Venues & Event Spaces near Capitola, CA

“This place, and Katrina, brought the magic. This was absolutely a hidden gem and one that I wish we could return to year after year. Katrina‘s knowledge and passion for the monarchs was beautiful to see and I so appreciated her sharing it with us. The room was great and spacious, and the whole area had lovely views of the ocean. The breakfast was good and delivered right to our room at the time of our choosing so we could make a plan for how much we would sleep in and when we would want to get breakfast and start our day. Thanks so much Katrina and Monarch Cove inn!”

“The movers were very professional and did a great job. They kept me informed throughout the whole process. They had a lot of experience with moving furniture, which was nice because I had a lot of furniture to move. After the move, the movers were very helpful with getting everything out of my house into the storage space.”

“What an amazing venue!! We got so much positive feedback from our guests about how gorgeous this place is. The pricing is so reasonable and the staff is incredible. My favorite part of the planning process was that we were able to choose our menu. There were little to no limitations so we picked our favorite foods to serve our guests! I also loved that there was an option to do family style dinner instead of typical buffet style.

It was also great working with Chrissy, the venue coordinator. She was so on top of everything and gave super helpful advice. I'm so happy I chose Sesnon House as our venue!”

“A wonderful place with an unforgettable view and exceptional management. This historic property is beautifully maintained and very well cared for. You can really feel how much attention and care goes into preserving its unique character.”

“I’ve been here twice already and I always take everyone I know 💕 Its like a hike without the walking! There is a stop in between the ride for a bathroom and picture break if you need it, tour guide was fun and factual as well. Great views from anywhere on the train, theres always something new to see. Definitely buy tickets a day in advance to get the hour you prefer for the train ride!”

“What a gem! I just spent the weekend at a camp we planned for 80+ friends to get together. The grounds are gorgeous, beds are comfortable, everything is so cozy and cute and inviting. The dining hall has good food and atmosphere to hang out in between meals and play games or do some accoustic music jams. The big Helgesson dance hall is great for a dance party. Lots of sofas for hanging out and chatting scattered in various lounges around the campus. Beautifully maintained outdoor spaces. And, I haven't even started with what a great staff works there to support you in any way they can. We will be back and you should consider it too.”

“The 31st Fall Retreat of the CEF Campus Gospel Fellowship took place from 11/22 to 11/24 on-site. The retreat hosted over 170 visiting scholars and international students from Stanford, UCSF, Berkeley, UCSB, and UCD, along with nearly forty minors. Praise the Lord! Over 10 seekers made the decision to accept Jesus. The Tabernacle building provided a wonderful setting for youth ministry.”

“Attending my second "Santa Cruz Old Timers" luncheon held once a year since 1939. This just happened to be the 80th year it has been held, and, with a record attendance of 200. A low key meeting, luncheon and raffle without any dues, fees or other meetings the rest of the year. You need not be old to attend, just a resident of Santa Cruz County for 20 years, so a twenty year old born in the county may attend. Attendees are a mixture of regular citizens as well as Santa Cruz influentials and some politicians.”

“This venue truly is a hidden gem. It was the first venue we visited and after 10+ other ones, we still couldn’t get it out of our head. We got married in August, when the greenery was full, so it meant the space was naturally beautiful and didn’t need as much florals or decor. Our guests all kept commenting on what a cozy, intimate, gorgeous space it was. The redwood grove ceremony was just stunning. We had 80 people total and it was the perfect size. Shout out to Kathy! She is a saint for responding to all my emails over the course of a year. From the get go, she was friendly, had a list of recommendations, and was transparent about any venue restrictions or needed rentals.

The drawbacks:
End time—it has an 8pm music cut off time due to a local noise ordinance. We ended up starting earlier in the day and reserved space at a bar in Santa Cruz for an after party, so it was fine but a logistical challenge. It meant our guests coming from San Jose had to drive during peak beach traffic time (it took some 2 and a half hours…) and we wanted to safely shuttle everyone to the after party so that was an extra cost.
All outdoor space—we were so lucky our weather was 80 and sunny with a light breeze. It was perfect. But let me tell you, I was a mess for a year until I could finally see the forecast. The sun also beat down on some guests and the dance floor for about an hour during the reception, but again this was during August.
Bathrooms—we originally estimated 100 guests and unfortunately there’s only one real bathroom for guests so we needed to rent a trailer which was an additional $1200. It was okay as I wiggled the budget around a little, but ouch.

Would I have my wedding here again? Absolutely. Without a doubt. It was beautiful and unique. My recommendation is to be flexible with as much as you can and maybe book in fall when the sun is in a better position and you can add some lights for a cozy evening time.”

“Love this place! Saved me when I was working remotely from way up in the mountains. Very kind and helpful staff wanting the best for your workspace and workflow. Coworkers here are super kind, chill — a very laid-back culture so you can focus and do your work! A+. Highly recommend.”

“Prices are a bit high for the food and drinks, but the vibes are always good with very different things happening ( live music, trivia nights, astronomers talk from UC ).
Must go at night in Santa Cruz”

“This is a nice hall for events and dancing. They have a wooden dance floor and a stage too. You can rent the kitchen for an additional fee. Behind the hall are beautiful community gardens to take a stroll or get some fresh air. The only drawback was the amount of available parking for larger events.”

“Definetly one of the best food banks in S.C. it is offered 3 days a week, there is no be limit to how many times you go.. they will send u home with as much as you can carry, also got gas vouchers in a time of need. Thank You!!”

