Events

Día de los Muertos Ceremonia
2025-11-02 16:00 - 19:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | CA
When: Sunday, November 2, 2025
Where: Quarry Amphitheater, UC Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, CA 95064
Time: 5:30-7:30pm, doors open at 4:00pm
El Centro and the Quarry Amphitheater present Día de los Muertos Ceremonia. A space to collectively honor and celebrate the lives of our loved ones. Join us for a night of danza, prayer, food, music, and community. This cultural and family event is FREE! Please email elcentro@ucsc.edu for questions or concerns.
As we prepare for this year’s ceremony, we recognize the pain, loss, and grief caused by violence around the world. The community altar, or ofrenda, is a sacred space that represents a remembrance of the departed, a reminder that life is eternal and that the presence of our loved ones is everlasting. The ofrenda speaks of affection and praise toward the deceased and are an expression of love towards life. We preserve this ceremony as a space to reflect and heal. We ask that everyone respect the honoring of individuals lost and come together as we welcome back their spirits through ceremony, dance, song, and offerings. We also recognize that through all cultures and traditions we express ourselves differently, yet at this time we gather as members of humanity to support one another, to share our emotions of joy and sadness, and to embrace our humility as a community of this campus.
Parking and Check-in: Please allow sufficient time to arrive at the Quarry Amphitheater. You can follow the directional signs from the base of the campus to the parking lots. Parking will be free at the Hahn Parking Lot 101. Overflow parking will be free at the East Remote Lot after Lot 101 has been filled.
Shuttles will be available from the East Remote Lot to the Quarry Plaza. ADA parking is available at Parking Lot 102 near the Quarry with an ADA placard. Please let us know if you need any accommodations and/or ADA parking in the form below.
Covid-19 Guidelines: For the safety of our community, we recommend our guests and volunteers wear masks when they are not eating. We will have masks available at the registration table.
Weather: We encourage you to dress for cold weather (hats, layers, and blankets). Our event is outdoors and although rain is not in the forecast, the temperature is expected to drop to the low 50’s, please wear comfortable shoes and a jacket.
Food: We will be serving food for our guests starting at 4:00pm until 5:30pm when the Ceremonia begins. We encourage you to arrive early if you can. We will serve tamales, pan dulce and refreshments starting at 4:00pm until supplies last.
Community altar: We will be having a community altar, we encourage you to bring an ofrenda to add to the altar (pictures, food items, your loved ones’ favorite items, etc). Please don’t forget to pick up your items from the altar at the end of the event. You may bring candles, but will be unable to light them due to fire safety.
You Belong Here: The programs and services described here are open to all, consistent with state and federal law, as well as the University of California’s nondiscrimination policies. Every initiative—whether a student service, faculty program, or community event—is designed to be accessible, inclusive, and respectful of all identities.
To learn more, please visit UC Nondiscrimination Statement or Nondiscrimination Policy for UC Publications.
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Cuándo: Domingo 2 de noviembre de 2025
Dónde: Anfiteatro Quarry, UC Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, CA 95064
Hora: 5:30-7:30 pm, las de puertas abren a las 4:00 pm
¡Acompáñanos a nuestra ceremonia comunitaria de Día de Muertos! Habrá comida, música, danza folclórica en vivo y altar comunitaria. Este evento cultural – familiar es totalmente gratuito. El Centro y el Anfiteatro Quarry se complacen en darle la bienvenida a nuestra Ceremonia anual del Día de los Muertos que tendrá lugar el 2 de noviembre del 2025 de 5:30 p. m. a 7:30 p. m., y las puertas se abrirán a las 4:00p.m.
Estacionamiento: Permita suficiente tiempo para llegar al anfiteatro Quarry. Puede seguir las señales direccionales desde la base del campus hasta los estacionamientos. El estacionamiento será gratuito en el estacionamiento lote 101. El estacionamiento adicional será gratuito en el lote East Remote después de que se haya llenado el lote 101. El estacionamiento ADA está disponible en el lote 102 cerca del anfiteatro con un cartel ADA. Por favor, hágame saber si necesita estacionamiento ADA.
Covid-19: Para la seguridad de nuestra comunidad, recomendamos que nuestros invitados y voluntarios usen máscaras cuando no estén comiendo. Tendremos mascarillas disponibles en la mesa de registro.
Clima: Le recomendamos venir abrigados debido al clima frío (gorros, capas y chaqueta). Nuestro evento es afuera al aire libre y, aunque no se pronostica lluvia, se espera que la temperatura baje a mediados de los 40, use zapatos cómodos y una chaqueta.
Comida: Estaremos sirviendo comida para nuestros invitados desde las 4:00 p.m. hasta las 5:30 p.m. cuando comienza la Ceremonia. Le recomendamos que llegue temprano si puede. Serviremos tamales, pan dulce y refrescos a partir de las 5:00 pm hasta agotar.
Ofrenda comunitaria: Tendremos un altar comunitario, si gustan por favor traigan una ofrenda para agregar al altar (fotos, alimentos, los artículos favoritos de sus seres queridos, etc.). No olvide recoger sus artículos del altar al final del evento.
Para mas informacion o preguntas, mande un correo electronico a elcentro@ucsc.edu o llame a (831) 459-5608.

