Memorial Day marks the start of the summer season. The weather warms, the beach beckons and soon, the town empties of students and fills with tourists attracted by the area’s natural beauty and quirky charms. There are an infinite number of ways to celebrate the summer in Santa Cruz, from picnics by the lighthouse to riding the Beach Boardwalk roller coaster. As this is a finite space, we’ve pared the list to six.

1. Watch actors perform Shakespeare in the midst of redwoods. Sure there’s Shakespeare in the Park in almost every town, but where else but Santa Cruz can you see the Bard performed by seasoned professionals on a stage surrounded by tall, majestic sempervirens? This year, Shakespeare Santa Cruz explores facets of love with the lusty, laugh-friendly Love’s Labor’s Lost (July 21-August 29) and the moody, tragic Othello (August 3-29). The company rounds out its season with two non-Shakespeare shows, the witty historical family drama The Lion in Winter (July 20-August 29 on the Mainstage) and the sexually heated La Ronde (August 17 & 24). Artistic Director Marco Barricelli previews the season June 1 at Bookshop Santa Cruz.

2.See what artists can capture before the light changes. Painting “en plein aire” is a test of vision and dexterity. Artists attempt to capture a scene, usually one of nature, in a short span of time. The Plein Aire Affaire (July 10-11) at the Museum of Art and History celebrates this challenging art form for the sixth year. The Affaire is part gallery show, part festival and part sale, complete with demonstrations, music and children’s art activities. Some of the canvases will come from the yearly paint out, a competition where artists bring their canvases to be stamped and then have three days to complete their “wet” works for consideration.

3. Support your inner Glee. Yes, Cabrillo Stage is what happens when kids like the ones featured in the fictional club on Glee grow up. Community musical theater might sound scary, but this company is a notch above. From its expertly-designed sets to its talented directors and actors, Cabrillo Stage brings a whiff of Broadway to this beach town. Offerings this season, the first in Cabrillo College’s new theater, include the comedy I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change! (June 18- July 3), the jazz-era tribute Swing! (June 25-July 18) and the musical classic Cabaret (July 23-August 15).

4.Boogie at a free twilight concert. Santa Cruz County is blessed with not one, but two free outdoor concert series during the summer. The big one, of course, is the Friday night series at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Bandstand. Herman’s Hermits (June 18), Blue Oyster Cult (June 25), Naked Eyes (July 2), Eddie Money (July 30), A Flock of Seagulls (August 6) and Spin Doctors (August 13) are just a few of the name bands playing twice nightly concerts. Then there are the Twilight Concerts at Capitola Beach. Every Wednesday from June through August, fun and funky bands — mainly local — take to the stage to get people dancing. This year’s lineup includes Mike Hadley & The Groove (June 23), J.P. & the Rhythm Chasers (July 7), Extra Large (August 11) and Johnny Fabulous (August 18).

5. Tickle your funny bone. The list of performers hasn’t been released yet for the Eighth Annual Santa Cruz Improv Festival (July 9 through August 14 at Actors’ Theatre), but if it’s anything like last year’s, be prepared to have a sore stomach from laughing too hard. Watch as shtick happens. With six weekends of performances, there’s no excuse for missing out on the hilarity of on-the-spot comedy.

6. Listen to something you’ve never heard before. It’s not every town that can boast a world-class new music festival. The Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music (August 1-15), under the direction of Marin Alsop, brings renowned composers to surf city to premiere new works. Among the 12 composers planning to be in residence this year are Philip Glass, John Adams, Jennifer Higdon, Pierre Jalbert, Sean Hickey and Michael Shapiro. There will also be a special performance by the sextet eighth blackbird and the Kronos Quartet on August 8. Where else can you hear a piece inspired by the image of analog videotape scrolling backwards on one day, then attend an orchestral petting zoo with your family the next?

PHOTO: Joshua Lau and Crystina Robinette are featured dancers in “Swing!” opening June 25 at Cabrillo Stage. Photo by Jana Marcus.