5 Santa Barbara Festivals worth Traveling to See

Santa Barbara is nationally known for its commitment to sustainability, its eclectic local culture, and its temperate coastal climate. With a community that places an emphasis on public support for art, the city is a prime location for celebrations of creativity and environmental mindfulness. It’s not surprising then to find out that Santa Barbara plays host to some of California’s most lively and entertaining yearly festivals.

For residents and visitors alike, the following events are worth a visit:

1. Old Spanish Days Fiesta

Although it was originally settled by the Chumash Indians thousands of years ago, Santa Barbara’s history is largely colored by the influence of Spanish, Mexican, and early American settlers, whose beliefs and customs blended to give the city its diverse, multicultural heritage. The Old Spanish Days Fiesta, a week-long celebration of Santa Barbara’s Spanish heritage, also provides spectators with many opportunities to learn about the individual groups that settled the area. Among the fiesta’s attractions are numerous flamenco dance performances, open-air Mexican markets, a professional rodeo, and a special exhibit hosted by the Santa Barbara Historical Museum.

via dentistas-en-mis-noches

For more than 90 years, the highlight of the festival has been its Fiesta Historical Parade. The parade features local civic groups, antique carriages, more than 600 horses, and vibrantly-colored floats that depict scenes from history. The parade is also known for its promotion of “cascarones,” which are hollowed-out eggs filled with paper confetti that guests good-naturedly crack open over the heads of friends and family.

2. Summer Solstice Celebration

Held every June since 1974, the Summer Solstice Celebration, aims to bring people together to celebrate the arts. The event is reminiscent of a mild Mardi Gras celebration, though special areas are designed specifically with children in mind. Each year, more than 100,000 visitors from around the world come to enjoy the event’s live music, dance performances, and art exhibitions.

On the longest day of the year, more than 1,000 people don elaborate costumes to take part in the Summer Solstice Parade, in which dancers, costumed figures, and floats journey through the streets of downtown Santa Barbara. Local artists also submit art work to the event in order to compete for a chance to be featured on the festival’s yearly Summer Solstice Celebration shirt. The art work is centered on the festival’s theme, which changes each year. Themes from past years include “jungle,” “fantasy,” and “circus.”

3. Harbor and Seafood Festival

Santa Barbara’s proximity to the coast means ample access to fresh seafood. To support local fisherman while also drawing attention to the care and protection of marine life, the city presents a Harbor and Seafood Festival at the beginning of lobster season in October. In addition to hundreds of vendors selling a variety of fresh seafood, the festival also includes boating demonstrations, dockside tours of ships, live music performances, and many other nautical activities for the whole family, such as tours of the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum’s Tall Ship and a sea creature petting zoo.

4. Santa Barbara International Film Festival

In the spring, nearly 100,000 film industry professionals and aficionados from across the globe flock to Santa Barbara in order to take part in the city’s International Film Festival. The 11-day event showcases more than 200 qualifying films from different categories, including full-length features, shorts, documentaries, fiction films, and local pieces. Each year, the festival begins with an Opening Night Gala—a public function where guests dance, eat, and enjoy live entertainment at the Spanish Paseo Nuevo, which is intricately decorated for the occasion.

In addition to film showings, guests can observe industry panels with renowned writers, directors, and producers. Parents and their children can attend the AppleBox presentation of family-oriented films, complete with complimentary popcorn and refreshments.

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival is also known for its prestigious award presentations, such as the David Attenborough Award for Excellence in Nature Filmmaking, the Montecito Award, and the Maltin Modern Master Award, which is the festival’s most prestigious honor. Past recipients of the Maltin Modern Master Award include Christopher Plummer, Clint Eastwood, Cate Blanchett, and James Cameron.

5. Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival

The city’s commitment to environmental responsibility is evident in its yearly Earth Day celebration. Held in the expansive Alameda Park, the two-day festival highlights the importance of green living through an eco-marketplace, filled with vendors that promote different forms of sustainability. Kids can join Snook, the giant sloth, as he leads the Children’s Climate March, which ends at the festival’s main stage. Activities and speakers help teach people of all ages the importance of caring for the planet.

Adults may be interested in attending the event’s green car show, or learning about the area’s local food movement, which seeks to help Santa Barbara residents incorporate farm-to-table practices into their own lives. Additionally, the festival presents its Environmental Hero Award to an environmental conservation innovator. Previous winners include Bill Nye and Elon Musk.

