Looking to fill a couple hours of your day while in the South Bay? With so many offerings in the area, we’ve curated some of the top events in March so you don’t have to. Less researching and more enjoying your time in the area. Enjoy!
Featured Photo: Courtesy of Palo Alto JCC

Free First Tuesday at UC Santa Cruz Arboretum
March 1
California fuschia, California buckwheat and California brittlebush rank among the waves of plants hailing from, yes, California, but the Southern Hemisphere (New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia) come strong with plant life too, with extensive conifer and succulent collections to boot. Today the Arboretum is open without charge.
More info: arboretum.ucsc.edu

Comedy Night
March 3
Ok, it’s at an Irish bar, but why not celebrate Mardi Gras (March 1) and Saint Patrick’s Day (March 17) on a night when the whole point is to laugh? A lot.
More info: murphyslawpub.com

Santa Cruz / Monterey Bay KOA St. Patrick's Holiday Celebration
March 11-12
An atypical bit of Eire descends on Watsonville all weekend with a sequence of celebratory s’mores, St. Paddy’s crafts, tie-dye sessions, leprechaun parades and luck-of-the-Irish pancake breakfast. More than a wee bit of family fun will be had.
More info: koa.com

Saint Paddy’s Beer Stroll
March 17
Running with beer is discouraged at an event in Los Altos that combines lives music with craft beer, presumably two of the Irish Saint’s pastimes.
More info: downtownlosaltos.org

Black Cowboys
March 18
Beloved songster, Grammy Award winner, and 2020 United States Artists Fellow Dom Flemons narrows down his knowledge of 100 years of early American popular music to focus on the songs of an oft-overlooked group.
More info: live.stanford.edu

Santa Cruz Jazz Festival
March 19
Rapid fire student jazz acts hit three different stages every half hour, unleashing a brisk and hopeful notes about jazz’s future. Across three stages — two dedicated to bands, one to all vocals — gifted youngsters ranging from middle school to college fill Cabrillo’s campus with sound.
More info: santacruzjazzfestival.org

Underwater Bubble Show
March 26
Taking cues from Cirque du Soleil, a show follows B, who undertakes a transformative journey that considers the possibilities of taking a break to sit, relax and simply daydream.
More info: paloaltojcc.org

Bobby Collins
March 27
A gift for precise physical timing and impeccable audience insight are just part of the skillful dissection of everyday life turned into uproarious stories that are a natural for “The Tonight Show” veteran.
More info: montalvoarts.org

Dua Lipa
March 27
The pop superstar known for #1 hits “Break My Heart” and “Levitating,” drops into San Jose as part of her Future Nostalgia Tour (it’s so meta).
More info: sapcenter.com
Looking for more things to do in the area?
Visit our What to Do in Northern California page!