Tag archives: summer

The Other Side of the Kahane
By Steven Libowitz   |   June 23, 2026

The Music Academy could have brought Jeffrey Kahane to town to conduct an Academy Festival Orchestra concert, engaging the former longtime leader of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (or LACO, which appeared at the Granada under his baton for CAMA back in 2015) to conduct the fellows in the middle of the summer. Instead, Kahane […]

Spring Soirée
By Zach Rosen   |   June 9, 2026

Summertime… the season of sun. Okay, yes, the sun has been a little shy as of late, but I swear it’s up there. While the Earth’s own axis may be at maximum tilt on the solstice, it is also the moment where the local community gets a little tilted. Accountants become butterflies. Teachers become sea […]

Summer Solstice Soirée
By Montecito Journal   |   May 26, 2026

The Summer Solstice Celebration will bring its signature spirit of creativity and community to Montecito on Friday, May 23, with the return of the Summer Solstice Soirée, an elegant afternoon fundraiser supporting Santa Barbara’s iconic arts festival. Held at a private Montecito estate, the event will combine art, music, performances, and philanthropy in a festive […]

Sum- Sum- Summertime
By Ernie Witham   |   August 19, 2025

About a hundred years ago – or so it seems – I worked. Oops, put the period in there too soon. I meant… I worked in manufacturing making knitting needles in Laconia, New Hampshire. It was a darn good job.  You’re probably picturing large needles used for making baby blankets for that new niece, and […]

Summer Solstice Art Soirée Lights Up Montecito
By Montecito Journal   |   June 3, 2025

This past weekend, a private Montecito estate hosted the first Summer Solstice Art Soirée, a vibrant fundraiser supporting Santa Barbara’s iconic Solstice Parade and Festival. Set in a picturesque garden, the event featured a live art auction of local works, a silent auction, and direct artist sponsorship opportunities—including mask and prop creators. Highlights included performances […]

New Directors Join Board of Summer Solstice Celebration
By Montecito Journal   |   April 15, 2025

Local nonprofit Summer Solstice Celebration, now in its 51st year, has announced the addition of three new Board of Director members, Kari Lane, Ron Glover, and Forrest Leichtberg, to their Solstice leadership team. Ron Glover, a native of Santa Barbara specializing in event management and serving in nonprofit leadership roles, brings a wealth of experience […]

The 2nd Annual Summerland Business Block Party
By Joanne A Calitri   |   July 30, 2024

The 2nd Annual Summerland Businesses Block Party is on Saturday, July 27, from 11 am to 4 pm. Chairing the event are local business leaders Aimee Miller, owner of Home Crush; Marie Ferris, owner of Juniper; Leslie Person Ryan, owner of Farm to Paper and Sweet Wheel Farms; D’Arcy Cornwall, President of Summerland Beautiful; and […]

The Miramar Swim Raft is Back!
By Richard Mineards   |   June 4, 2024

The Miramar Swim Raft, an iconic symbol of leisure and fun, is back for the summer. For decades, the Rosewood Miramar’s raft has been more than just a floating platform. It has been a centerpiece for families, friends, and communities to come together and create unforgettable moments. Launched in 1917, the five-star resort has long […]

Spring Upgrades Are Done and Summer Kicks Off Along Coast Village
By Beth Sullivan   |   May 28, 2024

The City of Santa Barbara and the Coast Village Association are pleased to announce the successful completion of the first phase of the road upgrade project, a significant milestone in our ongoing commitment to enhancing the district’s infrastructure, safety, and overall appeal. Between March 25 and May 17 of this year, residents and businesses demonstrated […]

A Shining Night
By Richard Mineards   |   May 14, 2024

Santa Barbara Historical Museum’s latest exhibition celebrates half a century of Summer Solstice, the colorful and creative annual parade on State Street. The event started in 1974 when mime and artist Michael Gonzales celebrated his birthday with friends on the town’s main thoroughfare. Fifty years later nearly 100,000 people line the street to experience something […]

