Can you DIGS it? Yes I can!…read more DIGS, short for Celebracion de los Dignatarios, kicks off Santa Barbara's Fiesta week with a high-end party designed to let your hair down, mingle with your neighbors and let you me hair down wile danish the summer night away. General Admission is $125/person in advance, $150 at the door which keeps the collage kids away. This is fancy, adult entertainment. But what do you get for a buck and a quarter? The infamous and free flowing "Digs" margaritas Local wine tasting ( Local sprit tasting (Cutler's Artisan Spirits) Local snacks (Black Bow Sweets) Local eats ( Complementary views of the ocean from atop the hill at the Santa Barbara Zoo Zoo animals Local celebrity...animals too Is the price worth it? Si!

If $150 doesn't make too much of a dent in your wallet, this event is not to be missed! This gets…read moreyou all the food and drink you can eat in 5 hours. Plus the backdrop of the Los Padres mountains and dancing until 10pm! All of the local vendors donate their food and drink for this charity event. You can have delicious bites from many restaurants around town and drink libations from local breweries, wineries and distilleries. It's a fun event which attracts the higher SES peeps from Santa Barbara. A fun event to do if you're out celebrating Fiesta!

One word to describe.... HEAVEN!!!…read more One entry fee, ALL YOU CAN EAT & DRINK! You can taste all the sample and try out all the beer & wine~ SWEET!!! If you like bacon... THIS IS YOUR EVENT! Bacon in all kinds of dishes, in salad, appetizer, sliders, etc. They give you a souvenir glass, you just go around the vendors and try out any beer/wine you like. We stayed there for hours! Basically eating 3 meals there already~ :D Great choices of local restaurants. Many different varieties. Live music, great crowd, fun day! Just one suggestion for the organizer.... we need more shades or umbrellas and table/chairs. Thank you. Will definitely attend the event again next time!

What a great hidden gem of a museum! Family and I stumbled here by accident because my son needed…read moreto find a restroom after shopping at Warbler Records across the street. It's somewhat off the beaten path as it's few blocks away from Downtown Santa Barbara. That's probably why the place was fairly empty during our visit. I love the adobe architecture of the building. It almost looks like a small mission turned into a museum. The front entrance to the museum faces De La Guerra Street but we entered from the side entrance through its beautiful courtyard. It was empty on the day of our visit but I can see this place getting busy if people rent the courtyard for weddings and events. The museum isn't that big but there were enough exhibits to keep us busy for about an hour. It was great seeing the history of Santa Barbara through its regular exhibits as well as some special ones. Admission is free but my wife and I felt compelled to make a donation because we loved the place so much. We saw a glass donation box by its gift shop so we put some cash in there to support the museum. Will try to make this a regular stop on our future visits to Santa Barbara.

My partner and I were looking for something to do on a lazy Saturday in town. We have already…read moreexplored much of what the Central Coast has to offer so we decided to revisit an attraction. The Santa Barbara Historical Museum came to mind after noticing their Project Fiesta exhibit was going on. It also just so happens that Yelp's "Travel Like A Local" campaign is going on simultaneously, so the timing was impeccable. This museum is a hidden gem somewhat off the beaten path. It is a few blocks from downtown State Street and two from the historic Presidio. Most tourists unfortunately miss it. Yet, this beautiful adobe building with a humongous boat anchor in front is worth visiting. Heck, there's no reason to not enter since it's completely free to the public (donations appreciated)! Upon entering, to the left is a gift shop with many local books and souvenirs. Yet it's easy to be distracted by the gorgeous central courtyard with a water fountain as its focal point. This is a popular venue for weddings, dances and other celebrations. Be sure to get a photo of an original Camino Real Bell, the marker used to connect the California Missions. There is also the Glenhill Library here. Many don't know that if you sneak out the back gate, you can step back into time with dirt ground, lush fruit trees, and La Casa Covarrubias. The museum also features a permanent exhibit called The Story of Santa Barbara. It's the perfect introduction to the Central Coast's long history of the native Chumash people, the influence of Mexico and the Spanish, the 1925 Earthquake and more. Upon my most recent visit was an unexpected discovery, an exhibit on Clarence Mattei: Portrait of a Community. I knew of the historic Mattei's Tavern, Inn and Stagecoach Stop after it was recently renovated and became part of a new luxury Auberge Resort in Los Olivos. Little did I know that he became a well-known artist. His first free-sketch was of Leutze's 1851 painting of Washington Crossing the Delaware at only 15 years of age! Prominent guests of the Tavern recognized his skill and sponsored his studies in San Francisco and New York. To this day you can see his art on the walls of the Tavern, but also here. Another current temporary exhibit is of Old Spanish Days/Fiesta, Santa Barbara's pride and joy. 2023 is its 99th anniversary! I had no idea that Fiesta was originally started to celebrate the opening of the Lobero Theatre. To this day, it remains the oldest running theater in California. The photos of almost a century caught by camera and shared at this exhibit are spectacular. All in all, whether it's your first visit to Santa Barbara or you're a life-long native, a visit to this museum is a must!

