Shakespeare Santa Cruz | July 16-Aug. 31

July 16 - Aug. 31: Romeo & Juliet, William Shakespeare at Festival Glen theater
July 27 - Aug. 31: All’s Well That Ends Well, William Shakespeare at Festival Glen theater
July 15 - Aug. 31: Bach at Leipzig, Itamar Moses at Mainstage theater
July 30 - Aug. 31: Burn This, Lanford Wilson at Mainstage theater

UCSC Festival Glen and Mainstage theaters, Santa Cruz
Tickets: 831-459-2159, www.shakespearesantacruz.com

Twilight Concert at Esplanade Park | July 18 (6-8 p.m.)

Free concert featuring Orchestra Gitano - Salsa Orchestra. A family event. Bring your own beach chairs and picnic. No alcohol.

Esplanade, Capitola Village
831-475-6522, www.capitola.com

Thursday Night Downtown | July 19

Free outdoor fun: live music, dancing, performances, classic cars, evening shopping, children's activities and more.

Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz
831-429-8433, www.downtownsantacruz.com

Poetry Readings | July 20 (8-10 p.m.)

Local poets read their works in an atmosphere of warmth and encouragement surrounded by visual arts in the art center gallery. Suggested donation $3.

Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center
9341 Mill Rd. Ben Lomond
831-336-3513, www.mountainartcenter.org

Noon at the Nick - Much Ado About Nothing | July 20 (1 p.m.)

FREE Shakespeare Santa Cruz lecture series. Bring your lunch and take advantage of this rare opportunity to meet the festival directors, actors, designers and artisans.

Nickelodeon Theatre
210 Lincoln St., Santa Cruz
831-426-7500, www.thenick.com

Santa Cruz Improv Festival | July 20-22 (Fri-Sat 8 p.m.; Sun 7:30 p.m.)

Local and regional improv. performers and groups are featured in evening programs.

Actor's Theater
1001 Center Str., Santa Cruz
831-425-7529, www.sccat.org

Ukulele Jam and Sing Along | July 21 (7-9 p.m.)

Although this jam is ukulele-centric, players of all acoustic instruments and singers of all levels are welcome. When the weather is fine the group meets at the Art Center campfire at the back of the Art Center. Limited seating so bring your own chair.

Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center
9341 Mill Rd. Ben Lomond
831-336-3513, www.mountainartcenter.org

Claymation Movie Making grades 4-8 | July 23-26 (1:30-4 p.m.)

Summer youth art classes (4th-8th grade level). Claymation with Brenda Berg. The entire class will be part of the movie crew: storyboard artists and writers, set painters and clay animation sculptors. The class will then digitally shoot the stop-motion frames and load them into a computer video program where the final claymation movie will be burned to a DVD. Each student will have a copy of their very own claymation movie with additional footage of the class progressively building the actual movie! $100 members; $115 non-members, $15 materials.

Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center
9341 Mill Rd, Ben Lomond
831-336-3513, www.mountainartcenter.org

Twilight Concert at Esplanade Park | July 25 (6-8 p.m.)

Free concert featuring Harpin Jonny and the Primadons - Rock and Blues. A family event. Bring your own beach chairs and picnic. No alcohol.

Esplanade, Capitola Village
831-475-6522, www.capitola.com

Free movie, "Lost Boys," at the Boardwalk Bandstand | July 25

400 Beach St., Santa Cruz
831-423-5590, www.beachboardwalk.com