Events

Santa Cruz Juneteenth celebrates Black Liberation and Freedom for our 34th year on June 14th in Laurel Park Visit santacruzjuneteenth.com.

Interested in being a vendor at Juneteenth? Submit a vendor application(PDF, 71KB) by Friday May 30th at 6:00 pm. We will confirm your vendor spot by Friday June 6th.

Donate to Santa Cruz Juneteenth 2025 at Friends of Parks and Recreation!

Our theme this year is: Body, Mind and Soul.

Join us for Music, Dance, Poetry from the Diaspora, nourishing soul food, craft booths, help create the Ancestors Altar. Move your body with our Moments of Movements instructors and dance to the park in our 2nd Line Sidewalk Parade with a live brass and drum band.

Samba Ngo and Mandjou Kone, Rastan, the Juneteenth Choir, Lyrical-I, the Monterey Peninsula Gospel Choir, Alwa Gordon, Queen Jasmeen and DJ Sparkle will grace the stage.

Our Honorary Grand Marshall, Don Williams, will lead the Second Line Sidewalk Parade, starting at noon at the BLM Mural. Parade route below:

Always free, there's plenty of activities for children too, including the sack race and the basketball clinic.

Open House week is back! To celebrate Parks and Recreation month, we invite you to learn about your community center.

Sign up for a behind the scenes tour! Two tour times available on Wednesday July 23, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm and 5:30 - 6:30 pm.

Visit the "History of the Center" art exhibit on display all month long including photos of the original Laurel School.

Try a Drop in Classes. Always wanted to try one of our classes for older adults? This week classes are catered for NEW participants!

Sign up for the all levels Ping Pong Tournament - Tuesday July 22 (singles) and Thursday July 24 (doubles).

Refreshments in our lobby all week long.

Since 1978, the Center has been a hub for classes, meetings, special events, and live theatre in Santa Cruz. Learn why for the past 47 years "Community Happens Here" at the London Nelson Community Center!

The Halloween Horrors Film Competition is returning for Fall 2025! Registration opens on August 11!

Enter in the Open or Youth Divisions for Original Horror Short, Horror Scene Remake, and/or Halloween Music Video!

Read the 2025 Rules and Regulations(PDF, 236KB) and be ready to enter!

Congratulations to the winners of the Halloween Horrors Film Competition!

View the winning films and music videos below:

• Devil's Dolly by Team Lone Wolf
• Rise My Children! by Mission Hill Movie Club!
• The Pitstop by Barnmaster Team
• Deviliscious by Santa Cruziness
• Hekate by Traveller

Big thank you to our sponsors for generously donating to the competition awards!

Mark your calendars!

2025 Thriller Dance Classes begin Saturday September 13, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm at the London Nelson Community Center.

Thank you to Thrill the World for a zombie-licious Thriller season!

Thank you for attending the 26th annual Halloween Mask Making Festival. We had a blast! Mark your calendars for next year's celebration on October 18, 2025.

Thank you for dancing, connecting with friends and making new ones at the Sparkly Senior Winter Social. We had a blast!

Friday January 10 - Sunday January 12, 2025

Thank you for attending the 2025 Fungus Fair. Stay up-to-date on next year's event at ffsc.us.

Thank you to everyone who attended the inaugural Retro Rainbow dance party! It was truly a fabulous evening of glitter, glam, and joy in celebration of 50 years of Santa Cruz Pride!

Huge thank you to our partners at The Diversity Center and the incredible volunteers who made the event possible.

Thank you to the dazzling DJ Sparkle for keeping us dancing all evening long!

Thank you to our amazing photographers Mama T and Sean McLean.

Thank you to the Alzheimer's Association's Philip Geiger and Santa Cruz Pride's Rob Darrow for tabling at the event.

The MAH and the London Nelson Legacy Initiative (LNLI) will be honoring and celebrating the life of London Nelson on May 5th - 17th.

London Nelson Day proclamation - Tuesday April 22 at 12:30 pm
809 Center Street
Join us for the Mayoral Proclamation at the City Council Meeting on Tuesday April 22 honoring Mr. Nelson and his contributions to the creation of Santa Cruz.

Proclamation at Evergreen - Monday May 5 at 1:00 pm
261 Evergreen St
Join the MAH and LNLI to gather at Mr. Nelson's grave in Evergreen Cemetery and host a small celebration for his birthday!

Shrine Keeper Premiere at Del Mar - Thursday May 8 at 6:00 pm
1124 Pacific Avenue #4415
Follow Santa Cruz MAH historian in residence, Luna HighJohn-Bey, on her journey from Hoodoo to historian: exploring the legacy of London Nelson, the history of black pioneers in the gold rush, and how her experiences inform her work. The event will include a Q&A session, offering an opportunity to engage with the creators and delve deeper into the project's historical and cultural significance.

Opening the History Gallery - Friday May 9, 12:00 - 6:00 pm
705 Front Street
Join the MAH and LNLI as they unveil the new Santa Cruz Black History section; spotlighting the forgotten history and legacy of the black community in Santa Cruz County.

Santa Cruz History Fair - Saturday May 17, 12:00 - 4:00 pm
423 Bridge Street
LNLI will be at the Santa Cruz History Fair presented by the Santa Cruz Archaeology Society.