I came here for an event today so really my review is tailored more towards the events that Casa is…read moreholding but also to acknowledge the fabulous grounds and building though I admit I don't have full context for the history or background. I would definitely come back here to learn about the house and to take the guided tour. This wasn't the purpose for me coming today but the gentleman who works here noted that it's a great tour and I know friends who have enjoyed learning about the family and the history of the house, getting a deeper dive of information. I came here with some friends for their first hosted event Sound Bath. A wellness day if you will. From start to finish everything was very organized and thoughtful. The staff hosting the event and the spiritual wellness guide and sound healer was wonderful. Everyone was nice and you felt welcomed. Not pretentious and just very positive and good vibes. We had a nice group and everyone was respectful and on time for the sound bath so it went off without issue. It was a relaxing experience and the grounds were very nice to hold this outdoor event. The birds were chirping, the sun was shining, we found an area with shade, very nice. Very faint sounds of cars in the distance here and there which wasn't ideal but out of their control and once things settled in you really couldn't hear much external noise. After the relaxing sound bath we were offered tea and light pastry snacks. I opted for a water and began exploring the grounds instead of partaking in the refreshments. The grounds are lush and lovely, very zen. Loved the beautiful trees and walkways with small fountains and running water. It was green and pretty all around from the recent rains. Definitely a great location for events and to learn a little SB history. I will definitely do my research and come back again soon.

Yikes, this is an expensive tour but it is a rarity to see a period house with most of the original…read moreoccupants furnishings etc. The tours are docent led and very informative. If you like these types of tours, this one is quite worth it.

SAME THING ONLY DIFFERENT…read more Ah... festivals. Always different. Always the same. Everything smells like weed. Except the guy standing in line beside me. He smells like sardines. And weed. Out-of-town dudes in man-buns crowd alongside pretty young women dressed vaguely like Native American princesses. Not sure Indians had bubble-gum flavored lip gloss though. Everyone is 'Gramming. A giant beach ball passes by with intention. The volume is concussive. The energy palpable. When the live music starts, I picture my 9th grade English teacher Mrs. Delaney, hands on her hips, shouting back grammar corrections. "Cause I'mma pimp you up" "'BE-cause I am GOING TO pimp you up', young man!" "Cold split you in two" "COLDLY split you INTO two!" "Then let you catch it in the du-rang" "OK not bad..." "Take the Bentley back to school" "YOU GOT THIS! WOOO!!" Good music, passionate people, and great alcohol-- the keys to success for all festivals. But after a while, an existential question rises out of the chili pot smoke... Use the filth-laden portable toilets, or risk sobering up too soon by discontinuing the refreshing beverage routine in the hot afternoon sun? Maybe we'll just go find sardine dude to pick up some herring-infused indo... Pro tip: Had a great time. We sampled a lot of chili dishes, enjoyed copious amounts of local beer and wine, and clapped a lot because... well like most white people, we have no idea what to do with our hands when we dance.

First timer and was hesitant because of the weather forecast, but glad I came!…read more It was outdoors in the camp grounds and surprisingly it was warm with a slight breeze and only sprinkled a little red here and there! There were many vendors just selling merch like novelty items, kitchen towels and trivets, jewelry, and soap. At the entrance there was a stage where a band played for the first half then a DJ took over for the second half! Music was great and the crowd was lively! A lot of the vendors say this was much bigger than last year. There were many vendors some large breweries we'll known breweries like SLO brew, Fig mountain and smaller local ones as well. Really enjoyed the sparkling rose and the rose from a veteran owned stall (there's a pic included). There were tastings for wine, seltzers, gin, and whiskey!! Each stand either had an entry in Chile verde, red chili, salsa, or alcohol - some stands were were entered in multiple areas. Some stands had toppings you could add like corn bread, sour cream, cheese, and onions and the chips were all served with the central coast favorite taco works tortilla chips! One chili that stood out for me was a ground turkey butternut squash one made by the rotary club - it was hearty and had a slight sweetness, didn't think I would have liked it but it was one of my tops! So at end of your tastings you vote on best choice! Overall would deff come here again!!

