Family DayToday’s pick
Children's Fiesta Parade | Cabrillo Boulevard
Children's Fiesta Parade on Cabrillo Boulevard. Floats, music, and kids running alongside.
Saturday, August 8 · Golden hour
☀️ 87°
Everything worth doing in Santa Barbara, in one place.
Scattered across a dozen sites, gathered here and curated by someone who knows the town. Find it, save it, make a plan.
71 things
71 things found
Happening Today
Plenty on today.
Family Day
ArtsSanta Barbara Arts & Crafts Show | Cabrillo Boulevard
Santa Barbara Arts and Crafts Show on Cabrillo Boulevard. Vendors, handmade things, morning light.
ArtsSanta Barbara Printmakers Presents: Introduction to Relief Printmaking with "Flexicut"
Learn relief printmaking with Flexicut blocks. Morning workshop.
SoloTeen Volunteer Time
Teen Volunteer Time. Show up and give a morning to the community.
Family DayRecreation Swim | Oak Park Wading Pool
Recreation swim at Oak Park Wading Pool. Afternoon water and simple relief.
SoloTutor Training for New Adult Literacy Volunteers
Tutor Training for Adult Literacy Volunteers. Library, afternoon.
Wine & FoodKoehler Winery's Dogs on the Lawn
Dogs on the Lawn at Koehler Winery. Wine and someone's excellent pup.
Catch a Show29th Santa Barbara Mariachi Festival
The 29th Santa Barbara Mariachi Festival. Evening at the Bowl.
Nightlife
Live Music: Buena Onda 6-9 pm / Food Truck: Wrapped
Buena Onda plays live. Wrapped food truck on the patio. Island Brewing on an evening.
ArtsAcademy Festival Orchestra: Mozart & Rachmaninoff
Mozart and Rachmaninoff from the Academy Festival Orchestra. Late evening, full sound.
Catch a ShowSummer Dance Fest 2026
Summer dance festival at Paseo Nuevo. Downtown, evening programming.
NightlifeME Sabor Presents: Salsa Night
ME Sabor Presents: Salsa Night.
Build your dayTell us the shape, we’ll draft it, you tweak it.
OutdoorsSanta Barbara Saturday Farmers Market
Farmers market downtown, Saturday mornings. Produce, flowers, and all the reasons to wake early.
NightlifeLive Music at Lama Dog
Funk Zone spot with live music most nights. Local, low-key, always worth stopping by.
Family DayArroyo Hondo Preserve, Docent-Led Guided Hike
Free docent-led hike through Arroyo Hondo: rolling land, real expertise, no entry fee.
Wine & FoodLive Music, Figueroa Mountain Brewing
Live music at Figueroa Mountain Brewing. Free, whenever you drop by.
Date NightPublic Skate, Ice in Paradise (Saturday PM)
Saturday afternoon ice skating at Ice in Paradise: casual, reliable, no pretense.
Family DayCaptain Fatty's Brewery
A warm, family-run Goleta brewery with standout beers, weekend wood-fired pizza, arcade games, and frequent live music and trivia.
Wine & FoodPali Wine Co.
Pali Wine Co. in the Funk Zone. Wine and people, done simply.
ArtsSanta Barbara County Courthouse
County Courthouse. Spanish Colonial dome and the stairs everyone photographs.
SoloLa Arcada Courtyard
La Arcada Courtyard. A Spanish courtyard off State with fountains, bronze figures, and small shops.
Family DaySanta Barbara Public Market
Santa Barbara Public Market downtown. Vendors, food, things to find on a morning or afternoon.
Wine & FoodFox Wine Co.
A Funk Zone wine tasting room inside the shared Waterline space.
Family DayEast Beach
East Beach stretches for miles. Volleyball, sand, water, and the usual cast of locals.
SoloCaje
Caje on State. A to-go coffee in the fountain courtyard across from the Arlington.
SoloChaucer's Books
Chaucer's Books on upper State. Spend an hour losing yourself in the stacks.
Wine & FoodBrass Bear Funk Zone
A Funk Zone brewpub and beer garden with a large patio.
Family DayStearns Wharf
Stearns Wharf. Pier, pelicans, salt air, the ocean at your feet.
Family DayGoleta Beach Park
A calm, family-friendly county beach with a long fishing pier, grassy picnic lawns, and mountain-and-ocean views, quieter than the city beaches.
Family DayLeadbetter Beach
Leadbetter Beach for swimming, walking, or sunset. Anytime works.
Wine & FoodIsland Brewing Company
Island Brewing Company in Carpinteria. Afternoon or evening craft beer.
OutdoorsLizard's Mouth
A sandstone playground high on West Camino Cielo, full of caves, boulders, and grippy rock formations with panoramic views over Goleta and the islands.
