Love love love the Santa Barbara seafood festival! We say that this is our superbowl event for the…read moreyear. We allllllways go for the lobster and uni! The LOBSTER was $45 per plate and the line is long but oh so worth the wait! The lobster is perfectly cooked and comes with melted butter and some bread. I'm drooling again just thinking about it. There are at least 3 UNI booths to buy from. I don't think you can go wrong buying from any of them with how fresh they are. We got jumbo sweet uni for $20 a piece. They are so goooood!

Fresh fish, fresh fish, fresh fish! Attentive wait staff and a view of the Pacific. Perfect…read moreanniversary dinner us. Thank you, very much.

This year was the 30th anniversary and we were pleasantly surprised how the festival remains a…read moregreat afternoon event in July although you may have attended the last 30 years. I watched a few musicians on the three stages including listening to French jazz and accordions! The joust with the knights was a hit; a few friends wanted to join the team. A first hand view of knights and their armor in action included the sounds you would imagine occurring when someone attacks another in metal with swords!!! To go, we grabbed a few baguettes from the bakery vendor from LA, which was a hit in the evening when our family used the bread to make fig and Brie burgers!! Mmmmmm!!!!

Great food and dancing..perfect day to celebrate the French world cup. Crepes are wonderful and the…read morebaguette are rich. Oak Park is a beautiful venue with oak trees and perfect weather

Fiesta is an annual cultural festival in Santa Barbara, celebrating the town's Spanish and Mexican…read moreheritage. My husband grew up in Santa Barbara and remembers it from his childhood, and we took our kids last month for the 103rd Fiesta, to watch the Saturday morning children's parade. The parade ran along Cabrillo from the rainbow arch to Casa Las Palmas, and we were able to park and set up along the beginning of the route with zero difficulty. We were worried because of the amount of Fiesta-related traffic we'd experienced in the prior days, but this event, at least, was fun and vibrant without being overcrowded. Our kids loved watching the parade, all the costumed performers and interesting floats. (We enjoyed it too, but it was specifically a children's parade.) There was music and dancing and cheerleading, just a lot of happy energy. Also a surprising number of floats representing individual families with multiple generations of Fiesta involvement. I'd hate to be the one stuck with the family float in my garage, but I thought this was really adorable. There were eggs filled with confetti, which the children broke on each other's heads (and also mine). The whole town must have been covered in Fiesta confetti for weeks. My boys also received dental care packages, presumably from a local business. Highly useful, as swag goes. This was my first Fiesta experience, and I look forward to more parades and other events in the years to come. I love that all of Santa Barbara gets into the Fiesta spirit, and I want my kids to grow up with their share of the joy.

Noches del Ronda was beautiful but completely blocked by untrimmed bushes poorly planned. I guess…read morethey forgot half the house . For such a large event they could at least put the stage in a location not blocked by vegetation .

Santa Barbara Beer Festival 2017 was a huge event that apparently has been rooted in this community…read morefor years on end, I had just never been in the loop? Very glad to be looped into the festivities this year and see many familiar faces out there having a blast and supporting local breweries. The staff at the entrance of the event were all rugby player volunteers, from what I understand, and while their heart was definitely there, they were a little less professional than they could be. Very glad, though, the festival is set up to help a good, local cause and think they should promote the rugby foundation a little more in the festival advertisements. The beer samplings themselves were great, of course. A lot of the same vendors from the multiple September/October festivals this year were there, including: Captain Fatty's, Rincon Brew, Island Brew, Sierra Nevada, Draughtsmen Ale, Brass Bear, & 3 Window. It was awesome to see, though, the surprise michelada option at M Special and chips and salsa from Mesa Salsa Company. Oh my gosh that green salsa was to die for! The VIP blow up tent was fun and festive and the pizza bread inside was nothing like I'd ever tasted before. I also loved seeing all the men walking around in kilts throughout the event. I wish I got the memo, I'd totally be on board to dress up Oktoberfest like. Next year they should invite everyone to, the pictures would be hilarious! There was life sized Jenga, cornhole opportunities, lots of space to dance or picnic, multiple port-o-potty locations, and live music throughout the day. I thought the venue was beautiful but a little too spaced out for what it contained. I also wouldn't recommend driving unless you get there way before opening and don't mind paying $5. The Uber or Lyft will be safer and well worth the money.

