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Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks @thatsmypark.bsky.social · 22h

Visitors can explore the 175-year-old historic adobe, view museum-quality exhibits and more! Visiting is free, though donations are gratefully accepted. Carpooling is encouraged; dogs are not allowed. The Castro Adobe is located at 184 Old Adobe Road in Watsonville.

Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks @thatsmypark.bsky.social · 22h

Visitors can look forward to:
🎵 Live music in the spirit of the Adobe’s famed Fandango Room
🕺 Folklórico dancing with vibrant costumes and storytelling
📷 Photo art by local artists inspired by Día de los Muertos traditions
👧🏾 Kids' crafts

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Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks @thatsmypark.bsky.social · 22h

Día de los Muertos links past and present by honoring ancestors while celebrating cultural traditions that still thrive in the Pajaro Valley. The event honors heritage and community at the Castro Adobe, one of the best-preserved two-story adobes of CA’s Rancho period.

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Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks @thatsmypark.bsky.social · 22h

Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks & CA State Parks invite you to a Día de los Muertos-themed Open House event at Castro Adobe SHP this Sat (Oct 18) from 10:30am-3pm.

Celebrate Dia de los Muertos Day of the Dead with live music, original photo art, kids crafts, and traditional dancing. Rancho San Andres Castro Adobe State Historic Park

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Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks @thatsmypark.bsky.social · 1d

Make the most of the fall weather by taking a stroll with your favorite fall drink. Whether it's pumpkin spice lattes 🎃, your favorite tea 🫖 or a hot apple cider 🍎, bring it on your morning walks this month.

Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks @thatsmypark.bsky.social · 2d

Missed camping this summer? Take advantage of the slower fall camping season by booking a campsite at Sunset State Beach. ☺️ The state beach's South Camp is open year-round.
Book a campsite🏕️ to enjoy the crisp fall air & quieter campgrounds in the off-season. Learn more thatsmypark.org/visit/camping/

Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks @thatsmypark.bsky.social · 3d

Most vehicles are accepted! Donate a car, truck, RV, boat or even a plane ✈️💸
All proceeds from the sale of the vehicle go to Friends in our mission to support local state parks and beaches. Learn more about donating at the link: thatsmypark.org/donate/donat...

thatsmypark.org

Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks @thatsmypark.bsky.social · 3d

Help your old car find a new life this month for Cartober. 🚗 Consider donating your vehicle to Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks.
Donate with these 3 easy steps:
✅ Get started with a call or online donation form
✅ Schedule your free pick-up
✅ Receive a donation receipt at the time of the pick-up

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Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks @thatsmypark.bsky.social · 4d

Discover the less-traveled beaches 🏖️ in south Santa Cruz County, celebrate the return of the monarch 🦋 butterflies at Natural Bridges State Beach, find out about the Central Coast Good Fire Fair 👩🚒and more in the latest Friends newsletter!
👉Click here to read it: bit.ly/3L0yUsE

A sandy pathway leading towards the ocean

Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks @thatsmypark.bsky.social · 4d

Waddell State Beach is a prime spot for kitesurfing when the wind is just right. 💨🪁

a kitesurfer riding an ocean wave at a beach

Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks @thatsmypark.bsky.social · 5d

⏰8:30AM – complete (no later than 4:30 p.m.)
📍Porter Family Parking, The Forest of Nisene Marks

Lunch and snacks are provided! Sign up for the event: calendly.com/nisenemarks/...

Margaret's Bridge, Oct 15, 2025 - (click 8:30am) - Advocates for Nisene Marks State Park

During our day we will clean the gaps on Margaret's Bridge and then install additional decking to create a uniform surface.

calendly.com

Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks @thatsmypark.bsky.social · 5d

Volunteer with the Advocates for The Forest of Nisene Marks on Weds Oct 15 to clean & resurface Margaret’s Bridge. Volunteers will help clean the bridge & apply additional surface decking. No experience needed!