7 Sculptures Worth Seeing in Santa Barbara

Public art serves to brighten a community, engaging both residents and tourists alike. In 1978, Santa Barbara passed a 1% for Art Ordinance and established a County Art in Public Places (CAPP) subcommittee under the County Arts Commission. As a result of these initiatives, murals, mosaics, and sculptures dot the Santa Barbara landscape. The following list highlights seven sculptures that should not be missed on a trip to Santa Barbara:

1. Chromatic Gate

Art enthusiasts can walk through a rainbow just off of Cabrillo Boulevard. The brightly colored square archway serves as a bridge between the mountains to the north and the ocean to the south. Herbert Bayer created this arrangement of cheery color, which was erected in 1991. By 2013, the colors had faded, and a restoration was commissioned that included sanding, resurfacing, priming, and painting. Chromatic Gate engages passersby once more with its bold rainbow color scheme.

2. Windamajig

Kinetic sculpture fans should head up to Goleta Beach Park, where a sculpture installed alongside a playground mesmerizes with movement and sound. The 15-foot tall sculpture by George Rhoads features 20 cone-shaped wind catchers arranged in small clusters that rotate independently, propelled by sea breezes. The movement of the Windamajig sculpture causes mallets to pull back and strike against the pipes that form the structure of the piece, creating bongs and dings that root visitors to the spot as they investigate the origin of each distinctive sound.

3. Good Time Clock IV 1984

The Santa Barbara Airport houses another renowned kinetic sculpture. This one resembles a machine or a clock as the name implies, with a moving ball rolling down metal raceways, engaging different parts of the sculpture to move. The sculpture, which has an electric motor, uses weight and timing to move the ball to each new station. Enclosed in a plastic case, the Good Time Clock IV sits in the airfield courtyard, entertaining travel-weary visitors.

4. Dolphin Family

Formerly known as the Santa Barbara Bicentennial Friendship Fountain, or the Bicentennial Friendship Fountain, this sculpture features a family of dolphins in midair jumping over a dish-shaped fountain. The work by Bud Bottoms was commissioned to commemorate Santa Barbara’s bicentennial in 1982. Replicas of the sculpture were sent to Santa Barbara’s three sister cities as well: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; Toba, Japan; and Yalta, Ukraine.

Lost-At-Sea Memorial Whale Tail Benches and a Dolphin Torso, also by Bud Bottoms, sit not far from the Dolphin Family fountain at Santa Barbara Breakwater. For passersby, the sculpture adds whimsy to a beach stroll.

5. Mentor’s Fountain

Three bronze, undulating pillars stand in a fountain at Santa Barbara City College. Created by artist Aris Demetrios, the sculpture was dedicated in 2000. The pillars, which symbolize the importance of the mentoring relationship in intellectual life, overlook an expansive lawn at the college with views to the ocean. Art enthusiasts seeking a tranquil, thought-provoking work juxtaposed against a beautiful setting should not miss Aris Demetrios’ Mentor’s Fountain.

6. Millennium Gate

The Santa Barbara County Administration Building welcomes visitors with an oval-shaped sculpture called Millennium Gate. The shiny steel sculpture, created by Rich Peterson, has an opening in the center that symbolizes birth and new beginnings.

A longtime Santa Barbara resident, Rich Peterson served as the community’s fire chief from 1976 to 1992. When the brand new Station 12 needed a sculpture of a firefighter, the city commissioned Peterson to do it. He created Charge the Line, modeled after Sergio Sanchez, who still serves as a firefighter in Santa Barbara. The bronze statue stands outside Fire Headquarters on Cathedral Oaks Road.

7. The Peace Monument

Public art engages and inspires, and sometimes tells a story. The Peace Monument, which stands in People’s Park, Isla Vista, was the site of a peaceful protest in 1970 by about 1,000 locals who objected to a sunset curfew imposed by Governor Ronald Reagan. Police cleared the area with tear gas and clubs, and arrested 390 protesters. Santa Barbara memorialized the moment by installing the steel and concrete structure in 1993. Four steel archways lead to a center circle, which has a plaque that reads, “In a spirit of remembrance, inspiration, and reconciliation, we commemorate the people who worked for peace, justice, and nonviolence in Isla Vista and elsewhere during the Vietnam War era.”

