Downtown Santa Barbara (DSB) is ready to be the go-to place for all things holiday: shopping, dining, holiday happy hours, parties, strolling, décor, viewing of lights and holiday events.
“This is our busiest and most anticipated time of year,” said Kate Schwab, DSB marketing and communications director. “We’re looking forward to kids in costumes, music, celebrating our great small businesses and a parade to remember.”
Upcoming Events:
» Halloween Window Décor Contest: DSB judges are critiquing spooky Halloween windows, but community members can do their own judging until Oct. 31.
Keep a watch on Lovebird, 535 State St., where mannequins have been replaced with skeletons. Each day, the skeletons will sport new outfits and create a scene involving and promoting a local downtown Santa Barbara business.
“This idea appealed to us because we want to support downtown and do what we can to help revitalize State Street while having a good time,” said owner Jennifer Scarbrough. “We’ll keep it up through Nov. 3 – Day of the Dead.”
» Halloween Trick or Treat, 3-6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 31: Calling all super heroes, cowgirls, aliens, princesses — any kids in costumes. Bring your own treat bag and look for balloons and window signs for the downtown businesses handing out treats.
» 1st Thursday, 5-8 p.m. Nov. 1: November’s monthly art walk has myriad cultural options. For a list of venues and their offerings or to pick up a passport at various locations, visit https://www.downtownsb.org/events/1st-thursday/venues.
» Parade Prince & Fairy Art Contest Deadline, 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 7: Kids (ages 6-10) can enter a masterpiece for the honor of leading the Downtown Holiday Parade Download the official templatehere (or use any sheet of paper no larger than 11-by-17 inches), and the entry application.
Official sponsor Paseo Nuevo Shops & Restaurants will host an artistic evening of drawing, 5-8 p.m. Nov. 1 in Center Court. Winning entries will be announced Nov. 16.
» Small Business Saturday, sponsored by Montecito Bank & Trust, 10 am.-4 p.m. Nov. 24. Check out SBS Welcome Center at Historic Storke Placita, 700 State St., to find DSB booths with block-by-block information.
Try DSBingo, Downtown Trivia, Spin the Wheel to Win, and corn hole, and listen to festive Holiday Horns.
At 11 a.m., downtown restaurants will step outside to offer tastes of their fare for Sampling State. For more, go to https://www.downtownsb.org/events/small-business-saturday.
» Downtown Santa Barbara Annual Holiday Parade Presented by Consumer Fire Products Inc., 6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7. Santa Barbara Shines offers a fun evening with big balloons, marching bands, and grand marshals sponsored by Lemos Feed & Pet Supply — four heroic K9 dog teams of Santa Barbara County Search & Rescue.
The parade goes from Sola Street down State Street to Cota Street.
» Tuba Christmas, noon Saturday, Dec. 15: Get your oom-pah-pah on with this nearly 30-year-old brass tradition — the Christmas Brass/Trombone Christmas /TubaChristmas concert in Storke Placita.
Downtown Holiday Parade sponsors are: American Riviera Bank, Hotel Californian, Kimpton Canary Hotel, Lemos Feed & Pet Supply, Los Arroyos Mexican Restaurant & Take Out, Marborg Industries, Montecito Bank & Trust.
Paseo Nuevo Shops & Restaurants, Santa Barbara Beautiful, Santa Barbara Independent, Santa Barbara International Film Festival, The Eagle Inn, The Towbes Group, Union Bank, VOICE magazine, and Zoom Video Communications.
To learn about volunteering for the Holiday Parade, or participation in the Prince & Fairy contest, contact Lisa McCorkle, Holiday Parade producer, lisamccorkleflp@gmail.com, or April Lee, marketing/events coordinator at april@downtownsb.org.
— Kate Schwab for Downtown Santa Barbara.
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