Q: how do you search for items on the icloud calender??

Three ways:

1. Command+F

2. Upper menu -> Edit -> Find

3. Click the input box in the upper right, enter the text you want to find, and hit Return

If you are not using MacOS and you are accesing iCloud from web (icloud.com), then there's no way to search for calendar events. Although, if you are using iPhone you can search from calendar events from the general search (swipe right from home screen).

Hope this helps.