In addition to the sculptures featured on this list, other installations can be found in the Santa Barbara area, as well as beautiful murals and mosaics. Channing Peake Gallery in the County Administration building and City Hall Gallery in Santa Barbara City Hall both feature local artists and others. Santa Barbara’s commitment to fostering art has helped to improve the quality of life in the community.

5 Ways the Fund for Santa Barbara Works for Change

“Change, not Charity” defines the Fund for Santa Barbara’s approach to grant-making. Founded in 1980, the nonprofit, community foundation believes that solutions for community problems are most effective when they come from the community itself.

Appropriately, the members of the Fund for Santa Barbara Grant-Making Committee come from within the community, usually spending a few years helping choose which grants to fund and then returning to their work in the area. Because of the rotating nature of the committee’s composition, the group remains deeply connected to the Santa Barbara region’s true needs.

To create political, economic, environmental, and social change, the Fund for Santa Barbara offers the following 5 programs:

1) Grant-Making

Most grants are seed grants that provide new nonprofits with enough money to begin implementing their programs. In addition to funding start-up organizations, the Fund provides grants for general, operational assistance to established, small nonprofits. It also makes target-specific grants to larger organizations.

The Fund provided $19,500 in grants during its first year of operation, with each grant maxing out at $2,000. Today, the maximum grant amount is $10,000, and the Fund awards more than $200,000 in grants annually. Since 1980, the Fund has distributed more than $5 million to over 900 grantees.

2) Bread and Roses

The Bread and Roses auction and dinner raises a fourth of the money needed for the Fund’s grant-making and technical assistance programs. The event takes its name from a quote by prominent labor leader and feminist Rose Schneiderman. During a textile workers’ strike in Lawrence, Massachusetts, in 1912, she was noted for saying, “the worker must have bread, but she must have roses, too.” Members of the Fund for Santa Barbara interpret the “bread” as a living wage and believe the “roses” represent dignity and respect.

More than 25 restaurants, caterers, wineries, and breweries contribute to create the Bread and Roses buffet-style dinner that is now the largest progressive fundraiser in Santa Barbara County, attracting more than 400 guests. Both live and silent auctions contribute to the fundraising effort.

3) Technical Assistance

Grassroots organizations often start with a great idea but have little practical experience in starting and running a nonprofit. To help these groups, the Fund staffs a technical assistance skills-building program that provides the following:

* Grant-writing help—Applicants can submit the grant application draft for a pre-proposal review to receive hints on how to improve the likelihood of acceptance. Twice a year, the Fund offers public workshops on the application process and how to write an effective grant.

* Consulting—This umbrella program teaches a host of how-to’s for grassroots groups, including how to run a community organization, start a nonprofit, develop a working board, facilitate retreats, fundraise, and lobby. Strategic planning, financial management, business resources, and program design help are also available.

* Networking— The offices of the Fund act as a networking center, providing opportunities for activists and organizations to learn about each other.

* Collaboration—The Fund meets monthly with the Foundation Roundtable, a group of 30 local foundation representatives, to share ideas and plan the yearly Partnership for Excellence Conference, which brings together nonprofits and funding organizations for discussions and informational sessions.

4) Youth Making Change

With its Youth Making Change (YMC) program, the Fund hands over the grant-making responsibility to area teens. Two YMC boards, one in Santa Maria and one in Santa Barbara, each award $15,000 in grants to projects led by youth ages 12 to 24. These YMC boards conduct an entire grant cycle with the aid of two youth facilitators who previously served on YMC boards.

In operation since 2008, the YMC program has made grants totaling $157,500 to 90 youth-led groups, giving up to $3,000 per project. Applicants must try to fix a problem that affects youth in the community. The Fund also offers a workshop for YMC grant-writing.

5) Social Justice Award

Since 2000, the Fund for Santa Barbara has partnered with the Santa Barbara International Film Festival to award a Social Justice Award for Documentary films. The 2015 winner of the award was “A Snake Gives Birth to a Snake,” which followed a group of South African actors who brought their country’s story of reconciliation to other war-torn regions.

Previous Social Justice Award winners include Through A Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People, Revolution, and When I Rise.

Hospice of Santa Barbara Showcases Art's Meditative Potential

Hospice of Santa Barbara helps patients to reach the end of life with dignity and compassion, offering free counseling and care management services throughout the community. The nonprofit provides support to grieving individuals and families at locations such as school campuses, and it further connects with the community through events at the Leigh Block Gallery. Named in honor of the late Hospice of Santa Barbara board member emeritus Leigh Block, the gallery frequently showcases the work of local artists who delve into themes such as grief, loss, and the journey of life. 