A Joyful Noise—video, music, panel discussion, and fellowship
2025-11-05 19:30 - 21:30 | Music Center Recital Hall, 400 McHenry Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Audiences are invited to listen, share, and express ideas and feelings about individual and collective struggles in this interdisciplinary event featuring music, arts, science, and creative videography:

Video screening (Art)
Musical interlude
Video screening (STEM)
Panel discussion with Q&A
Light refreshments with continued conversation/fellowship in the lobby

This event features live performances—Karlton Hester (tenor sax and composer of electronic score), akua naru (word), Tammy Hall (piano), Pierpaolo Polzonetti (clarinet; guest professor from UC Davis), and Jing Zhou (Guzheng)—and videography by Patricia Saucedo, Katarina Fink, and Nanaiya Hester. Video participants include Karlton Hester (electronic music score and tenor saxophone), Fahima Ife and Renaldo Wilson (UCSC Critical Race & Ethnic Studies), akua naru (UCSC Music Department), Mandjou Kone (UCSC Department of Performance, Play & Design), Angel Riotutor (director of the American Indian Resource Center and People of Color Sustainability Collective), and Chari Glogovac-Smith (UCSC Film and Digital Media Department).
This event is presented as a collaboration between Arts Division and STEM Associate Deans of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), including: Marcella Gomez, associate professor/associate dean for DEI with the Jack Baskin School of Engineering; Pedro Morales-Almazan, associate teaching professor/associate dean for DEI with the Division of Physical and Biological Sciences (PBSci); Karlton Hester, professor/associate dean for DEI with the Arts Division; and Anju Reejhsinghani, vice chancellor and chief diversity officer at UC Santa Cruz.
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ADMISSION
– FREE and open to the public
– Doors are scheduled to open 30 minutes prior to event start time
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VISITOR PARKING
– Parking by permit, ParkMobile, or $5 cash/credit via the on-site parking attendant
– Arts Lot #126 is the closest parking lot to the event
– Visitors with DMV placards or plates may park for free in DMV spaces, Medical spaces, or ParkMobile spaces without additional payment, or in timed zones for longer than the posted time.
– More information provided by UCSC Transportation & Parking Services (TAPS)
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This program is open to all members of the public consistent with state and federal law.

Family Weekend 2025
2025-11-07 13:00 - 21:00, 2025-11-08 08:00 - 20:00, 2025-11-09 09:00 - 11:00 | CA
We’re excited to announce Nov. 7-9 as the dates for UCSC’s second annual Family Weekend, bringing families together to experience UC Santa Cruz’s vibrant campus life and community spirit. The weekend will offer engaging activities, informative sessions, and opportunities to connect with faculty, staff, and fellow families.
For more details, visit the Family Weekend webpage.