The Santa Barbara Beer Festival is as good as it gets when it comes to beer festivals. It's a…read moregrand ol' time to eat, drink, be merry, hang with friends, and make new friends. The 2010 Santa Barbara Beer Festival is upcoming, and although it's about 4 months away, I'm already getting excited. 2010 Santa Barbara Beer Festival details: Saturday, October 16, 2010 from 12 - 4 pm at Eling's Park. Tickets as well as the list of brewers are not available yet. Parking is $5 and available along Jerry Harwin Parkway. Designated drivers can enter the festival for free! And Bill's Bus will offer free rides. When the list of brewers becomes available on-line, I will edit this review to reflect that update. Santa Barbara Beer Festival 2009: October 17, 2009 My friends and I, all UCSB alumni of course, arrived at Eling's Park about an hour or so before the scheduled opening time of the festival. We turned over our tickets and were given a wristband and a small beer glass, and then waited. As noon approached, the crowd had grown substantially, and included a man in a gorilla suit. It was obvious who the veterans were; those were the ones equipped with necklaces customized to hold the beer glass. Maybe I will try to fashion one this year. Tents peppered the lawn of the park, and my friend's and I devised the strategy to start at the tent farthest from the entrance. It really didn't matter though, because although there were a lot of people at the festival, the lines weren't long, and moved so quickly that it wasn't a hassle. There was plenty of time to try each brewery many times over, and also stop by the sponsors and food vendors as well. The weather was beautiful, clear, sunny, and hot. Definitely apply sunscreen. The food was great; award winning chili, sausages, etc., and the prices were not inflated. The portable bathrooms were not a nightmare, but were surprisingly big and clean, and there were sinks set up outside the restrooms as well. Overall, a great experience at a great venue with great friends. 2009 Santa Barbara Beer Festival Brewers: The Brewhouse Downtown Brewing Company Hollister Brewing Company Island Brewing Company Santa Barbara Brewing Company Telegraph Brewing Company Union Ale Brewing Company Firestone Walker Brewing Company Alaskan Brewing Company Anacapa Brewing Company Beer Guy Blue Moon Brewing Co. Bootlegger's Brewery Cal Poly Brew Crew C.A.R.P. Homebrewers Chau Tien Pale Ale Deschutes Brewery Einhorn Beer Company Karl Strauss Brewing Co. Kona Brewing Company Lagunitas Brewing Company Leinenkugel Lost Coast Brewery MateVeza MillerCoors Moylan's Brewery Nakhon Premium Beer Nectar Ales New Belgium Brewing Company Peroni Pilsner Urquell Samuel Adams Santa Barbeerians Sequoia Brewing Company Shock Top Belgian White Skyscraper Brewing Company Widmer Brothers Brewing Company Wolf Creek Brewing Company 2009 Santa Barbara Beer Festival Music: Debra Farris Band The Kicks The Brewery Boys 2009 Santa Barbara Beer Festival Vendors: Judge's Sausages 2009 Santa Barbara Beer Festival Sponsors: Montecito Bank & Trust 99.9 KTYD Discount Party Rental DSR Audio Santa Barbara Independent SportFence Allied Waste Service MarBorg Industries Santa Barbara Ice Company Santa Barbara Sailing Center Twiin Productions

Concerts in the Park happens every July and is sponsored by Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation…read more Hundreds of people bring their blankets and a picnic to enjoy this free music concert series. The setting couldn't be more perfect, as it's located right on Cabrillo Boulevard along the beautiful Santa Barbara waterfront. The concerts go from 6:00-7:30 p.m. on Thursday nights in Chase Palm Park. Dogs are welcome on leash. Alcoholic beverages are not permitted in the park, but you will see many people drinking wine. There is a policeman walking around, but he turns a blind eye as long as no one is causing trouble. It's a relaxing way to enjoy our beautiful city, chill with friends, and listen to good live music.

Every summer I venture out to something we locals dub "concerts in the park"…read more aKa free fun with lots of people you love and hate to see in one place with great music and odd picnic etiquette Each week is a different band, all of which kick butt! Ranging from Stevie Nicks cover bands, to funk, to Cuban soul, you just never know what the week will bring. Besides the people you are with the two beat parts are the people watching (you will know what I mean when you go) AND the evening sunsets with the beach breeze. Can't get better than a free concert on a summer night in the American Riviera.

My first time attending this festival located in Carpinteria, CA. This festival is popular so…read moreparking can be a challenge. There's public parking lots and even bus shuttles that run to and from the high school for $5 a person roundtrip costs. The size of the festival is large and runs for 3 days. I arrived on a Saturday mid-day and it was crowded. Expect to see many food vendors, lots of merchandise for sale, kids rides and several stages for live music entertainment. Admission was free and I was even able to secure free parking which was a challenge. I was fortunate to be invited to attend several matches of Lucha Libre wrestling at the veterans hall which was really entertaining and took me back to my teenage days of watching wrestling on tv and reenacting it on my brother. Overall, I had a fantastic day outing at the avocado festival and would definitely return here again.

