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Event Series: Slug Start 2026-27

Boardwalk Frolic

September 25 @ 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
$20
A group of smiling young adults sit gathered around outdoor wooden picnic tables with colorful umbrellas on a sunny day.

Kick off your UCSC experience with a night of fun at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk! The Boardwalk Frolic is a private event just for new UCSC students—featuring free rides, games, and the chance to connect with fellow Banana Slugs right on the beach. Enjoy the lights, the ocean breeze, and one of Santa Cruz’s most iconic spots as you make new memories and new friends.

 

Purchase tickets in advance to avoid long wait lines at the Boardwalk!

$20 for all UCSC Students* – purchase your ticket here!

*Ticket price increases to $40 after 4,500 student tickets are sold.

  • Unlimited rides
  • $10 MyBoardwalk Card valid for food, games, and retail
  • Free mini golf, laser tag, fright walk, and laser maze
  • Free arcade play
  • Free parking
  • Campus shuttles to and from the Boardwalk

Shuttle Info (Campus shuttle pickup locations TBD):

Campus to Boardwalk: Buses run from 4:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. ONLY.

Boardwalk to Campus: Buses run from 8 p.m. – 11 p.m. ONLY*.

*Shuttles going back to campus from the Boardwalk will stop running after 11 p.m. Any student who is not in line for a bus before 11 p.m. will need to arrange for their own ride back to campus. Santa Cruz Metro city busses also stop running at 11 p.m.

 

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