SBC Virtual El Niño Community Meeting
The meeting will take place on October 1, from 5:30–7 pm and provide an overview of the upcoming weather outlook, county preparations for the storm season, and important information about flooding, debris flows, road conditions, and other storm-related emergencies. It’s a helpful opportunity for residents to learn how the county is preparing and what steps we can take now to be ready for the season ahead. Spanish interpretation and multilingual closed captioning will be available.
411: https://tinyurl.com/SBC-ElNino-Meeting-26
Friday Night Movies at Montecito Country Mart
Free, and in the center courtyard, starting at 6 pm. Food and beverages to go.
Ecologist Dr. Rae at SBMNH
Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant will read You Belong in the Wild at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History’s Storytime on October 3, from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm, in the museum’s backyard area. Her connection with the museum grew after she was photographed there for the cover of the Summer 2026 issue of Montecito Journal Magazine, helping spark a relationship that now brings her back for this special community event.
The reading encourages children from all backgrounds to see themselves involved in nature and science. The first 50 participating families will receive a free copy of the book, provided by the Cheeryble Foundation in memory of Steve Hicks. Wynn-Grant is a wildlife ecologist specializing in research on how human activity influences carnivore behavior and ecology. She co-hosts Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom: Protecting the Wild on NBC and hosts the PBS-produced podcast Going Wild with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant.
October’s Centennial Celebration at SBBG
The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is celebrating its 100th anniversary with free admission every Sunday in October and a month of special programming highlighting nature, art, wellness, families and four-legged visitors. Free Centennial Community Days will take place October 4, 11, 18 and 25, with advance reservations required due to parking and capacity limits.
Programming includes music from Cody Westheimer, a community paint party, sunset yoga, family storytimes, and an October 25 Halloween Pooch Parade featuring costumes and prizes.
The Centennial celebration also heads into town with Garden to Glass, featuring botanical cocktails inspired by California native plants at participating Santa Barbara restaurants and bars throughout October. One dollar from each featured drink will support the Garden’s conservation, research, education and community programs. Founded in 1926, the Garden was the nation’s first botanic garden dedicated exclusively to native plants.
Opera Under the Oaks Previews New Season
Opera Santa Barbara returns to Godric Grove at Elings Park on Sunday, October 4, for Opera Under the Oaks, a family-friendly outdoor concert previewing the company’s 2026-27 season. Guests are encouraged to bring blankets, seat cushions, and a picnic for an afternoon of opera beneath the trees.
The 90-minute program will feature selections from the three productions headed to the Lobero Theatre this season: Verdi’s Rigoletto, Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, and the California premiere of Craig Bohmler and Steven Mark Kohn’s Riders of the Purple Sage, along with other opera favorites. Performers include Oriana Falla, Alexandra Bass, Arnold Geis, and Matthew Peterson, accompanied by pianist Catherine Miller.
The concert runs 3-4:30 pm, with gates opening at 2:30 pm. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door, while admission is free for ages 18 and under.
411: Operasb.org
Prep House Opens in the Funk Zone
Four Santa Barbara entrepreneurs have joined forces to launch Prep House, a new beauty and wellness collective in the Funk Zone designed as a one-stop destination for getting ready. Founded by Amanda Leone, Megan Brand, Meghan Webley, and Dana Martin, the concept brings four female-owned businesses together under one roof.
Services include customized blowouts and makeup from Leone Blow Dry Bar, red light therapy and spray tans from The Afterglow, teeth whitening from Peak Whitening, and nail services from Klawed by Dana. The idea grew from Leone’s initial plans to expand her salon before evolving into a collaborative space offering complementary services.
Prep House is located at 111 Santa Barbara Street.
411: www.prephousesb.com
Santa Barbara Literary Festival Returns
Mark the calendar and expect the unexpected. The Santa Barbara Literary Festival returns May 1 and 2, 2027, for two days celebrating books, writers, readers, and the wonderfully unruly possibilities of imagination.
Following its inaugural gathering, the festival will once again bring the literary world to Santa Barbara for a weekend devoted to storytelling, conversation, and creative discovery. The 2027 theme promises “a celebration of imagination that refuses to behave,” setting the stage for a festival willing to wander beyond the margins and see where the written word can lead.
You might also be interested in...
