Community Calendar • Arts & Entertainment – Pages 28

First Tuesdays Of The Month FIRST TUESDAYS FREE 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., UC Santa Cruz Arboretum, 1156 High St, Santa Cruz Community Day at the UCSC Arboretum means free admission on the first Tuesday of every month 9 a.m-5 p.m. Guests are invited to explore the biodiversity of the gardens, enjoy bird watching or relax on a bench in the shade. https://arboretum.ucsc.edu

Wednesdays thru Sept. 1 CAPITOLA TWILIGHT CONCERTS ARE BACK 6-8 p.m., Bandstand at Esplanade Park, Capitola Village July 21: Joint Chiefs, playing soul and funk Aug. 4: Mike Hammar & the Nails, playing blues Aug. 11: Tsunami, playing classic rock/R&B, dance

Fridays MIDTOWN FRIDAYS Ongoing thru Oct. 29, 1111 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz (next to the fire station) Event Santa Cruz is hosting a Friday festival through the end of October. Called “Midtown Fridays,” the event will have a featured musical act plus food, artists, vendors, and more.

Admission is free. Scheduled Musical Acts:

July 23: Fuse (Ted Welty, Don Caruth, Rob Ouse & Ryan Price)

July 30: Andy Pancakes featuring Tammi Brown https://www.eventsantacruz.com/event/midtown-fridays/ Saturdays ECOLOGICAL RESERVE TOURS AT ELKHORN SLOUGH Tours start at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.,1700 Elkhorn Road, Watsonville Volunteers lead walks highlighting the natural history of the Elkhorn Slough. Capacity is limited due to physical distancing requirements, and individuals must sign up on a first-come, first-served basis.

Groups of six or more should call ahead at (831) 728-2822 or visit https://www.elkhornslough.org/ group-reservation/ to reserve a tour. For more information, visit http://www.elkhornslough.org/ esnerr/tours/

DATED EVENTS

Sunday July 18

CAPITOLA ART AT THE BEACH 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Capitola Esplanade Capitola’s first Art at the Beach event in 2021, and all future Sunday art events, are family friendly and free to attend.

This is an opportunity to get outside, support local artists, and enjoy what nature and the community has to offer. Painting, photography, sculpture, jewelry, and mixed media by local artists will be on display and for sale.

The event will return in August on the 1st and 15th. If you are an artist with work you would like to have a display in August, applications are accepted until Aug. 10. To download an application and view the requirements, see https://www. cityofcapitola.org/acc/page/sunday-art-beach-2021.

AUTHOR TALK 11 a.m., Online Meeting Bookshop Santa Cruz, along with Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks, will host a free online event celebrating the paperback release of Vesper Flights by award-winning English writer Helen Macdonald.

Preregistration is required at https://www.crowdcast. io/e/vesper-flights/register.

UC MASTER GARDENERS CLASSES

UC Master Gardeners of Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties offers free and low-cost gardening classes, serving Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito counties.

Online classes are available free of charge, although donations are accepted. For further information and to register for our classes, visit mbmg.ucanr.edu.

••• Greywater: Laundry to Landscape • Saturday, July 17, 10-11:30 a.m. (online) Taught by UC Master Gardener Stephanie Kister Campbell Integrated Pest Management (Invertebrates) • Thursday, July 22, 5 – 6:30 pm (online) Taught by UC Master Gardeners Loretta Heath & Delise Weir California Native Plant Seed Collecting • Tuesday, July 27, 5 – 6:30 pm (online) Taught by UC Master Gardener Janice Kuch California Native Plant Seed Collecting – Hands-On Workshop • In-person Event Saturday, July 31, 10 – 11:30 am, UC Master Gardeners Demonstration Garden 1430 Freedom Blvd, Suite E, Watsonville • Cost: $20 • Limited to 15 students This is a companion workshop to the zoom presentation. Taught by UC Master Gardener Janice Kuch. ••• UC Master Gardeners of Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties is an all-volunteer organization affiliated with UC Cooperative Extension’s Master Gardener Program.

From the New York Times bestselling author of H is for Hawk and winner of the Samuel Johnson Prize for nonfiction, comes Vesper Flights, a transcendent collection of essays about the human relationship to the natural world. Animals teach us things, and most of what they teach us is what we think we know about ourselves. The book will be published on July 13 and is available for preorder now from Bookshop Santa Cruz at https://www. bookshopsantacruz.com/book/9780802158673.

Tuesday July 20

FIRE SAFETY IN DISTRICT 2 2-3 p.m., Online Meeting. Supervisor Zach Friend, the Santa Cruz County Office of Response, Recovery & Resilience and Cal Fire invite county residents to join a virtual meeting to discuss fire safety. This meeting is focused on the Second Supervisorial District, though residents from across Santa Cruz County are welcome.

