Event Calendar

Unity Shoppe Toy Run
Sundance Beach
Date: Every day (Dec 2-Dec 23) from 9:00am to 8:00pm
Ages: All Ages Admission Fees: $10 Cost of Toy
Special Instructions: Toy must be unwrapped and a $10 or more Value

Bring in any NEW UNWRAPPED toy or clothing item of a $10 Value or more and receive 15% OFF* your entire purchase.  All items will be donated to the Santa Barbara Unity Shoppe.

 

Items collected now through Dec. 23, 2009.

 

*Offer cannot be combined with any other discount.

California Calling: Works from SB Collections 48'-08'
Santa Barbara Muesum of Art
Karl Benjamin, F.S. #1, 1961. Oil on canvas. Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Museum Purchase
Date: Every day (Oct 27-Mar 7) from 11:00am to 5:00am
Ages: All Admission Fees: $9 adults, $6 seniors, students with ID and children ages 6-17. Free on Sunday
Special Instructions: Closed Monday. Open Tuesday-Sunday `11 am. to 5: pm.

Eclectic, inventive, anti-conformist... these are just a few of the widespread characterizations of artists who have lived and worked in the richest, most diverse, and most populous region in the United States since the end of World War II. California Calling is a two-part exhibition highlighting works from a selection of artists and movements in California from the past sixty years. Drawn from the Museum's permanent collection and selected local collections, works included exemplify the distinctive vitality of art in the region and the significance of the SBMA as a venue for art on the West Coast.

Diana Thater Exhibition
Santa Barbara Muesum of Art
Date: Every day (Oct 28-Feb 2) from 11:00am to 5:00pm
Ages: All Admission Fees: $9 adults, $6 seniors, students with ID and children ages 6-17. Free on Sunday
Special Instructions: Closed Monday. Open Tuesday-Sunday `11 am. to 5: pm.

Internationally renowned pioneer of film and video art Diana Thater creates what she describes as "sculpture with images of nature in space." Phenomena of the natural world are recurring motifs for the artist, whose site-specific video and light installations explore the relationship between beauty and technology, and nature and the way it is mediated through human intervention. Two major works are the focus of this compelling exhibition, including Untitled Videowall (Butterflies) (2008), which stems from the Monarch Butterfly Project, the artist's response to a call by curators, collectors and environmentalists to draw attention to encroachments upon the species' winter home in Michoacán, Mexico. The Museum debut of this work coincides with the arrival of the Monarchs on the central coast during their annual migration.

Una Noche de Las Posadas
Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation and Los Pastores de Santa Barbara
Date: 12/13/2009 at 6:00pm
Admission Fees: FREE

Las Posadas (The Inns) is the time-honored reenactment of Joseph and Mary's search for shelter in Bethlehem as it was once celebrated in Early California and is still observed throughout Mexico and South America. Join in this rich cultural tradition, experiencing first-hand the way in which Santa Barbara's earliest Spanish and Mexican residents celebrated Christmas with song and food.

Dickens Carolers at Paseo Nuevo
Paseo Nuevo Shopping Center
Date: 12/13/2009 from 3:00pm to 5:00pm
Ages: All ages Admission Fees: Free

Come hear holiday joy fill the air from 3-5pm.

Free Holiday Light Exchange
South County Energy Efficiency Partnership
Free Holiday Light Exchange - Turn in your old lights for more efficient and longer lasting LED lights
Date: Every day (Nov 30-Dec 20)
Ages: All Admission Fees: FREE

All Southern California Edison residential customers are invited to participate in the South County Energy Efficiency Partnership's (SCEEP) Holiday Light Exchange. Bring your old holiday lights to exchange for one strand of LED lights which use up to 90% less energy than incandescent bulbs. LED lights are safer and can last up to 10 times longer.

Supplies are limited. For availability or other questions, please visit www.sceep.org.

When: November 30th - December 20th while supplies last. Times vary by location.

Dates & Locations:

Carpinteria

 

Carpinteria City Hall
5775 Carpinteria Ave.
(805) 684-5405
Mon - Fri, 9am - 5pm


Goleta

Goleta City Hall
130 Cremona, Ste. B
(805) 961-7500
Mon - Thur, 8am - 5pm


Santa Barbara

Central Library
40 E. Anapamu St.
(805) 564-5601
Mon - Thurs, 10am - 8pm
Fri, Sat, 10am - 5:30pm; Sun, 1 - 5pm


Community Environmental Council
26 W. Anapamu St, 2nd Floor
Mon - Fri, 9am - 6pm

Santa at La Cumbre Plaza
La Cumbre Plaza
Come see Santa strolling through the Plaza!
Date: Every Su (Dec 6-Dec 20) from 3:00pm to 5:00pm
Ages: All ages Admission Fees: Free

Don't miss Santa! He will be strolling through La Cumbre Plaza from 3-5pm checking to see who has been naughty or nice......

