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First Friday

10/6 First Friday After Hours | Underground

October’s First Friday celebrates the opening of the new exhibit Underground: Unearthing Unseen Worlds. Dig into the mysterious creatures, caverns, and curiosities of the underground that sometimes inspire fear, but are essential to life as we know it. The event will feature natural pigment making from soil, geology and paleontology experts with specimen displays, worm composting demos, and more. Come eat, drink, and explore with us!

Friday, October 6, 2023
5-8 p.m.
Location: Outside the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

Community Groups and Vendors

Alessandra Chapman, Youth Jewelry Vendor
Areperia 831, Food Vendor
Bat Conservation International
City of Santa Cruz Recycling Center
Ferd Bergholz, Woodworker Vendor
Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz
Land Trust of Santa Cruz County
Pacific Paleontology (bring your fossils for ID!)
Patricia Larenas, Artists for Climate Awareness
Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park
Santa Cruz Archaeological Society
Soquel Creek Water District
UC Master Gardeners
UCSC Earth and Planetary Sciences (bring your rocks for ID!)
…and more!

Accessibility

  • Drop-by anytime 5-8 p.m. to join the festivities!
  • Admission to the Museum is free all day from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
  • Follow the latest guidelines for for covid safety.
  • Restrooms and water fountains are available inside the Museum.
  • Artist booths and activities will be on somewhat lumpy grass.

About First Fridays

Get to know Santa Cruz’s WILD SIDE at the Museum of Natural History. Nerd out on your night out during monthly after hours events, featuring rotating themes, vendors, and activities. Free admission to the Museum all day 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., with special outdoor festivities 5-8 p.m. April-October.

9/1 First Friday After Hours | Birds, Birbs, and Borbs

Get to know Santa Cruz’s WILD SIDE at the Museum of Natural History. Nerd out on your night out during monthly after hours events, featuring rotating themes, vendors, and activities. Free admission to the Museum all day 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., with special outdoor festivities 5-8 p.m.

September’s First Friday is all about BIRDS. Connect with local groups that support wildlife along the Monterey Bay during this evening of feathered fun while sharing your affection for all things avian — from birds to birbs to borbs. Eat, drink, play, and be quacky.

Friday, September 1, 2023
5-8 p.m.
Location: Outside the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

Community Organizations

Bird School Project
California Native Plant Society
Central Coast Birding Collective
Climate Justice Club of Harbor High School
Friends of Juristac
Monterey Audubon Society
Oikonos
Point Blue Conservation
Santa Cruz Bird Club
Seven Ravens Studio
Ferd Berholz, woodworker
Areperia 831
…and more!

Accessibility

  • Drop-by anytime 5-8 p.m. to join the festivities!
  • Admission to the Museum is free all day from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
  • Follow the latest guidelines for for covid safety.
  • Restrooms and water fountains are available inside the Museum.
  • Artist booths and activities will be on somewhat lumpy grass.

8/4 First Friday After Hours | Fire

Get to know Santa Cruz’s WILD SIDE at the Museum of Natural History. Nerd out on your night out during monthly after hours events, featuring rotating themes, vendors, and activities. Free admission to the Museum all day 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., with special outdoor festivities 5-8 p.m.

August’s First Friday explores the hot topic of fire in Santa Cruz County as part of our CZU and You series. Reflect on the three years since the CZU Lightning Complex Fires with local community groups that steward our open spaces, artists who are inspired by our local forests, and experts who can share their hot take on fire.

Friday, August 4, 2023
5-8 p.m.
Location: Outside the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

Community Organizations

California Native Plant Society
City of Santa Cruz Climate Action Program
Ferd Bergholz, Woodwooker
Friends of Juristac
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
Land Trust of Santa Cruz County
Patricia Larenas, Artist
Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County
San Vicente Redwoods with Peninsula Open Space Trust
Sempervirens Fund
Areperia 831
…and more!

Accessibility

  • Drop-by anytime 5-8 p.m. to join the festivities!
  • Admission to the Museum is free all day from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
  • Follow the latest guidelines for for covid safety.
  • Restrooms and water fountains are available inside the Museum.
  • Artist booths and activities will be on somewhat lumpy grass.

7/7 First Friday After Hours | High Tides and Good Vibes

Get to know Santa Cruz’s WILD SIDE at the Museum of Natural History. Nerd out on your night out during monthly after hours events, featuring rotating themes, vendors, and activities. Free admission to the Museum all day 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., with special outdoor festivities 5-8 p.m.

