Summer Fun in Santa Barbara! Downtown Art and Wine Tour

Santa Barbara Downtown Art and Wine Tour

Everyone knows that summer is everyone's favorite season, and in Santa Barbara summer seems to last all year. But come the month of May, a shift can be felt in our fresh coastal air and there is a distinctive feeling that summer fun is about to be kicked into high gear. Summer events seem to happen weekly in Santa Barbara from cultural celebrations such as the Solstice Festival and the Old Spanish Days to beer tasting at the Santa Barbara Zoo's ZooBrew! event and everything in between, there is no shortage of opportunities for casual family fun and upscale socializing.

The long weekend kicks off this Thursday with the annual Downtown Art and Wine Tour. The self-guided tour, which begins at 5:30, invites participants to meander through retailers, galleries and restaurants experiencing the works of local artists, vintners and chefs, on their way to the tour's Final Party at the Santa Barbara Club. Feasting on hors d'oeuvres and sipping wine or beer, party goers will eat, drink and dance the night away in celebration of all that Santa Barbara's Downtown District has to offer.

Tickets are $75 each and can be purchased online, at the Downtown Organization office or at the box office of the Arlington Theater.

Arlington Theatre Box Office 1317 State Street Monday – Saturday: 10am-6pm, Sunday: 10am-4pm (805) 963-4408 (credit card or cash + $2.50 surcharge per ticket)

Downtown Santa Barbara Office 27-B East de la Guerra Street Monday – Friday: 9am-4pm (cash, check, Visa and Master Card)

What's Happening in Santa Barbara?

It's nearly impossible to decide on the best aspect of living in the Santa Barbara area. Ideal weather with year round sun and temperate temperatures, a culinary wonderland of fresh, inventive flavors paired with the region's award winning wines, vast sandy beaches nestled against the Santa Ynez Mountain's hiking trails or the numerous cultural community events which throughout the year bring visitors and locals alike into the streets to celebrate Santa Barbara's rich history and modern lifestyle. Fortunately, being a resident of this fantastic locale allows for the enjoyment of each of these pleasures and the countless others waiting to be discovered.

This month, our town is bustling with excitement as the Santa Barbara International Film Festival approaches! The world renowned festival brings hollywood heavyweights up from LA to a warm welcome of Santa Barbara-style events. Take a look at a sampling of this month's events and get in on the action. (Note: when planning your attendances, please note that the average temperature in Santa Barbara during the month of January is 64 degrees and this week's forecast puts our temperatures in the high 70's all week. Just saying.)

January 16th: Meet the Masters, Miro Restaurant - Bacara Resort. Enjoy an intimate dining experience that offers culinary enthusiasts the rare opportunity to dine with Master Sommeliers from across the globe who share a proven mastery in the art and science of wine and spirit pairing.

January 19th-26th: Santa Ynez Valley Restaurant Week. Restaurants throughout the Santa Ynez Valley are offering special 3-course tasting menus for the price of $20.14

January 21st: New Year Modern with the Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra. Celebrate the beginning of 2014 with SBCO at New Year Modern and dive into the world of modern music! This concert features contemporary works of the 20th century and Appalachian Spring performed as a ballet.

January 30th-February 9th: Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF), announces its highly-anticipated line-up for 2014. The 29th edition offers a vast array of films representing 60 countries and a rich selection of films sure to delight audiences from all reaches of the globe. SBIFF is proud to welcome many promising and established filmmakers, as well as honorees to join in its grand tradition of celebrating independent film.

January 30th-February 9th: Film Feast. Libations, cuisine, APPETITE! The original lights of Hollywood are shining brighter than ever, as Santa Barbara goes to the movies for a performance your taste buds will never forget. For eleven straight days, Film Feast 2014 is your invitation to explore the best plates and pours throughout Santa Barbara's many theatre districts during the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. If something is made here, it's just a little more special, more flavorful, more memorable. This is where the greatest things come together. Ocean meets mountains. Sunny meets year-round. The good life meets the great life. This isn’t the end but actually just the beginning. Take a walk down the red carpet to savor the flavors made in Santa Barbara during Film Feast 2014.

For further information on Santa Barbara's seemingly endless entertainment offerings, visit SantaBarbaraCa.com. Additionally, we invite you back each month the find out what's going on around town.

Hitchcock in the Sunken Garden

The beautiful Sunken Garden at the Santa Barbara Court House

Here at Riskin Associates, we feel so lucky to live and work in the beautiful cities of Montecito and Santa Barbara. One of the many wonderful qualities of our lovely town is the community's regular efforts to come together for fun (and often free!) gatherings. Be it the daily local farmer's markets, the Sunday Art walk at Chase Palm Park or the Downtown Organization's First Thursday events, it seems there is always an opportunity to grab your friends and get outside to enjoy this incredible area. Although events take place year round, summer events seem to take place daily. Recently, The Santa Barbara Conference and Visitor's Bureau has released the schedule for this summer's Movies in the Sunken Garden event which takes place on weekend evenings at the beautiful Santa Barbara Court House's sunken garden in July and August. This year, legendary filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock will be featured, with an exciting Hitchcock film being played every week. Community members are invited to bring a blanket and a picnic and enjoy the sweet summer air and a fun film with friends. Entry to the garden is free, for more information on these and other fabulous Santa Barbara county events, visit the Visitors Bureau's Calendar of Events.