Santa Barbara Events

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Santa Barbara is full of fun festivities for you to enjoy during your stay at a Santa Barbara Vacation Rentals property. It’s known for some of its signature events like Santa Barbara Old Spanish Days and Summer Solstice, which bring in hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world. Every time of year there are exciting, cultural, environmental and culinary events that will be fun for everyone in your family! Here’s a list of some of Santa Barbara’s annual events, which are all worth planning your vacation around.

Santa Barbara First Thursday

Art Crawl on 1st Thursday

Every month on the 1st Thursday
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Location: Del La Guerra and Anacapa Streets, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

The Art Crawl gets a bunch of art lovers together to enjoy the local art scene. The Art Crawl draws a crowd of locals, collectors and visitors. Take your family out of their vacation rental and down to the Art Crawl for some fun!

Santa Barbara Film Festival

Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival

January 31 – February 3
Time: Various Times
Location: The Arlington, The Lobero, Metro 4, Santa Barbara Museum of Art and More!

Given its knack for predicting Academy Award® winners, a proximal distance to Los Angeles and timing close to the big event, this year the Santa Barbara International Film Festival will once again establish itself as the preeminent Oscar® film festival. Plan your vacation around this Santa Barbara event and stay at one of our vacation rentals close by!

Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival

Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival

April 20 – April 21
Time: Sat. 11 a.m. -7 p.m. and Sun. 11 a.m. -6 p.m.
Location: Alameda Park; 1400 Santa Barbara Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Spend your vacation at the largest Earth Day celebration in California, which strives to keep our waste to a minimum. This Santa Barbara event features over 200 exhibitors, two days full of music, demonstrations, lectures, education, food and beverage vendors and so much more!

Santa Barbara Vintners' Festival

Santa Barbara County Vintners’ Festival

April 20 – April 22
Time: TBA
Location: Various

Santa Barbara County Vintners’ Festival attracts vacationers and wine lovers for an opportunity network with vintners, wine tasting, food and music. It’s the perfect event to attend while staying in or visiting Santa Barbara.

I Madonnari Street Painting Festival

I Madonnari Street Painting Festival

May 25 – May 27
Time: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Daily
Location: Old Mission Santa Barbara

Every year on Memorial Day weekend the Old Mission Santa Barbara is transformed with more than 200 colorful, large-scale chalk drawings created by more than 400 artists. Plan your next family vacation around the Santa Barbara I Madonnari festival!

Summer Solstice Parade & Festival

Summer Solstice Parade and Festival

June 21 – June 23
Time: 4-8 p.m. on Fri., 12-8 p.m. on Sat., 12-6 p.m. on Sun., Parade at 1 p.m.
Location: Downtown Santa Barbara and Alameda Park

The Summer Solstice parade is the largest arts event in Santa Barbara and draws more than 100,000 spectators. One thousand parade participants build extravagant floats, whimsical costumes and dance along State Street in choreographed ensembles. Festivities continue all weekend in the park with food, music and vendors of all kinds! It’s the perfect summer event for Santa Barbara vacationers staying at one of our rentals close by!

4th of July Parade

Annual 4th of July Parade

July 4
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Downtown Santa Barbara

Spend your 4th of July at one of Santa Barbara Vacation Rentals’ properties and see the parade, which begins at 1 p.m. at Micheltorena Street down State Street to Old Town Santa Barbara, concluding at Cota Street. Come watch the festivities with the whole family.

Santa Barbara French Festival

Annual Santa Barbara French Festival

July 13 – July 14
Times: 11 a.m. -7p.m.
Location: Oak Park; 300 W. Alamar, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Over 20,000 happy people are French for the weekend in Santa Barbara. The French Festival is outdoors under the sun in Santa Barbara’s beautiful Oak Park. Shop the vendors, dine French cuisine and enjoy!

Pacific Pride Festival

Pacific Pride Festival

July 13
Time: 11 a.m. -7 p.m.
Location: Leadbetter Beach; Shoreline Dr. and Loma Alta Dr., Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Santa Barbara’s LGBTQ Celebration is all day entertainment, food, vendors and more!

California Wine Festival

California Wine Festival

July 18 – July 20
Time: Events and times are vary
Location: Chase Palm Park; 236 E. Cabrillo Blvd., Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Experience the quintessential California wine tasting vacation at this 3-day event in Santa Barbara and enjoy hundreds of California’s finest vintage wines, delicious gourmet foods and lively music.

Santa Barbara Greek Festival

Santa Barbara Greek Festival

July 27 – July 28
Time: 11 a.m. -7p.m.
Location: Oak Park; 300 W. Alamar, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

The annual festival evokes the sights, sounds and tastes that define the traditional Greek way of life in Santa Barbara. Take a stroll through Santa Barbara’s beautiful Oak Park, and experience the simple pleasures of life in a Greek village. Stay at one of our vacation rentals and spend the weekend at the Greek Festival!

Old Spanish Days - Santa Barbara Fiesta

Old Spanish Days

August 1 – August 4
Time: Various event times and dates
Location: Downtown Santa Barbara – Several Locations

Santa Barbara is transformed into a colorful spectacle of Spanish heritage. Book your Santa Barbara vacation rental during Old Spanish Days for fun for the whole family! Events during the 4-day party include dance, music, cultural presentations, a parade, a rodeo, food, arts and crafts and more!

California Lemon Festival

Annual California Lemon Festival and Car Show

September 28 – September 29
Time: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sat. (Car show only on Sat.), 10 a.m.-5p.m. on Sun.
Location: Girsh Park; 7050 Phelps Rd., Goleta, CA 93117

You’ll find wonderful food, a fantastic family atmosphere, and variety of entertainment and activities that have made this the most anticipated event in the Goleta Valley. Book your vacation rental for September now and don’t miss the pie-eating contests, and the arts and crafts vendors.

Santa Barbara Harbor and Seafood Festival

Annual Santa Barbara Harbor & Seafood Festival

October 12
Time: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Location: Santa Barbara Harbor

Santa Barbara’s Harbor & Seafood Festival coincides with lobster season and features local commercial fishermen offering the Santa Barbara Channel’s freshest seafood. Book your beach rental today and walk over to the harbor for this exciting Santa Barbara festival. Enjoy interactive maritime education, children’s activities, boat rides, live music, and more.