Typically this is my favorite festival to attend. This year it was so crowded. It was jammed wall…read moreto wall. Not much seating. Rude people. I'll pass for the next one.

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!

What's not to love about Summer Solstice! If you've never experienced it here in Santa Barbara then…read moreyou're missing out. It's a 3 day celebration usually starting on a Friday at Alameda Park with a variety of bands performing to kick off the celebration and it continues through Sunday. There's a beer/wine garden which can get pretty chaotic and confusing! The way it's set up is you buy tickets inside/outside the beer garden to get drinks. They charge $6 per drink so come with cash. There are tons of vendors selling jewelry, hats sunglasses, clothing, food and much much more! The parade starts on Saturday at noon on Cota & State St and carries over into Alameda Park where all the fun continues! What I love about this event is watching all the crazy, weird, tree hugging hippies wandering around. Some practically wearing nothing to others wearing their unique costumes from the parade or just wearing a costume for the fun of it. Pretty much anything goes at this event! There is a children's section as well to keep the little ones entertained. So check it out if you're in town or plan on it next year.

Had to make it down to the last Brewhouse Oktoberfest before the new owners take over (and possibly…read morechange things up a bit). Checked out the brass band, filled my stein with a pilsner, and had the bratwurst plate. There will be many more festivities Saturday (Oct 8th) like a stein lifing contest and live music all day. So I suggest you get down there and help send off the current owners and welcome the new ones while celebrating the biggest Octoberfest in town. Make sure to get the soft pretzel!

French Festival--mehhh Greek Festival-mehhh Same goes for the Avocado Festival, Lemon Festival and…read moreany other food group or fruit festival. But Oktoberfest, Five Stars! A liter of Hiffbreau plus the Red Baron is a winning combination. As I sit here eating my Jeagerschnitzle waiting until the next time I can do the Chicken Dance I Channel my inner Deutchman and offer you all a hearty Prost!!!

I Madonnari Italian street festival happens every year during Memorial Day weekend. This festival…read moreshowcases over 140 colorful and vibrant chalk street paintings. I respect that each artist works hunched over on the ground filling in the template. I commend each and every one of them for the time spent to fill in and showcase the beautiful art work. Be respectful and give them space while walking through. It gets pretty busy due to the holiday, so expect crowds during your visit. Enjoy live music, local food, and a great atmosphere. The mission gift store is also open and worth checking out for souvenirs. Bring your camera, charged up phone, and prepare to capture amazing pictures! If you're impatient and don't care to wait in long lines for food, then bring your own food and have a picnic across the street. Park yourself at the rose garden with the family and relax on the grass. There's also an local vendors selling baked goods and lemonade for sweet treats. Tuesday & Wednesday are the best time to stop by if you want to see the chalk art completed.

I Madonnari is an Italian street painting festival that takes place at the mission every Memorial…read moreDay weekend. I've been twice over the years, with and without kids, and it's a nice, free way to enjoy some outdoor time in beautiful Santa Barbara. The festival gets busy, so it's best to go early if you want to park anywhere close to the mission. My elderly father-in-law went and gave up when he couldn't find parking to meet us at 10:00 on the Sunday morning. We found a spot on the rose garden side, and our kids enjoyed looking at the wonderful variety of roses on our way in. The street paintings are super fun and impressive. They all seem to be sponsored by local businesses, schools, and even families, who hire artists to create temporary paintings on the concrete in front of the mission. The works range in subject matter and artistry, with teenagers working alongside absolute ringers rendering amazing images in chalk and pastels. I've only gone in the middle of the festival, and I like watching the artists at work. I'll bet it'd be cool, though, to walk through all the finished paintings. There are food vendors and other entertainment on the lawn, which we will take advantage of some other year, when our children aren't being moody. I'm charmed by this local festival, and look forward to more Madonnaris in the years to come.

You're drinking wine. On the beach. What's not to love?…read more The California Wine Festival rolls into town with great local foods including a Tri-tip cook off, featured wines of the state, and live music all with the backdrop of Santa Barbara's picturesque Riviera and its Pacific coast. Of the wine events that set up here this would be the most visited and casual more often referred to as a collage dorm party. And it's a party where you'll want to arrive early. At a minimum out your Early Entry tix for access from 12-4 but I highly recommend the VIP treatment. A dedicated tent with pool club vibes, higher end food and wine with comfortable seating and shade. Don't forget the fancy toilets too. Totally worth it. Come on out and soak up the sun while you drinking the day away. Cheers

What a beautiful city !! Right on the beach ! With soo many vendors , from…read moreCheese plates to sushi . There was lots of delicious wines ! And some draft beers !! Every one there was so attentive, happy and helpful !! This is a really fun event ! I will Definitely be back at the next one !