Find everything you need for the holidays in Santa Cruz with our comprehensive guide. Discover all the top events and activities. Whether you're rediscovering your city or seeing it anew, our guide brings you the best of Santa Cruz's festive season.
One highlight is the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Winter Wonderland, where festive lights and holiday decorations adorn the iconic amusement park, creating a magical atmosphere for all ages. Another unique attraction is the Holiday Lights Train, offering a delightful train ride through beautifully illuminated landscapes. And definitely don't forget the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds Holiday Lights, featuring enchanting displays that bring cheer to the season. See more details on these and other fun events and activities below!
Happy Holidays!
Top Events Events In and Around Santa Cruz
- Downtown Holiday Parade
- Breakfast with Santa at the Dream Inn
- Winter on the Wharf
- Winter Wonderland at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
- Roaring Camp Holiday Lights Train
- Movie with Santa "Elf" at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
- Santa Cruz Harbor Lighted Boat Parade
- Capitola Surfin' Santa (Capitola)
- Roaring Camp Railroads Holiday Tree Walk (Felton)
- Roaring Camp Railroads Holiday Tree Walk (Felton)
🎃 Explore all 10+ featured events below!
Santa Cruz Events Events
Downtown Holiday Parade (Santa Cruz) • 0.3 miles
Official kickoff for the winter holidays celebration.
Breakfast with Santa at the Dream Inn (Santa Cruz) • 0.9 miles
Festive holiday breakfast with Santa
Winter on the Wharf (Santa Cruz) • 0.9 miles
Festive holiday celebration on a scenic wharf
Winter Wonderland at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk (Santa Cruz) • 1.0 miles
Classic seaside amusement park with holiday cheer
Roaring Camp Holiday Lights Train (Santa Cruz) • 1.0 miles
Vintage train cars adorned with thousands of colorful lights.
Movie with Santa "Elf" at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk (Santa Cruz) • 1.2 miles
Indoor holiday movie screening with Santa and cookie decorating
Santa Cruz Harbor Lighted Boat Parade (Santa Cruz) • 1.8 miles
Dazzling display of 50 decorated power and sailboats
Capitola Surfin' Santa (Capitola) • 4.4 miles
Santa arrives by Outrigger canoe
Roaring Camp Railroads Holiday Tree Walk (Felton) • 4.9 miles
Festive holiday trees at Roaring Camp Railroads
Roaring Camp Railroads Holiday Tree Walk (Felton) • 5.2 miles
Steam train ride through wintry redwoods with Santa
The Nutcracker at Cabrillo College (Aptos) • 5.9 miles
Classic holiday ballet performance
Christmas with the Santa Cruz Chorale (Santa Cruz) • 10.0 miles
Holiday carols spanning centuries and countries
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Our Process
With 20 years of experience, we use AI technology to build the most comprehensive list of events events.
Our goal is complete coverage—from major festivals to small community celebrations, ensuring you never miss anything happening in your area.
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