“Great camp! For “staff” they utilize a contract with a program called Teen Challenge Monterey Bay, which is a group ran by Mike Borden, whom (they told me as whispering oddly cautiously while serving our food) takes all of their wages and they cannot leave unattended and no free time of their own. A group that on the inside isn’t what it is on the surface — and should be viewed as questionable, at best and they tend to give off a disconcertingly mysterious “Stephen King Children of the Corn high-control cult imprisoned vibe” and they make under the breath comments about as much when they’re serving food, cleaning dining hall and talking in the kitchen. I was told they are only technically allowed to say “hi and bye” and can’t make eye contact with, nor respond very much (especially if you’re not a male) with commonplace friendly customer service interactions that you’d expect at a place like this, which can obviously drastically alter the psychological mood of the day and overall camp customer service & dining experience. One of them asked to secretly use my cell phone (at 6:40am cleaning the bathrooms) because they wanted to leave. I reminded him there’s a Payphone at the other camp building, but he said not allowed to be openly seen using it. It’s very strange and reminds me of the “Sleepaway Camp” horror movies. That being said, he said CityTeam MayMac is not otherwise associated with/in control of Teen Challenge’s policies & internal combustion, so I don’t ding MayMac for that. MayMac is a great camp and you’ll enjoy your time there. As long as CityTeam keeps its own professional kitchen manager and its own CityTeam maintenance staff volunteers & employees, it’s a solid camp. Be sure to connect to their private and public trails they connect to! It’s nice up there!”

“We did a baby shower at Corralitos Grange for people coming from the Salinas area and the Central Valley. We anticipated about 80-100 guests dropping by on a Saturday afternoon. We got a early access to the hall at 4 pm on the Friday prior to decorate and help set up tables. The tables and chairs are fold out but we were able to setup on three sections with ample space for kids to run around. There is a side room, ballroom style which can accommodate a DJ. Then there's a back kitchen with a couple stoves and ample space for a bar area. The hall has a stage and plenty of parking for guests. Although parking was not an issue there is a park across Little Corralitos Way for public parking. All in all, great experience, and not a ton of drama with the parking situation. Would recommend the hall for family get togethers and moderately sized events. One thing to keep in mind is cell service may be hit or miss and getting to the hall can be challenging for first time visitors. They can always stop at Corralitos Market and ask for directions.”

“We liked The Grove! We used them for our send-off brunch after our wedding, and they provided a great venue in a great location. The room itself was beautiful, and overall quite reasonably priced.

The food itself was okay, not amazing but did the job for the send-off brunch (I don't think anyone from the brunch will be raving about how great the food was, nor will they be saying it was bad).

They provided a marquee outside, too, which was a really nice touch.

My only complaint is that, after our contract was signed, they sprung that the food service would only be for an hour, despite the event being contracted for 3 hours. I think that should have been made more clear from the beginning.

Overall positive experience!”

“Large comfy space. 2 bathrooms. Clean kitchen with stove and microwave oven. Large, convenient parking lot. Front and back exit/entrances. Large hall. Easy food serving access.”

“I was invited there for bingo. Didn't know what to expect, but the area was clean and well lit. Everyone was friendly and helpful. There was food there for sale, will definitely go again.”

“My husband and I had a great time at the Bamboo Gardens. We decided to come visit for a quick day outing and admire the bamboo. We loved the trail around the property and spent some time near the koi pond. They also have a few picnic tables so it's great to bring some food and eat before or after walking the trail. Staff is great and any questions you have they be happy to answer.”

“It was an amazing breathtaking weekend there everyone there was helpful and friendly and very professional will definitely recommend to family and friends and planning another trip soon hopefully”

“Love this place been coming here for a minute my only issue is the new hours me and many of my friends work in the service industry and we would tend to go bowling after we got off work around 10.. however since they close around 11 now it just doesn't seem worth it. Would love for them to at least be open until 12 again. Seems like a pretty stupid move on whoever made the decision, as I can't see how The place would be loosing money. I've seen the place packed on a random Tuesday night till 12 plus coasters after the lanes close..”

“Came here & found out the reservation was for the following day & not the day we were actually supposed to be there. Natalie was fantastic & we will be back to stay just because of her amazing customer service!!”

“We booked the Hilton Scotts Valley last minute for a little two-night staycation from the East Bay. After booking, I started reading some of the negative reviews and honestly got a little nervous—but we ended up having such a great experience!

The lobby was cute and clean, the staff was friendly, and our room was clean, comfortable, and perfect for our getaway. I actually slept SO well, which never happens for me in hotels!

The location was great. We went sailing in Santa Cruz and did a beautiful walk through the redwoods. We also decided to have dinner at the hotel one night and were so pleasantly surprised! The food was great, they have daily happy hour, local beers, and some of the best appetizers we’ve had at a hotel restaurant. Sid was our waiter and he was wonderful—friendly, attentive, and made our dinner even better!

We have four kids and are in the middle of sports season, so it was SO nice to get dressed up for dinner but not even have to leave the hotel. 😂

Overall, such a relaxing weekend and a much better experience than some of the reviews had me expecting. We would definitely stay again!”

“Amazing time at The View like always! Get the chicken, halibut and a skinny marg (or the storrs Chardonnay) and stay for Andy’s service! We love it down here and the food and service remind us why!”