Let the games begin.

Santa Barbara’s iconic Game Seeker store is back, and seemingly better than ever.

The game store plans an official grand opening on Saturday, in a larger space and bursting with fun and entertainment.

Owner Ingrid Estrella lost her lease at 537 State St. in March, ending a 20-year run for the store. However, Estrella, like any good gamer, knew how to make a comeback.

She hustled and found a new space at 920 State St., near the Santa Barbara Film Center.

“This has been a long time in the making, and now that we are here it feels like we were always meant to be,” Estrella said. “It’s amazing. It’s great and spacious.”

The new space offers all of the classic board games, from Jenga and Cards Against Humanity to the Ring Hook and Wooden Hockey. It also offers an array of fun and intellectual games.

Estrella said her favorite game is Monikers, a charades-like game.

In the new year, she said she plans to set up a play area, where people can enjoy the games in store. Right now, she is getting settled for the holiday season.

“I feel grateful, like we get this new opportunity to create something really wonderful and longstanding for a new generation of game-players,” Estrella said, “and also some place where people have shopped for 20 years and recognize it.

“It’s a little bit of the nostalgia and the new combining into a new space to create new memories.”

The store’s hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., but Estrella said she will likely extend the hours as Christmas nears.

Santa Barbara Sales Tax Revenue Down

Sales tax revenue in Santa Barbara is down about 8.4% below budget for the quarter ending Sept. 30.

According to the City of Santa Barbara, revenue was projected at $8.1 million for the quarter, and it came in at $7.4 million.

Hotel bed tax revenue, however, is up. The city has collected $15.1 million for the fiscal year, which began in July; that’s about 2.5% above budget. About $13.3 million came from hotels and $1.8 million from short-term vacation rentals.

New Southwest Flight

Southwest Airlines plans to launch a once-a-day flight between Santa Barbara and San Diego, beginning Aug. 4.

It’s part of Southwest’s efforts to expand fights everywhere. The Santa Barbara flight will be the 44th to San Diego.

Visit Santa Barbara Hire

Visit Santa Barbara has a new chief strategy officer — Vanessa Bechtol.

“I am honored to join Visit Santa Barbara and contribute to an organization that prioritizes both the well-being of the community and the vitality of its visitor economy,” Bechtol said in a news release. “I look forward to advancing collaborative strategies that enhance organizational effectiveness and drive sustainable success for the destination and the region it serves.”

She will lead strategic initiatives to “enhance the Santa Barbara South Coast’s visitor experience and drive economic growth,” according to a news release.

Bechtol previously worked for eight years as the executive director of the Santa Cruz Valley Heritage Alliance, where she co-authored the first nomination for the City of Tucson to be designated as a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) City of Gastronomy, the first in the United States, according to a news release.