July’s First Friday event celebrates the sea! Join local community groups that protect our marine environment, steward the coast, and share the wonders of the ocean. Enjoy free admission to our new exhibit The Inner Lives of Shells. Play, learn, eat, drink, shop, and be merry.

Friday, July 7, 2023
5-8 p.m.
Location: Outside the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

Community Organizations

Eleanor Castro, Amah Mutsun Elder and artist
Black Surf Club Santa Cruz
Save The Waves
Plankton Monitoring Group
Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center
City of Santa Cruz Recycling Center
Rachel Kippen, ocean advocate and artist
Kiwi Cyr, artist
Nicholas Ta, artist
Areperia 831
…and more!

Accessibility

  • Drop-by anytime 5-8 p.m. to join the festivities!
  • Admission to the Museum is free all day from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
  • Follow the latest guidelines for for covid safety.
  • Restrooms and water fountains are available inside the Museum.
  • Artist booths and activities will be on somewhat lumpy grass.

6/2 First Friday After Hours | Get Outside!

Get to know Santa Cruz’s WILD SIDE at the Museum of Natural History. Nerd out on your night out during monthly after hours events every First Friday, featuring rotating themes, vendors, and activities. Free admission to the Museum all day 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., with special outdoor festivities 5-8 p.m.

June’s event celebrates Great Outdoors Month! Join local community groups that support access to the outdoors while learning more about your favorite local nature spots.

Friday, June 2, 2023
5-8 p.m.
Location: Outside the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

Community Groups

Latino Outdoors
Sempervirens Fund
Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship
California Native Plant Society
County Park Friends
UCSC Earth and Planetary Sciences
Puentes Nature
Handmade wooden goods by Ferd Bergholz
G’sTacos
…and more!


Accessibility

  • Drop-by anytime 5-8 p.m. to join the festivities!
  • Admission to the Museum is free all day from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
  • Follow the latest guidelines for for covid safety.
  • Restrooms and water fountains are available inside the Museum.
  • Artist booths and activities will be on somewhat lumpy grass.

5/5 First Friday | The Art of Nature

Get to know Santa Cruz’s WILD SIDE at the Museum of Natural History. Nerd out on your night out during monthly after hours events every First Friday, featuring rotating themes, vendors, and activities. Free admission to the Museum all day 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., with special outdoor festivities 5-8 p.m.

May’s event will feature over a dozen artist booths from local science illustrators featured in the annual exhibit, The Art of Nature. Support the artists by going home with prints, stickers, cards, cups, and more! Food from Areperia 831 and adult drinks will be for sale.

Friday, May 5, 2023
5-8 p.m.
Location: Outside the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

Featured artists

Katie McCullough
Noelle Valdez
Tina Somers
Kylene Gilmore
Meegan Painter
Suzy Radonsky
Kristen Burroughs
Melissa Eugene
Elizabeth Romanini
Kylie Kathleen Smith
Calene Luczo
Nicholas Ta
Hannah Kanne
Elizabeth Conway
Lindsay Newey
Constance Speer

Accessibility

  • Drop-by anytime 5-8 p.m. to join the festivities!
  • Admission to the Museum is free all day from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
  • Follow the latest guidelines for for covid safety.
  • Restrooms and water fountains are available inside the Museum.
  • Artist booths and activities will be on somewhat lumpy grass.

4/7 First Friday | The Art of Nature

Get to know Santa Cruz’s WILD SIDE at the Museum of Natural History. Nerd out on your night out during monthly after hours events every First Friday, featuring rotating themes, vendors, and activities. Free admission to the Museum all day 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., with special outdoor festivities 5-8 p.m.

April’s event will feature over a dozen artist booths from local science illustrators featured in the annual exhibit, The Art of Nature. Support the artists by going home with prints, stickers, cards, cups, and more! Food and adult drinks will be for sale.

Friday, April 7, 2023
5-8 p.m.
Location: Outside the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

Featured artists

Meegan Painter
Melissa Eugene
Elizabeth Romanini
Kylie Kathleen Smith
Nicholas Ta
Hannah Kanne
Rebecca Bothelo
Elizabeth Conway
Kylene Gilmore
Lindsay Newey

Accessibility

  • Drop-by anytime 5-8 p.m. to join the festivities!
  • Admission to the Museum is free all day from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
  • Follow the latest guidelines for for covid safety.
  • Restrooms and water fountains are available inside the Museum.
  • Artist booths and activities will be on somewhat lumpy grass.