Crowds came together on Saturday at Alameda Park for live music, climate-forward food and a celebration of sustainability: the 56th annual Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival.
Held this weekend, the Community Environmental Council’s two-day event highlights Santa Barbara’s long-standing role in the environmental movement, a legacy that traces back to the 1969 oil spill that helped turn Earth Day into a national movement.
Despite the overcast weather and spots of rain, festivalgoers on Saturday explored a range of attractions, including the Green Car Show — showcasing clean, low-emission vehicles and transportation tech — dozens of booths, and an eco marketplace with local vendors and nonprofits.
Santa Barbara resident Vanessa Rencher visited booths throughout the festival. She rated her favorite local parks and open spaces while engaging with exhibits focused on environmental protection.
The activity reflected a broader message shared across the event: the importance of preserving parks, forests and natural spaces, she said.
“It is important to take care of the space we live in,” she said. “We live on such an amazing planet. We need to be aware of that, and we have to protect it.”
The Santa Barbara Audubon Society set up at one of the festival’s booths. Santa Barbara resident and biologist Page Hiller-Adams, the organization’s education chair, said the organization’s mission is to protect birdlife and habitat while connecting people to nature through education, conservation and science.
At its core, she said, “Earth Day is about conservation.”
Hiller-Adams explained that Santa Barbara is a hotspot for bird biodiversity due to its diverse habitats, from coastal areas to mountain canyons. Birds, she said, “are key indicators of environmental health,” relying on insects and native plants that form the foundation of the ecosystem.
“Everything is connected,” she said, emphasizing that declines in bird populations often signal broader environmental issues.
She added that paying attention to birds — whether through observation or apps like Merlin — can help people feel more connected to the natural world.
“We need a healthy Earth for people to thrive,” Hiller-Adam said.
Ethan Maday, founder and president of 805 Action, a group that focuses on amplifying youth voices in environmental advocacy and pushing for stronger climate action, said, “Young people don’t like what’s happening, and we won’t settle for it.”
Maday added: “We deserve better, we demand better, and we’re going to get better for ourselves.”
Maday also called on local officials to continue prioritizing environmental protections, particularly efforts to stop oil production in Santa Barbara County.
San Marcos High School student and volunteer at a “Don’t Enable Sable” booth —protesting Sable Offshore Corp.’s decision to restart oil and gas production facilities — Isabella Peña, echoed Maday’s words.
Peña emphasized that the festival is not only a celebration, but also a call to action.
“People are standing up against injustices … and coming together to fight for a world that needs change,” Peña said. “The more people that come, it encourages others to show up and support the cause.”
Live performances are scheduled across two days, with a lineup of local and regional acts spanning genres from folk to rock.
Family-friendly programming will also be available in the Kids Corner, offering activities and performances throughout the weekend.
A festival highlight will be the Environmental Hero Awards ceremony on Sunday at noon on the main stage, where local leaders in sustainability and public service will be recognized.
Among this year’s honorees are Megan Birney Rudert, a clean energy advocate who works to expand solar access in underserved communities worldwide, and Assemblymember Gregg Hart, recognized for his work on coastal protection and environmental legislation.
On Sunday, the festival will be open 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. That schedule can be viewed here.