First sent to readers on Friday, September 18, 2026.
BOOK NOW / RESERVATIONS OPEN
aSanta Barbara Trolley of Lights — Dec. 8–21, 2026. Reservations are open now. Thursday–Monday: 4:30 PM and 6:30 PM check-ins; Tuesday–Wednesday: 6 PM. General admission is $42/person; lap children under 2 do not require a ticket. Private trolleys hold up to 30 guests and are $97gratuity. Tours are raOfficial booking pagefees and gratuity. Tours are rain or shine; tickets are nonrefundable and nontransferable. Official booking page
Ritz-Carlton Bacara holiday programming — 2026 holiday programming is now published with a live reservation portal. Festive Holiday Market: Dec. 6, complimentary with free parking. 12 Days of Wonder: Dec. 15–26, family workshops daily 12–2 PM plus Santa experiences, Lantern Walks and Elf Deliveries. Lulio Christmas dining: Dec. 24–25, including children’s offerings. Holiday cocktails at O Bar and New Year’s Eve programming are also live. Public holiday-page pricing is not yet listed. Official holiday page · Reservations
Weekend roundup
Family daytime
MISSED / SOLD OUT — Creek Week: Land Shark Tour — Sun., Sept. 20, 9:30–11:30 AM. City of Santa Barbara Creeks Division tour following the Waterfront & Estuaries Trail toward Arroyo Burro. $10 RSVP required; space limited; sold out by event morning. This should have been surfaced before the weekend because Creek Week’s umbrella schedule contained a limited-capacity reservation subevent. Keep as a documented miss rather than deleting it because it sold out. City Creek Week calendar
Goleta Lemon Run — Sun., Sept. 20, 8 AM–12 PM, Goleta Beach. 11th annual community run supporting Goleta schools. 1K Family Fun Run is stroller-friendly and fully paved; 5K and 10K also offered, with food, prizes and family activities. Youth scholarships are available for children 12 and under. Official organizer · City listing
Solvang Danish Days — Fri.–Sun., downtown Solvang. Free admission. Saturday: Æbleskiver Breakfast 8:30 AM–12 PM, Kids Korner 10 AM–5 PM, Hans Christian Andersen storytime 10:30 AM, main parade 2:30 PM. Sunday includes family programming and the 2026 schedule lists the Children’s Parade at 2:30 PM. Schedule
Santa Barbara County Farm Day — Sat., 10 AM–3 PM, participating farms throughout Santa Barbara County. Free. Info
Coastal Cleanup Day — Sat., 9 AM–12 PM. The Sea Center cleanup meets behind Skater’s Point at East Beach. Free and all ages. This is a family favorite. Info
Santa Barbara Oktoberfest — Sat., 11 AM–5 PM, Chase Palm Park. Ticketed; current tickets available through Eventbrite. Tickets
Santa Maria BBQ & Music Festival — Fri.–Sun., Pioneer Park, Santa Maria. Free admission and parking; Saturday BBQ tasting is ticketed.
Polo — Sun., Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club, Carpinteria. ProAm match is listed by club ticketing for 2:30–4:30 PM. Ticket price omitted from the parent roundup because it was not independently verified.
Evening picks
Earth, Wind & Fire — Fri., 7:30 PM, Santa Barbara Bowl.
Freya Skye — Sat., 7:30 PM, Santa Barbara Bowl.
Brandi Carlile — Sun., 6 PM, Santa Barbara Bowl.
Group date: Saturday, October 24, 2026.
Remaining action: buy tickets.
Continue surfacing the ticket reminder in future relevant roundups until tickets