AHA!
By Steven Libowitz   |   February 20, 2024

Roxana Petty is understandably proud that AHA! is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2024, marking a quarter-century since the nonprofit’s founding as a small summer program just a few months after the infamous Columbine High School massacre. In an effort to reduce the possibility of such a tragedy happening in Santa Barbara, AHA! (which stands […]

AHA!
By Steven Libowitz   |   October 17, 2023

AHA!’s (Attitude. Harmony. Achievement.) multi-faceted programs have been rapidly expanding nearly a quarter-century after the organization’s founding in response to the shooting at Columbine High School back in 1999. The proof is in the post-pandemic pudding, which emerged late last month when some of AHA!’s after-school programs got underway.  “The demand for what we’re doing […]

Quadruple the Fun and Laughs
By Richard Mineards   |   July 4, 2023

The second week of the Music Academy’s Summer Festival lineup goes from strength to strength. Hahn Hall on the 10-acre Miraflores campus was the venue for the String Quartet showcase featuring the Vela Quartet – violinists Aaron You-Xin Li and Harin Kang, violist Vincenzo Keawe Calcagno, and cellist Hamzah Zaidi – kicking off the highly […]

Summer in Santa Barbara Al Fresco Adventures Abound
By Steven Libowitz   |   July 4, 2023

Santa Barbara is by no means unique in taking advantage of the warmer temperature and sunny weather to bring music and movie entertainment to the masses in the great outdoors. But, at least for our size, we sure do have a plethora of places to put up performances, each with its own flavor. Read on […]

Roots in Solstice. The Longest Day Needs You
By Jeff Wing   |   June 20, 2023

Yes. Our warm, wet, and lovely home planet is tilted weirdly on its axis – like a white-wine lightweight after an author’s luncheon, more or less. As it races around the local ball of fire at around 67,000 mph, Earth’s angular disposition in relation to the sun makes the days here longer, there shorter. Over […]

Imagine Your Float: Setting the Stage for a Successful Solstice 
By Steven Libowitz   |   May 2, 2023

The official workshop for this year’s Summer Solstice Parade on June 24 won’t open until mid-May, but festival veterans and newcomers can get a jump on participating in a big way, thanks to a new workshop taking place this weekend. Artist and former high school art teacher Judith Raimondi is facilitating the “Imagine Your Float” […]

Summer Home Buying Spree Continues… With no fall in sight (other than the weather and earlier sunsets)
By Mark Ashton Hunt   |   September 27, 2022

The calendar may say that we are heading into fall, but the Montecito Real Estate market is not falling at all, not here in the 93108. It seems like full steam ahead for buyers looking to become part of this community. Taking a quick look back at August, there were only 12 sales reported in […]

Come to the Cabaret… With an Open Mind
By Steven Libowitz   |   July 26, 2022

Don’t walk into the Music Academy’s Cabaret at Hahn Hall next Thursday, July 28, expecting to see a knockoff of the 1966 Kander and Ebb Broadway musical or Bob Fosse’s 50-year-old film adaptation. While both are set in Berlin’s cabaret culture during the Weimar Republic, the Academy event is an originally devised cabaret with a […]

Summer Splendor at Local Eateries The Sweetness and Spiciness of the Season
By Claudia Schou   |   July 26, 2022

Warm summer breezes and longer days beckon diners outdoors to explore the city’s diverse culinary landscape. Although there has been a recent uptick in virus cases, restaurant owners and chefs tempt diners with their summer creations. Several local eateries continue to exercise the same safety protocols at the height of the pandemic. “Our doors to […]

Let’s Make it a Smashing Summer
By Ian Wickman   |   July 12, 2022

This summer it’s time to take advantage of one of the easiest, most refreshing cocktails you can find. Endlessly versatile, and easy to adjust to your tastes, a smash is a cocktail that will make everyone happy. Best of all, they are dead simple to make. Read on to see how to make your summer […]