Whole Foods Holiday Tasting
Whole Foods Market
Don't forget that camera!
Date: 12/13/2009 from 12:00pm to 3:00pm
Admission Fees: Free

'Tis the Season for our 2009 Holiday Tasting! Stop by the store to taste free samples of everything delicious and made fresh from our kitchen. Bring your camera for a photo with St. Nick.

The Night Before Christmas
Montecito School of Ballet
An enchanting holiday ballet for the whole family!
Date: 12/13/2009 from 2:00pm to 4:00pm
Ages: all Admission Fees: $16 children; $20 students/seniors; $24 adults

The eighteenth annual performance of the Montecito School of Ballet's original production of "The Night Before Christmas" and "Les Patineurs" (The Skaters) will delight the entire family!

 

The ballet "The Night Before Christmas" is based on the famous poem by Clement Moore, with live narration by Stephen Sherrill. A sumptuous Victorian party scene opens the ballet, and after the guests leave, the family settles down "for a long winter's nap". Sugarplums dance, toys come to life during the night, and we even see a visit from eight tiny reindeer and their driver, jolly St.Nick.

 

"Les Patineurs" is inspired by the famous ballet choreographed by Frederick Ashton for the Royal Ballet of England, and portrays the strength, grace and humor of skaters on the ice. The ballet is choreographed by Carla Moseley and Delila Moseley to music by Meyerbeer. Guest dancers include professional dancer Blake Hennessy-York visiting from the Bay Area, Thomas McDonnell of the Santa Barbara Dance Theatre, and Erica Walker, Victor Mendoza, Mathieu Forget from UCSB.

Passport to Santa Barbara County
Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum
Elementary students and adults can visit us free with their Passport!
Date: Every day (Nov 15-Apr 15) from 9:00am to 5:00pm
Admission Fees: Free

Children in kindergarten to sixth grade are invited to the Contemporary Art Forum (CAF) with an accompanying adult free of admission when they present a Passport to Santa Barbara County booklet. Collect a stamp in your passport booklet and experience the art of our time through a variety of art activities, as part of the Santa Barbara Educators Roundtable (SBERT) Passport to Santa Barbara County program. Children who collect eight stamps will receive a free T-shirt. Passport booklets with a list of participating institutions are available through Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, Goleta, and Santa Ynez Valley elementary schools, at participating institutions, and from the Santa Barbara Public Libraries.

The Nutcracker at the Arlington
Santa Barbara Festival Ballet
Tchaikovsky's classic ballet with live full symphony orchestra conducted by Elise Unrub.
Date: Every day (Dec 12-Dec 13)
Admission Fees: $20-$42

Join us December 12th at 2:30pm or 7:00pm, December 13th at 2:30pm.

 

Santa Barbara Festival Ballet presents "The Nutcracker at the Arlington" supported by a Live, Full Symphony Orchestra! Enchanting audiences for 35 years with this classic ballet, SBFB brings magic to the stage as the story of 'Clara and her Nutcracker' unfolds. The performances feature all the surprises of the traditional Nutcracker with giant mice doing battle with toy soldiers, dancing snowflakes, waltzing flowers, and of course a journey to Sugar The Kingdom of Sweets - all danced by a cast of 100 performers. Guest Artists Ashley Ivory and Scott Pascal of Company C Contemporary Ballet dance the roles of Sugar Plum Fairy and Sugar Plum Prince.

 

Contact Arlington Box Office 963-4408 or TicketMaster.com. Group Ticket Sales Available. Call 682-2132. A Santa Barbara Holiday Tradition!

Farmers Market
SB Certified Farmers Market Association
Date: Every Su, Tues, Wed, Th, Fri and Sa (Jan 1-Dec 31)

Special Instructions: Times vary -- see website for details.

Santa Barbara Certified Farmers Market Association - Each week the farmers in the marketplace display a colorful bounty of agricultural products grown right in our backyard. Seasonal diversity will be available year round rain or shine. Music and entertainment enlivens the markets while creating a positive ambiance. Come. Shop. Socialize. Certified - the only way to buy. See the Event calendar for our hours. Find us between Carpinteria and Solvang.

