We have been coming out to The whale Festival for quite a few years now. They even wrote an article…read moreabout us, on how we come mostly every year for the festival.

For a free event I truly thought the Banana Festival was a great time. The fact that it's free and…read moreopen for all ages makes this the perfect weekend spot annually to partake with friends and family. I also appreciate the variety - initially I thought everything was "bananas only" but my friend informed me that while booths have banana specials and some banana centered booths, this is truly a well rounded event showcasing all kinds of different shops and food stalls for banana addicts and people just here for a good time and some non-banana items. I love a good theme but I'm not the biggest banana fan so I was happy to be able to try food and drink vendors that catered to the masses. This year I supported a few local vendors and tried lumpia, dim sum, and fresh fruit juices. The food and drinks were 10/10. I was thoroughly impressed with the amount of food and drink vendors they had. They also had a small beer garden which was great to see. Aside from food there were some shopping stalls, kids arts and crafts areas, and a kids play area. Again, great for all ages. Also throughout the day they had different artists and dancers to keep the crowds entertained. This event is super walkable and honestly I was able to see all I wanted to see in about 1.5-2 hours. A small but mighty festival. Some notable tips: I would highly recommend getting here early / at opening. Parking is sparse and when arriving close to opening I had to park pretty far, I didn't mind the walk but for those elderly and such it's smart to get parking closer in the beach lots. They also had a shuttle to get people from the lots to the event but I opted to walk. Also keep in mind that seating is always limited at these types of events... I felt like they did a good job of setting up multiple tables and chairs for people dining but by lunch all of the tables were taken. No issue for me as I was here early, but I could see as it got busier It would be difficult to be able to sit down to eat. All in all, this was a really great free event and I'm so happy I came. I definitely love to come support every year and I'm so grateful the community has such a fun festival such as this one.

Disappointed as no banana treats?? I did not see one banana booth with banana treats??! C'mon, this…read moreis a Banana Festival!! I would expect banana milkshakes, pudding, cake, etc. Nothing. They should have had a whole section with those. Maybe there was something in a corner I missed. But even so, should have been prominent vendors with all kinds of banana food. Nada. We did enjoy the boat ride around port.

World class stone sculptor & woodworker, has designed some of SoCal's most beautiful yards &…read moregardens. Great Good Friend, too. Go visit his outdoor studio/gallery at Art City, west of the Mission in Ventura.

I took lessons from Jonathan and Sylvia 20 years ago and am still going to the Friday dances…read more Sylvia Sykes (https://www.sylviasykes.com/) is still teaching and is truly a world renown teacher. If you ever had an interest in swing dancing I highly recommend Sylvia's classes and the Carrillo Recreation Center. The Friday Dances (free lesson before dance) with a live band are great fun and the people are very friendly and welcoming of ALL dancers. Ginger's experience is unfortunate and I believe very rare.

I was excited to finally attend a swing dance in my hometown, after several years of West Coast…read moreSwing in Lindy-Hop dancing in the San Francisco bay area, where I live now. Lucky me! I happened to schedule a trip to SB on a weekend that Stompy Jones - one of my fave local-to-me bands was playing. I gathered a group of friends to come take the lesson with me (some of them needed the beginning lesson; I figured to try leading, or at least to use the opportunity to get to know a few dancers). My first disappointment with the teacher's failure to discourage couples from pairing up and NOT rotating during the lesson. It is well-known that dancing with a variety of partners is the best way to learn. But that was a small thing. The lesson ended, and the band needed an extra 30 minutes to finish setting up. All fine, and quite normal. People danced to the DJ music in the interim. I led one of my friends in some West Coast Swing. Dancing to any sort of music is generally better than sitting! And the music the teacher was playing was fine. The band started and more people got up to dance. I waited a song or two, then walked over and asked one of the guys that had taken the lesson to dance. All good; I don't mind dancing with a beginner from time to time. The song ended; I looked around, no one asked me to dance. I spent the next hour or more dancing with my friends, and asking various Santa Barbara dancers to dance. But here's my gripe: NOT ONCE, from the time the lesson ended until the band took its first break, did anyone ask me to dance! First of all, I'm NOT a beginner. Where I live, there are many, many people who ask me to dance - friends and strangers alike. I'm not hideously ugly. I don't smell. Actually, I receive frequent compliments on my following skills, including my styling and musicality. So I'm pretty sure that I'm doing a few things right! No, I think the problem is that Santa Barbara is a town/area that is cliquish, and no one wanted to take the time to look for, and ask, a stranger to dance. And the teacher (I don't recall his name) and the organizer (Jonathan Bixby) are partly responsible for this cliquishness, as they set the tone for dances - to be inclusive, or exclusive. Several announcements were made; none of them being "ask someone to dance that you've never danced with before." Also, it would have been easy for the teacher to seek me - or any of the other followers that took the lesson (there were only six of us) - out for a dance. I guess he just couldn't be bothered. The thing is this: I get it. I am part of a thriving West Coast Swing Dance community here int he SF bay area. I have a large group of dance friends, and I do enjoy dancing with them. AND - we, ALL OF US, make an effort to ask people we don't know to dance with us. Some of the best leaders I know are great about this. I am a follower, and not at all shy to ask men to dance. So, in sum: dancing in Santa Barbara was a big disappointment, and I sure won't be making any effort to attend dances there in the future. I'd like to think that the "Westies" in the area might be friendlier...

Thoroughly enjoyed this well organized meeting, complete with nicely timed agenda, friendly and…read morewelcoming members, and tasty snacks and coffee afterwards. With my busy work visit to SB their Tuesday morning 7 am start time was ideal. Looking forward to visiting again.

One of the best places in Southern California to get your writing on. You will meet authors great…read moreand small. Go to the variety of workshops which start at 9 a.m. into the wee hours, if you are hearty enough to join the Pirate workshops. Stop by John Reed's and say hello and let him know you appreciate his input. Got to Monte's workshop and learn how the truly great artists do it. Stop by the poets and song writers. Don't forget to have lunch with writers of all stripes. You won't be sorry if you join this tribe!

For starters, this is a super cool museum which features exactly what the name suggests. They have…read morea bunch of old carriages which are mind blowing if you allow yourself to imagine what it might have been like to roam the open plains in one of these. The museum is not very large and can be totally appreciated in about an hour... time well spent! Unfortunately the impetuous for my visit was a celebration of life for Wesley John Bortolazzo - RIP Wes, miss you. The aforementioned event made it apparent to me that this location is great for large gatherings, ideally a wedding or a big birthday, something a little more joyous. BUT, this was a great place to celebrate Wes because it embodied his western passion. We were grateful to the folks at Santa Barbara Carriage & Western Arts Museum for their generosity and involvement with the celebration. Do yourself a favor and embrace your Western spirit, this place is worth a visit.

I talked to Tammy about my fiesta poster and pin, She never texted me the number to reach the…read moreperson in charge. I feel like I am getting the run around. Sh should have contacted them for me! I am angry amd am typing spending the 50$!

A gorgeous, state-of-the-art theater for seeing professional talent in an intimate setting.read more

Amazing lavish productions and professional acting in a unique and mediterranean setting near…read moredelicious restaurants. I still remember the project of Macbeth's ghost at the performance my seniors went to.