Korean Experimental Music Festival—Featuring the National Gugak Center and Del Sol Quartet
2025-11-14 17:00 - 19:00, 2025-11-14 20:00 - 22:00, 2025-11-15 17:00 - 23:00, 2025-11-15 20:00 - 22:00 | Music Center Recital Hall, 400 McHenry Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
The National Gugak Center—Korea’s foremost institution for traditional music—joins forces with the Bay Area’s acclaimed Del Sol String Quartet to offer California audiences a rare and resonant experience. The festival blends traditional Korean musical practices, Western classical instrumentation, and cutting edge music technology in the world premiere of a over 20 newly commissioned works by faculty and graduate student composers from UC Santa Cruz, UC Berkeley, and Stanford University.
Two concerts on Fri., Nov. 14 feature a first-of-its-kind ensemble pairing two gayageums—Korea’s zither-like string instrument—with a Western string quartet. In two additional performances on Sat., Nov. 15, traditional Korean wind instruments—the piri, saenghwang, and daegeum—are transformed through real-time computer sound processing into a striking electroacoustic experience.
The festival culminates a two-year collaboration among the National Gugak Center, the UC Santa Cruz Music Department, UC Berkeley’s Center for New Music and Audio Technologies (CNMAT), and Stanford’s Department of Music and Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA). We hope you enjoy these concerts of new works shaped by deep intercultural dialogue and inspired by the enduring legacy of traditional Korean music.
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ADMISSION
– Open admission/first-come, first-served seating (no ticket required)
– Free and open to the public
– Doors are scheduled to open 30 minutes prior to event start time
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FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Korean Experimental Music Festival includes two-days of events at UC Santa Cruz, each with two back-to-back concerts, including:
KEMF: Traditional Korean Gayageum with String Quartet Part I
Fri. Nov. 14, 5:00 p.m., UCSC Music Center Recital Hall
New works for Korean gayageums—traditional zither-like stringed instruments—and Western string quartet, by Maisha Lani, Ben Dorfan, Michael J. Fleming, Nina Barzegar, Siamak Barghi, Chris Everingham, and Jinwei Sun. Featuring musicians from the National Gugak Center in Seoul, and San Francisco’s Del Sol Quartet.
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KEMF: Traditional Korean Gayageum with String Quartet Part II
Fri. Nov. 14, 8:00 p.m., UCSC Music Center Recital Hall
New works for gayageums—traditional zither-like stringed instruments—and Western string quartet, by UC Santa Cruz Professor Ben Leeds Carson, and by UC Berkeley faculty Cindy Cox, Edmund Campion, and Jean Ahn. Featuring musicians from the National Gugak Center in Seoul, and San Francisco’s Del Sol Quartet.
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KEMF: Korean Winds and Electronics Part I
Sat. Nov. 15, 5:00 p.m., UCSC Music Center Recital Hall
Music for traditional Korean wind Instruments, including piri (a traditional Korean double-reed instrument similar to a shawm or oboe), saenghwang (a traditional Korean free-reed mouth organ, like a large, complex harmonica), and daegeum (a large, traditional transverse bamboo flute)—all of which are combined with experimental electronics. New works by UC Santa Cruz Professor Emeritus David Evan Jones, and by composers Michael J. Fleming, Mat Muntz, and Dion Nataraja. Featuring musicians from the National Gugak Center in Seoul.
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KEMF: Korean Winds and Electronics Part II
Sat. Nov. 15, 8:00 p.m., UCSC Music Center Recital Hall
Music for traditional Korean wind Instruments, including piri (a traditional Korean double-reed instrument similar to a shawm or oboe), saenghwang (a traditional Korean free-reed mouth organ, like a large, complex harmonica), and daegeum (a large, traditional transverse bamboo flute)—all of which are combined with experimental electronics. New works by UC Santa Cruz Professors Matt Schumaker and David Evan Jones; UC Berkeley Professors Ken Ueno and Edmund Campion; and Stanford Professor Jarosław Kapuściński. Featuring musicians from the National Gugak Center in Seoul.
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Additional events at Stanford and at UC Berkeley Nov. 7–12
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VISITOR PARKING AT UCSC
– Parking by permit, ParkMobile, or $5 cash/credit via the on-site parking attendant
– Arts Lot #126 is the closest parking lot to the event
– Visitors with DMV placards or plates may park for free in DMV spaces, Medical spaces, or ParkMobile spaces without additional payment, or in timed zones for longer than the posted time.
– More information provided by UCSC Transportation & Parking Services (TAPS)
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ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
The festival is the culmination of a two-year collaboration between the National Gugak Center, the UC Santa Cruz Music Department, UC Berkeley’s Center for New Music and Audio Technologies (CNMAT) and the Department of Music at UC Berkeley, and Stanford’s Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA).
The Korean Experimental Music Festival is supported by: The National Gugak Center; the UC Santa Cruz Music Department; The Hellman Fellows Program; The Arts Research Institute, UC Santa Cruz; Porter College, UC Santa Cruz; the Center for New Music and Audio Technologies, UC Berkeley; the UC Berkeley Music Department; CCRMA at Stanford University, and others.
This program is open to all members of the public consistent with state and federal law.