 

Schedule:

• Tues - Old Town Santa Barbara- State St. 4-7:30pm in summer
• Wed - Solvang/Copenhagen Dr. 2:30-6:30pm in summer
• Wed - Harding School, 1625 Robbins St 3-6:30pm
• Thurs -  Goleta- Camino Real Marketplace 3-6:30pm
• Thurs - Carpinteria/Linden Ave. 3-6:30pm in summer
• Fri - Montecito- Coast Village  8-11:15am
• Sat - Downtown SB- Corner of SB & Cota St. 8:30am-1pm
• Sun - Goleta- Camino Real Marketplace 10am-2pm

"The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" at PCPA
PCPA Theaterfest
Family Musical for the Holidays
Date: Every Su, Fri and Sa (Nov 5-Dec 23)
Admission Fees: prices vary from $13-$30 per ticket
Special Instructions: See website for dates and times

Narnia returns to the stage
This musical saga of enchantment and mystery brings us through the wardrobe into C.S. Lewis' Narnia, a land of deep magic in which the Pevensie children face the fearsome White Witch and embrace the great heart of Aslan. Join Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy as their adventures transform Narnia from a winter where it's never Christmas to a springtime realm in which they sit as Kings and Queens.  See website for full schedule since days of the week vary.

Santa Barbara Birth Center Fundraising Celebration
SB Yoga Center
COME CELEBRATE & PARTICIPATE IN THE BIRTH OF THE SANTA BARBARA BIRTH CENTER!
Date: 12/13/2009 from 3:00pm to 5:00pm
Ages: all Admission Fees: none

FUNDRAISING CELEBRATION
* Enjoy live music & great food
* Connect with the community
* Play a part in bringing Santa Barbara's 1st free-standing birth center into being
CULINARY DELIGHTS
LIVE MUSIC by the incomparable Cory Sipper

The Santa Barbara Birth Center will be a freestanding, non-profit birth center offering complete midwifery care to all women with low-risk pregnancies, regardless of their ability to pay, who seek a safe alternative to a hospital birth. Our emphasis is on protecting the sanctity of the birth process and the first hours of life with gentle birth practices and supported family bonding, in a comfortable, relaxed, home-like setting close to the hospital. This is our dream - we need your help to make it a reality. Visit our fundraiser and make a positive contribution to the community!

Parade of Lights
City of Santa Barbara
Annual boat parade with fireworks after and Santa's Village before!
Date: 12/13/2009 from 3:00pm to 7:30pm
Admission Fees: FREE

2009 Parade Theme is "Underwater Wonderland"

• Santa's Village  3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Bring the whole family to Santa's Village on the City Pier in the Harbor between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Mr. & Mrs. Claus and friends will be there. So, bring along your cameras. Remember to dress warm. We're bringing in 12 tons of snow, barbershop carolers and much more. Get in the spirit! There will be a Holiday "sing-a-along" at 4 p.m. by "Centerpiece." Holiday song sheets will be provided, just bring along your voice.
• Stearns Wharf Tree Lighting Ceremony  5:30 p.m. A new tradition continues with a 30-foot tree lighting ceremony that will help brighten up the season. Join us at 5:30 p.m. on the shoreward finger of Stearns Wharf, near the Ty Warner Sea Center to witness a magnificent sight. The tree ceremony is sponsored by the Stearns Wharf Business Merchants Association.
• Boat Parade  5:30 to 7:15 p.m. About 35-50 boats are expected to parade the Santa Barbara coastline between East Beach and the Santa Barbara Yacht Club to compete in five judging categories for prizes, trophies and bragging rights. This year's VIP judges include Councilmember Iya Falcone, Harbor Commissioner Bill Spicer, SB Yacht Club Commodore Homer Smith, and Author & Columnist Starshine Roshell. On Stearns Wharf, VIP judges will tally their sheets and rate the boats based on 1) best theme use, 2) effective use of lights and 3) impact. For your best viewing pleasure, arrive early for a spot on the Santa Barbara Breakwater, at Stearns Wharf, or along Cabrillo Boulevard.
• Fireworks Following Parade  A short fireworks display will immediately follow the boat parade. Pet owners are encouraged to leave their pets at home.

Holiday Gingerbread House
Olsen's Danish Bakery
Date: Every day (Nov 20-Dec 31)

Bent Olsen creates the impressive 8' x 11' x 10' tall gingerbread house using 250 lbs. of gingerbread dough, 150 lbs. of powdered sugar, and 3 gallons of egg whites. Come by and enjoy the delightful sight and smell of this unique creation!

Holiday at the Ranch
Goleta Valley Historical Society
Holiday fun at Rancho La Patera & Stow House
Date: Every day (Dec 12-Dec 13) from 11:00am to 4:00pm
Ages: All ages Admission Fees: $2 for children, $5 for adults

Our signature holiday open house. Photo opportunities abound with Santa Claus, tours of the beautifully decorated Stow House, crafts and cookie-baking for the kids, holiday hay rides, and live music.

Candy Cane Train
South Coast Railroad Museum
17th Annual Candy Cane Train runs each afternoon!
Date: Every day (Nov 27-Dec 24) from 1:00pm to 4:00pm
Admission Fees: $3.50, additional rides $1.50 each
Special Instructions: All miniature-train riders must meet the 34-inch minimum-height requirement.