As we approach the one-year anniversary of the CZU Lightning Fire Complex, 2021 fire activity throughout California exceeds 2020 levels, and moisture content in local fuels is extraordinarily low. Discussion will include existing threats and protective and preparedness measures. To attend: https://tinyurl.com/rj7sz2zp Call-in option (audio only): 1-916-318-9542; Enter conference ID: 502 272 002#

Wednesday July 21 Thursday July 22

vaccination clinics through Kaiser Permanente.

The Wednesday clinic will offer the Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, while Thursday will offer Moderna. Central Coast Y covers the $40 copay. No reservations are needed.

Friday July 23

VAX UP Noon-4 p.m., Secret Garden & Garden Room, 705 Front St., downtown Santa Cruz The Museum of Art & History in Santa Cruz, with the County of Santa Cruz Health Services Agency Public Health Division, will offer a walk-in vaccination clinic offering both Pfizer (12 years and up) and Janssen vaccines free of charge.

Saturday July 24 Sunday July 25

APTOS LIBRARY CLOSING SALE Noon to 5 p.m. The Aptos Branch Library is holding a pre-remodel sale of everything. Yes, everything must go! Desks, chairs, shelving, books, children’s furnishings and more. The sale is being hosted by Friends of Aptos Library. To preview sale items go to www.friendsofaptoslibrary.org

ARTICHOKE FESTIVAL Opens 10 a.m. each day, Monterey County Fairgrounds The Artichoke Festival returns to the Monterey County Fairgrounds on July 24-25, with the theme, “Thistle be a Good Time!”

The 61st annual event expects 8,000 visitors; safety and social distancing protocols will be followed. Advance tickets are available at www.ArtichokeFestival.org, with an early bird family package for $30 available until July 10. Individual prices range from $15 for adults; $5 for youth 6-12, $10 for active military and seniors (62+). Children under 6 are free.

Gourmet artichoke dishes, with products supplied by the region’s top growers, will be prepared in a variety of ways, including: fried, steamed, grilled, and forms such as lumpia, burritos, sausage, cupcakes and ice cream.

Cooking demonstrations showcasing the artichoke’s versatility will be given by chef Daniel Elinan, executive chef at The Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel & Spa; Eduardo Coronel, executive chef of Rio Grill in Carmel; and Chef Ivan, part of the culinary team at Tarpy’s Roadhouse in Monterey.

Chef demos will be hosted by Partnership for Children, which provides transportation to medical care and family support services for children with life-threatening conditions in Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito counties. Information: www.partnerforkids.org.

There will be a bountiful farmer’s market, an ag education exhibit, a new car show hosted by Gold Coast Rods, and a new carnival, a new art exhibit plus arts and crafts vendors, and the artichoke harvest contest. Festival proceeds will benefit nonprofits. For information, see www.artichokefestival.org.

Saturday July 24 thru Sunday August 1

VIRTUAL AUCTION FOR EVERYONE’S HARVEST Everyone’s Harvest Certified Farmers’ Markets will have a virtual silent auction fundraiser from July 24-Aug. 1, in lieu of its annual garden benefit.

The virtual silent auction will go live at 8 a.m. Saturday, July 24, and end at 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 1. Anyone can bid on any item; once they are outbid, they will receive an email notification to encourage another bid. To view items up for auction, go to https:// www.32auctions.com/fresh2021.

A winning bid enables Everyone’s Harvest to keep offering its innovative fresh produce prescriptions (FreshRx) and matching customers’ federal nutrition assistance (Market Match).

Tuesday July 27

CAPITOLA SOROPTIMISTS 4-5:30 p.m., Olive Garden, 3400 Clares St., Capitola Soroptimist International of Capitola by-the-Sea will have its first in-person club meeting since the pandemic.

The meeting will be preceded by a social half-hour and an explanation about the partnership with Santa Cruz Shakespeare and volunteer opportunities. Meeting topics include club participation in an online human trafficking prevention workshop.

The meeting is open to the public. For information see www.facebook.com/sicapitola, email info@ best4women.org, or visit www.best4women.org.

Saturday July 31

FALL IN LOVE WITH BIRCHBARK 6:45-8 p.m., Online Fundraiser Join the “FALL IN LOVE WITH BIRCHBARK” Virtual Celebration and Fundraiser.

As a fundraising organization, the need for support is critical, and a memorial gift is a way to show how much you care for a pet who has passed on.

A week-long Silent Auction will begin July 24th

Registration is free at: birchbarkfoundation.org/fil2021 or call 831-471-7255. To learn more or to donate, contact birchbarkfoundation.org • info@birchbarkfoundation.org. n