The SpongeBob Musical
2025-11-14 19:30 - 21:30, 2025-11-15 14:00 - 17:00, 2025-11-15 19:30 - 21:30, 2025-11-16 14:00 - 17:00, 2025-11-20 19:30 - 21:30, 2025-11-21 19:30 - 21:30, 2025-11-22 14:00 - 17:00, 2025-11-22 19:30 - 21:30 and 1 more date | Theater Arts Mainstage, 411 Kerr Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
The SpongeBob Musical is a Broadway production based on the popular animated series, SpongeBob SquarePants. It premiered in Chicago in 2016 and then debuted on Broadway in 2017, receiving 12 Tony Award nominations. The musical tells the story of SpongeBob and his friends in Bikini Bottom as they face the potential destruction of their town by a volcano, with songs written by David Bowie, Cyndi Lauper, The Flaming Lips, and more.
Directed by Rebecca Wear, assistant professor
Musical Direction by Luke Shepherd, lecturer
Choreography by Cid Pearlman, lecturer
Read more about this production on Lookout Santa Cruz.
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AUDIENCE ADVISORIES
– Ticket holders not seated at least 5 minutes before the advertised start time may forfeit their ticket/seat and no refund will be issued.
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ADMISSION
– Free for UCSC undergrads (ticket required).
– General admission “Pay What You Like” tickets $5–25
– Tickets issued online through Eventbrite only.
– Follow the Dept. of Performance, Play & Design on Eventbrite for notifications and updates.
– Doors are scheduled to open 30 minutes prior to event start time.
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FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
This is a two-week production with nine performances, including :
Fri. Nov. 14: 7:30 p.m.
Sat. Nov. 15: 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sun. Nov. 16: 2:00 p.m.
Thu. Nov. 20: 7:30 p.m.
Fri. Nov. 21: 7:30 p.m.
Sat. Nov. 22: 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sun. Nov. 23: 2:00 p.m.
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PARKING
– Parking by permit, ParkMobile, or $5 cash/credit via the on-site parking attendant
– Arts Lot #126 is the closest parking lot to the event
– Visitors with DMV placards or plates may park for free in DMV spaces, Medical spaces, or ParkMobile spaces without additional payment, or in timed zones for longer than the posted time.
– More information provided by UCSC Transportation & Parking Services (TAPS)
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DONATIONS welcome!
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Barnstorm Presents—1972: The Future of Sex
2025-11-14 19:30 - 21:30, 2025-11-16 15:00 - 17:00, 2025-11-20 19:30 - 21:30, 2025-11-21 19:30 - 21:30, 2025-11-22 19:30 - 21:30, 2025-11-23 15:00 - 17:00 | Theater Arts Center, 453 Kerr Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
It is 1972: an era of possibility and polyester and pubic hair. While Ziggy Stardust is on Top of the Pops, Penny is writing an essay on Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Christine is watching Deep Throat and Brian is confused. Devised by The Wardrobe Ensemble, 1972: The Future of Sex incorporates the company’s trademark theatricality, irreverent humour and ensemble ingenuity to tell the story of three couples having sex for the first time—and a country on the brink of a sexual awakening. Commissioned by Shoreditch Town Hall, the play was first seen there in 2014, before a UK tour in 2015, including performances at Bristol Old Vic and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It was revived at the Bristol Old Vic in 2019.
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ADMISSION
– General admission “Pay What You Like” options $5–20
– Free for UCSC undergraduate students (ticket required).
– Tickets issued through Eventbrite; Follow the Dept. of Performance, Play & Design on Eventbrite for notifications and updates.
– Doors are scheduled to open 30 minutes prior to event start time.
– Ticket holders not seated at least 10 minutes before the advertised start time may forfeit their ticket/seat and no refund will be issued.
– A limited number of tickets/seats may be available at the door, even after online ticket sales end or reach full capacity.
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FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
This production runs for two weekends and includes six performances:
Fri. Nov. 14: 7:30 p.m.
Sat. Nov. 15: 7:30 p.m.
Sun. Nov. 16: 3:00 p.m.
Thu. Nov. 20: 7:30 p.m.
Fri. Nov. 21: 7:30 p.m.
Sat. Nov. 22: 7:30 p.m.
Sun. Nov. 23: 3:00 p.m.
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PARKING
– Parking by permit or ParkMobile.
– Arts Lot #126 is the closest parking lot to the event.
– Visitors with DMV placards or plates may park for free in DMV spaces, Medical spaces, or ParkMobile spaces without additional payment, or in timed zones for longer than the posted time.
– More information provided by UCSC Transportation & Parking Services (TAPS)
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This program is open to all members of the public consistent with state and federal law.