Hospice of Santa Barbara presents art exhibitions on a quarterly basis and features occasional special engagements. On August 2, the organization hosted a special one-day exhibition of local artist Dr. Daniel Joseph, whose experience living with Parkinson’s disease inspired a series of impressive creative works. 

Parkinson’s: Along the Road to Hope

The exhibition, titled Parkinson’s: Along the Road to Hope, was an inspiring demonstration of hope and perseverance. Soon after retiring from a long career in medicine in 1999, Dr. Joseph learned that he had Parkinson’s. While the disease’s progression eventually made it difficult to accomplish simple tasks, Dr. Joseph took up painting at the suggestion of a friend and found a new passion. He discovered that his hand did not shake while he was painting, and the art form soon became a meditative practice, leading him to attend art classes and hold exhibitions at many local venues. Inspired by years spent working at his father’s flower shop, Dr. Joseph mainly creates oil paintings of flowers, though his subjects also include wildlife and his family members.

Storyteller to Honor Longtime Executive Director at Prom Gala

Image Source: http://www.storytellercenter.org/

For over 25 years, the Storyteller Children’s Center has served the Santa Barbara County, California, community by providing education programs and additional supportive services for homeless children and their families. By drawing on the support of generous community members, business sponsors, and volunteers, the nonprofit is able to provide high-quality early education to 100 disadvantaged children each year.

Storyteller Prom

Opportunities for Santa Barbara County residents to support the Storyteller Children’s Center include the organization’s annual benefit gala. On October 3, 2015, Storyteller will hold its very own prom in the gymnasium of the Page Youth Center at 4540 Hollister Avenue in Santa Barbara. Offering guests an opportunity to relive their high school days, the evening will include dinner, music, and dancing. Storyteller Prom offers a variety of sponsorship opportunities for attendees, with themed sponsor titles such as Prom King and Queen, Class President, and Valedictorian.

Executive Director Terri Allison

In addition to raising awareness and garnering financial support for Storyteller’s educational programs, Storyteller Prom will provide an opportunity for the nonprofit to honor its executive director, Terri Allison. An active member since Storyteller’s establishment, Ms. Allison will leave her leadership role with the organization after 26 years of service, and Storyteller will recognize the compassion, partnerships, and overall excellence that she has contributed to its programs.

Margaret Singer Unveils Art Exhibition at Hospice of Santa Barbara

Image Source: jewishsantabarbara.org

Hospice of Santa Barbara has teamed with area artist Margaret Singer to bring her solo exhibition to families and individuals served by the organization. The Leigh Block Gallery, located within the hospice, will display the art. 

The Exhibition

The 94-year-old Singer fled Nazi Germany as a child and subsequently turned to painting as a means of expressing her feelings. She views art as a sort of journal that chronicles her life through emotional reactions and mental reflections. While much of her work focuses on the faces and ideas of childhood that continue to haunt her, it also celebrates the raw beauty of the world. The exhibition at Hospice of Santa Barbara, entitled Celebrations, looks upon the world with gratitude and wonder.

Image Source: hospiceofsantabarbara.org

Renown

Singer has achieved renown in the Santa Barbara community with her works on display at the Santa Barbara Art Association, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Santa Barbara. A portion of all sales generated by the current exhibition will support Hospice of Santa Barbara and its important work.

The Butterfly Garden at Ganna Walska’s Lotusland

Lotusland of Santa Barbara preserves the incredible gardens designed by opera singer Ganna Walska. The collection includes a number of themed gardens, including the Japanese garden, the blue garden, and the butterfly garden. Comprising a wide range of flowering plants, the butterfly garden is designed to create scents that will attract beneficial insects. Some horticulturalists refer to butterfly gardens as “insectaries” due to their ability to attract helpful insects. 

At Lotusland, the butterfly garden plays an important role in protecting the collection as a whole by providing sustenance for insects that eat pests like thrips and aphids. Located next to the parterre and the orchards, the insectary helps protect the flowers and fruits in these areas. 

Lotusland has adopted a sustainable gardening plan that uses only organic materials to support the various gardens, and the insectary makes this organic approach to gardening possible. The insectary also enhances the beauty of the garden by attracting butterflies, especially monarchs, which only lay their eggs on milkweed, a central component of the Lotusland butterfly garden.