Wine & FoodDraughtsmen Aleworks
A down-to-earth Goleta brewery with excellent draft and non-alcoholic options, a heated patio, food trucks, and a packed weekly events calendar.
ArtsParadise Found
Paradise Found for vintage and eclectic treasures downtown. Morning or afternoon browsing.
Wine & FoodPalihouse
Palihouse. A boutique hotel courtyard for a craft cocktail under string lights and pink umbrellas.
Wine & Food
Lucky Penny
Lucky Penny in the Funk Zone, casual and low-key, good for an afternoon or early evening.
Wine & Food
Topa Topa Brewing Co.
Brewery in the Funk Zone. A place to settle in for an afternoon or evening.
Family DayOld Town Coffee
Old Town Coffee in Goleta. Local spot, good coffee, people watching.
Date NightPaloma
Paloma. Wood-fired Californio cooking on the corner of Ortega, under the old neon dove.
OutdoorsInspiration Point
Inspiration Point overlooks the valley and coast. Morning hike with views.
Date NightButterfly Beach
Butterfly Beach in Montecito. Quiet cove with views of the Channel Islands.
SoloThe Book Den
The Book Den on Anapamu. Deep inventory, the kind of place that rewards poking around.
Family DayThe Stow House
An 1872 Victorian farmhouse on a leafy Goleta estate, with period rooms, an arboretum, and the railroad depot museum next door.
Date NightHarry's Plaza Cafe
A timeless Loreto Plaza institution on upper State, red-leather booths, old Santa Barbara photos, hearty American fare, and famously generous cocktails.
SoloLighthouse Coffee (Mesa)
A bright, modern Mesa coffee shop with in-house roasting, generous seating, and a cozy patio.
Date NightShoreline Park
Shoreline Park has bluff views and grass. Bring a blanket and time.
Wine & FoodValidation Ale
A clever, family-friendly Funk Zone brewery.
Family DayMOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation
MOXI is where ideas become hands-on exploration. A morning or afternoon visit.
Date NightBoathouse at Hendry's Beach
Casual spot on the mesa with a view and the mood for an afternoon or evening.
Family DayArroyo Burro Beach (Hendry's)
Arroyo Burro Beach. Sand, coves, and easy going. A local favorite.
ArtsEl Presidio de Santa Barbara
El Presidio de Santa Barbara. The 1782 Spanish fort where the city began, restored adobe by adobe.
Date NightLoquita
A lively Spanish restaurant near the waterfront.
Wine & Food
Santa Barbara Wine Collective
Santa Barbara Wine Collective in the Funk Zone. Wine by the glass and the bottle.
Wine & FoodThird Window Brewing Carpinteria
Third Window Brewing in Carpinteria. Local craft beer by the glass.
Wine & Food
Helena Avenue Bakery
Helena Avenue Bakery in the Funk Zone. Morning or afternoon coffee and pastry.
Family DayElings Park
Elings Park. Trails, views, and room to move.
Catch a ShowThe Arlington Theatre
The Arlington Theatre. A Moorish movie palace with a tiled courtyard, worth a peek even dark.
Family DayLos Altos Restaurant
Los Altos Restaurant in Goleta. Afternoon or evening Mexican food.
Family DaySanta Barbara Botanic Garden
Gardens, families, and morning or afternoon light. Bring the kids and let them run before the sun drops.
Wine & FoodM Special Brewing Company
M Special Brewing Company in Goleta. Local brewery, afternoon or evening.
Wine & Food
Riverbench Santa Barbara Tasting Room
A quaint Funk Zone tasting room for estate Santa Maria Valley wines.
Date NightCorks n' Crowns
Wine bar on Anacapa in the Funk Zone. The kind of place that feels like a find.
Wine & FoodFigueroa Mountain Brewing Co. (Santa Barbara)
A Santa Ynez Valley brewery’s Funk Zone taproom with indoor and patio seating.
ArtsSanta Barbara Museum of Natural History
Natural history, dioramas, and wonder in Mission Canyon year-round.
ArtsChumash Painted Cave State Historic Park
Chumash Painted Cave is the real thing: actual history painted on the rock, morning or afternoon light.
Date NightLure Fish House
Lure Fish House on upper State. Seafood, thoughtful, the kind of place locals know about.
Family DayMesa Cafe & Bar
Mesa Cafe & Bar sits on the cliff with light and the Channel Islands in view.
Date NightThe Lark
The Lark is where to sit down for dinner with intention. Funk Zone, evening, real cooking.
Family DayOld Mission Santa Barbara
The original Spanish mission in its stone-walled glory. Quiet and old in the best way.
NightlifeTest Pilot
A tropical cocktail bar a block from the waterfront.
ArtsSanta Barbara Museum of Art
Santa Barbara Museum of Art downtown. Paintings, sculpture, the usual good stuff.