UCSC Wind Ensemble
2025-11-21 19:30 - 21:30 | Music Center Recital Hall, 400 McHenry Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Join the UC Santa Cruz Wind Ensemble for a fall concert.
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ADMISSION
– General admission.
– Free for UCSC students (ticket required).
– Tickets available here online through Eventbrite only.
– Follow the Music Dept on Eventbrite for notices and updates.
– Doors are scheduled to open 30 minutes prior to event start time.
– Ticket holders not seated at least 5 minutes before the advertised start time may forfeit their ticket/seat and no refund will be issued.
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PARKING
– Parking by permit, ParkMobile, or $5 cash/credit via the on-site parking attendant
– Arts Lot #126 is the closest parking lot to the event
– Visitors with DMV placards or plates may park for free in DMV spaces, Medical spaces, or ParkMobile spaces without additional payment, or in timed zones for longer than the posted time.
– More information provided by UCSC Transportation & Parking Services (TAPS)
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This program is open to all members of the public consistent with state and federal law.

UCSC Chamber Singers
2025-11-22 19:30 - 21:30 | Music Center Recital Hall, 400 McHenry Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
The UCSC Chamber Singers, under the direction of Michael McGushin, perform Brahms’s Liebeslieder Waltzes and Debussy’s Trois Chanson. The performance includes student soloists, and the pianists Luke Shepherd and Vlada Moran.
ADMISSION
– General admission $5–12
– Free for UCSC students (ticket required).
– Tickets available here online through Eventbrite only.
– Follow the Music Dept on Eventbrite for notices and updates.
– Doors are scheduled to open 30 minutes prior to event start time.
– Ticket holders not seated at least 5 minutes before the advertised start time may forfeit their ticket/seat and no refund will be issued.
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PARKING
– Parking by permit, ParkMobile, or $5 cash/credit via the on-site parking attendant
– Arts Lot #126 is the closest parking lot to the event
– Visitors with DMV placards or plates may park for free in DMV spaces, Medical spaces, or ParkMobile spaces without additional payment, or in timed zones for longer than the posted time.
– More information provided by UCSC Transportation & Parking Services (TAPS)
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This program is open to all members of the public consistent with state and federal law.

