Because sea glass hunters scouring beaches for treasures too often encounter rubbish, Tidy Seas, organizer of local beach cleanups, has been selected the 2025 nonprofit partner for this year’s Santa Barbara Sea Glass and Ocean Arts Festival.
A portion of every ticket sold for the Sept. 13-14 event will fund Tidy Seas’ ongoing cleanup efforts in and around Santa Barbara. The Sea Glass festival will be held at Santa Barbara Elks Lodge No. 613, 150 N. Kellogg Ave.
“The sea glass community covers a lot of miles on our coastline,” said Karen Clark, festival art director. “We see the beauty and the litter, and we often bring two bags, one for treasures and one for trash.
“Tidy Seas does a great job both raising awareness and inspiring action to keep our beaches and ocean clean for the next generation.”
“We believe that every piece of trash removed is a step toward a healthier planet. But we don’t just clean up beaches — we educate, inspire, and empower people to change behaviors and prevent pollution at the source,” Tidy Seas said.
Learn more at https://www.tidyseas.org.
The Sea Glass Festival is held
Festival hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday with Early Bird tickets available for 9 a.m Saturday entry and first pass at the festival.
Tickets to the Santa Barbara Sea Glass and Ocean Arts Festival are available online for single or multi-day passes, $7 or $12. Visit here. Early bird tickets are $15 offering entry at 9 a.m. Saturday.
Festival attendees will find hand-crafted jewelry and visual art for sale; can participate in creative workshops on ocean arts and crafts; and have chances to win prizes at the juried contest for best sea glass.
● Treasure contest — Bring your best piece of seaglass for a juried competition on Sunday, Sept. 14.
● Arts workshops— Hands-on workshops in wire wrapping, sea glass-charm bracelets, tiara head bands, sea glass mobiles, beach strands, and Boho wall hangings will be available in six sessions over the weekend.
● Knowledge sharing — Speakers Mary Beth Beuke, Jo Fry, and Sage Harmon will share their knowledge and help attendees identify treasured finds.
● Shop — The handcrafted marketplace will have 50 curated vendors.
● New merchandise — Artist Andrew Rodriguez has created a special edition T-shirt and prints of original art inspired by the Santa Barbara Sea Glass and Ocean Arts Festival.
Admission is $7 for adults, free for those under age 12, for one day. Two-day passes are $12. For more details or for presale tickets, visit https://www.santabarbaraseaglassandoceanartsfestival.com/.
Santa Barbara nonprofit Tidy Seas is made up of volunteers, students, families, businesses, and ocean lovers.