A group photo in The Forest of Nisene Marks

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Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks @thatsmypark.bsky.social · 6d

This event is free. Parking is $10 and helps Friends support local state parks and beaches.
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Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks @thatsmypark.bsky.social · 6d

🎂 Free cake & skit to close the day
We'd also love to see your memories! If you were part of the early festivals, please share your stories, photos, or even a poem from the original poetry-off by emailing [email protected]
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Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks @thatsmypark.bsky.social · 6d

🎶 Live music from three bands, including the 5M’s Band — part of the first festival 45 years ago
💃 Cultural dance performance, scavenger hunt, and commemorative button-making
❤️ Honoring past park employees
🍿 Food vendors (proceeds support next year’s festival)
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Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks @thatsmypark.bsky.social · 6d

Celebrate the monarch butterflies’ return to Natural Bridges State Beach!🦋Join us on Sun, Oct 12, from 11-4 for the annual Welcome Back Monarchs event. This family-friendly festival is filled with:
👋 Hand painting, poetry sharing and a parade
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45th Welcome Back Monarchs Day Natural Bridges State Beach

A clump of monarch butterflies perched on a tree branch

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Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks @thatsmypark.bsky.social · 7d

The event will be held in the lower picnic area by the park’s main entrance off Highway 9 in Felton. The event is free. Parking is $10 and helps Friends support local state parks and beaches. Learn more ➡️ sites.google.com/ports-ca.us/...

Santa Cruz Prescribed Fires - Good Fire Fair

Saturday, October 11, 2025 Join us for the return of the Central Coast Good Fire Fair at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. This will be an all day event held at the lower picnic area by the park's ma...

sites.google.com

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Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks @thatsmypark.bsky.social · 7d

Highlights include:
• Live prescribed fire demo (weather permitting)
• Kids zone & family-friendly activities
• Food trucks and door prizes

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Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks @thatsmypark.bsky.social · 7d

🔥The Central Coast Good Fire Fair is back!
Join us on Sat, Oct 11, at Henry Cowell Redwoods SP for learning, demos & family fun. Meet the people who use fire to restore & protect our landscapes—CA State Parks, CAL FIRE, Indigenous groups, & the Central Coast PBA.

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Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks @thatsmypark.bsky.social · 8d

This charming pencil set celebrates some of our favorite local state parks and beaches! Each set features 6 pencils: Seacliff, The Forest of Nisene Marks, the Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park, Natural Bridges & Wilder Ranch. Available at all ParkStores & Online.

A group of pencils held up in front of the ocean

Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks @thatsmypark.bsky.social · 9d

Camp this fall at Rancho del Oso — located on the coastal side of Big Basin Redwoods. The park has a limited number of campsites & a bike-in only site, creating a great environment for families & groups.
🏕️ 🌊🥾
Bonus! Your camping fees help Friends support the park.
Reserve today: bit.ly/3EJhDOf

A fire pit and a small tent set up next to a tree

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Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks @thatsmypark.bsky.social · 10d

🐐🐑🐄🐓😺 Did you know you can help care for the farm animals at Wilder Ranch? Your donation to Friends helps provide food and veterinary care so the goats, sheep, cows, chickens and barn cats can live happy, healthy lives at the state park. 💛🌿

Four goats standing on a picnic table, behind a fence that reads "do not feed the animals"

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Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks @thatsmypark.bsky.social · 11d

The program is free. Parking is $10 & helps Friends support the park.

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Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks @thatsmypark.bsky.social · 11d

Explore the past, present and future of Big Basin Redwoods SP on a leisurely 1hr all-ages guided walk🚶🏾‍♀️‍➡️🥾🌴 this Sun (Oct 5) at 11:30am.
Visitors will hear about the natural & cultural history of the park & the regrowth of the forest since the CZU Lightning Complex Fire.

Two people walking across a wooden bridge

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Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks @thatsmypark.bsky.social · 12d

Volunteers will meet at Wilder Ranch and ride 8-12 miles in the state park to scout and maintain trails. 🚴
👉Sign up and learn more here: bit.ly/4727UBD

bit.ly