2273. Wednesday, May 26, 3:30-4:30pm.
OUTDOOR
MEMORIAL DAY OF REMEMBRANCE AT EVERGREEN CEMETERY Honor local veterans at the MAH’s reimagined community celebration at Evergreen Cemetery. This year, we’re pleased to be able to offer an in-person gathering once again. Stroll through the cemetery in a self-guided walkthrough to learn more about the veterans buried at Evergreen and our local veteran community. We’ll have music, community guests and historical highlights; just follow the signs for a relaxing walk through Evergreen’s lush hillside. Masks and social distancing required for this event. For more information, visit santacruzmah.org. Monday, May 31, 10am-1pm. Evergreen Cemetery, 261 Evergreen St., Santa Cruz.
VIRTUAL YOUNGER LAGOON RESERVE TOURS Younger Lagoon Reserve is now offering a virtual tour in both English and Spanish. This virtual tour follows the same stops as the Seymour Marine Discovery Center’s docent-led, in-person hiking tour, and is led by a UCSC student! Virtual Younger Lagoon Reserve tours are free and open to the public. Part of the University of California Natural Reserve System, Younger Lagoon Reserve contains diverse coastal habitats and is home to birds of prey, migrating sea birds, bobcats, and other wildlife. See what scientists are doing to track local mammals, restore native habitat, and learn about the workings of one of California’s rare coastal lagoons. Access the tours at seymourcenter.ucsc.edu/visit/behind-the-scenes-tours/#youngerlagoon. Sunday, May 30, 10:30am.
YOU PICK ROSES We are growing over 300 roses, deeply fragrant, lush and in every color, and we want to share them with you! Get out of the house and enjoy cutting a bucket of roses for your own pleasure or to share with family and friends. Once you have made a purchase, you will be sent a calendar link to pick a time for your reservation and directions to our farm in Watsonville. Visit birdsongorchards.com/store/you-pick-roses for more information. Friday, May 28, 11am. Sunday, May 30, 11am.
