It was all too beastly for words when the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network (SBWCN) hosted a sold-out Wild Night Out at the historic Lobero Theatre. The occasion was SBWCN’s world premiere presentation of Wild Rescue, a 41-minute film about the organization, which launched in 1988. The film is directed by Santa Ynez resident Ian […]
Ralph Minc, longtime Santa Barbara local, passionate athlete, loving husband, father, and grandfather, passed away peacefully on July 4, 2025, at the age of 79. Ralph was born in Tayport, Scotland, to Catherine Duncan Minc and Hendryk Minc, a Polish Jew who escaped the Nazis and eventually made his way to Scotland. In 1958, the […]
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Direct Relief has a new President and CEO, Amy Weaver having taken the reins from retiring Thomas Tighe, who over his 24 years of stewardship shepherded the health nonprofit to exponential growth. The world-renowned humanitarian organization, founded in Montecito back in 1948, today delivers more than $2 billion annually in medical aid to people in […]
I attended the Hudson Grace Montecito’s opening launch of their new collaboration with Los Angeles based interior designer Peter Dunham. Congratulations to Monelle Totah, co-owner of Hudson Grace, and Dunham; it is just brilliant! Both Totah and Dunham were holding court at the launch, as interior designers, architects, fans and loyal customers flocked to have […]
It was a very in-tents occasion when Santa Barbara Polo Training Center hosted its 9th annual gala dinner for 120 all-white clad guests at the Carpinteria locale – which enabled the purchase of a much needed $77,000 John Deere tractor. Each year, the 13-year-old organization makes $10,000 grants to UCSB and Westmont College polo team […]
Social gridlock reigned at the charming Casa del Herrero’s second annual Fiesta fest. More than 75 guests, numbers limited by local ordinance, crowded into the East Valley Road estate, which is also celebrating its 100th anniversary. The sunset soirée, chaired by David Bolton, Gonzalo Sarmiento, and Jenna Jobst Reichental, starred ubiquitous classical guitarist Chris Fossek […]
Social gadabout Rick Oshay and Teresa Kuskey, bubbly founder of the popular La Boheme Dance Company, hosted their fifth annual Viva La Fiesta at Casa de la Guerra, with more than 350 guests. Flamenco and salsa were provided by the Laura Garcia dance group, and other performances from Danza Folklórico and the Zermeño Dancers. Mezcal […]
Animal activist Gretchen Lieff and my trusty shutterbug Priscilla co-hosted a birthday bash for yours truly at her La Lieff tasting room in the Funk Zone for the 22nd anniversary to my half century. The sunset soirée attracted quite the crowd including Wayne and Sharol Siemens, Joel and Jamie Knee, Caren Rager, Linda Rosso, William […]
Lotusland, the 37-acre botanical paradise developed by the late international opera singer Ganna Walska, sold out all 500 tickets for its annual gala, Jardin des Rêves, months in advance, raising more than $1 million. The 31st annual event Garden of Dreams, co-chaired by David Jones and Julie Morley, with honorary chair Wendy Schmidt, featured vintage […]
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State Street Ballet gave a sneak peek at its next season with a sunset soirée at the Montecito estate of board member Karl Weis and his wife Kristen featuring Romeo and Juliet, Chaplin, and work from the ever-popular Nutcracker. Balletomanes quaffing the champagne and noshing on the canapés included Joan Rutkowski, Andre Yew, Jon Bishop, […]
The Art Foundation of Santa Barbara featured local artist Derek Harrison – an instructor at Westmont College and the L.A. Academy of Figurative Art, who created this year’s Old Spanish Days fiesta poster – at a bash at the venerable Santa Barbara Club. Foundation members also displayed items from their own personal collections. Among the […]
Oenophiles and gourmands were out in force at the weekend for the two-day California Wine Festival with a rare and reserve-level opening night at the Hilton’s Plaza del Sol and a beachside bash opposite Chase Palm Park billed as “an event for the senses” with 250 wines from more than 70 vintners and 30 eateries […]
The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara has announced four new board members. The fab four are Elizabeth Cholawsky, a technology executive, Erika Culwell, a financial advisor, Sandy Seale, with a master’s and doctorate in engineering from MIT, and Ashley Parker Snider, who has worked in sales and marketing at the Fess Parker Winery in Los […]
It was an evening of high note when the Music Academy of the West hosted its annual gala for a record 410 guests on the Upper Lawn of the Montecito Club, raising $750,000 to support life-changing programming and the 78th summer festival with 150 fellows, out of 2,000 applicants from 19 countries worldwide. “It helps […]
