The Civic Auditorium was the site of the annual Miss California beauty pageant until 1985 , when the pageant left Santa Cruz after years of protests and a " Myth California " counterpageant organized by local feminist activists led by Ann Simonton and Nikki Craft . In 1956 , it was the location of a rock and roll concert that drew national attention after the local police stopped the event because of what they characterized as the dancers ' " suggestive , stimulating and tantalizing motions " . The auditorium was used as a temporary shelter for displaced and homeless people following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium