Visit downtown Santa Barbara for 1st Thursday, an evening filled with free art, culture, music and fun! The Feb. 7 event will include more than 35 cultural art venues eager to show off new exhibits, artist receptions, demonstrations and live music.
The season of love is upon is. Enjoy a romantic evening that highlights the love for art, music and fun.
Begin your dreamy evening at Divine Inspiration Art Gallery for a group show, “Mixed Bouquet,” which features fresh and colorful works by Carrie Given, Laurel Mines and Mike Rider. Follow your sweetheart to Santa Barbara Arts and find another reason to fall in love with Santa Barbara. Neal Graffy reveals an earlier Santa Barbara of many different designs and uses in his book, Then and Now.
Find the perfect Valentine’s Day gift at Encanto, which has a special jewelry trunk show called Ooo La La. Looking for something sparkly for that someone special? Gauthier Jewelers has a phenomenal collection of jewels that are sure to be a girl’s best friend.
Continue to Plum Goods, which is proud to feature new works alongside a great assortment of gifts and goodies. Let the warm fuzzies surround you at Casa Magazine as you enter the romantic zone of February with local artists who explore color and curves to reveal a perspective on the color red.
Do you have a passion for history? Visit El Presidio State Historic Park for “Presidio Pastimes by Candlelight.” Experience the Presidio as you might have more than two centuries ago as you will hear the comandante converse with officials, see a visiting padre write his memoirs, listen to a soldado as he plays his guitar and experience the music and dances of early California.
End your night of romance at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum to view an exhibit by Carl Oscar Borg as he reflects his passion for the American West and Southwest in his work.
While 1st Thursday offers extraordinary exhibits and paintings indoors, be sure to check out the demonstrations, performance art and live music outdoors. BanjerDan, Dan Mazer will perform on the corner of State and Anampau streets. Mazer is a banjo player/multi-instrumental performer whose style is an American mix, rooted in straight-ahead bluegrass and branching into folk, country, blues and oldies.
Make your way to 900 State Street to hear the lovely sounds of Naked Voices, who are UCSB’s first coed a cappella group and Santa Barbara’s favorite singing sensation. A must see is the dance group Sahaja, who will perform in the Paseo Nuevo Center Court from 5 to 7 p.m.
Stop by the American Heart Association Go Red Table in Paseo Nuevo for interactive, healthy and education resources to keep your heart healthy and to help fight the No. 1 killer of women, heart disease.
All of these attractions and many more are free during 1st Thursday on Feb. 7. With more than 35 stops on this month’s 1st Thursday map, there is sure to be something for everyone. Click here for more information and a complete listing of the specific programming offered at each gallery as well as all public performances and interactive exhibits.
— Kim Mercado is the marketing and event coordinator for the Santa Barbara Downtown Organization.