For a low key family-friendly adventure, this is a lovely option. This past Saturday, while we…read morewere taking care of 6 year old Sweet Granddaughter, we decided to escape the steamy San Fernando Valley and head to Santa Barbara. After lunch in Carpinteria, I suggested going to the railroad museum, where we'd taken SG's older brother when he was young. He was always a train enthusiast. Little sister, not as much, so she initially was grumbling about this choice of destination. Once we got there though, she was okay with the venue. It was still pretty warm even in Goleta, so we spent our time in shady spots around the property mostly. There didn't seem to be too many other guests around, and we enjoyed having the place mostly to ourselves. We checked into the gift shop building to buy our tickets for the train ride. The engineer and conductor were sitting inside with the air conditioning in between anyone asking for a ride. $9 for three tickets - such a great deal for a 13 minute round trip! While we waited for our train ride adventure, we enjoyed lawn games. They had corn hole toss and another game with bolo-like balls on rope. You stand back and toss the ropes toward a stand with three cross bars. The idea is to have the right arc on the throw that the rope lands on the cross bar, and the lightweight balls spin around the bar to secure the landing. Follow-through is key! Fun little challenge. Then it was time for our ride on the mini train. The track winds around the western side of the property, overlooking various historic railroad buildings and train cars, like the Goleta Depot and a Southern Pacific caboose. Two loops are made, with variations on the track layout. Various trees help add shade, and there are some unique plants along the route. The miniature Jurassic playground area brought smiles. The second loop also brought some cooler air hitting our faces, which was welcome. I checked out the interior of the vintage depot building, which has some interesting models to observe in the historic setting. Overall, our visit was a highlight of our pleasant day out together.

Miniature train enthusiasts must go here!!! This museum has a short line train for children and…read moreadults who love trains! It. Is a small but quaint and interesting place to go and explore. The grounds are beautiful and it has free clean bathrooms ( I'm always on the lookout for a free clean bathroom)

Different locations, same talented vintners…read more My top 2 wine events of year, the Santa Barbara Vintners Festival delivers a day geared to all types of wine lovers. What sets this gathering apart is large number of talented wine makers and owners representing their brands. If you want to learn a little more about what your drinking, beyond the canned tasing notes, you want to be here. Winemakers love to talk about their passion and most will take a moment to tell you all about what's in your glass. This fear is looking for its home. I attended years at the Riverfront Park in Buellton. Last year it moved out to Lompoc and now up at Rancho Sisquoc Winery. Translation from Santa Barbara is always available but this year was downgraded from an Airbus like motor coach to The party busses from Jump on the School Bus. Noting against Darin and Sierra's party busses, I've ridden them may times. This event it higher end with no need for a stripper pole. But I digress.

FABULOUS FESTIVAL. Lots of wine, fun n' nice people, live…read moreband, local food, and beautiful environment. So busy but also amazingly peaceful. Very well organized. I've always been impressed. I'ts coming up very soon. Hope you go!

This event was a total surprise for me! Even for my boyfriend who booked the Hotel Santa Barbara in…read morethe middle of the action...not knowing that there was going to be some street action! (we were celebrating my birthday, I am a flower power girl forever:). Needless to say I was immensely happy to notice (the night before) that the streets were getting ready for some sort of celebration. I asked people at the street and got informed of the summer solstice parade, very multicultural, happy, glittery and all things nice. I absolutely loved the Brazilian dances and music (I am a fan of the genre) and was ready to show my samba skills (excuse: wasn't wearing the proper gear!). Loved also the latest band/paraders (beautiful sexy blond ladies wearing 70s looking like clothing) and really fun men dancing, singing and drumming non-stop during all the way of the parade (we followed them because nothing could beat their pseudo voodoo barbie dolls and black magic decor. Well, what to say about the senior dancers? They were just amazing and fantastic. Age is just a number and I could see with my own eyes. Happiness was contagious. The pole dancers inside the giant plastic ball were equally amazing, delighting viewers with their pirouettes and style. There was glitter, there was confetti (promptly clean after the parade), there was awesome music (the imitator of Freddy Mercury was so awesome and cool dude) and it was a sunny day with those beautiful Santa Barbara jacaranda trees and Spanish revival buildings as scenery. I was so happy during that event and I hope I can revive it another time. Check the pics my boyfriend took (in this review) and see for yourself!

I got to be in the solstice parade this year in a group called a Flamboyance of Flamingos!! This…read morewas my first time being in the parade after watching the parade for many years. It was a great time and I can't wait to be in it again next year!! The only tip I have for being IN the parade is STAY HYDRATED!! The parade is only 1 mile but it's a slow mile as the parade crawls and it gets VERY hot being on the asphalt. So bring more water than you need. Most floats have igloos full of water and some people are handing out water on the side of the parade. Watching the parade, be sure that you get there early or set up your blankets the night before starting at 5pm. It's worth is to get a good spot. But anywhere is a good spot! If you're like me and you just like to show up to watch, just plan to stand in the crosswalk. It's great viewing and do t have to fight for a spot as much. I like to watch the parade closer to Sola St so I can walk to Alameda Park after for the Solstice celebration! There bands, food, activities and a beer garden!! It's a great time and goes from Friday night to Sunday afternoon. It's good clean family-friendly fun!!