Tag archives: holidays
Girls Inc. of Carpinteria is bringing back their wintery gift-giving event, Operation Holiday Cheer. Launched in 2020 and presented by Cox Communications, this program brings gifts and some holiday spirit to local girls and their families that are experiencing economic hardships resulting from the pandemic. “We are proud to host our 3rd Annual Operation Holiday […]
After two years lost to the pandemic, Hospice of Santa Barbara (HSB) is gearing up to once again brighten up the holidays in Santa Barbara and neighboring communities with its 39th annual Light Up a Life. The events – which were offered only virtually in 2020 and 2021 – take place live this year at […]
A four-carat Colombian emerald set in platinum with diamonds accenting the emerald cut. Silverhorn Design Studio1235 Coast Village RoadMontecito, CA 93108805.969.0442https://www.silverhorn.com/ Unique and luxe Dakota Wine and Picnic Tote, quality made in the U.S. out of cork from Portugal. Paula Parisottohttps://paulaparisotto.com/ Proenza Schouler Dia day bag in leopard print Italian calf-hair with a detachable strap […]
This was an all-things Irish Christmas party in a lovely downtown venue. You don’t have to be Irish to belong, but most members have some connection. It began with an Irish Christmas toast by Frank McGinity of the American Irish Historical Society. “May peace and plenty be the first to lift the latch on your […]
The Santa Barbara Historical Museum (SBHM) held a member appreciation soiree over the holidays. The courtyard looked so festive with all the tables decked out in sparkly gold tablecloths. The tapa table people were busy making tacos and pizza and we were busy eating them. There was a band playing and no COVID worries since […]
Here is a look at four more holiday concerts that provided plenty of holiday cheer as we inch toward the new year: Crane Country Day School The school had a wonderful evening outdoor concert planned for Thursday, December 16 for families only, but as the much-needed rain continued that day, the school made the tough […]
Once upon a time, Carrie and George Steedman journeyed from their town of St. Louis with his diabetic brother to Santa Barbara. They brought him to see Dr. Sansum because in the early 1920s, he was the only doctor who had insulin in the whole United States. Carrie and George fell in love with Santa […]
Christianity is all about forgiveness and I am writing this during the Christmas season. Could a society function with nothing but forgiveness as an ethical code? Astronomer and 1981 Humanist of the Year Carl Sagan wrote a brilliant essay about this for Parade Magazine in 1993. Here is a link to a copy: https://swt.org/sagan. It […]
This is one very difficult column to write. It is the end of the year, a time typically filled with Holiday cheer — whether Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or just Santa Claus and family. We pause to celebrate the happiness of the season, complete with the exchange of gifts, and to bask in the warm embrace […]
With the hustle and bustle of Paseo Nuevo or Montecito Country Mart, or either the Upper or Lower villages, there are a couple of other local options if you’re looking for last-second holiday shopping ideas. And they’re just a short drive down the 101 — OK, depending on the time of day, it can be […]
After a two year break the 35th Annual Parade of Lights was back with a bang — and 10 tons of snow! City Pier was turned into a Winter Wonderland complete with holiday elves as more than 30 colorfully illuminated sailing boats and dozens of stand-up paddlers and kayakers in festive attire embarked on a […]
‘Tis the season to celebrate the plethora of annual holiday concerts at schools around Montecito, with many restricted in-person events held outside due to ongoing concerns over COVID-19. Here is Part I of our roundup from Santa and me: Cate School Cate School’s motto is “Servons” (we serve), which is noted in its holiday tradition […]
The annual beloved boat parade was back in the harbor for live viewing with social distancing and masks along Cabrillo Boulevard and Stearns Wharf. The theme for this year’s parade was “Magic Under the Moonlight.” A double-bell salute rang out to City of Santa Barbara’s Christopher Bell, the Waterfront Department’s administrative analyst and public information […]
Santa Barbara Beautiful celebrated Christmas with a boffo beano for 90 guests at the Mesa estate of new board member Santa Barbara County architect Robert Ooley. The 56-year-old organization gives out grants between $50,000 and $100,000 annually to help beautify our Eden by the Beach. “We are thrilled to be doing this,” gushed president Deborah […]
The Martini. The Old Fashioned. The Manhattan. Names steeped in cocktail lore, each a classic, stirred cocktail (despite a famous, suit-wearing movie spy who requests his martini shaken, not stirred). As the temperature dips and the holiday gatherings commence, I find myself reaching for a spirit-forward, stirred sip that livens the tastebuds and hastens the […]
Pardon the dad joke, but it’s not every day that kangaroos move into one’s backyard — but the bouncy beasts have arrived at the Santa Barbara Zoo. Three male Western grey kangaroos — Max, Aspen, and Coolibah — complete the new inhabitants of the 15,000-square-foot Australian Walkabout at the Zoo, slated to open on January […]
Some folks spend all year looking forward to the holidays just so they can watch The Nutcracker once again. Others don’t care if they never hear Tchaikovsky’s classic again. There’s no doubt on which side State Street Ballet founder Rodney Gustafson resides. “I’ve seen our production so many times,” said Gustafson, who just returned to […]
More than a dozen community companies around the country present Christmas Revels performances this December, including such places as Lebanon, New Hampshire; Boulder, Colorado; and Oakland, each of which reworks shows created by the flagship company in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The shows bring together people of all ages and backgrounds — both on stage and in […]
The Jolly Ol’ Guy will be doing a special Santa Drive-By through the Montecito community on December 19 courtesy of the Rosewood Miramar Beach, making stops along Coast Village Road (11 am), Montecito Country Mart (11:30 am), Butterfly Beach (Noon) and the Miramar Beach Bar (1:30-3 pm). Saint Nick has a pretty sweet pink ride […]
Santa Claus hats reigned supreme at Santa Barbara’s Carriage and Western Art Museum when entrepreneur Rick Oshay threw a heaving Yuletide fete for 170, helped by presidents galore from Old Spanish Days acting as cooks and bartenders. “It’s one helluva bash!” declared Rick, who has lived in our tony town for less than a year. […]
