Celebrate the bounty of the Santa Barbara Channel and the fishermen who harvest it at the 15th Annual Santa Barbara Harbor & Seafood Festival on Saturday, October 15, 2016.
This free event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., luring seafood lovers to Santa Barbara Harbor for one of the community’s most popular events.
Timed to celebrate the opening of commercial lobster season, the festival showcases fresh, regional seafood in addition to live music, maritime education, free boat rides, children’s activities, dockside tours and more.
The Harbor & Seafood Festival offers locals and visitors alike an interactive day, reminding us all that Santa Barbara Harbor is a working harbor where more than 100 fishermen land 10 million pounds of seafood each year, bringing $30 million to the local economy and beyond.
So come enjoy the abundance of the Santa Barbara Channel, rich in sustainably harvested, high-quality seafood.
Meet fishermen face-to-face. Select fresh-caught lobster and sea urchin “uni” and have them prepared on the spot.
Visit specialty food booths for fish tacos, oysters, mussels, barbecued albacore, fresh crab, clam chowder and seafood paella.
This year, the Maritime Museum will feature Central Coast wines paired with seafood dishes prepared by local chefs as well as free seafood/wine pairing lectures and other maritime discussions.
Then, while Spencer the Gardner, Fish and the Seaweeds, and the David Segall Band play live on a main stage, visitors can peruse “old-timey” harbor photos, shop for arts & crafts or enjoy free harbor boat rides aboard the Double Dolphin and Azure Seas.
The Santa Barbara Harbor & Seafood Festival is presented by the City of Santa Barbara Waterfront Department, Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara, Inc. and the Santa Barbara Harbor Merchants’ Association.
Visit www.HarborFestival.org for more details.
— Dominique Samario is public information officer for the Santa Barbara Waterfront.