Events in Santa Barbara 2010

by Santa Barbara CVB
(Santa Barbara, California)

EVENT CALENDAR
March 12-14: As seen in the film Adaptation, commercial and amateur orchid growers from the U.S. and around the world will display thousands of their most perfect orchids at the 65th annual Santa Barbara International Orchid Show. sborchidshow.com

March 13: Princess Day at Santa Barbara Zoo, when princesses unite for frog conservation. Costumes are encouraged. Frog kissing is optional. Pirates, knights, princes and other boys in costume are also welcome. sbzoo.org

March 14-21: Savor the “Danish Capital of North America” during the Taste of Solvang Food & Wine Festival. solvangusa.com

April 17: Annual Santa Barbara County Vintners’ Festival at River Park in the Sta. Rita Hills featuring over local 130 wineries. sbcountywines.com

April 17-18: Celebrate Earth Day in its hometown at the 40th Annual South Coast Earth Day Festival at Alameda Park. sbearthday.org

April 17: Journey into the past and celebrate Santa Barbara’s 228th birthday during Founding Day at El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park, a 1782 adobe fort and inspiration for the city’s world-famous architecture. sbthp.org

April 29-May 2: AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour Santa Barbara Open takes over the sands of West Beach. avp.com

May 1: 5th Annual Women’s Literary Festival celebrates readers and women writers with a day of interactive presentations and book signings. The day-long event includes authors Lynne Cox, Katherine V. Forrest, Stephanie Elizondo Griest, LeAnne Howe, Carol Lay, Graciela Limón and Lisa See. womensliteraryfestival.com

May 1-15: The expanded 10th annual Santa Barbara Sea Festival opens with Santa Barbara Choral Society’s “A Sea Symphony” and closes with the Maritime Museum’s Sea Festival—with numerous sea-themed events and festivities in between. sbseafestival.com

May 29-31: The plaza of the Old Mission is transformed with 200 colorful street paintings created by 400 artists during the annual I Madonnari Italian Street Painting Festival. imadonnarifestival.com

June 26: The festive Summer Solstice Parade features a colorful moving street carnival complete with extravagant floats, whimsical costumes and creatively choreographed dancing ensembles. solsticeparade.com

August 4-8: A community tradition since 1924, Old Spanish Days Fiesta draws tens of thousands of visitors to the area for the five-day, city-wide celebration featuring food, drink, music, dance, rodeo and more. oldspanishdays-fiesta.org

October 1-31: epicure.sb: a month to savor santa barbara, a community-wide cuisine, libations and cultural extravaganza featuring 100+ events celebrating local flavors. epicuresb.com