The 17th Annual "Candy Cane Train," a popular year-end event at the South Coast Railroad Museum, will open Friday, Nov. 27 and continue through Tuesday, Dec. 24. The event runs daily during this period, except for Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, 7, 8, 14, and 15, when the museum will be closed.

 

Hours for the event are 1 to 4 p.m. each day. In order to take part in all Candy Cane Train activities, event attendees are urged to arrive not later than 3:30 p.m. Event tickets are $3.50 (adult or child). Ticket-holders each receive a ride on the museum's festively-decorated miniature-train, a candy cane, and holiday favors, plus a coupon good for a future ride on the museum train. Additional Candy Cane train rides will be available for $1.50 each. All miniature-train riders must meet the 34-inch minimum-height requirement.

Tickets may be purchased at the museum during event hours. Admission to the railroad museum is by donation; a $1 donation is suggested for adult visitors. Candy Cane Train attendees will also be able to view the museum's festive holiday display, "Toy Trains and Teddy Bears!" which also opens Nov. 27. The display features objects from the museum's collections and keepsakes shared by members of the museum family.

Noble Tombs at Mawangdui: Art and Life in the Changsha Kingdom
SB Museum of Art
Wooden Figurines of Musicians, Western Han dynasty (206 BCE-9 CE). Wood and bamboo, 36 cm H. Excavated 1972, Han Tomb I, Mawan
Date: Every day (Sep 19-Dec 13) from 11:00am to 5:00pm
Ages: All Admission Fees: $9 adults, $6 seniors, students with ID and children ages 6-17. Free on Sunday
Special Instructions: Closed Monday. Open Tuesday-Sunday `11 am. to 5: pm.

Noble Tombs at Mawangdui: Art and Life in the Changsha Kingdom, China (3rd Century BCE - 1st Century CE)
September 19 - December 13, 2009

Originating from the Hunan Provincial Museum, this exhibition travels to the United States for the first time and highlights one of the most important archaeological excavations in China-the unearthing of Mawangdui, the tombs of the prime minister of the Changsha Kingdom and his family in the Western Han dynasty (206 BCE - 8 CE). The Santa Barbara Museum of Art is the second and only west coast venue for this presentation which includes some of the finest and among the earliest lacquers, silks, bronzes, jade, paintings, calligraphy, and books.

Parade of Lights Viewing Celebration
Ty Warner Sea Center
View the Parade of Lights from the Sea Center!
Date: 12/13/2009 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm
Ages: All Ages Admission Fees: $5

Celebrate the holiday season by watching the 24th Annual Parade of Lights at the Sea Center. Watch more than 35 decorated yachts, fishing vessels, and pleasure boats of all sizes parade around Stearns Wharf. Bring the entire family for this unique holiday experience.

Holiday Resources...
SBParent.com Tips
Check out our holiday tips and calendar for trees, gift ideas, events, church services and more!
Date: Every day (Dec 1-Dec 25)

Special Instructions: Don't miss out on anything this holiday season!

Click for Holiday Tips:

• Christmas Trees... Big Wave Dave  , Boy Scouts Troop 105 , The Home Depot
  
• Santa Claus... at Pacific View Mall, Camino Real Marketplace, La Cumbre Plaza & Paseo Nuevo
  
• List of 2009 Holiday Events
  
• Winter CAMP DIRECTORY  OR  CAMP CALENDAR
• List of Gift Ideas
• List of Activities & Traditions
• Calendar of Church Services

The Christmas Revels: In Celebration of the Winter Solstice
Santa Barbara Revels
Be transported to medieval England to be entertained by the tale of The King and The Fool.
Date: Every day (Dec 11-Dec 13)
Admission Fees: Tickets range from $12 to $35.

Friday, December 11 and Saturday, December 12 at 7:30 p.m. and

Sunday, December 13 at 3 p.m. at the Marjorie Luke Theatre.

 

Santa Barbara Revels' annual celebration of the Winter Solstice transports us to medieval England, engaging us in the engrossing tale of The King and the Fool. On the shortest day of the year, the King of the realm battles the Dark Knight to retain his throne for another year. In a contest of wits, words and weapons, help comes from a surprising source as the Fool enters the fray and saves the day.

Our cast of more than 60 revelers, young and old, will delight and entertain by enacting the mummers' play St. George and the Dragon, crowning the Lord of Misrule, leading a zany version of The Twelve Days of Christmas and inviting everyone to sing and dance together. Starring Ken Ryals as the King and Ed Lee as the Fool, our show features the Solstice Singers, the Yuletide Children's Chorus, the Revels' Morris Men, the Pacific Sword Ensemble, the Coastal Brass Quintet, and the James Michael Consort, plus select instrumental and vocal soloists.

 

To purchase tickets, visit the Lobero website or call (805) 963-0761 .