UCSC Orchestra
2025-11-25 19:30 - 21:30 | Music Center Recital Hall, 400 McHenry Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Join the UC Santa Cruz Orchestra for a fall concert. Conducted by Bruce Kiesling. Featuring pieces Overture from Orpheus in the Underworld by Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880) and Pictures at an Exhibition (orchestrated by Maurice Ravel) by Modest Mussorgsky (1839-1881).
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ADMISSION
– General admission
– Free for UCSC students (ticket required).
– Tickets available here online through Eventbrite only.
– Follow the Music Dept on Eventbrite for notices and updates.
– Doors are scheduled to open 30 minutes prior to event start time.
– Ticket holders not seated at least 5 minutes before the advertised start time may forfeit their ticket/seat and no refund will be issued.
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PARKING
– Parking by permit, ParkMobile, or $5 cash/credit via the on-site parking attendant
– Arts Lot #126 is the closest parking lot to the event
– Visitors with DMV placards or plates may park for free in DMV spaces, Medical spaces, or ParkMobile spaces without additional payment, or in timed zones for longer than the posted time.
– More information provided by UCSC Transportation & Parking Services (TAPS)
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This program is open to all members of the public consistent with state and federal law.

Barnstorm Presents: Musical Theater Showcase
2025-12-04 19:30 - 21:00 | Theater Arts B100 Studio Theater, 453 Kerr Rd, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, United States
Step into the spotlight with Barnstorm’s musical theater showcase—an intimate, cabaret-style evening featuring standout performances by our talented students. From beloved Broadway tunes to hidden gems, this lively celebration of song and story is not to be missed. More info about Barnstorm here.
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ADMISSION
– General admission $5–$20 “Pay What You Like”
– Free for UCSC undergrads (ticket required).
– Tickets issued online HERE through Eventbrite only.
– Follow the Dept. of Performance, Play & Design on Eventbrite for notifications and updates.
– Doors are scheduled to open 30 minutes prior to event start time.
– Ticket holders not seated at least 5 minutes before the advertised start time may forfeit their ticket/seat and no refund will be issued.
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PARKING
– Parking by UCSC permit or ParkMobile
– Arts Lot #126 is the closest parking lot to the event
– Visitors with DMV placards or plates may park for free in DMV spaces, Medical spaces, or ParkMobile spaces without additional payment, or in timed zones for longer than the posted time.
– More information provided by UCSC Transportation & Parking Services (TAPS)
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This program is open to all members of the public consistent with state and federal law.

UCSC Concert Choir
2025-12-05 19:30 - 21:30 | Music Center Recital Hall, 400 McHenry Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Join the UC Santa Cruz Concert Choir for a fall concert. Directed by Nathaniel Berman,
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ADMISSION
– General admission.
– Free for UCSC students (ticket required).
– Tickets available here online through Eventbrite only.
– Follow the Music Dept on Eventbrite for notices and updates.
– Doors are scheduled to open 30 minutes prior to event start time.
– Ticket holders not seated at least 5 minutes before the advertised start time may forfeit their ticket/seat and no refund will be issued.
—
PARKING
– Parking by permit, ParkMobile, or $5 cash/credit via the on-site parking attendant
– Arts Lot #126 is the closest parking lot to the event
– Visitors with DMV placards or plates may park for free in DMV spaces, Medical spaces, or ParkMobile spaces without additional payment, or in timed zones for longer than the posted time.
– More information provided by UCSC Transportation & Parking Services (TAPS)
—
This program is open to all members of the public consistent with state and federal law.

UCSC Jazz Combos
2025-12-06 19:30 - 21:30 | Music Center Recital Hall, 400 McHenry Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Join the UC Santa Cruz Jazz Combos for a fall concert. Directed by Charles Hamilton.
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ADMISSION
– General admission
– Free for UCSC students (ticket required).
– Tickets available here online through Eventbrite only.
– Follow the Music Dept on Eventbrite for notices and updates.
– Doors are scheduled to open 30 minutes prior to event start time.
– Ticket holders not seated at least 5 minutes before the advertised start time may forfeit their ticket/seat and no refund will be issued.
—
PARKING
– Parking by permit, ParkMobile, or $5 cash/credit via the on-site parking attendant
– Arts Lot #126 is the closest parking lot to the event
– Visitors with DMV placards or plates may park for free in DMV spaces, Medical spaces, or ParkMobile spaces without additional payment, or in timed zones for longer than the posted time.
– More information provided by UCSC Transportation & Parking Services (TAPS)
—
This program is open to all members of the public consistent with state and federal law.
