Have you ever wondered how the beautiful floats come together for the Begonia Festival? Go behind the scenes as a volunteer for the 58th Annual Capitola Begonia Festival, coming this September. This fun workshop will include festival background, event details, volunteer and float-builder guides, a photo retrospective, and lots of opportunities to ask questions. Door prizes and light refreshments will be served. 7 to 9 p.m. at the Capitola Community Center, 400 Jade St., Capitola. RSVP to Vicki at 800-476-1396 or vlrsmith@sbcglobal.net. For more information, visit www.begoniafestival.com.

Party like a Longfellow at this poetry reading by Cecilia Woloch and Jeff Tagami. Poetry Santa Cruz nurtures the Santa Cruz poetry community and brings poetry to the larger community. $3 donation suggested. 7:30 p.m. at Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. For more information, call 831-464-8983 or visit www.poetrysantacruz.org.

Traffic collisions are the leading cause of death for 15- to 20-year-olds. The Santa Cruz CHP will offer a free Start Smart class at 6 p.m. at the Santa Cruz CHP area office. It offers information on defensive driving, traffic laws in California, dynamics of traffic collisions and tips on how to avoid them, and DUI awareness. For details and to make a reservation, call Officer Sarah Jackson at 831-662-0511.

The Freedom Forum hosts a free discussion on building and fire code appeals rights. Two speakers will give a live presentation: Dan Bronson was the chairperson of the appeals board, and Cove Britton is a local architect. Together they will update you on current events and what you can do about fees, permits and red tags. 7 p.m. at the Quaker Friends Meeting House, 225 Rooney St., Santa Cruz. For more information, visit www.meetup.com/santacruz-freedom-forum.

Special guest speaker Dr. Gary Griggs, director of the Institute of Marine Sciences and professor of earth and planetary sciences at UCSC, will discuss "Climate Change, Sea Level Rise, & Coastal Retreat" at the Aptos Chamber of Commerce monthly breakfast meeting from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. at the Best Western Seacliff Inn in Aptos. $20 Chamber members/$25 non-members. RSVP at 831-688-1467.

Jewel Theatre Company concludes its 2009/2010 season with the powerful Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning play "Doubt: A Parable," which explores the consequences of suspicion and moral certainty when an old-school nun and principal challenges a progressive priest she thinks is interfering with one of her students. The film adaptation was nominated for five Academy Awards. This production features Shakespeare Santa Cruz favorite Mike Ryan and other well-seasoned performers. $20 for all seats on Mar. 11. Other performances, $25 general/$22 seniors and students. Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Mar. 11-20 at Broadway Playhouse, 526 Broadway Ave., Santa Cruz. For more information and to purchase tickets, call 831-454-1143 or visit www.jeweltheatre.net.